Knicks select Trevor Keels with No. 42 pick
With the No. 42 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks selected Duke guard Trevor Keels.
The freshman guard appeared in 36 games for the Blue Devils, starting 26 of them. In his debut contest for Duke, Keels dropped 25 points against Kentucky. He averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals in 30.2 minutes per contest. He made the ACC All-Rookie team for his efforts, joining fellow draft picks Paolo Banchero and AJ Griffin.
In his last appearance for the Blue Devils, Keels scored 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting with two rebounds and a steal in a loss to North Carolina in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
Keels' size and strength make him an ideal backup guard for a team. He can use his power to drive to the rim relentlessly against other reserves while keeping his squad's offense afloat at certain spots of a game.
Bio
Position: Guard
School: Duke
College experience: Freshman
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 224 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-7
Max vertical: N/A
Strengths
- Drives to the rim using his strength to protect the ball while fighting through contact
- Uses his body well to post up smaller guards
- Can operate pick and roll by finding the screener on open lanes to the basket
- Able to find the open man against a collapsing defense, either wing shooters or bigs near the rim
- Makes the extra pass to the open shooter
Weaknesses
- Got beat consistently against smaller guards who drove straight to the basket
- Recoveries from being blown by were non-existent or shaky with attempts to steal the ball from behind
- Didn't shoot the ball efficiently from the field (42%), deep (31%), and the free-throw line (67%)
- Stuck between both guard spots as he doesn't have the size or defensive capabilities to play shooting guard and doesn't create offensive opportunities for other teammates as a point guard