Blake Wesley: Luck of the Irish

Blake Wesley is a South Bend native and freshman star for his Notre Dame Fighting Irish. When he found himself in the spotlight of the tournament, he was able to showcase his potential as a NBA player. Should he take another year to improve, or will he decide his time is now?  

If you would like to learn more about where Blake Wesley ranks on MIP 99, read more here! 

Bio and Measurables:

Strengths: After spending one year at Notre Dame Blake Wesley has turned his attention to the NBA. A player that has extremely high upside on both ends of the floor, Wesley has the physical attributes to impact the game during his rookie year. Standing at 6-5 with a 6-11 wingspan, Wesley has traits that you just can’t teach to other players. His wingspan is something you either have or don’t and Wesley has it. On the offensive end he has the potential to become a three level scorer. An extremely confident mid-range maestro he can pull up in the PNR or on the drive making it hard for the defenders to challenge him every possession. When in a mismatch outside he enjoys putting big men on an island and using the space they give, when they are trying to prepare for a blow by, to shoot a three off the bounce. On the drive he uses his length to finish around the rim and has proven he can be crafty when challenged – going up and under or slithering into difficult layups. Off the ball in the half court he can be a reliable catch and shoot guard that makes the defense pay for collapsing. Wesley doesn’t waste much time getting up a shot with a fluid and quick release. Overall, he is a good shooter in rhythm and off the bounce and it feels like once he gets hot it is hard to stop him from scoring the basketball. The potential to be a microwave type guard off the bench is a solid ceiling for his two year development but with his transition game and playmaking ability he has the potential to be so much more long term. Grabbing a rebound or receiving an outlet pass to start the break is where Wesley is most dangerous. Allowing him to get out in front of you or downhill is almost always a recipe for transition points. He is always looking to get out and run and has the ability to make the offense pay when they get too relaxed in the half court. A good guard to use in the pick and roll he makes the defense pay either by creating for himself or finding the right man even if it is two passes away. His basketball IQ is going to only help elevate his game when he adjusts at the next level, being able to penetrate to the rim and find the open man on the wing, find the shaker or hit the big running to the basket will all help him find minutes. Just a really solid player when the ball is in his hands and has room to keep growing. 

Defensively, his extended wingspan allows him to be active in passing lanes which also leads to transition baskets. His disruption in the passing lanes though, is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his defensive potential. Most importantly, at his present skill level he has the ability to guard position 1-3 adequately because of his wingspan. As a disruptor in the passing lanes he plays solid defense both inside and outside making it hard for defenders on or off ball to get comfortable within the offense. He has more than proven he won’t be a defensive liability with solid hips, the ability to stay vertical when defending on the drive and upside chasing the PNR. 

Areas of Improvement: Blake Wesley is going to find comparisons to other high upside offensive players in the draft that developed more rapidly than expected. As a player who has all the potential in the world, his NBA viability will hinge on his willingness to improve in the areas he lacks. Overall, he will need to continue to work on his consistency on both levels. It is something that can be addressed through other aspects of his game but without knowing what you are getting from him on a nightly basis it will be hard to carve out rotation minutes. Offensivley, he can become a much better finisher. Even though he is deadly when coming down hill and really hurts defenses in the high pick and roll or when he is able to get into the lane, he struggled to convert at the rim this year, only shooting 51.2% (82-160) and 18-20 of those attempts were dunks. Being in control of his body when he is speeding to the rim will be the first step in becoming a better finisher, along with filling out his frame. Even if it is only adding extra strength and not an extensive amount of muscle it should give him confidence to go into defenders around the rim instead of trying to be too crafty with the ball and making the look more difficult. On top of this he isn’t athletic enough to be explosive in the half court all the time this with the struggle to finish through contact puts him in a challenging position against big centers with high level leaping ability. An inconsistent shooter should be the first area of improvement for the NBA development team. In my opinion, his upper body mechanics are solid. Wesley has good form and it is fluid but his lower body is leading to his inconsistency when shooting. For example, when he shoots he shields his hip almost away from the basket making it harder on himself. At the free throw line his lower body is much different electing to go with a tight stance that seems to make him shoot stiff. The goal should be to find a lower body stance that is consistent across the board and the improvement from the court should easily follow. Furthermore, he has the potential and upside to be a real threat in the NBA but his collegiate production could have been better as a playmaker. He was assisting and turning the ball over at the same rate but with his basketball IQ and court vision this should improve with time. I have extreme confidence his offensive game will drastically improve with his time in the league, especially his finishing ability it just seems like he is too long and athletic to not improve. 

On the defensive end, it begins with leaning on his athletic ability. With the potential and upside to be not only a good defender but a great defender, he just has to tighten up a few aspects of the game to make sure they are every possession attributes instead of every other possession. A benefit of improving his physical strength would not just be impacting his offensive game but also his impact on defense. He gets bullied a bit on the defensive ends when trying to fight through contact. Screens seem to really disrupt his momentum when defending and tend to get him out of his rhythm when guarding. At times the physicality and contact that he struggles with puts him in a bad position either trying to recover or going under/over a screen when he should have done the opposite. Going forward he should work on sticking with his assignment every possession or work on the speed of his recovery. At Notre Dame he had a tendency to get too far away from his assignment when helping inside but this should be corrected at the next level. 

Even though Wesley has areas of improvement they are all addressable in his first two years in the league and aren’t detrimental to the type of player he could become. 

External Factors: Wesley comes from a family that has always had roots in South Bend. His father a college basketball player and his mother a high school cheerleader, Blake and his siblings were always encouraged to participate in sports. Growing up he played multiple sports but decided to focus on basketball during his high school years. Having a basketball mind in the family, that played at the collegiate level is always a bonus for young guards coming into the league. While it may be a different skill level having a basketball mind in the family is always an external plus. 

Medical History: Wesley has no medical history that should impact his draft stock. 

Summary: Wesley certainly has room for improvement on both ends of the floor. His shooting stroke and consistency are going to be questions coming into the league but his upside is too much to ignore. It would make the most sense for Wesley to end up on a team in the back half of the first round. Most teams in that area are positioned to win now and adding a player who can shoot from three, has unteachable length, and can defend positions one through three could be an important piece in 2023.

MIP Projection: Mid Draft (20-28)