Texas Tech University guard Davide Moretti will try to extend his 2018-19 season one more game when the Red Raiders and he face the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday night. Even if Texas Tech does reach the national championship game, that contest may prove to be his last on the collegiate level.
Moretti is Making His Case on the Biggest Stage
It seems NBA scouts at the NCAA tournament are being treated to peak Moretti. In the 2019 NCAA men’s basketball tournament to this point, he is averaging 12 points per game and shooting 64.7 percent (11-for-17) from 3-point range. The timing at which his long balls have come has been important as well, with Moretti sinking two from downtown at a crucial juncture in the Red Raiders’ Elite Eight win over Gonzaga. Perhaps it had something to do with his brother and mother being present to watch him play for the first time since he left Italy. Either way, Moretti is doing all he can to turn heads. The question is whether his body of work from playing in Europe and for Texas Tech will be sufficient to get an NBA team to spend a draft pick on him.
Moretti Scouting Report
At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Moretti is far from an intimidating figure by NBA standards. The 21-year-old has made significant leaps in every statistical category from his freshman year, in which he only started one game for the Red Raiders. In 36 games so far this season, Moretti is averaging 11.6 points per game while shooting 50.2 percent from the field, including 46.3 percent from 3-point range.
Moretti hasn’t been a contributor to Texas Tech’s rebounding, averaging only two of those per contest. His 2.2 assists per game aren’t going to wow anyone, but that’s not his role with the Red Raiders. Moretti’s skills are best utilized in a spot-up shooter role.
In that role, his being undersized isn’t too much of an issue but his defensive skills aren’t spectacular. Moretti has proven his ability to come up clutch and produce offensively. Will NBA teams decide his proficiency at being a sharp-shooter is valuable enough to make him one of their draft selections? The consensus seems to be no.
Current Mocks Unkind to Moretti
Despite several NBA lottery teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards having needs that fit Moretti’s profile, experts see those teams looking elsewhere to fill those needs.
The latest mock drafts from CBS, ESPN and The Ringer all do not include Moretti on their boards. Most of the shooting guards who are listed on the mocks have a considerable size advantage over Moretti, though some names further down the boards are more comparable.
Moretti hasn’t declared for the 2019 NBA Draft yet and that may prove to be a wise decision. Returning to Texas Tech for his junior year may help him diversify his game, which may be necessary for him to become an NBA prospect in 2020. Because of his specialization and lack of size, it seems that NBA teams will pass on him if he is in the draft pool this year.
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Davide Moretti NBA Draft Profile: Latest Projections & Stock