Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
As the Sacramento Kings take a serious look on their No. 36 pick in the NBA Draft, they should study the credentials of Nate Wolters of South Dakota State.
Checking their options at No. 7 in the first round and No. 36 in second will be a challenge for the Kings. Obviously, it’s tougher to predict who No. 36 might be. Wolters is among the players that NBA mock drafts have in that area. He is likely to be drafted early in the second round and the Kings might be his team.
He’s a 6-foot-5 point guard who went through his senior season at South Dakota State by averaging 38.1 minutes, 22.3 points 5.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. He shot 48.5 percent from the floor, 37.9 percent in threes and 81. 3 in free throws. Those are impressive figures, albeit not against some of the toughest teams in the country.
Draft experts who have studied Wolters realize that he is an excellent ball handler. He can see the floor well and gets player involved, and knows how to get to the rim with a lot of basketball smarts. The question will be how quickly Wolters can adjust to the much more challenging NBA game. It’s likely he won’t catch on right away and will have to adjust to the speed of the game. He’s not known for having overwhelming quickness when he has the ball, but is very smart in what he does with it.
The Kings can use another ballplayer like Wolters. He’s got enough talent to help the team at key moments. That’s why they should take him at No. 36.
