NBA draft profile: Villanova G Donte DiVincenzo

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Donte DiVincenzo     

Position: Guard

Height: 6-4

Weight: 200

School: Villanova

The Michael Jordan of Delaware has come a long way from his first season at Villanova. After leading Salesianum High School to two state titles, DiVincenzo came to Jay Wright as a highly-touted prospect. He struggled initially, most notably with his defense. He was redshirted in 2015-16 after playing very little in nine games.

During his redshirt freshman season, DiVincenzo began carving out his role with the Wildcats, averaging 25.5 minutes a contest and becoming a big part of Wright’s rotation. This past season, DiVincenzo became a star. After being named Big East Sixth Man of the Year, DiVincenzo had a phenomenal NCAA Tournament that culminated in him being named Most Outstanding Player of the Championship Game. 

During his breakout season, DiVincenzo averaged 13.4 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 40 percent from three. 

Strengths
DiVincenzo’s biggest and perhaps most underrated strength is his athleticism. He’s quick and he can jump out of the building. The blocks he had in the championship were just a couple of the many blocks where he demonstrated his explosive leaping ability. 

He was instant offense off the bench for Villanova and that should translate to the NBA. He’s a three-level scorer. He’s proven he can shoot the three, shoot off the dribble in the midrange and finish at the rim. Again, his athleticism allows him to finish and he’s strong enough to do so through contact. At times, he ran the point, providing some versatility as a combo guard. He has decent vision and feel.

That redshirt year must’ve made DiVincenzo hungry because you would’ve never known he struggled defensively. He’s a pesky defender with the quickness to guard ones and twos. He’s not afraid to be physical. He’s also a very good rebounder for his size.

Weaknesses
At just under 6-foot-4, he’s a little undersized for an NBA two. He ran the offense at times for Villanova but it’s not necessarily his strength. His points tend to come in bunches and his shooting can be inconsistent. When he doesn’t have it going, he has a tendency to force things instead of letting the game come to him. 

He’s not long and he’s more of a solid team defender than a strong on-the-ball defender.

NBA comparison
There’s a little Tim Hardaway Jr. to DiVincenzo’s game. Both players have great athleticism and both can score on all three levels. They also both score in bunches and struggle with shooting from long range consistently. Neither player is particularly long or a lockdown defender, but both play with great energy and play solid team defense. Like DiVincenzo, Hardaway Jr. also came from a successful college program and played in big games.

How he'd fit with Sixers
DiVincenzo could be an impact player off the Sixers’ bench almost immediately. With his experience in college and microwave scoring, he’d be a welcome addition. DiVincenzo could fit into Marco Belinelli’s role but offer much more athleticism, ball handling ability and defense, though the Sixers would obviously lose experience.

Draft projection
This is interesting. Early in the process, DiVincenzo was projected to go in the late 20s or maybe even in the second round. After tearing up the combine, there’s no way he makes it past No. 30. His draft stock has taken a similar rise to DeAndre’ Bembry’s a couple years back, when the St. Joe’s wing was taken 21st overall by Atlanta. Will he make it to 26? Possibly, and the Sixers should take a long look if he does.

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