New Minnesota guard Jonny Flynn has the tools to justify
being the sixth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.
(AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
Jonny Flynn
Sophomore, Syracuse
6-0/188
Flynn was drafted sixth overall by the Timberwolves and will likely be their starting point guard this season, barring a miraculous turn of events in the Ricky Rubio situation. Flynn was likely going to be drafted by Minnesota with the fifth pick until Rubio surprisingly fell into its lap.
A two-year starter for the Orange, Flynn averaged 16.55 points per game for his career. His great speed and ball-handling skills allowed him to average 17.4 ppg for the 2008-09 season, which was eighth in the Big East. He was also sixth in the nation with 6.7 assists per game. Flynn was one of the NCAA's best at both scoring and passing, as he had a better scoring average than the five players ahead of him in assists per game.
One of Flynn’s most notable performances was the six-overtime thriller against Uconn in the Big East tournament. Flynn scored a game-high 34 points and led both teams with 11 assists, while playing 67 of the 70 minutes. This was a bit of redemption, as Flynn had a relatively unremarkable 16-point, three-assist game in the two teams’ previous match, a 49-63 Syracuse loss.
Though Syracuse lost to eventual champion Louisville in the Big East tourney, Flynn continued to show he could perform on the big stage. During this year's NCAA tournament, he led Syracuse to the Sweet Sixteen, where they bowed out to Oklahoma 84-71. In his three tourney games, Flynn averaged 16.3 ppg, including a 22-point, six-assist performance against the Sooners. In seven total postseason games (Big East and NCAA tournament), Flynn averaged 18.3 points and 8.1 assists, both above his regular season averages.
With his speed, Flynn excels at getting to the rim and drawing contact, ranking in the top 25 nationally in free throw attempts. He shot 78.6 percent from the line and was known for making clutch late-game free throws.
One advantage Flynn has over other guards taken in the draft, such as Stephen Curry or Eric Maynor, was the quality of opponents he played. The Big East was widely considered the nation’s best conference last season, sending seven teams to the NCAA tournament, including two to the Final Four. Though Curry was the tournament’s darling in 2008 and Maynor helped spark a VCU upset of Duke that year, Flynn proved himself against some of the nation’s top competition on a much more consistent basis.
Two things working against Flynn in the NBA are his size (just about 6’) and his poor shooting from behind the arc. With his speed, Flynn excelled at getting to the rim in college, but will find it much more difficult in the NBA, simply due to the increased average player size. His smaller stature could also be exposed on defense when he’s tasked with defending a larger guard, though he does play strong defense overall. As for his three-point shooting, Flynn shot the trey at just a .317 clip, going 45-for-142 on the season. Due to his size and tendency to go to the rim, Flynn will need to work on his mid and long-range jumpers if he wants to succeed in the NBA.
One other concern for Flynn is turnovers. Flynn ranked in the top 20 nationally in turnovers, averaging 3.3 turnovers per game. He had just under a 2:1 career assist-to-turnover ratio, which is solid, though unspectacular for a point guard. Flynn’s a smart player though and is likely to learn quickly to limit his turnovers.
Overall, Flynn has the tools to be a standout point guard for the Wolves. He’s got elite speed and is great with the ball in his hands. He proved he can score as well as assist and had the benefit of doing it for a nationally prominent program in Syracuse. The big question will be to see if he can overcome his height disadvantage and develop an effective jump shot to complement his slashing ability. While Flynn will forever be compared to Rubio if the Spaniard doesn’t play for Minnesota, Kahn drafted a smart, fast player who can perform in the clutch, which is nothing to scoff at.
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