Starting the Search
First thin.radar g I did, obviously, was just jump on the computer and punch in "Tamin Lipsey NBA draft" into the search bar. See what shakes loose. Got a mix of stuff right away – some articles talking about Iowa State's season, his player profile pages on sports sites, that kind of thing. Nothing too deep yet, just confirming he's at least on some people's radar.
Looking at the Numbers
Next, I wanted to see his actual stats. Went looking specifically for his college numbers. Found his points per game, assists, rebounds, and steals. The steals number really stands out, right? Led the Big 12, I think. Assists are solid too. Shows he can run an offense and create for others. His shooting percentages, though, hmm. That seemed like maybe a question mark people might have. You gotta be able to shoot it consistently in the league these days.
Ke:decy Stats I Noticed:- High steals per game
- Good assist numbers
- Shooting percentages could be better
Checking Out Scouting Reports and Mock Drafts
Alright, stats are one thing, but I wanted to know what the draft folks were saying. Started searching for "Tamin Lipsey scouting report" and "Tamin Lipsey mock draft". This is where it gets interesting because opinions are all over the place.
Most reports I read praised his defense heavily. Like, really heavily. Toughness, IQ on that end, great hands. They also mentioned his court vision and playmaking. Things I kinda saw myself just watching games. But yeah, the shooting came up again as a weakness, and some mentioned his overall athleticism compared to NBA guards. Is he explosive enough? That seemed to be a common question.
Then I looked at a bunch of different mock drafts. Man, it's wild. Some didn't have him listed at all. Others had him maybe late second round. Found one or two that were a bit more optimistic, maybe early second? It wasn't consistent, which tells me he's probably considered a borderline guy right now. Not a lock, but definitely in the conversation for teams looking for a defensive-minded guard later in the draft.
Watching Some Clips
Reading is fine, but I wanted to see it again with that draft context in mind. Pulled up some highlights on YouTube. Focused on how he moved, how he defended different types of players, and yeah, watched his jump shot mechanics. You can definitely see the defensive instincts. He anticipates really well. Offensively, he looks comfortable running the pick-and-roll. The jumper... yeah, it doesn't look broken, but maybe needs refinement for the NBA three-point line.
My Takeaway
So, after going through all that, here's what I think. Lipsey's defense and basketball IQ are legit NBA skills. Teams always need guys who can lock down opponents and run an offense smartly. That's his calling card.
The big hurdle seems to be the shooting and maybe top-end athleticism. Can he improve his jumper enough to keep defenses honest? Can he stay in front of the quickest guards in the league? That's probably what teams are weighing right now.
My gut feeling? He feels like a classic second-round pick or maybe even an undrafted priority free agent who could carve out a role. A team might take a chance on that defense and hope the offense develops. He seems like a high-character, hard-working guy, which helps. Definitely going to be interesting to see where, or if, he gets picked come draft night. I spent a good afternoon looking into it, just satisfying my own curiosity.
