The conundrum of Kyle Wiltjer -- Jacob Eisenberg/Draft Express

Stopping Gonzaga's Kyle Wiltjer offensively is an impossible task simply because of his repertoire:

"...Wiltjer's biggest asset as a prospect comes with his accuracy from deep. He has a high and quick release with legitimate NBA range, making him extremely difficult to guard at his size. Wiltjer hit on 89-of-203 (43.8%) perimeter shots in his senior year, along with an impressive 51-for-118 (43.2%) rate on contested catch-and-shoot opportunities. Moreover, Wiltjer has expanded his shooting ability beyond mere set shots. In his senior year, Wiltjer converted on 33-of-74 (44.6%) jump shots taken off of the dribble in the half court – an impressive rate for a player with a slow first step and average ball-handling ability..."

So why isn't he considered an NBA prospect? Simply put, his lack of any NBA physical assets:

"...Defensively, Wiltjer's physical profile raises all sorts of red flags. His lateral quickness is nonexistent, and while he's worked diligently to improve his core strength and balance, it's still a noticeable liability in his game, as he often looks like he's playing on stilts. He rarely contains penetration and doesn't show much ability to navigate around a screen, consistently setting up unfavorable mismatches. He's improved his defensive stance since his Kentucky days, but it still looks awkward and doesn't do much to aid his balance or lateral quickness. He tries to compensate with his lack of agility by cheating on defense through anticipating where drivers will attack, yet he can be shaken off balance fairly easily with a simple crossover combination. Although he's come a long way as an interior presence since his Kentucky days by increasing his intensity level and competitiveness, it will still likely be tough to find a position for him to guard..."

It's just hard to believe that someone so gifted offensively cannot be an asset to an NBA team but:

"...Again, Wiltjer's body type just doesn't allow him to compete with NBA-level athletes. His lack of lateral quickness and his struggles on the glass will only be exposed further as his competition level improves. 

Wiltjer clearly has the offensive skill-set to carve out a niche as a stretch big man in the NBA, but there are major question marks about whether a team could afford to play him if he proves to be as much of a defensive liability as many project. Still, with a strong showing in workouts, he could gain opportunities to prove that his offense is special enough for teams to overlook his shortcomings..."