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Wong declares for draft

Zay's mid-range game is already NBA-ready with his pull-up jumper off the dribble, his ability to manipulate angles to attack the rim, and his athleticism/confidence to draw contact and be a creative finisher. He generally makes good decisions with the ball in his hands when trying to score.

I see 2 deficiencies in his game. First, he absolutely needs to develop a consistent catch-and-shoot 3 pt ball. A rookie in the NBA has to play fundamentally sound on-ball defense every possession and hit the stand-up 3 to earn minutes and NBA teams will be looking for that. If he adds that skill to what he already provides off the dribble, he'd a nightmare to guard. Second, he is turnover-prone when tasked with being the primary facilitator. I noticed this trend in the latter half of the season, and it really stood out in the ACC tournament game vs Duke and the Elite 8 matchup vs Kansas. The game seemed to move a little fast for him as a facilitator against teams who played solid perimeter defense.

If he can improve those 2 skills this off-season and show it in action for a full college season, in my opinion he's a first-round talent in 2023.
 
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What are the odds another year at UM will give him that missing outside shot (even more difficult in the NBA of course)? His 3 point shooting pct has decreased in every season he has played here -- 37%, then 35%, and last season 30%.

He just turned 21 though, so he's young enough where age is not a negative to a team drafting him next year if he does return.
 
He would need a heck of a lot of improvement in one year to be a first round pick in my eyes. Hope he comes back. We really need his slashing ability. I’m not sold he will be back but he sure as **** should be. If not hope he enjoys the G League. Best of luck to him whatever he decides. Seems like a nice kid. Wish him well.
 
miamimike said:
He would need a heck of a lot of improvement in one year to be a first round pick in my eyes. Hope he comes back. We really need his slashing ability. I’m not sold he will be back but he sure as **** should be. If not hope he enjoys the G League. Best of luck to him whatever he decides. Seems like a nice kid. Wish him well.
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Could he make more $$ returning to UM than in the G League?
 
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Not to be that guy...but he kind of took a back seat this year to mcgusty and moore.

I kind of want the transfer instead
 
30% from college 3pt range. Yeah not sure what team would draft him. Best of luck but hope he returns and gets that up to a respectable 35-37%
 
I don't have a problem with Wong doing his due diligence in regards to the NBA, but I hope he doesn't wait til June (like he did last year) to announce he's coming back. Hope we can get a response back from him earlier, so we can fill roster spot if necessary.

Luckily for Wong, the easiest skill to master in basketball is shooting. Muscle memory and repetition. Wong will need a lot of it this summer so he can come back and show he's a capable option for an NBA team. I think his best chance of making it to the NBA will be as a lead guard. He's got to show he can play/defend at the 1 & 2 spots. He's got a sold mid-range game, but if he can't knock down outside shots with consistency it's going to be tough for him to get a draftable grade. A lot of NBA basketball is played with the pick & roll and Wong needs to be able to bury defenders going under screens. His lack of size and elite athleticism will be tough to overcome without hitting 3pt shots at or better than a 40% clip.
 
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Donny Donowitz said:
Not to be that guy...but he kind of took a back seat this year to mcgusty and moore.

I kind of want the transfer instead
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While I thought he'd have a better year, i don't think getting a transfer over a guy who is like in year 5 in our system and could help the other transfers get settled, would be a good idea. I hope he returns and has a great year. Still think he is ultimately a foreign league player, which is fine and he could be successful in one of those leagues.
 
Juancane said:
While I thought he'd have a better year, i don't think getting a transfer over a guy who is like in year 5 in our system and could help the other transfers get settled, would be a good idea. I hope he returns and has a great year. Still think he is ultimately a foreign league player, which is fine and he could be successful in one of those leagues.
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I feel you, my only quarrel is that teams know to sag off of him and thats why he was struggling towards the end of the year to remain consistent. Young doesn't have that problem which is why I give him the slight nod.
 
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