23. NICO MANNION, Guard, Arizona
A whip-smart playmaker and one of the most highly touted five-star recruits in this year’s class, Nico Mannion‘s freshman season was, in all honesty, a disappointment. He laid bare some very real flaws and there is concern about his NBA ceiling.
Mannion’s main draw is his skill level. There are no qualms over his ability to create for others. He sees the floor as well as anyone in this class, except for maybe LaMelo Ball, and he’s an efficient three-point shooter with workable mechanics. In that sense, he should have no trouble adjusting to the mental gymnastics of NBA schemes.
The primary concern for Mannion is his athleticism. He simply lacks a degree of explosiveness common to high-level NBA guards. He doesn’t have a great first step, and his finishing at the rim is subpar. It’s fair to question how much pressure he can truly put on a professional defense.