NBA Draft 2017 Prospect Watch: Bronson Koenig
Weaknesses
The biggest weakness in Bronson Koenig’s game is that he is not very athletic, which has implications on both ends of the floor. He has decent size to play the point guard, but it is not elite and he can often be beaten off the dribble even when he is engaged on defense. The NBA boasts a lot of explosive guards who can attack the basket with ferocity, and Koenig might not be able to defend that.
Fundamentally, he is a decent defender, but not spectacular. Coupling that with struggles of staying in front of faster, stronger guards does not make the situation any better. However, he did play on one of the best defensive teams in the NCAA over the past few seasons at Wisconsin. This is somewhat due to the Badgers playing at a slow pace, but their team defense had a major part in it as well.
With this being said, Koenig defends well when he is off the ball. He understands positioning and knows when to step into the lane to help defend and when to sag off of his man when they are not good shooters. He plays defense instinctually, but his lack of great athleticism limits him on that end of the floor.
As for how his athleticism impacts his offensive activity, he will not be able to create his shot nearly as well at the next level in comparison to how he could in college. At Wisconsin, he often went to a pull-up jumper late in shot clocks as his “go-to move.” When executing this move, Koenig could use his solid size as a college point guard to elevate over his defender and deal with minimal contests.
Yet, at the NBA level, he is right around the average size of 6’2.75″ and will not be able to use his height as a great advantage. This could make his pull-up both contested and therefore less effective.
His lack of athleticism will also hurt him when attacking the basket, as it will be harder to get around quicker and stronger guards. For the most part, he will need to rely on taking care of the ball well and making his open shots while showing constant effort on both ends of the floor in order to secure a spot on an NBA roster.