Could TyTy Washington Be the Steal of the 2022 NBA Draft?
By Bruno Coelho
Barring any trades, the Charlotte Hornets will be selecting No.13 and No.15 in the upcoming draft. Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, and Jabari Smith will not be available but there are plenty of solid players that the Hornets will be able to capitalize on in the late lottery range.
One of those players is Tyrone “TyTy” Washington, a 6-foot, 3-inch point guard from the University of Kentucky. Washington does not jump out of the gym nor do his stats leap off the page, but the Wildcat freshman might just be the next big thing to emerge from the Kentucky pipeline.
In his freshman season, Washington posted averages of 12.5 points, 3.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds with 45%/35%/75% shooting splits. He suffered a left ankle injury that sidelined him for three games, an injury that Washington described as “… a nagging injury that … never really got right.”
The numbers certainly reflect that, as the 18 games prior to the injury saw Washington average 14.2 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds with 51%/40%/77% shooting splits; conversely, his numbers in 13 games after the ankle injury decreased to 10.8 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.7 rebounds on 36%/29%/73% shooting splits.
Washington possesses an intriguing player profile as versatile shot-creator who has a great feel for spacing and at times showed flashes of elite playmaking ability. He makes his money on the offensive end with his potential to mold into an elite three-level scorer.
He’s fast, has a nice shooting form, adequate ball handling skills and a solid floater. While at Kentucky, Washington broke John Wall’s school record for most assists in a single game with 17 against the Georgia Bulldogs. Though he rarely goes for the highlight pass, Washington can read the floor and thrives when using the initial screen at the top of the key.
The bottom line is that Washington is a good playmaker who can continue to develop that aspect of his game at the next level.
During high school Washington was the focal point of his team. He was clearly on a level of his own and earned star status entering college. At Kentucky, however, Sahvir Wheeler was trusted with on-ball responsibilities and Washington had to adjust his game to better fit his role. He started relying more on downhill attacks and spot up shooting.
While Washington’s off-ball role could be to blame for a late call on draft night (a common theme with Kentucky guards – Devin Booker, Jamal Murray and Tyrese Maxey are recent examples), it could also prove to be a major asset in his NBA career and could earn him extra playing time early on.
On the defensive end, Washington will need to get stronger, but the potential to become a plus defender is there. He hustles and takes pride on defense. His stance is consistent, and he never loses sight of where he needs to be in off-ball situations. Adding a few pounds of muscle to his frame and learning how to fully take advantage of his 6’9’’ wingspan could turn Washington in to an absolute defensive menace.
“TyTy” is the perfect fit that doesn’t fit
It’s worth wondering if the front office is thinking about the point guard position in the draft given that the lack of an interior presence and wing defenders are the key deficiencies of the roster right now. However, the idea of Washington playing alongside James Bouknight with the second unit is certainly an intriguing one.