The Swiss – Chalon-sur-Saône – NBA connection still works. Kyshawn George should be the third player from Elan to be selected in the first round and to represent the Swiss confederation in the Great League. Unlike his predecessors Thabo Sefolosha and Clint Capela, George was stopped by the NCAA after a controversial departure. Initially imagined as a development project, the 20-year-old established himself as a starter with the Miami Hurricanes, gaining playing time and responsibilities as the season progressed. He is one of the “risers” of this vintage.
Profile
Job : winger/back
Size : 2m03
Weight : 95 kg
Team : Miami Hurricanes (NCAA)
Stats 2023/24: 7.6 points at 42.6%, 3.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists in 23 minutes
Strong points
– The shot. At 40.8% behind the arc on more than four attempts, Kyshawn George is one of the best shooters in this class. After receiving a pass, with first intention or even a big meter behind the arc, the Swiss already has a complete arsenal to shine from afar in the NBA.
– Room for progress. Only a “three-star” recruit upon arriving at college, he made a jump in projections as if under the measuring rod, going from 1m75 to 2m03 since 2019. Trained as a playmaker in Chalon-sur-Saône, he has retained the ease with the ball in hand and the quality of passing, two valuable assets for a shooter of this size. It remains to completely tame this body still under construction, both physically and technically, particularly in defense (center of gravity, resistance to impacts).
Weak points
– Athletic qualities. George lacks explosiveness on his first step to make the difference, relying more on his wingspan and his ball-in-hand technique. He will undoubtedly need to work on his speed without the ball to also become a sniper off the screen.
Comparison
A physically unfinished product, Kyshawn George is a player who is still difficult to pin down. Few players taller than two meters are good distributors while taking two-thirds of their 3-point shots effectively. A profile Joe Ingles more of a shooter, a little less of a stopper, is emerging, but with time and muscle, the ceiling could be higher.
Prognosis
Between 20th and 30th place, in a team that will give him time to develop, both as an athlete and as a player.
