Chicago Bulls Draft: Under the radar point guard prospects

Shamorie Ponds, St. John’s

First up in the realm of point guards set to go later on in the draft is Shamorie Ponds out of St. John’s University. A 3-year starter, Ponds was the man to shoulder the load over his time with the team.

One of the most impressive parts of Ponds’ game, for starters, is the fact that he was able to handle so many minutes. In 96 games over the last three seasons, Ponds averaged over 35 minutes played per contest. Only five minutes of rest, on average, is not a whole lot.

This last year, Ponds averaged 19.7 points, 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 steals in his final season. Ponds hasn’t ever been an overly-impressive shooter, but did finish over 35 percent from three in 2018-2019.

Although not a strong shooter, Ponds does create well for himself and for others. Last season, he scored over 30 points on four occasions, including a 37-point explosion in an overtime thriller against Georgetown, which St. John’s ended up winning 97-94.

Ponds is projected to be more of a backup point guard, but might develop into one whom teams can depend on to give them significant minutes off the bench, if need be.