I get it, catch-and-shoot 3P shots aren’t sexy. But Kispert doesn’t hit them at just an average or above average clip. He hits those shots at an ELITE clip. And you can never have enough shooting in the NBA.



As mentioned, he may not be the best threat as a roll man but get him to set a screen at the top of the key for a pick-and-pop action, and he’s money more often than not.

The main reason why he’s so effective as a shooter is because he rarely stops moving. He’s not someone who’s content with standing in the corner and waiting for the ball to come to him on 90% of the offensive possessions he’s involved in. Kispert keeps himself mobile, and it pays off in dividends.

Think about some of the best shooters the league has ever seen, guys who were known mainly for their ability to knock down shots from deep. JJ Redick and Kyle Korver were and are different because they aren’t guys who will put the ball on the deck with regularity like a Reggie Miller or Ray Allen, but they NEVER STOP MOVING, kind of like this.

That’s what makes Kispert different. Whether he’s moving from one side of the court to the other, setting screens, cutting to the basket, he keeps pressure on the defense and is such a magnet because of his elite status as a shooter. If you don’t keep a body on him, well, you’ll get this.

Now he had a lot of daylight on that shot, but the guard stepping up in the action chose to switch and follow the screener, leaving too much time for Kispert to line it up and fire off one dribble. He’ll make defenses pay for mistakes like that.

And he doesn’t need a lot of space or time to knock down a shot. Kispert is the most mechanically sound shooter in the draft. Speaking of Allen, he used to talk about the most important part about shooting is keeping your mechanics the same regardless of the type of shot you’re taking. That’s Kispert to a tee. Nothing about his mechanics change whether he’s shooting off the catch, curling around a screen or pulling up off a few dribbles.

There are other good to great shooters in this class who will be talked about at length during the pre-draft process, but how many of them are as consistent with their approach as Kispert?

That’s why he’s an elite shooter and should be valued highly in the 2021 draft. NBA teams want deep shot making at every spot on the floor, and having someone of Kispert’s size who can step up and play the 4 spot and make defenses pay if they leave him even an inch of space on a rookie contract is valuable. Period.



Even when he’s not just chucking up bombs from three, he can still be effective and keep the ball moving on offense. He’s a basketball player, not just a shooter, which has actually been a misconception about Kispert all year as his draft stock has risen in both public and private spaces.

Smart shooters who don’t sink the offense in other areas aren’t as common as one might think in the professional landscape. Kispert can come in and contribute on day one.

Another misconception about his game is can he actually attack a closeout or take his man off the bounce and finish at the basket?



Good thing I found evidence.

Oh, and one more nifty move for good measure.

Nothing about these drives is pretty. He’s not shaking anyone off a killer crossover, but notice what he is doing. He’s able to catch his man with a hesitation move, get a step on them and because he’s 6’7” with a built body, and he can keep someone on his hip long enough to extend and finish.

If I’m looking at a prospect, sometimes it’s not always about style. Functional is perfectly acceptable in some areas, and I’ll take it here.

We’ve gone through a lot of good with Kispert, more than usual for someone who’s considered to be a role player at the next level. But there are reasons why he isn’t viewed as someone with a higher ceiling, and those warts really come to fruition on the defensive end.



Let’s get more of the obvious out of the way: Kispert isn’t going to win foot races with a lot of smaller, quicker guards in the NBA. That’s just a fact. So if he’s put into ball screens or forced to switch onto guards with a lightning quick first step or a crafty handle, yes there’s a good chance he’ll lose that battle.

Both situations, due to who he had to pick up at the time, Kispert had to guard Jared Butler. Butler is as heady of a guard as they come, but even if he doesn’t have to create something off the dribble he has a quick release if he’s set and ready off the catch. Kispert isn’t quick enough to properly contest that shot if he has to worry about helping in space and rotating over for a closeout.



What’s even worse is when he’s unfairly put into the position he is on this play.

I point this one out specifically because he was doing his job on offense, spreading the floor and remaining active in the corner, yet Baylor had a different matchup on him in Flagler and because of the turnover, Kispert had to try to beat Flagler down the floor and contest a transition deep ball.

None of these three clips are negatives due to lack of effort. Some players just have limitations that you learn to work with. It’s important to remember that EVERYONE has their flaws, and in life you take the positives with the negatives. While of course it’s awesome to have world-class defenders at every position on the floor, that’s not reality. And no one should plummet Kispert down a draft board because of defensive shortcomings like these.



Where I’d be more concerned if I’m heading up an NBA team is in these clips right here.

Both plays are honest mistakes where Kispert got caught in “no man’s land” and didn’t have the speed to recover and properly contest the open shot. It happens to the best of us. But they’re important clips to look at and take note of because if Kispert misses rotations and closeouts like that in the league, he’ll see himself on the bench sooner rather than later. Coaches love effort, and generally discipline MULTIPLE mental miscues such as those.



Not everything about Kispert’s defense is a negative though. Because he isn’t built like a lanky wing, he can step up and guard other power forwards or bigs in the post with confidence and actually hold his own.

In both examples he doesn’t get bullied out of the way and actually plays technically sound defense. Kispert is always active, and puts forth the effort to stick with his man and not get beat off spots. As long as he’s able to guard someone of similar stature or position, he has the mental makeup and toughness to put his best foot forward and contribute in any way he can defensively.

So where should someone like Kispert get drafted? What is his value in the NBA?

NBA offenses are built around spread pick-and-roll and motion concepts that emphasize spacing, player and ball movement. If Kispert can spread the floor and act as a defensive magnet for a dynamic ball handler of which the team is built around, that’s the perfect role for him because of how lethal he is as a marksman.

The issue is, how many teams in the lottery have that type of dynamic playmaker to fully take advantage of a weapon like Kispert? Chances are, the teams that have a need for someone of Corey’s ilk are further down the draft order and the teams higher are looking for that missing main ingredient.

There are of course exceptions to the rule, and if an NBA team doesn’t see any better options to take a swing on later in the lottery, you at least know what you’re getting in Kispert. He’s not revolutionary, won’t sell tickets by himself or set social media on fire every single night.



But he’s as solid of a role player as they come with a skill set that is at the top of its class. Don’t sleep on Kispert as a lottery level talent.