NY Knicks: Sharife Cooper could be on the team’s NBA Draft radar

NY Knicks: Sharife Cooper has tantalizing point guard talent

No prospect in this loaded NBA Draft class has a higher probability of leading the NBA in assists than Sharife Cooper. His point guard skill are… rare.

This isn’t someone who “makes the right reads” or “has flashed elite passing”, Cooper has a level of creativity and playmaking that very few basketball players have. It starts with his understanding of the game – he has tremendous knowledge of the movement around him – where his teammates will be and where his opponents will be at all times.

The offensive awareness is something you cannot teach, but when it’s coupled with the skill level that Cooper has with the ball in his hands, it makes for a rare point guard prospect.

Cooper not only has the vision, but he also has the finessed, tight handles and comfort with the ball in his hands that NBA floor generals need. His ball-handling combined with his lightning-quick first-step make him a handful to guard.

That speed/dribbling combo is deadly in both the half-court and open-court.

While Cooper’s point-god-level skills are exceptional, there are some glaring flaws in his profile that have prevented him from being a top-10 draft prospect.

The first being his stature. Cooper’s exact height has been somewhat of a mystery but the most consensus measurement I could gather was 6’1, with his weight being 180lbs. Not ideal size for the NBA.

The other glaring issue is his long-range shooting. Cooper shot just 22.8% from 3 in college.

Being able to overcome his small stature and develop as a shooter is no small task. You have to really be special in other areas of the game to overcome these flaws.

Can SharifeCooper be a high-level player in the NBA? Would the NY Knicks be a good landing spot for him to reach his maximum potential?