After four years at Syracuse, NBA scouts are already familiar with Kris Joseph’s abilities and tendencies on the floor.

Joseph did a little bit of everything for the Orange offensively, using his athleticism to get to the basket while also knocking down jump shots. But despite leading SU in scoring the past two seasons, he’s viewed as a role player at the next level.

“As we saw at Syracuse over the years, he never really emerged as that top offensive guy and I think it’s pretty safe to say that’s not going to change in the NBA,” said Matt Kamalsky, director of operations ofDraftExpress. “He can do a little bit off the dribble but that’s not really his game. He’s a solid athlete but he’s not a great athlete.”

Joseph is projected as a second-round pick in Thursday night’s NBA Draft, a prospect who could develop into a valuable option off the bench. Kamalsky said as many as 25 teams contacted Joseph, trying to stockpile information on players, unsure of who will be available when it is their turn to pick.

In Joseph’s case, teams already know the type of player he is after starring at Syracuse in the Big East the last two seasons. He developed into the Orange’s most consistent option on offense, quietly pacing the team with 14.3 points per game as a junior and 13.4 as a senior. He could slash through the paint and finish, but he also became a threat from outside, making a team-high 51 3-pointers last season.

His steady career and progress at SU has Joseph on the verge of a professional career, the last stop on a journey that began in his native Montreal, Canada.

Growing up, Joseph and his older brother Maurice, who went on to play at Michigan State and Vermont, worked out with basketball coach Henry Wong.

Wong noticed Joseph’s talent from the start, recalling his natural feel for the game and unrivaled athleticism. Wong said the teenager once put the ball through his legs before dunking effortlessly during a warm-up, a feat he said was as impressive as anything he ever witnessed coaching that age group.

“He definitely had the athleticism once he turned 15, 16, you could see his athleticism,” Wong said. “He was growing in his game and he could explode to the basket and find open people, so you could see things really starting to develop.”

Wong felt Joseph was too talented to stay in a hockey town in Canada and thought he needed to move to the United States to reach his full potential. The coach helped Joseph get to Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, D.C., where he continued to grow as a player against tougher competition.

“He needed to go somewhere where basketball was a major priority, where people have their livelihoods through basketball and that was the major thing,” Wong said.

Now, Joseph will try to make his livelihood through basketball, going through workouts with a number of NBA teams over the last month.

The 6-foot-7, 210-pound forward already has the prototypical build to compete in the NBA, Kamalsky said, but he’ll need to show teams he can become a consistent threat in one area of his game to achieve his potential.

“The best thing that he can do is become a more reliable set shooter,” Kamalsky said. “If he can find his stroke, that’s going to be immensely valuable to him because a player his size, with his physical tools, can defend in the NBA.

“He really just needs that go-to offensive skill to be a quality role player for somebody.”

If he can do that, Kamalsky said he could see Joseph coming off the bench as a sixth or seventh man and fill the type of role San Antonio Spurs forward Danny Green did last season, averaging 9.1 points per game while shooting 43.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Kamalsky said in Joseph’s projected range, all it takes is for one team to fall in love with a player.

Now Joseph can only wait until Thursday to learn where his basketball journey will continue in the NBA.

“I’m very proud of him,” Wong said. “He’s come a long way from his roots and I’m very, very happy for him.”

Published on June 27, 2012 at 10:07 am

Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu