School: Colorado
Year: Junior
Height/Weight: 6’7, 215 lbs.
Strengths:
Tyler Bey is long and athletic. He has a wingspan that I would bet ranges further than 7’0. That wingspan aids in his effectiveness on both ends of the floor in a big way.
Defensively, he is constantly cutting off passing lanes and making blocks that he honestly shouldn’t be making. You’ll often see his man taking what seems like an open shot behind the arc or at the rim that ends up getting blocked because of Bey’s range. His recovery speed is phenomenal and that allows for him to help off of his man on defense yet still return to his guy if the pass gets swung his way.
Offensively, Bey is able to use his wingspan as an advantage by finishing over tougher defenders around the rim. While his height may make you question whether he is undersized as a stretch four, his versatility on both ends certainly should ease any concern with that. (Although I still believe he projects as a small forward)
The athleticism is another great strength for Bey. It allows for him to get off the ground quickly and make those spectacular blocks, it helps him keep up with defenders that get a quick first step off of him, and it’s seen on offense where he can make some pretty emphatic dunks. Oh and by the way, he often does their jump balls! That should tell you all you need to know about his athleticism.
On offense, Bey projects as a rim runner and someone who can spot up from deep. He loves being around the rim as he is a fantastic rebounder on both ends of the floor, but he is more than comfortable with floating out to the wing and hitting shots from beyond the arc.
Time will tell just how good he projects to be as a 3PT shooter, but he has definitely shown us some promise in his junior season with Colorado. His above average free throw percentage also points to the fact that he may become an even better shooter than we suspect.
More than anything, Tyler Bey is a great defender. I spoke up his help defense and his recovery ability, but he is even more than that. Bey will always have his head on a swivel to keep his man in sight and will cut off passing lanes better than most players in the nation. His stature and defensive instincts make it hard to see him struggle with any kind of defensive transition to the NBA.
Weaknesses:
Tyler Bey is not an initiator. He is not a player that you can give the ball to on the perimeter and let him create for others. Now, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing since it’s not his archetype, but what does worry us is his handle. Often during a Colorado game, the only time Tyler Bey puts the ball on the floor is when he makes a pound dribble in the post to try to back down his man. If he can’t put the ball down effectively, he might struggle offensively if his shot isn’t falling.
And that brings me to my next point, his shot. It’s a clean release and good form, but how consistent is it? He hasn’t attempted too many three point attempts during his collegiate career and while he has shot a lot better in his junior year, the concern still exists.
When rebounding, Tyler Bey has relied on his athleticism a ton. He makes sure he is in line with his man, but he won’t always box out his guy because he knows he can rely on his jump to get the board. At the next level, where there are more elite athletes, he will have to adjust to making sure he has his man boxed out. This is not as big of a concern as Tyler Bey is an intelligent basketball player and I know he understands this aspect.
Future Outlook:
Tyler Bey’s draft position will heavily rely on his draft workouts and play in the NBA Draft Combine scrimmage. How good his shot looks will be vital in determining his draft position. If his shot isn’t falling, the avenue for him to succeed in the NBA is narrow. He’s a few pegs down from Matisse Thybulle defensively as he doesn’t have close to the speed Thybulle has (That isn’t a shot at Bey at all). But, there is a very good chance that Bey could fall in the draft further then he should just as Thybulle did.
I believe that Bey will show out in his workouts and at the combine and solidify himself as a top 20-25 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Because of the slight weakness of this draft and uncertainty of so many prospects, I don’t believe it is too far fetched to say that Tyler Bey may end up being a top 10 player from this class if he can convince us once he gets to the NBA, that his 3-point shot is for real.
