NBA Draft Scouting Report: Arizona's Caleb Love
Caleb Love
Guard | Arizona
Height: 6'4” | Weight: 195 lbs
2024 Draft Age: 22.74
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
A proven winner, Love has the tools to raise the ceiling of any team. Even at the NBA level, there’s a clear pathway to him being a key piece of the rotation on a championship team one day. After three productive seasons at North Carolina, he's going to be in a new situation at Arizona as he looks to play one more season before making the leap to the NBA. He originally committed to Michigan when in the transfer portal, but ultimately landed with the Wildcats.
Love enters year four at the college level as a decorated college prospect. During North Carolina’s championship run in 2022, he scored more than any player in the tournament. Furthermore, he knocked down countless clutch buckets which proved he’s able to step up in the biggest moments.
As it relates to returning college players this season, he’s without a doubt one of the best. He’s the ultimate competitor that can do a bit of everything.
With that in mind, Love has been spectacular since the day he started playing at the college level. He made the ACC All-Freshman team in that first season with North Carolina and even led the team in assists. He’s a natural playmaker for himself, but also for others.
Even the best passers at the college level don’t accurate jaw dropping assists numbers, but Love has had his fair share of productive games in that category. At the next level, he projects to be a combo guard that can both pass and score. He doesn’t necessarily have the pure point guard skills to lead an offense full time, but he can distribute when needed.
While he does make huge buckets, Love sometimes takes bad shots. Furthermore, his 3-point shooting hasn’t been consistent. He was an improved shooter from deep as a sophomore, then his efficiency fell off again as a junior. If he can prove to be a more efficient threat from beyond the arc, his draft stock will rise tremendously.
From the floor as a whole, Love shot worse than 37.5% in each of his first three college seasons. This simply won’t cut it at the NBA level. Especially early in his career, he likely wont get anywhere near the volume of attempts he’s getting now, so proving he can produce points efficiently is a swing factor as a whole.
He’s got the confidence to attempt advanced shots and take the game over in crunch time, but there’s a fine line between confidence and the smart decision. The 6-foot-4 guard can also be turnover prone at times.
Regardless, the upside as an isolation scorer with a ton of athleticism and speed is intriguing. He’s a strong driver with a quick first step and a dynamic package of dribble moves.
Defensively, Love is also able to make plays. He’s generated over a steal per game over the course of his career, leveraging his quick hands and ability to jump passing lanes. At 6-foot-4 and nearly 200 pounds, Love has the frame to be physical when defending opposing guards.
In fact, he’s one of the best defensive guards in the county and has an impressive 6-foot-9 wingspan.
As of now, Love is projected to go in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. However, proving he be a player that can lead a second team in Arizona deep into March will only increase his stock as an impact player.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Second-Round Pick in 2024 NBA Draft.
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