Kanaan Carlyle: The Explosive Sophomore
A scouting deepdive on Kanaan Carlyle, the rising sophomore out of Indiana University.
Kanaan Carlyle is at the forefront of what should be a successful season in Bloomington with the Indiana Hoosiers. The 6’3 electric guard had a strong freshman campaign at Stanford. Now, Carlyle is looking to take a step forward and shoot up further on NBA Draft Boards.
The physical profile
There is no doubt Carlyle’s athleticism is the highlight of his toolset. He’s listed as 6’3, 185 pounds which gives him a competitive advantage when playing as the primary ballhandler. He has remarkable speed and a 40” vertical that allows him to show off some impressive dunks.
One player that is similar in stature and in play is Malik Monk. Monk is listed as 6’3, 200 pounds and can act as both the point guard and shooting guard like Carlyle. Monk has a few pounds on him, but Monk is 26 and has played seven seasons in the NBA while Carlyle is 20 and entering his sophomore year of college. Plenty of time to bulk up and get stronger.
Someone that Carlyle has personally mentioned he studies to mimic his style of play is former Murray State star and now Memphis Grizzly Ja Morant. Carlyle is fast, but I’m not certain that he’s Morant fast who has reached speeds of 17.2 MPH on live fast breaks. However, Morant is listed at 6’3, 175 pounds which again is very similar to Carlyle physically.
His size and speed allows him to drive into the paint with force and giving himself an opportunity for short floaters, finish at the rim, or draw a foul. He has an ideal physique for an NBA guard, so once he adds on some muscle throughout his collegiate and early professional career, he’ll hold a significant physical advantage over his competition.
What’s the vision?
Why would an NBA team draft Carlyle? His athleticism and ability to create offense for himself are the highlights of his game. He is crafty and uses his speed to his advantage. He has a strong floater and can pull up from 10-15 feet out to knock down tough shots. His 3pt shot has quite a bit of work needed, but the form is there, and he’ll most likely translate better as an off-ball catch-and-shoot option making him a three-level threat. His lightning-fast speed opens many opportunities on the offensive end and as he develops and becomes a more consistent shooter, he’ll be lethal.
The shooting consistency will be a focal point of his development; however, the natural scoring talent is what makes him a potential first round draft pick. He showed strong signs during the first half of his freshman campaign, so building on that and learning to not be ball-dominant will help him increase his quality of shot selection. The addition of strong talent surrounding him on the Hoosiers should also help his further development this coming season.
He's also well regarded as a passer despite some turnover issues his freshman year. At a young age, you can work through those issues so the long-term vision here that would make him more valuable is he can take over the role as a true skilled point guard in the NBA. There’s a reasonable chance though at the next level he takes more of an off-ball position where he can utilize his explosiveness on offense while not having to focus on taking care of the ball and dishing it out as well. Personally, I see him more as a shooting guard rather than a point guard, but it’s reasonable to say he can be a dual-guard player.
Realistically on the defensive end, he’ll never win defensive player of the year. He’s average, but he has potential to unlock some more of his skillset due to his natural athleticism and ability to quickly pivot directions. He most likely won’t be an albatross on defense, but he won’t be a star either.
How can it break down?
Carlyle needs to improve his 3pt shot consistency as there were some struggles last season, but there were some strong signs that the potential is there, and the stroke will absolutely translate to the NBA level, but consistency is going to be key for scouts and teams keeping an eye on him.
Carlyle needs to get better about holding on to the ball and cutting down on the turnovers. Myles Rice will most likely be the primary ball handler for the Hoosiers this season, but it’d be great to see Carlyle take a step forward to be a trusted secondary option to run point. Carlyle has the speed advantage, so ideally, he drives low to draw defenders and kicks it back out consistently. He flashed signs last season, so there’s plenty of time for him to build up this skillset before he heads to the NBA. However, it will hurt his NBA potential if he can’t be relied on as a primary ball handler.
What’s the pathway?
Kanaan Carlyle is going to be a fun NBA prospect to watch develop and grow further in his early career. He is arguably one of the more athletic guards on the board and his offensive abilities at such a young age represent just how high his ceiling is. I’m willing to overlook the defensive skillset that’s not yet here if he can focus on becoming more consistent from deep, which in turn would open more opportunities for himself on the offensive end. However, I also want to see him work on running the offense when given the opportunity. He needs to cut down on the turnovers and show scouts and teams that he can be more than just an offensive threat.
We’ve seen many prospects before him that rely too heavily on being ball-handling dominant, which weakens other aspects of their games. For Carlyle, stepping back and embracing a lessor role at point guard will allow him to take the pressure off himself and focus on his high-ceiling offensive capabilities. With that being said, he needs to find a balance as dual-threat guard. Knowing when to control the pace of the game and when to let others do it increases the Basketball IQ and will make him a long-term piece for teams in the NBA.
His second collegiate year is going to be a tell tail sign as the Indiana Hoosiers are primed to have an excellent season where Carlyle has a chance to shine. The Hoosiers need a three-point threat and Myles Rice will need a secondary ball handler, so Carlyle will have plenty of opportunities to improve his skillset on a team that will have the eyes of many scouts in front of them.