NBA Future Prospect: Alec Peters
Alec Peters: 6’9” and 235 lbs. Forward from Valparaiso
Alec Peters is currently projected to be a late first round draft pick in a majority of mock drafts. Peters is a great all-around player with the ability to pass, shoot, and defend. He has good size for a stretch forward but is really in between being a power forward and small forward. His athleticism is lacking but his ability to score from everywhere make him worthy of a first round pick.
Peters is stellar offensively, coupling his pure shooting touch with his ability to score efficiently in the post make him truly dangerous. His three point shooting isn’t as consistent as you would like to see from a stretch forward, but it will be something he will have the opportunity to improve on in the NBA. His skills in the mid-range and post are what make him truly a first round talent. His ball handling is average at best so he’s better catching and shooting or posting up than he is beating his man to the basket. Peters is one of the more polished offensive players that will be in the upcoming draft.
While shooting is his biggest strength, Peters is also a really good passer for a big. He keeps his head up at all times ready to make the pass if he can’t get the shot he wants. He’s also a really good rebounder on the offensive and defensive end, averaging almost 11 boards a game so far this season. Defensively Peters is solid, though his athleticism can occasionally hurt him on that end of the floor.
Peters has all the skills you would expect from a star senior, but his one weakness is that he struggles against bigger, more athletic opponents. While he is talented enough to mask some of those deficiencies in college, the competition will be much stiffer when he gets to the NBA. Fortunately for Peters his high basketball IQ and his ability to score from everywhere will still land him on an NBA roster this summer.
With Peters projected to go late in the first round he will likely end up with a contender like Toronto, San Antonio, or Cleveland. That would be best case scenario for him, coming off the bench on a team where he won’t feel much pressure. Peters probably won’t be quite the star in the NBA as he has been at Valpo but he’s a smart, talented player who will find his niche in the pros.
Featured Game: Loss vs. Oakland 78-66
The featured game I chose for Peters was Valpo’s game against Oakland on 1/6/17. He ended the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and a block in the loss. This game really showcased his struggles with bigger, more athletic competition. He only shot 5-12 from the floor and turned the ball over 5 times. The first half is when he struggled scoring the most, but he didn’t let that effect the rest of his game as he was still very active facilitating on offense and engaged on defense. In the second half he started to get in a groove scoring the ball, and really kept the pressure on Oakland to stay focused late in the game. At the next level Peters won’t face the same level of pressure to carry his team offensively which should give him time to grow.
1st Half Shot Chart:
2nd Half Shot Chart:
