The 2020 NBA Draft will be an important event for teams to build for their future. Here is the Cassius Winston 2020 NBA Draft Profile.

Background

Position: Point Guard

Size: 6-foot-1, 185 pounds

School: Michigan State

Class: Senior

Winston entered Michigan State as a four-star recruit and developed into one of the best players in the country. After four seasons with the Spartans, Winston is preparing for the NBA.

He played a lot as a reserve during his freshman season, averaging 6.7 points per game. Michigan State went to the second round of the NCAA Tournament that season. Winston started as a sophomore and improved to average 12.7 points and 6.9 assists per game. The Spartans lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament again. When he was a junior, Winston was one of the best players in the country with 18.8 points and 7.5 assists per game. Michigan State went all the way to the Final Four that season. This past season, Winston put up 18.6 points and 5.9 assists per game. The Spartans had a 22-9 record before the season was canceled.

His senior season ended prematurely, but Winston had a great career that saw him become one of the best players in college basketball. He is currently projected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Strengths

Winston is the best passer in the class and proved he could do it over all four seasons at Michigan State. He averaged 7.5 assists as a junior, which was one of the best marks in the country. Winston can run the offense and find the open man in the halfcourt. This also makes him a dynamic player in transition, as there are a lot of open shooters he can find.

He is a great three-point shooter, which will help stretch out defenses. Winston shot 43 percent from deep in his career. This is a really high percentage, which is a result of great form and confidence. His range also looks like it will extend out to NBA range. With some more work Winston can become an absolutely lethal three-point shooter.

His ability to handle the ball is also among the best in the class. He won’t be able to be really elusive with the ball, but he can occasionally shake free from his man and get into the lane, which helps his passing ability. As a dribbler, he can also be expected to protect the ball and run an offense for an NBA team.

Weaknesses

His defense is going to need some major work for the next level. He has trouble keeping up with his man and can give up some major points. Winston simply doesn’t have the foot speed to stay in front and he doesn’t offer much help taking the ball away. His defense may keep him off the floor early on in his NBA career.

He is one of the smaller players in the draft class at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds. This will make it hard for him to finish at the rim at the offensive end of the floor. His lack of size and length also makes it harder for him to defend. A lot of the players he will be guarding at the next level will be both stronger and faster than him.

While he is a good dribbler and passer, Winston does take too many chances and has too many turnovers. He averaged 2.7 turnovers per game over his career as a Spartan. This mostly came from forcing passes or trying to make plays that weren’t there. Winston will need to be more careful with his possessions at the next level.

Projected Draft Range: Late First Round-Second Round Pick

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