The Milwaukee Bucks are picking 24th in the upcoming NBA Draft, and adding a backup point guard could definitely be their goal. Kennedy Chandler out of Tennessee is one they will likely be considering, as he brings a lot to the table. Here are some of his strengths and weaknesses, as well as his fit with the Bucks. (All stats provided by Synergy require a subscription)
Kennedy Chandler
- Position: Point Guard
- College: Tennessee
- Age: 19
- Height: 6’0″
- Weight: 170 lbs
- Stats: 13.9 points, 4.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 2.5 turnovers
- 46 percent from the field, 38 percent from three, 61 percent from the line
Milwaukee Bucks Draft Scouting Report: Kennedy Chandler – Strengths
Playmaking
Kennedy Chandler is a tremendous playmaker at point guard. He is extremely quick, can handle the ball, and is very shifty and difficult to contain. Chandler had an assist rate of 32.4 percent at Tennessee last season, which was among the best in the nation, and he averaged nine assists per 100 possessions. He is very good out of the pick and roll, generating 0.93 points per possession as a pick and roll ball handler (passing or scoring), according to Synergy.
Spot Up Shooting
Chandler is a good three-point shooter at point guard, draining 38 percent of his threes in college. He was particularly good spotting up, hitting 43 percent of his spot-up threes and ranking in the 88th percentile in terms of spot-up shooting. He can hit them guarded or unguarded, as he ranks in the 76th percentile on guarded catch-and-shoot threes and 73rd percentile on unguarded catch-and-shoot threes. Overall, Chandler definitely seems like a point guard who can be a knockdown shooter at the next level.
Defense
Not only is Kennedy Chandler a nice offensive player, but he brings it on defense as well. He is a very good point-of-attack defender who pressures the ball and generates a lot of steals (2.2 per game). His quickness, strength, and physicality all made him a high-level defender at point guard in college. He ranked in the 90th percentile in points per possession allowed as a primary defender, holding opponents to just 32.6 percent from the field. Chandler definitely has shown that he has the intensity and skills to be an impactful defender at point guard.
TAMPA, FLORIDA – MARCH 11 (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Milwaukee Bucks Draft Scouting Report: Kennedy Chandler – Weaknesses
Size
At just 6’0″ and 170 pounds, Kennedy Chandler will definitely be undersized for an NBA point guard. This will likely make him a target on defense no matter how hard he plays or how much he brings on that end. Teams can force switches and mismatches to exploit him. He may become unplayable at times in a playoff series because of his size and the ability of opponents to hunt him. If Chandler was three or four inches taller, he might be a top ten pick in this draft.
Shot Creation Off The Dribble
Chandler does not appear to be a dynamic scorer or bucket getter in isolation of the dribble. He ranked in just the 42nd percentile as an isolation scorer (0.73 points per possession) and made just 31 percent of his jumpers off the dribble in the half-court. He also needs to develop a floater, as he made just 32 percent of them. For a guy who might struggle to get deep into the paint with his lack of size, developing a floater could be a big key for him offensively.
Shooting Off Movement
Although he is a very good spot-up shooter, Chandler has a ways to go as a shooter in other ways. As just mentioned, he is not great off the dribble, and he also is not very good in movement actions. He shot just 29 percent off screens and 30 percent off handoffs, and will need to improve shooting in these actions if he wants to take his game to the next level. His poor free throw shooting (just 61 percent) also isn’t an encouraging sign for his upside as an overall shooter.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 19 (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) Milwaukee Bucks Draft Scouting Report: Kennedy Chandler – Outlook
Kennedy Chandler is a very intriguing prospect at point guard with his ability to run the pick-and-roll, find open teammates, hit spot-up threes, and be a solid point-of-attack defender. He is someone who the Bucks could definitely bring in to be an effective backup point guard that they have been looking for. Chandler can come off the bench, run the offense well, hit shots when Giannis finds him on the perimeter, and potentially hold his own defensively.
The problem with the Bucks taking Chandler is that it is unknown how much he can be out there on an NBA court due to his lack of size on defense. Teams in the playoffs will likely hunt him, and he may get played off the court, even though he is a good defender of his position. The Bucks are likely looking for a backup point guard who has more versatility defensively and more size. His upside also might be capped due to him not being a great shot creator on the perimeter.
Overall, the Bucks drafting Kennedy Chandler 24th overall would be a nice selection and he’d be someone who comes in and can immediately fill a need at backup point guard. The long-term value he brings is unknown due to his limitations defensively with his size in the playoffs and his limited scoring ability, but he will likely be a solid backup point guard for any team due to his playmaking and spot-up shooting.
Grade for Bucks: B+
Stay tuned to see where Chandler lands in the 2022 NBA Draft.