NBA Draft: A Look at Potential Nets Target Jeremiah Fears' Pro Comparison

With four first-round picks in the upcoming NBA draft, the Brooklyn Nets should have no shortage of trade capital if they plan to trade up for a prospect that catches their eye.

During an appearance on the Kevin O’Connor Show, NBA draft expert Rafael Barlowe mentioned that the Brooklyn Nets are reportedly among the teams that are considering making a move up to draft Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears.

“There are some teams that feel like they would probably have to move up to get him,” Barlowe said. “Brooklyn is a team that I've heard that probably has some interest there.”

Last season, Fears was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after leading the Sooners with 17.1 points, 4.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game. In his final two games, a second-round SEC tournament matchup against Kentucky and an NCAA Tournament game with UConn, he dropped 28 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals in the former, then followed up with 20 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals against the reigning champs.

While making player comparisons for lottery prospects, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo used Monta Ellis, a former 25 point per game scorer as a “high-end comparison” for Fears.

Jeremiah Fears/Monta Ellis Comparison 

At his peak, Ellis was one of the league’s highest scoring guards. Before Stephen Curry (his Warriors teammate) revolutionized basketball by shooting three-pointers at an unprecedented rate, Ellis was among the athletic slashing guards that were considered to be the prototype.

Over his 13-year NBA career, the Mississippi native averaged 20+ points in four different seasons. Similarly to Fears, Ellis managed to be a consistent scorer without being particularly effective from three-point range. 

“Ellis is an interesting stylistic comparison as a smaller high-volume scorer and creator who struggled with turnovers and inconsistent long-distance shooting for much of his career,” Woo said. “It's certainly possible Fears could surpass that, but it's also maybe a big step to bank on him becoming a top-end jump shooter.”

Besides his ability to score at a high level, Ellis also ranked among the league’s top three in steals per game during two separate seasons. Last season, Fears displayed a strong defensive effort by finishing with the most steals in a single season for Oklahoma since 2016 (56 steals).

While Fears’ scoring ability may be what generates the most attention, his distributing abilities are underrated. As a cerebral facilitator who seems to operate best when he’s moving at full speed, the Oklahoma product should fit in well as a distributor to Brooklyn’s top scorers.