North Carolina small forward Nassir Little will head into the NBA Draft as a projected late lottery pick, with many reports putting him somewhere either outside of the top 10 or just near the bottom of it.
While Little isn’t letting any of that get in his way, he did recently say that he feels he can become like one of the best players in the league if given the chance.
Speaking to Jabari Young of The Athletic, Little compared himself to Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard, who has led the Raps to the Eastern Conference Finals and helped capture an NBA Championship with the San Antonio Spurs.
“I feel like I can come in as like a second version of Kawhi Leonard,” Nasir Little said.
Little made the comment after confirming that he had spent time interviewing with the Spurs during this week’s NBA Draft Combine.
Of course, those are some big words for any prospect, but the fact that Little believes so heavily in himself is huge. Moreover, looking at his combine numbers, the comparison could turn out true. Little’s measurements — 6'6 with a 7 feet, 1.25 inches wingspan — all show that he can be a versatile player.
Leonard is the goal, but Little will need to work on many aspects of his game before he becomes one of the more elite players in the league. Specifically, Little’s shooting has drawn some criticism, with his 26.9 percent 3-point shooting and 77 percent free throw rate being major red flags for teams.
While Little may see himself as the next Kawhi, there’s still a long way to go for him to reach those heights. In the meantime, having that kind of confidence is great, and he’ll likely apply that to whatever team drafts him next month.
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