Scouting Report: T.J. Warren, SF, North Carolina State

The leap from the NCAA to the NBA is a strange thing, and projecting how players will make that transition is an inexact science. Still, it's striking to see the nation's third-leading scorer, on an NCAA Tournament team no less, sitting outside of the lottery on most draft boards. That's life for T.J. Warren, the 20-year-old North Carolina State sophomore with an NBA-ready body and some of the best offensive numbers in college ball, who scouts don't seem to think is a top prospect at the next level.

Background

Scouting Report

Strengths: Warren can score, that much is clear. He had a sky-high usage rate, shot very well anywhere inside the 3-point line, finished well at the rim, and has a very crafty in-between game. You simply don't score as much as Warren did without being a gifted offensive talent. He's also long enough to be a pain on the defensive end and uses his strength and toughness well to make sure his check isn't getting anything easy.

Weaknesses: Despite how much he scored, Warren's offensive game lacked two elements that have shown to be keys for success at the next level: getting to the line, and hitting threes. The all-twos profile doesn't necessarily portend doom, it's just very unique and tough to project. His athleticism was called into question early in the pre-draft process, too, though he tested better than expected athletically.

Highlight Reel

What to Expect on Draft Day

There are a great deal of conflicting signals in Warren's profile, which almost surely means he's polarizing around the league. The fact that he does one thing very, very well could make him attractive to non-lottery teams with an obvious hole to fill, and ESPN's Chad Ford thinks the Suns could even use their earliest of three picks (No. 14) to add a complementary piece to their crop of floor-spacing forwards. Depending on where he ranks with wing compatriots Jerami Grant and K.J. McDaniels, Warren could conceivably slide as far as Phoenix's third pick at No. 27.