Monk, Mitchell bring scoring, also questions

RALEIGH, N.C. — The top shooting guards in Thursday night’s

NBA draft certainly offer plenty of high-scoring punch. They also come with some question marks.

Kentucky’s Malik Monk is the top prospect and is expected to go in the lottery, followed by Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell and Duke’s Luke Kennard — all in the first round. But the position doesn’t have the same projected upside compared to a stacked class of point guards or the next crop of do-everything forwards.

Here’s a look at the top shooting guard prospects:

MALIK MONK

Simply put, the Kentucky guard can score from anywhere.

STRENGTHS: The 6-foot-3-inch, 200-pound freshman averaged 19.8 points while shooting 45 percent from the field, nearly 40 percent from 3-point range and about 82 percent from the line. Two games stood out in particular: a 47-point performance in a win against eventual national champion North Carolina in December and a February victory against Florida in which Monk scored 30 second-half points after managing just one basket before the break.

CONCERNS: Teams will want him to do more than just score. Monk wasn’t active on the glass (2.5 rebounds per game), averaged roughly as many assists (2.3) as turnovers (2.0) and less than a steal a game. He also faded in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 14.8 points and shooting 38 percent in four games.

DONOVAN MITCHELL

The Louisville guard took a big leap in his sophomore season to become an all-atlantic Coast Conference performer.

STRENGTHS: Mitchell has solid athleticism and a sturdy 6-3 frame, weighing in at 211 pounds at the combine to go with a 6-10 wingspan. He averaged 15.6 points in his first year as the Cardinals’ go-to guy, contributing on the glass (4.9), on the defensive end (2.1 steals) and even occasionally at the point (2.7 assists).

CONCERNS: Mitchell is undersized for an NBA shooting guard. He also shot just 35 percent from 3-point range and had some issues with his shot periodically through the year.

His shot selection prompted coach Rick Pitino to say Mitchell was “trying to win a game of H-O-R-S-E” by taking the toughest shots possible.

LUKE KENNARD

Duke’s all-acc wing blossomed as a sophomore into a polished and highly efficient scorer whose shooting range stretched defenses.

STRENGTHS: The 6-6 wing upped his scoring average nearly eight points per game to average 19.5 points. He also averaged 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He didn’t need a ton of shots to put up strong numbers, either; Kennard shot 49 percent from the field, 44 percent from 3-point range and 86 percent from the foul line. He can produce in both catch-and-shoot and screen scenarios.

CONCERNS: Kennard lacks elite athleticism and it’s unclear if he’ll be able to consistently create his own shot in the NBA. He’ll also have to hold his own on defense.