2022 NBA Draft Breakdown - Trevor Keels
One of the youngest players in the draft. Did he enter the draft too early?
While covering the ACC this season, I quickly fell in love with the prospect class that Duke brought in. Trevor Keels is another favorite of mine, despite the fact that he has some glaring holes in his game. Keels was one of the last players to make his decision to fully commit to the draft, reportedly not having his mind made up just hours before the deadline to withdraw.
Keels averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 41.9% from the floor and 31.2% from deep. His 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio is one of the more impressive marks in the class. At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-7 wingspan and an impressive 223 pounds of bulk, Keels has phenomenal strength and isn’t going to get bullied by anyone.
The first thing that stood out to me about Keels was just how much he bothers opposing guards in one-on-one situations. Keels may have won me over the most when I went to cover N.C. State’s game against Duke, registering five steals against N.C. State’s guards, but his tenaciousness expands beyond that game. Keels is one of the most bothersome defenders in the class.
Keels doesn’t use that strength to just bother opposing players, he uses it to get to his spots with ease on offense and can finish through any kind of contact, being incredibly sturdy. With his frame, Keels isn’t a mismatch against bigger wings and can play down and guard point guards well.
The strangest thing about Keels is how far his shot fell off in his freshman season at Duke. In high school, Keels was a formidable shooter, something that didn’t carry over to the collegiate level. Keels’ 67% free-throw percentage indicates poor touch, which is a bit concerning, but if you buy that his three-point shooting will come around at all, he’s absolutely worth a gamble in the late first to early second-round range. Keels has the intangibles that good shooters have: he knows where and when to relocate, he has catch-and-shoot upside, he has range and he has flashes of greatness from that range, he just has to put it together.
Keels is also a terrific passer, particularly when he’s looking for the extra pass, using his smarts to get the best out of a given situation. Making the extra pass is a crucial skill in the NBA and Keels checks that box.
The main thing with Keels that is keeping him from being a consensus first-round guy right now is his consistency. He has the skill to be an elite on-ball defender in the league and showed flashes of that in college, but it wasn’t on every possession. He had the skill to be a three-point threat but wasn’t consistent and had poor percentages as a result. He had some shots where he had beautiful arcs on his three-balls and others that felt rushed and zipped straight to the rim.
Outside of that, Keels needs to find some sort of mid-range game and bag to the rim. He has no problem using his strength to get the rim, he just has to put it together.
The tape is here for a great NBA prospect. I do feel as though going back to college would’ve done wonders for Keels' draft stock but as somebody who is excited to see an NBA team get its hands on him for development, I’m selfishly excited. Everything I’ve heard suggests Keels will go in the early second round but if he impressed a team enough, the possibility is there for a first-round selection.