This was originally where Ivan Rabb was slated to go, but with him no longer available to consider, the Jazz might try to look to solve their point guard hole instead. Tyler Ulis is a hard player to get a read on when it comes to draft position. He has the raw talent of a potential lottery pick, but concerns about his three-point shooting and his height mean that he could fall a little bit in the draft.
Ulis’s motor and defensive IQ mean that he’s the rare undersized guard who will be able to contribute some on the defensive end. Ulis will likely need to guard exclusively smaller guards, but he has excellent lateral quickness and lightning quick hands, which should allow him to generate steals at a good rate and keep him from getting beaten off the dribble by stronger guards. That should be enough to allow him to stay on the floor for the offensive end, where he has a solid skill set.
Ulis can attack off the dribble well, and he made significant strides this year at finishing against contact, something that he will have to do because of his size. He also is one of this draft’s best playmakers, posting a 34.3 percent assist rate and finding roll men, cutters, and shooters well off of the pick and roll. His court vision in the open floor is also very solid, and he should be a nice change of pace guy thanks to his speed and activity with the ball in his hands.
With Utah, Ulis could fill the drive-and-kick role that Trey Burke has struggled in. The Jazz could also be a good situation for him defensively, as the Jazz have plenty of length and the league’s best rim protector in Rudy Gobert. They could hide Ulis if the team is facing a bigger point guard, and their team defense could allow Ulis to sit back and gamble a little bit, knowing they have size and the discipline to compensate.
