Age

20.8

Height

6'2"

Weight

185

Workload

MIN%

51.2

USG%

24.2

TS%

48.5

Per 70 Possession Stats

PTS

14.4

REB

4.9

AST

5.2

STL

1.5

BLK

0.2

TOV

4.1

Efficiency

RIM FG%

46.9

MID FG%

36.6

3PT FG%

25.4

FT%

77.0

Jump to full report

Report by: Neema Djavadzadeh

KJ Simpson

Guard Colorado Buffaloes

Scoring combo guard with good playmaking skills and a disruptor defensively.

Age

20.8

Height

6'2"

Weight

185

Per 70 Possession Stats

PTS

14.4

REB

4.9

AST

5.2

STL

1.5

BLK

0.2

Positions Defended

Offensive Role

 

Defensive Role

   

Meet KJ Simpson.

The 88th ranked player in the 2021 High School class, KJ Simpson has been on a tear to start his sophomore season. The former Pac-12 All-Freshman won his conference player of the week to kick off this season and has become the leader of a Buffaloes team that has upset multiple top teams. Simpson is averaging 18.3 ppg through the first 6 games of the season, including 23 points against Tennessee and 30 against Texas A&M. His scoring, playmaking, and quick reflexes defensively have made him an early season standout, and a player to watch on the draft boards looking ahead.

Great stretch.

Offense

Simpson spent the majority of his freshman season as a scoring guard off the bench. However, he has now been given lead guard duties with the Buffs and has shown his creativity as a playmaker. Averaging 3.9 assists a game so far this season, his assist numbers don’t show just how good KJ is at manipulating a defense. A blur going downhill, Simpson applies a ton of rim pressure and is able to find open teammates on the wings because of it. He excels in the PnR and is great at finding pockets to pass to the roller. His creativity as a passer opens up offense for him and his team and often leaves the opposing defense tilted.

Playmaking highlights.

KJ struggles with converting at the rim, at just 47% last season, and 53% so far this season. However, he shows plenty of craft when going downhill. Simpson is often a blur, sometimes just dribbling past the first line of defense. He then is able to counter help defenders and bigs, getting around them and finding open space. Simpson has an assortment of dribble moves, and his close-to-the-body handle allows him to wiggle into tight spaces. He can finish with either hand on either side of the rim. He also has a decent jump-stop floater that he uses if he can’t find space.

His ability to get to the rim should bode well for him becoming a good rim finisher. He is still very skinny, and could benefit from some added weight to help him absorb contact. But, until Simpson is able to convert at a high clip at the rim, this will continue to be an issue in his game.

Finishing highlights.

Simpson has always been a capable shooter, but has really made an effort to attack from deep this season. He is shooting 33.3% from deep, but has shown his versatility from deep, hitting shots off the dribble, off movement, and stationary. He’s shown his ability to hit 3s from all around the arc, and even hit a few threes from over 30 feet out. His form is a bit odd, and could use some tweaking, as he shoots with a split foot set and loads the ball directly in front of his face. He could also benefit from getting looks in a more spaced offense. However, with some mild work on his jumper, KJ should be able to punish teams from deep regularly.

Defense

Simpson is primarily a POA defender, as he leads the Buffs’ press defense every game. He is able to stay in front of his man and puts a lot of pressure on ball-handlers. When off-ball, KJ is great at reading passing lanes. He reads the ball-handlers eyes and jumps gaps at the last second. This leads to plenty of transition looks for Simpson. His long wingspan (although not officially measured), benefits him. Paired with his quickness, Simpson often finds himself in passing lanes that many players wouldn’t expect him to get to. He is occasionally over-aggressive on these reads, or shoots the gaps too early, however KJ has seemed much more disciplined defensively this season, something that could be attributed to his leader role with the Buffaloes.

Fighting through multiple screens.

KJ has the flaws of many small guards. He is unable to switch onto bigger players and often gets outmuscled by bulkier guards. He can be attacked on mismatches with more skilled wings as well. However, he excels at being slippery defensively. KJ is great at dodging multiple screens and reattaching to his matchup. This attribute ruins the flow of the opposing team. His screen navigation is great, and with his off-ball awareness, makes him one of the better small defenders in the class.

Walling off Zakai Zeigler.

Conclusion

Unranked in the last ESPN top 100 for the 2023 NBA Draft, KJ Simpson should expect to move up the boards with his recent performances, especially if he is able to continue his hot streak during conference play. His defensive instincts, scoring ability and creative passing are a unique combination that few guards have. And even fewer have been able to showcase it like Simpson has. By continuing play at this level, KJ could be getting looks come combine and draft time.

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