NBA Draft 2017 Prospect Watch: Bronson Koenig
Strengths
The best skill in Koenig’s repertoire is his three-point shooting. In each of his last three collegiate seasons, he hovered around 40 percent from deep. Although this number does not jump off the page as being among the best shooters in this draft class, it is highly respectable and can also be taken with the fact that Koenig had to shoulder a lot of offensive production for the Badgers.
As a junior and senior, Koenig shot upwards of six three-point attempts per game and was often forced to take tough jump shots that he had to create for himself at the end of the shot clock. He was adept at doing this, but contested threes are always going to drag down some percentages.
As for how this translates to the NBA, his three-point range travels out to NBA-distance and should continue to be strong at the next level. In addition to being a spot-up shooter, Koenig is very good at executing the pull-up jumper, either in the flow of the offense or in transition. He is not overly quick in the half-court, but he changes pace well in driving to the basket and can stop on a dime to get his shot up.
If you ever need evidence that Koenig can create his own shot using the pull-up, all you would have to do is watch a clip of the Badgers taking the last buzzer-beating shot before halftime. Koenig does an excellent job baiting his defender into thinking he will attack the basket in isolation before rising up quickly for a sometimes contested mid-range or three-point jumper.
Also, as a point guard he understands how to work within the framework of an offense. Two assists per game as a senior do not look all that great as a floor general or playmaker, but Koenig knows how to make the right pass and sets the pace of a game very well.
In the Wisconsin system, he was called upon to be a focal point of the offense and executed in making sure every teammate was involved, even if it does not show up on the stat sheet. This might not translate tremendously well to the faster-paced game of the NBA, but he can be underestimated as a passer.