2021 NBA Draft scouting report: Joe Wieskamp

In this installment of Peachtree Hoops’ NBA Draft scouting report series, we take a look at Joe Wieskamp, a sharpshooter out of Iowa.

Every team in the NBA needs three-point shooting now more than ever in today’s game. Finding quality shooters who have the size to hold up on the defensive end is a challenge all 30 teams face themselves with, and the draft can obviously be a great place to dip in a find a future wing weapon.

Joe Wieskamp, a 6’7 guard out of Iowa, has the potential to be a spot-up shooting weapon, and maybe a bit more than that. His 6’11 wingspan leaves optimism that he could be able to compete enough defensively, and he posted a 42 inch vertical at the combine. He also flashed some agility/speed, ranking in the top six in both lane agility and the three-quarter court sprint. Some of these numbers come as a surprise, and we’ll get into that later.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic ranks Wieskamp as his No. 35 prospect on his final big board, while ESPN currently ranks him as the No. 52 player in the 2021 class.

Offense

Shooting

Wieskamp was one of the best three-point shooters in the NCAA over the past three seasons, hitting 41.2% of his threes for his career at Iowa and 46.2% on career-high volume this past season.

The junior shot 50.7% on no-dribble spot-ups, a number that ranked him in the 97th percentile among guards in 2020-21 per Synergy. Wieskamp excelled shooting off of movement, flying around screens in an effort to release free on the perimeter for an open look from three.

Creation

Wieskamp was just an average pick-and-roll ballhandler in his junior season, generating just 25 points on 37 shooting possessions per Synergy. He has a decent feel for hitting his roll man, but doesn’t quite have the off-the-dribble game to create open shots for others. As a secondary creator, teams in the Big 10 were fine to let him play 1-on-1 on the ball. Wieskamp somewhat has the strength to get downhill and attack closeouts, and makes solid decisions when he can create those advantages. But in terms of just one 1-on-1 taking his man to the rim, he isn’t a great finisher in traffic, and had just a .293 free-throw rate in his junior season.

Wieskamp’s best area for self-creation is at the three-point line. He may not quite have the size of Duncan Robinson, the Miami Heat sniper that went undrafted out of Michigan, but he has a bit more wiggle with the ball in his hands on the perimeter. Wieskamp won’t be a primary guard at the next level, but he still has guard skills that enable him to create space that allows him to get off his jumper. He has a bit of JJ Redick to his game in this area, bouncing around screens and stepping back for smooth nothing but net triples.

Room for improvement

Wieskamp tested as a great athlete in Chicago, but you wouldn’t exactly come away from his Iowa tape thinking he had the fifth highest max vertical at the combine. He struggles to finish in traffic at the rim, though maybe that improves some with more spacing at the next level. He had Luka Garza, one of the best big men in college basketball, clogging up the lane a decent chunk of the time for the past three seasons, so maybe there will be a bit of natural improvement in this area moving to the NBA game.

Defense

Wieskamp does have 6’11 wingspan going for him on this end, but he won’t be someone that should be asked to lock down an opponent’s primary option. He’ll best be utilized guarding the fourth or fifth options on opposing teams (whatever wing he can matchup with the best, preferably one that doesn’t like to dribble), and competing on the glass.

Despite the speedy testing numbers, he doesn’t really pop on the defensive end on tape. He has mediocre steal and block rates, which is fine and not a surprise for his archetype, but based on the testing you’d like to see a bit more of that burst pop on film.

Strengths

• Solid defensive rebounder at Iowa, averaging 5.5 boards per game on the defensive glass last season
• Decent feel for what’s going on as a team defender, effort is there
• Potential to improve if he can learn to better use his athleticism

Weaknesses

• Struggles when mismatched against size inside
• Not a POA defender, better off hidden on a wing
• Doesn’t have great instincts, struggles to utilize his agility to stay in front of quick guards

Fit with Hawks

Wieskamp honestly fits anywhere. He’s going to be a second-rounder or Two Way guy most likely, and any team can talk themselves into adding a talented 6’7 movement shooter when that’s all it is going to cost. As someone who won’t need to be on ball much, he’s easy to plug in to a ton of lineups if he’s able to hold his own defensively. At No. 48, the Hawks’ only second-round pick in 2021 as of now, Wieskamp would be a more than fine selection.