Dick Vitale believes Kennedy Chandler slid too far in NBA Draft

Multiple national mock drafts evaluated Tennessee’s Kennedy Chandler as a first round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. That’s not how it played out on draft night for the 6’1 guard. It took until the 38th pick before he was selected by the San Antonio Spurs and then ended up with the Memphis Grizzlies later that night.

One analyst who certainly thought Chandler dropped too far was ESPN’s Dick Vitale. Vitale has had to spend more time away from the court than usual in a college basketball season due to a cancer diagnosis and scheduled rest of his iconic voice. Still, that didn’t stop him from writing up an article to share his thoughts of the NBA Draft.

It’s filled with more quick thoughts moreso than full analysis, but Vitale made it clear that Chandler can be a value pick from the second round.

“There were several quality players that slid down to the second round,” said Vitale. “I feel Jaden Hardy from the G League and Kennedy Chandler of Tennessee could contribute right away.”

Both players finished in the Top 15 of On3’s 2021 Consensus Top Basketball Recruits. Hardy, the No. 2 player, elected to forego college for the G-League while Chandler, the No. 13 player, committed to play for Rick Barnes in Knoxville.

As a freshman, Chandler put his name on the map in the SEC. He scored in double-figures in six of his first seven, including a career-high 27 against Colorado. Chandler hit a wall during the middle stretch of the year but it paid off big for the postseason.

Once February 1st came, Chandler only scored in single digits once the rest of the season. His performance helped the Volunteers achieve something they hadn’t done in 43 years with an SEC Tournament Championship. The conference then named him the SEC Tournament MVP. Tennessee’s season may have come up short in the Round of 32 to Michigan but Chandler put his team in a position to win a lot of games down the stretch.

In the end, his final averages finished at 13.9 points, 4.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals a game. All those numbers finished Top 15 in the conference for an All SEC Second Team selection.

There’s no telling what could have cooled NBA teams off on Chandler. His stature may very well have been what hurt the draft stock of the explosive point guard. With Memphis being his hometown and a personal relationship with Grizzly superstar Ja Morant, it may have worked out for Chandler in the end anyway. His selection may have come much later than expected but Vitale wants everyone to know that Chandler will be a steal when we look back on the 2022 draft.