Along with the rest of the world, the NBA is currently in hiatus. However, if the draft went down tomorrow the Sixers would own the 22nd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. There should be some really interesting prospects in this range, especially since there was no NCAA tournament. A lot of really good prospects could potentially fall to the Sixers range in this year’s draft. Today I want to talk to you about projected late first-round, high second-round prospect Jahmi’us Ramsey. Audio and video of this article can be found below!
Overview
Jahmi’us Ramsey quickly gained the attention of NBA scouts the second he walked on that Texas Tech court. Ramsey was a 5-star recruit coming out of Arlington, Texas. According to Rivals, he was the 21st best prospect in his class and also received offers from Memphis, Indiana and Louisville. Ramsey chose Texas Tech to stay closer to home and play for head coach Chris Beard. Overall, Jahmi’us Ramsey is one of the most interesting two-way freshman prospects in the entire draft. Let’s get at it.
Strengths
- First and foremost, Jahmi’us Ramsey is a great shooter from the outside.
- Ramsey’s explosive athleticism allows him to defend multiple positions (1-2, small ball 3).
- Ramsey plays with a lot of energy and hustle each and every time he’s out on the court.
- He’s at his best in transition and getting buckets in the open court.
- He can score on all three levels and is an aggressive scorer on offense.
Weaknesses
- Jahmi’us Ramsey doesn’t have the best handle and it shows when attacking the paint.
- He tends to get a bit out of control with the basketball and struggles shooting off the dribble.
- Despite having all the tools, Jahmi’us Ramsey doesn’t show the best off ball defense.
- Ramsey has shown to be a turnover machine at times and isn’t the best finisher at the rim.
Film Highlight
One of Jahmi’us Ramsey’s unique traits is his ability to be an efficient two-way player who can also space the floor. Ramsey possesses one of the highest ceilings in this year’s NBA Draft. His combination of very good on ball defense and ability to knock down shots makes him one of the more intriguing prospects in the draft. He rotates well on defense, has quick feet and is quick on close outs. Ramsey’s potential to defend the pick and roll is something that deserves some attention. Did he take plays off on defense last year? Of course. What 18 year old doesn’t?
While there are concerns about his inconsistency on defense, he showed consistently that he is one of the best shooters in the country while playing for Texas Tech. Ramsey has a low and quick release from 3 point range and is capable of making pull up jumpers. Some scouts say his shot selection could use some work. Ramsey settled for way too many mid-range jumpers at Texas Tech. Despite being a great shooter his freshman season, Ramsey struggles at the free throw line (65.2%) certainly give some cause for concern.
Here is a taste of what Ramsey would bring on offense to the Philadelphia 76ers
As you can see, Ramsey’s ability to hit step back jump shots, provide deep range from 3 and pull up off the screen makes him a very intriguing prospect for the Sixers.
Ramsey’s electric scoring got him Big 12 Freshman of the Year and All-Big 12 Second Team honors. Ramsey had a true shooting percentage of 54.6% on the season.
Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard talks about Ramsey’s development. Beard says he’s a natural scorer, but must cut down his turnovers and show better instincts on defense.
Inconsistency is the key word when it comes to Jahmi’us Ramsey
I think it’s important to note that a lot of the areas Jahmi’us Ramsey struggles in can be easily improved up with coaching, experience and maturity. While Ramsey shows flashes with his on ball defense, he lets up way too many easy lanes to the basket and will lose interest on defense when his man doesn’t have the basketball.
Possible Fit
Jahmi’us Ramsey is one of the better fits for the Philadelphia 76ers for multiple reasons. The Sixers were desperate for a scoring punch off the bench and Ramsey checks all the boxes offensively. Ramsey is a really intriguing fit for the Sixers because he excels in catch and shoot situations, something that is a priority for guards playing alongside Ben Simmons. Ramsey also fits Brett Brown’s ‘pace and space’ style of play, as he thrives in transition and can also space the floor.
I understand Shake Milton had phenomenal month of February and March where he averaged 14.4 points per game and shot over 51% from 3 in 16 games. He was a real source of hope in a season of unmitigated failure and not meeting lofty expectations. Shake Milton is signed for three more seasons and one of the few playmakers on the court for the Sixers. How much of Shake’s play is sustainable though? Let’s be honest: Shake has had major problems with inconsistency for a long time.
I think Ramsey would be an ideal replacement for Raul Neto next season due to his knack for the catch and shoot and his ability to space the floor. The difference between the two players here would be Ramsey’s athleticism, ability to excel in the fast break and provide solid on ball defense. I understand we have Zhaire Smith and Marial Shayok being groomed in Delaware, but that wouldn’t stop me from bringing in a 6’4 guard prospect with real upside like Jahmi’us Ramsey.
Stat Nuggets
- 42.1% from 3 on 5.2 attempts per game as a freshman
- Ramsey is an efficient scorer. His 53.1 effective field goal percentage was 4th best in the Big 12 and averaged 15 points per game, good for 5th best
- Ramsey put up 20+ points per game 7 times for the Red Raiders
- He is just the 3rd freshman in Texas Tech history to lead the team in points per game
- He shot 38/88 in the catch and shoot his freshman season at Texas Tech
- Ramsey had nearly as many turnovers (54) as assists (60) during his lone season as a Red Raider
- Despite being a freshman, Ramsey had the 6th highest usage percentage (26.2) in the Big 12
Summary
Jahmi’us Ramsey projects as an offensive role player or 6th man in the NBA. Ramsey is a very good scorer and shooter, so obviously he would bring a much need skill set to the Philadelphia 76ers. However, I’m honestly most interested in Ramsey’s defense here. The Sixers inability to defend the pick and roll was the achilles heel for much of the regular season. Ramsey’s combination of on ball defense and shooting should put him on all Sixers fan’s radars in the 2020 NBA Draft. If the Sixers selected Ramsey at #22, I would expect Ramsey to start off with the Blue Coats in 2020 while quickly earning playing time with the Sixers by January or February of next year.
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