UCLA Basketball: Bryce Alford’s best bet to making an NBA roster
By Keir Chapman
Former UCLA Basketball player Bryce Alford banks on his 3-point shooting ability to earn him a spot in the NBA, despite lack of pre-draft hype.
Bryce Alford had a stellar senior season, capped off by passing Jason Kapono as UCLA’s all-time 3-point leader. Yet, Alford appears to be lost in the pre-draft hype bestowed upon freshmen Lonzo Ball, TJ Leaf, and Ike Anigbogu.
Alford had the opportunity to workout for the Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Charolette Hornets. However, with the draft on June 22, it’s too early to determine if these teams have serious interest in Alford or are doing their due diligence.
What’s baffling about the lack of attention Alford has received is that his 3-point shooting ability translates to the NBA. The past pro season saw a total of 9.7 threes made per game on an average of 27 attempts. The Rockets set the team record for 3-pointers made in a season with 14.3 per game, and were the first team to attempt over 3,000 threes with 3,250.
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The NBA has evolved into a 3-point shooting league, where players in every position have potential to hit long-range shots. Alford excelled in making threes in his final season at UCLA, making 116 of these shots, while converting 43% of his attempts.
Alford’s efficiency isn’t even the most impressive aspect of his shooting ability. His use of off-ball screens to get to his spot is what teams look for in a shooting guard. Alford also demonstrates a quick release when shooting, making it hard for defenders to close out on him when he gets open. When defended, he can knock down 3-pointers with a hand in his face.
A knock against Alford is his height. At 6 foot 3 inches, he is two inches shy of the average NBA shooting guard height of 6 foot 5 inches. The fear that Alford won’t be able to get his shot off against NBA guards may give scouts pause. However, CJ McCollum of the Portland Trailblazers showed shorter shooting guards can be successful by making 42% of his threes at 6 foot 3 inches.
Another obstacle Alford faces is entering the draft as a four-year college player. Former Bruin Norman Powell had the same stigma to overcome, and has done so by averaging 8.4 points in just 18 minutes a game with the Toronto Raptors. That averages to 16.7 points per 36 minutes for Powell, who is also undersized at 6 foot 4 inches.
A team that should look to take a chance on Alford is the Brooklyn Nets. They finished last season as the NBA’s worst squad, but a trade with the Boston Celtics has the Nets picking near the end of the first and second rounds of the draft. They ranked near the bottom of the league in 3-pointers made, converting just 34% of these shots.
Brooklyn offers Alford a chance to earn immediate playing time. The team is in a rebuilding phase, allowing them to use younger players in key roles. The average age of the Nets las season was 25.8 years old. At 22, Alford would match the age of the youngest players Brooklyn carried on its roster last season.
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Regardless if Brooklyn uses the 57th pick in the draft to net Alford or not, his 3-point proficiency will allow him to latch onto an NBA team. Alford has a long path to the pros, but is used to proving people wrong. Not long ago, UCLA fans saw this as merely the coach’s son taking others’ playing. The Bruin faithful grew to love him, and fans of whichever team he lands on next will fall in love as well.