Killian Hayes

Ratiopharm Ulm | PG | 2001

Height: 6'5"
Weight: 215
Wingspan: 6'8"

Shades of: Spencer Dinwiddie, Delon Wright

Projected Draft Range: 4-10
Big Board Ranking: N/A

Selling Points: 

Hayes is an excellent pick and roll player at just 19 years old with an advanced feel for creating off of a screen. Hayes' creativity, vision, and ability to play angles is best displayed in the pick and roll where he is great at slipping pocket passes through tight gaps to the roll man and excellent at hitting shooters on the wing when the defense collapses on the roll man or ball handler. Hayes loves to throw skip passes and cross-court dimes when going to his left and is very accurate on such passes even when pressured and on the move. Hayes also has standout accuracy and feel for lob passes which he has an almost natural feel for throwing. In the basic halfcourt, Hayes does a good job of finding cutters and recognising weak points in the defense when going downhill. 

Hayes has three-level scorer upside with his comfortability to create from beyond the arc and particularly in between. Hayes has a nice touch pulling up for mid-range jumpers and has made great strides with his floater game which extends his ability to create in the mid-range. Hayes' is an intriguing isolation scorer due to his advanced footwork on sidesteps and stepbacks. While the efficiency isn't quite there, the mechanical foundation to be an off-the-dribble isolation scorer is there for Hayes. Hayes doesn't have an advanced handle but has an effective right-to-left and vice versa crossover and a shifty demeanour when in triple threat which when paired with his footwork allows him to create solid separation. Hayes' 87.6% from the free-throw line indicates above-average shooting touch and could project further shooting development. 

Hayes' stellar footwork is also on display in his ability to get to and finish at the rim. Hayes has a solid bag of euros and decelerated finishes that help compensate for his lack of burst and dexterity around the rim. While he doesn't have outstanding top-end speed, Hayes' has a good feel for changing speeds and using his plus-acceleration and big frame on drives to the basket. 

Defense isn't necessarily a strength of Hayes but he has some nice physical tools that indicate some promise defensively. As a large point guard at 6'5" with a 6'8" wingspan, Hayes does a good job of disrupting passing lanes and using his length to compensate for his lack of lateral quickness. Hayes is also underrated in the strength department as his 215 lb frame gives him the potential to match the physicality of shooting guards and undersized wings.


Turnoffs: 

Hayes is dreadfully left-hand dominant to the extent in which it limits his playmaking and shotmaking versatility. Around the rim, Hayes tries to finish everything with his left and will often force himself into difficult and off-balance attempts with his left regardless of the situation which end in an obvious defensive stop. Same goes for his passing where Hayes prefers to bring his ball to his left before firing off a pass. Although a minor delay, this tendency slows down the process enough for passing lanes to close up. Defenders in the BBL often forced Hayes to his right hand which resulted in him picking up his dribble and being forced into an uncomfortable kick out. 

As dynamic as his shot creation can be, Hayes isn't a great shooter and more notably a poor catch and shoot player. Hayes shot just 29.4% from three and had some horrid misses for a prospect whose scoring upside is supposed to be his deep-range shot creation. In catch and shoot situations, Hayes lacks rhythm in his jump shot unlike his stepbacks oddly enough. 

Hayes has a low assist to turnover ratio considering that playmaking is his main appeal. The main cause for Hayes' high turnover rate is the difficulty of passes Hayes tries to attempt. He often tries to thread the needle where it isn't possible or gets too reckless in his signature cross-court slings. 

As aforementioned, Hayes doesn't have great top-end speed and could struggle to create against NBA offenses with this in conjunction with his left-hand dominance. Hayes is also on the slow-end laterally for a guard and needs to rely on his length to stay with his man. 


NBA Outlook: 

Hayes is an alluring prospect with his Harden-esque footwork at such a young age and has gained quite the cult following as a potential #1 pick due to these similarities. Becoming a more efficient shooter is highly important to maximising his skillset as he may not have any sources of go-to offense at the next level when faced with NBA coverage and athleticism. 

Hayes may struggle early in his career without any rapid improvement to his right hand as defenses will be able to over-crowd his left hand and force him into difficult situations with his right hand. Overcoming his shortcomings and confidence issues in this area will be key to Hayes unlocking his offensive potential as a lead ball-handler but as of right now, Hayes may be limited in what he can achieve on the ball. 

If Hayes' right hand eventually comes along, Hayes will be a highly capable pick and roll navigator and possibly a high calibre playmaker and pick and roll scorer.