The Alabama Crimson Tide may soon be without guards Kira Lewis and John Petty. They have both decided to declare for the 2020 NBA Draft. Head Coach Nate Oats made the announcement and said the program was preparing to lose both of the guards to the next level. Lewis is projected to be a late lottery pick. Petty has some work to do, but that could prove difficult if the NBA Combine is affected by the Coronavirus. They are both keeping their options open in case they do want to return to Alabama.
Nate Oats said Kira Lewis and John Petty are going to put their names into the NBA draft and go through workouts … “and just kind of seeing where they land.”
“We’re planning on possibly not having either of them back.”
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) March 24, 2020
The two guards have the talent and the NBA always needs more players like them to fill out rosters. Kira Lewis has some starter potential and Petty can be a reliable player off the bench. Lewis is 6’3″ and 165 pounds while Petty is taller at 6’5″ and 184 pounds. The two guards complemented each other well in Alabama’s backcourt. There is more upside with Kira Lewis and his NBA potential.
Petty averaged 14.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in his junior year. He shot 46.2 percent from the field and 44 percent from the three-point line. Lewis was more well-rounded averaging 18.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game in his sophomore year. He also shot 45.9 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from beyond the arc.
The two guards were stabilizing forces in Nate Oats’ first season as a head coach for Alabama. They almost transferred away from the program this past offseason, but Oats was enough to convince them to stay. The move seems to have paid off for the program and for the two players that decided to stick with the Crimson Tide.
