NBA Draft Scouting Report: SMU's Zhuric Phelps

NBA Draft Scouting Report: SMU's Zhuric Phelps

Contents

1. Prospect Profile 
2. Highlights 
3. Draft Projection 
4. 2024 Big Board

Zhuric Phelps 

Guard | SMU 

Height: 6'5” | Weight: 195 lbs 

2024 Draft Age: 22.11

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Prospect Profile 

One of the best players in the AAC last season, Phelps has emerged as a quality two-way guard. He has been a contributor since he walked in the door at SMU, but really broke out as a sophomore.

The 6-foot-5 guard saw a significant increase in role from freshman to sophomore season and really rose to the occasion. While his minutes per game only doubled, his scoring output went up by a multiplier of nearly five.

Although he wasn’t talked about much on a mediocre SMU team, Phelps is a good scorer. However, he needs to be much more efficient considering he shot roughly 40% from floor and 30% from deep last season. He is an improved 3-point shooter relative to his freshman numbers, but still has a long way to go. He’s a very poor free throw shooter, especially for a guard, converting on just 60% of his attempts in both college seasons. This could be somewhat worrisome when thinking about his future success from the perimeter as a shooter.

The scoring for Phelps is evident, but he doesn’t get enough credit for being a facilitator. He showed flashes of being a really good passer last season. On the flip side, he needs to become a more productive rebounder at the next level to make more of an impact. Defensively there’s a lot of upside moving forward. Phelps has a strong frame and is extremely active in passing lanes and on the ball. He generated 2.3 steals per game as a sophomore.

The former four-star recruit out of Duncanville was one of the best players in Texas and stayed home to play at SMU. After just two seasons, he tested the pre-draft process, but withdrew prior to the 2023 NBA Draft. This isn’t a bad thing, as he’s likely better off with one more year in school with known feedback from NBA teams.

Highlights 

Draft Projection 

Potential Second-Round Pick in 2024 NBA Draft.

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2024 Big Board

Want to know more about other potential 2024 NBA Draft prospects and where they might get selected? Check out our Draft Digest Big Board.

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