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F, Freshman, UNC

6’6, 220 lbs

College Stats in 2018-19:

36 games, 0 starts, 18.2 MPG, 9.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 47.8 FG%, 26.9 3P%, 77.0 FT%

Where he’ll go:

Little will be a first-round pick.

The Rundown:

Assessing Little is a great exercise in evaluating potential against performance.

Little is a sturdy, athletic wing who will likely be able to guard multiple positions in the NBA. However, his offense remains in question and for someone as highly recruited as he was coming out of high school he didn’t really produce in college.

In this day and age, it’s important for every NBA player to work on their three-point shot, but it’s absolutely essential for Little. It’s extremely hard to hide wings who can’t shoot on the offensive end. It’s not out of the question that Little will be able to shoot at the next level—he was a good free-throw shooter in college which is a decent measure for long-term shooting potential—but it’ll take time. He did not shoot well from deep in college or in the combine. However, Little is confident in his abilities.

“I think I shoot better than I showcased, I can handle the ball better than I showcased,” he said at the combine. “Coming into the league I’m going to try and make my mark however I can.”

What Little will be able to do is act as an aggressive cutter and finisher at the rim. However, he’ll need to catch his mind up to his body to be able to do that in the NBA. His shooting ability, if it ever comes around, would really open things up for him.

The sticking point for Little is that he put on muscle and played more of a big man role at UNC. However, he won’t be able to do that in the NBA. That means he’ll need to re-learn how to play as a wing on the biggest stage. The raw athleticism and defensive potential are certainly exciting, though, and in the right developmental system he could be capable of big things—and he knows it.

“Each team has different needs, but they like my ability to score the basketball in a variety of ways. Defensive potential to guard multiple positions. Athleticism on the court to finish plays,” he said.

Little will need to put in some work to prove he belongs at the NBA level, but his potential is high enough to deserve a first-round flier.