2021 NBA Draft Profile: Corey Kispert
A likely trade-up candidate for the Knicks, Corey Kispert is a sweet-shooting upperclassmen from the national title runner-up, Gonzaga. Will his offensive repertoire offset his potential defensive shortcomings in the NBA?
Position: Wing, Gonzaga
Age: 22 (3/3/1999)
Height: 6 ft 6 in (w/o shoes); 6 ft 7.25in (w/ shoes)
Wingspan: 6 ft 7in
Weight: 223.8 lbs
Strickland 2021 Big Board Rank: 19
The Sales Pitch: Corey Kispert is one of the — if not the — best shooters in the draft. Period. Whether it’s spot-ups, running off screens, or shooting off the dribble, Kispert can knock down jumpers with the best of them. But he isn’t JUST a shooter. He has improved his overall game at Gonzaga each season to become a very well-rounded player. Offensively, this includes his play in pick-and-roll and his ability to get to the rim and finish. On defense, he may struggle in space given some athletic and length limitations, but he is incredibly strong and can hold his own.
Elite Traits/Skills: Shooting
The Devil’s Advocate argument: Corey Kispert is an older prospect (22 years old) who had ideal context playing on a stacked Gonzaga team. There is a good chance that nothing but the shooting translates to the NBA, and if that is the case, he probably isn’t worthy of a lottery pick like many people value him as.
The Misconceptions: “Kispert is just a 3-point specialist who can’t defend.” This is probably his floor, and I’m not even sure if this is the worst thing in the world to be at the next level. Look at what Duncan Robinson has been able to do in that role.
Important numbers:
53/63/44/88%: His FG/2P/3P/FT percentages this past season. Missed the illustrious “50/40/90” club by 2% on the free throws (which equates to just two more makes). His 2P% also jumps off the table for a guy who is typically just known as a 3-point specialist.
1.201: His points per possession (PPP) on jump shots in the half court, per Synergy. This ranks in the 93rd percentile (an “excellent” grade) on Synergy, which highlights his elite shooting. He actually ranked better on off-the-dribble jumpers (1.167 PPP, 96th percentile) than on catch-and-shoot (1.211 PPP, 81st percentile).
63.2%: His FG% around basket (not post-ups) in the half court, per Synergy. This equates to 1.322 PPP, and ranked in the 80th percentile for a “very good” grade on Synergy.
0.248: His free throw attempt rate (FTr), per Sports-Reference. This basically means that for every field goal attempted, he only attempted 0.248 free throws. In other words, he took four times more field goals than free throws. This number is pretty low, but isn’t surprising given his preference for jump shots. I think he’ll want to work on his foul drawing at the next level, especially when guys close out hard on him and he attacks the basket, because he’ll probably see a dip in his finishing numbers given bigger and more athletic defenders in the NBA.
Knicks Fit: NBA teams are always looking for shooters with size. Kispert’s shooting variation and ability should make him an easy fit on most rosters, including the Knicks. While there are some questions on the defensive end with him, I think coming into a good defensive system with a defensive-minded coach will help alleviate some of those concerns. The Knicks have both of these things, which makes him a great fit on this roster. He could slide right into the starting lineup if need be or come off the bench to provide more floor spacing on the second unit.
