2020 NBA Draft profile: Devon Dotson is a scoring guard that should be on Sixers' radar

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Devon Dotson

Position: PG
Height: 6-2
Weight: 185
School: Kansas

Devon Dotson was the driving force and leading scorer on the best team in college basketball last season. Kansas was considered the favorite to win the national championship before the NCAA Tournament was cancelled. Had Dotson led the Jayhawks to a Final Four appearance and potentially a national title, his draft stock would have likely skyrocketed. As it is, he's a fringe first-round prospect who is more likely to be selected early in the second round. 

Dotson led Kansas with 18.1 points and 2.1 steals per game last season as a sophomore. He earned First Team All-Big 12 and Second Team All-American honors for a Kansas team that finished the regular season with a 28-3 record. His college head coach Bill Self says Dotson could have been the best point guard ever to play for him at Kansas had Dotson's career not been cut short by the coronavirus pandemic and his subsequent decision to declare for the NBA Draft. That would qualify as high praise from a Hall of Famer who has coached more than his share of terrific lead guards. 

Strengths

Dotson is an elite athlete. He may have been the fastest player in college basketball this past season and Self calls him one of the fastest players he's ever coached. His speed makes him a nightmare to deal with in transition and enables him to be a menace on the defensive end of the floor. Dotson doesn't just have straight line speed, he's extremely quick and has the ability to blow by defenders and get into the paint seemingly at will. 

He's also earned the reputation of being a winner with incredible toughness. Dotson is constantly in attack mode with the ball in his hands and has little trouble finishing in traffic. He gets to the foul line a lot (5.7 attempts per game last season) and generally makes the most of those opportunities (83 percent from the line). Dotson has also demonstrated that he's a willing passer, averaging right around four assists per game in each of the last two seasons. 

Weaknesses 

Dotson struggled with outside shooting during his sophomore season. After shooting 36 percent from three-point range as a freshman, he shot 31 percent last season. He also tends to get out of control at times due to the fact he always plays at one speed — fast. He averaged just under 2.5 turnovers per game in each of his two college seasons. 

At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Dotson lacks ideal size for an NBA point guard. He relied on his quickness to get past bigger defenders in college but that won't be nearly as easy on the pro level. Dotson had a score-first mentality at Kansas, and rightfully so. But he would be well-served to look to distribute the ball a little more often, particularly when he gets into the lane.  

Fit

Dotson is undoubtedly on the Sixers' radar. In addition to their first-round pick, the Sixers currently own four second-round selections — including the 34th and 36th picks. Dotson is a prime candidate to be drafted right in that range. 

Despite his inconsistent shooting, Dotson would serve a purpose for the Sixers. He would bring athleticism, scoring punch and a winning mentality to their second unit. His shooting form isn't broken by any means so there's no reason to think he can't develop into a capable outside shooter. If he's able to do that, he should carve out a nice NBA career for himself. 

Dotson will likely be available early in the second round. Don't be surprised if his name is called when the Sixers are on the clock for the 34th or 36th pick.

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