Overview
Corey Kispert is a 6’7” wing who is performing at an elite collegiate level for the #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs. An excellent shooter, especially from range, Kispert has also transformed his game massively in his 4 years in Spokane. During his first couple seasons of college ball, he was used primarily as a stretch wing who contributed as a three-point threat. Now, while shooting at a current 51.7% clip from deep, he is an integral part of the Zag’s offense as both a spot-up shooter and semi-creator. As he is enjoying a fantastic start to the 2020-21 season, this article will take a look into Kispert as a prospect for the 2021 NBA Draft.
Physical Attributes/Injury History
Kispert is a well-built 6’7 wing at 220 lbs. but will not blow you away with his speed or
athleticism, but has noticeably improved both his vertical and lateral mobility in his college career. With opportunities to load, such as off-the-dribble or 2 foot loads, he can and will put pressure on the rim. However, his awareness and feel for the game often makes up for the lack of elite speed. He has shown recently that he reads the game well and tends to be that guy who happens to be in the right spot at the right time. Due to his physical versatility, he can contribute offensively and defensively in the 2-4 positions. Although he has done so in college, his best position at the professional level will undoubtedly be the 3.
From what I have seen & read, Kispert has no major injury concerns and no past surgeries. He did struggle with lingering ankle injuries during his freshman year, but it has seemed to pose no problem in his development over the past few years.
Stats/Analytics
First, I personally look straight into a player’s stats over his collegiate career to get a feel for their career/trajectory. While stats do not tell the complete story, with 4 seasons as a sample in this case, we can get a statistically significant look at his journey. Kispert’s improvement is more than noticeable as his PPG has jumped from 8 to a current 20.6 in just 2 seasons. He has also improved his assist output and currently sits at a 3:1 assist to turnover rate with 2.1 APG compared to 0.7 TPG. This is a great indicator of his improvement as a creator/decision maker and is now not only a deep threat.
Below we can also get a look at how he scores his points. With over 51% of his points off of three pointers, his success as a shooter is evident. The 5% figure off free throws isn't too crazy for a three-point specialist, but it is something I would look for him to increase as he increases his role as a creator this season.
Shooting Threat/Range
Kispert is among the nation’s elite collegiate shooters, and in my opinion is the best spot-up/C&S threats. Through his first 8 games, he’s shooting an incredible 51.7% (30-58) from 3 and 88% (22/25) from the line. While he may see mean regression in the numbers over the season, he also shot a fantastic 43.8% last season. Per synergy, he currently ranks in the 97th percentile in spot up situations, 89th in three pointers, and 80th in catch & shoot unguarded (see graph below). These numbers are indicative of his threat from deep and warrant some draft attention solely on such alone. Although the theory of a hot-hand is debatable, he has recently shown his ability to get hot quick. Against one of the best defensive teams in the country in Virginia, he lit them up for 9 threes on 13 attempts (69.2%) (see below). He also ranks in the 95th percentile in both pick & roll ball handler and coming off screen situations.
In my mind, I immediately see Kispert filling and starring in a Duncan Robinson/Joe Harris like role in the NBA. An elite shooter who will stretch any defense on just his gravity and who will be at least an average defender has Kispert’s name written all over it. He is a high IQ player who is constantly moving off the ball to relocate to open spots to receive passes. It is hard to imagine a player like Kispert having a hard time finding a role in the NBA. Here is a quick tape on him being excelling in these situations.
Shooting Mechanics
While we know that Kispert has been an elite shooter, what exactly allows him to do so? A combination of great footwork, a quick & fluid release, and consistent squaring of his shoulders are the most noticeable and important things he does to chip in 3’s at the rate he does. He has also shown that he is comfortable with either a left-right step in into a shot or a 2-foot hop into a shot but has tended to favor the 2-foot hop. This is a great habit to be in as this allows him to attack both left or right off a pump-fake as he can push off of either foot. For example, in a left-right step in motion, his left foot is his pivot whereas in a 2-foot hop, both can be used as a pivot. Here is a clip breaking down such:
Shooting Gravity/Pump-Fake
Not only does the quick release allow him to get off almost any shot, but it makes his pump-fake much more deceptive as the difference between the two is hardly recognizable. Once the pump-fake works, he has shown his improved off-the-dribble ability to make plays for both himself or his teammates. It has also occurred in some instances where he doesn’t even need to fake with the ball coming up, instead just a quick shoulder square and eyes up have sent defenders flying up. Here are a couple clips covering this:
Defensive Overview
As covered above, despite his concerns athletically, he has improved as a defender both on the perimeter and at the rim. He looks like a player who has seen his share of minutes and understands the game. He won’t pin shots on the backboard and he won’t pick someone up full court, but he will recognize rotations and he will put his body on the line. Here is a short clip of three great plays he made on the defensive end against Virginia. First, despite a bs foul call, he recognized his position and hung in the air vertically and blocked a tough shot in transition. Second, he did an incredible job sliding in a stance to position himself in front of the ball handler to where he could take the contact in his chest and draw the offensive foul. Third, in the post, we see him force a much bigger Jay Huff away from the basket and into a double team where another Zags player steals the ball. Although, there is a double, he does his job by keeping him from getting to the front of the rim and to turn away from the middle of the paint.
