Southeastern Conference Player of the Year Immanuel Quickley is being projected as a likely mid-second-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft by most mock drafts. Some have him a bit higher, some a little lower.
Kentucky Radio Network analyst Mike Pratt, a former UK All-American player and NBA coach, has no inside knowledge yet but he just doesn’t believe Quickley is going to last long in the second round after what he did his sophomore season at Kentucky.
“The NBA guys have not really got to work anybody out yet,” Pratt said. “When they sit down with players and work out players, some guys will move up, others will move down. Right now things are just all strung out because it’s so long until the draft.”
Pratt knows Tyrese Maxey is an easy choice for NBA teams after the freshman season he had UK. He sees him going in the 10-14 range in the first round.
“If you are going to sign somebody out of the top 15, you want somebody dedicated to his craft. You want somebody you know will put in the work to get better if you use a second-round pick,” Pratt said. “That’s Quick for you. Maxey is good enough that he will have a nice career but he is also really dedicated to his craft just like Quick is.
“Quick had a heck of a year. NBA guys notice that and what he did when it counted. His character is unbelievable, so that’s another big plus and that doesn’t change no matter when the draft is. Same with his work ethic. So there’s just no way I see him lasting very long in the second round. He’s got those intangibles teams want when they are looking for a second-round steal.”
The 2020 NBA Draft will be held October 16.
