Draft Profile: Grant Riller
Position: PG (College of Charleston)
Age: 23
Height: 6 ft 3
Weight: 190 lbs
Wingspan: N/A
The Sales Pitch: What if I told you there was a career 60-plus TS% lead guard in this class who was already able to get to the paint at will thanks to sharp moves and a blow-by first step; who can draw free throws and make them at a high clip; who can hit jump shots off the dribble from two and from three; who can hit spot-up jumpers; and who improved his rebounding, passing, and steal/block rates every single year for four years? Oh, and he’s also a top level PnR and ISO player. Well, he exists, his name is Grant Riller, and he played for College of Charleston. He’s older — a lot older — but with the younger guards you hope they become the player Riller already is on offense. The 6-foot-3 heat-seeking missile had defenses focused on him every day, and it didn’t stop him from killing them efficiently and ruthlessly. He showed flashes of solid defensive instincts, and with less responsibility and more coaching, he can probably get to average on D due to his quickness and strong build. Higher floor and higher upside than any PG not named Killian or LaMelo.
Check out The Strickland’s 2020 NBA Draft Big Board here!
Elite Skills: Driving skill, finishing, pick-and-roll production.
The Devil’s Advocate Argument: How many NCAA combo guards have we seen come to the NBA based on the ability to get a bucket, only to become career G-League assassins due to lack of defensive skill and not quite being able to run an offense? Riller could be the latest iteration of that kind of player. Even when he has a “good” defensive game, it’s only good compared to his normal trash defense. He’s also not switchable at all. Finally, don’t be fooled by his assist percentage: he’s a scorer who can hit passes stemming from his drives more than he is a point guard, and the distinction matters. He’s closer to a 2 than a 1, just like he’s closer to a shot-maker than he is a pure shooter. And he’s gonna end up closer to the G-League than the All-Star Game due to his fatal flaws.
The Misconceptions: He only played bummy teams and roasted them to put up great numbers. He had games vs. teams like Oklahoma State and a few other talented squads and came away with wins, and has produced vs. those kind of teams for a while now.
Important numbers:
23: His age. He old, bruh.
70%: His FG% around the rim.
36%: His 3P%.
97th: His percentile generating points out of the pick-and-roll.
96th: His percentile on spot-up jump shots.
Knicks Fit: Would be seen as a reach with the No. 8 pick, but the fit is ideal either as a would-be lead guard or a bench microwave scorer who can play either guard spot. If they were to draft him later, he would likely be a great value move.
Educate yourself on some other potential Knicks: Killian Hayes, LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Onyeka Okongwu, Devin Vassell, Isaac Okoro, Patrick Williams