Passing
Kispert is an elite shooter who understands the spatial aspect of the basketball floor very well. Because of this, he will often make the right pass, even if it is very simple. This trait, in my opinion, is often overlooked because it's not the "flashy" play. However, Kispert will consistently pass off jump stops and use his pivot in situations very well. Here we can see him make a great read off a high Pn&R with a jump stop and high lob pass in the air to the big man rolling to where he can go straight to the rim. The second clip is awesome. He finds the soft spot of the zone and knows exactly where his big man, Drew Timme, is before he even turns around. He then throws a great touch pass to a spot where only Timme can catch and thus takes the defender out of the equation. The last clip shows Kispert making a great read in a live dribble Pn&R action. He sees the weak side defender tag Timme as he rolls, thus freeing up Suggs on the left wing. Kispert makes what looks like a simple jump stop and bounce pass to Suggs, but is actually a fantastic read that is executed perfectly.
Shot Creation
In my opinion, this is the part of the game that Kispert has needed to improve and he has done just that. As noted, Kispert's pump-fake is extremely effective due to his shooting threat. Because of this, he is often given the opportunity to attack the paint/rim. As a much-improved athlete with already great hand-eye coordination and balance, he has shown his ability to finish at the rim in numerous ways. First, we see him attack Miles McBride in transition and eventually finishes with an extremely advanced same hand/dame leg reverse euro at the rim. This move takes extreme balance and timing to make sure he still has enough pop to get to the rim as he jumps off his landing leg, or right leg. Second, we see a much different side of Kispert. After beating a fantastic point guard in McBride int transition, here we see Kispert finish right on Auburn's 6'10" 245 lbs. center, Babatunde Akingbola. After his patented half pump-fake, he jumps right into Akingbola and hangs enough to where he can no longer challenge his shot and then lays the ball in without even being knocked off balance. All in all, a spectacular move. Lastly, we see Kispert go coast to coast and create space in the paint with a euro step into a nice touch floater over Bryce Thompson of Kansas. Overall, this part of his game has propelled Kispert into the all-around threat he is becoming. With his consistent deep range threat, this part of his game will only become easier as he begins to process and read the game quicker.
Athleticism
I believe Kispert is an underrated athlete. I'm not saying this to where I believe he will be dunking on NBA players, but I have very little concern of his lack of elite burst/pop because quite frankly, his game relies on it very little. However, he is more than capable of finishing open dunks and competing on the boards. Also, at 6'7" 225 lbs., he is more than ready to play at the next level in a physical sense. Below we can see Kispert with two dunks: one in transition with an oop and the second off a 2-step load and easy finish with two around him. Lastly, we see him in transition get up easily to the front of the rim with a finger roll. While these won't compare to Jalen Suggs dunking over defenders, Kispert has quietly shown that he isn't a player incapable of "getting up".
What He Needs To Improve
Although I don't have pressing concerns of Kispert's creation/playmaking, I will look for him to continue his uptrend where he becomes more comfortable with live OTD actions/reads. The NBA will already love him for his ability to knock down 3's, but if he can contribute in all aspects of an offense like he is currently at Gonzaga, then he will be an even bigger hit at the next level. He has shown glimpses of being able to make quick and smart decisions when working off Pn&R actions, but the processing speed required at the NBA is much different. However, with his feel for the game and already very sound fundamentals, this shouldn't be too much of a concern.
Kispert's biggest area of needed improvement is his perimeter defense. By no means has he looked like he would be unplayable on the defensive end of the floor at the next level, but instead he has done a relatively good job so far this year. His footwork on closeouts are not always as choppy as needed and often leaves him a step behind the ball handler now making his first dribble. He moves well laterally and hip mobility doesn't seem to be an issue. As show before, he can contribute both on the perimeter and interior as a defender which will be extremely valuable in the NBA. With this base already as a defender, he can become a very solid player on this end of the floor if he continues to tighten up and improve some of these aspects.
Final Thoughts/Outlook
It should be noted that Kispert is currently playing for the most dominant team in college basketball who runs the most NBA-like offense in America. He is playing with several players who will move onto professional ranks such as Jalen Suggs, who I have as the #2 pick in this draft. The offense that Mark Few has installed into the Gonzaga program very closely resembles one of an NBA side, which has allowed us to see Kispert in the role he has exceeded expectations in. Because of this, I see him fitting seamlessly into an NBA offense next year as he is already familiar with many of the actions.
Overall, Corey Kispert has not only become the best shooter in his draft class this year, but also an extremely well-rounded player in his 4 years in Spokane. With outstanding performances against powerhouse teams such as Kansas, Auburn, Iowa, and Virginia, Kispert has shown that he can do it against the best of the best. I see him currently in the late lottery range who will make an NBA team looking for another deep threat very happy. I have been more than impressed by Kispert and his improved all-around play and look forward to seeing both he and Gonzaga compete at a high level the rest of the season.