NBA Draft Profiles: Malcolm Lee, UCLA

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Stats: 13.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.0 apg, 29.5% 3PT

Age: 21, junior

Size:

• Listed: 6'5", 200 lb
• Official: 6'4" (no shoes), 6'5.5" (with shoes), 6'9.75" (wingspan), 8'5.5" (reach), 198 lb

Strengths: Lee's best attribute as an NBA prospect is his potential to be a defender at the next level. He's almost 6'6" in shoes with a wingspan of nearly 6'10". He's also a terrific athlete that has spent three years playing in a system that is renowned for producing quality defenders on the perimeter. What sets Lee apart from other prospects at this position is his ability to defend at the point and at the two. Offensively, Lee was stifled a bit in Howland's grind-it-out, slowed down system. He's at his best when he can get out and run the floor. He makes plays in transition and has the size and athleticism to finish in the lane. His three point shooting numbers are low, but much of that is weighed down due to his struggles shooting off the dribble. He actually rates as a fairly decent catch-and-shoot player, which is what his role will be in the NBA. It also should be noted that guys like Russell Westbrook, Arron Afflalo, and Jrue Holiday have proven to be successful NBA players despite having major question marks when they left UCLA.

Weaknesses: At first glance, Lee appears to be a player without a position. While he has been better in workouts leading up to the draft, nothing about the time he spent at UCLA makes him appear to be a point guard prospect at the next level. He's not a great distributor and he doesn't have the instincts that you look for in a point guard. The other issue with Lee is his shot selection and his ability to shoot. He really struggles when he is forced to shoot off the dribble, and while he has improved in catch-and-shoot situations, he probably is never going to be considered a knock-down jump shooter.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Gary Neal meets George Hill. Tough to really peg a good example, but like hybrid of San Antonio Spurs George Hill and Gary Neal. Hill has speed and pure scoring ability as a back up PG, but isn’t a great creator for his teammates at this point. Neal is a shot maker who thrives on his own within the team game, and while he doesn’t blow anyone away, he’s solid. If you merged the talents, Lee could be a product that gets buckets and makes plays, but he’s not going to offer a whole lot as a player who can run the show.


• Worst Case Scenario: Mustafa Shakur. The former Arizona PG has great size and similar type game as Lee, but has struggled to stick in the league as a pure PG for a team. Has been largely a second unit guy struggling to make a roster, and Lee might end up if a similar situation if he can’t make the adjustment or pick his ability to distribute or struggles to score at the 2.

Outlook: History is on Lee's side. One of the major criticisms of Ben Howland at UCLA is that he brings in top level talent that under performs collegiately. And while that may be true, its also true that the numbers get skewed due to the pace that Howland wants his team to play. The Bruins are a defensive oriented team, which is why players like Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison, Jrue Holiday, and Arron Afflalo all had the same question marks when they left Westwood for the league. But if you look at what those four players have accomplished in the NBA, its clear that Howland is doing something right. His players may not be putting up gaudy numbers in college, but they are successful in the NBA, as all four were starters on teams that made the playoffs this year. Lee is going to have to accept a role in the NBA. He will likely never be a big time scorer, as he is limited as a jump shooter and creator with the dribble. But he's got terrific size, length, and athleticism for his position, which combined with the defensive background he has coming out of UCLA makes him an ideal prospect as a lockdown defender. He has already had some impressive workouts with NBA teams, and if he continues he may crack the first round. As it stands, it appears as if Lee will end up getting taken in the second round, but if he can improve his ability on the offensive end of the floor, he may be able to carve out a career at the next level.

Draft Range: Late 1st to Early 2nd Round

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "What do Russell Westbrook, Jrue Holiday, Darren Collison and Arron Afflalo have in common? They were UCLA guards who didn't appear to be great NBA prospects at first glance (Westbrook may have been the exception, but not for everyone) who have gone on to have excellent careers in the NBA. All four were starters on playoff teams this season despite their youth. Here's a prediction: Lee will continue that hot streak for UCLA. Lee was a top-rated prospect coming out of high school but struggled to dominate in college. While he's earned a rep as an elite perimeter defender, his offensive game has been a work in progress."


• Draft Express: "it's clear that Lee is a talented player with some potential to build on, as he's still only 20 years old and possesses all of the physical attributes that scouts covet. His undefined position and role, and lack production in his third season at UCLA are definitely concerns that scouts will have to consider though. His experiment at the point didn't lead to much success last year, and he doesn't seem to have the instincts or decision making skills to ever be a pure point guard. And while he's become more efficient on catch-and-shoot opportunities, he still doesn't project to be a big-time shooter or scorer on the wing."


• Swish Scout: "Matchup nightmare on defense for a PG with his combination of size, length, and lateral quickness that could make him a tough perimeter defender in the NBA. Lee has some fine scoring prowess and an aggressive attack mode with a game full of potential, but Malcolm is a ‘shoot first’ PG that hasn’t proven himself as a true point man or distributor during his time at UCLA."

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