The Iowa State Cyclones ‘ drought of not having a player selected in the NBA draft was snapped when Joshua Jefferson was picked No. 28 overall in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.
Now, Iowa State faithful will be waiting to hear if star point guard Tamin Lipsey will be selected. A four-year player with the Cyclones who started every game played under head coach T.J. Otzelberger, there is a lot to like about what he brings to the table.
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He has a lot of skills that NBA teams will like. But, if he wants to stick in the league, there are some areas of improvement he can look to address, with some being easier than others to overcome.
Here are three areas Lipsey will have to prove himself in at the next level.
Develop Floater
Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) shoots the ball during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images
For someone of Lipsey’s size, he was adept at getting to the rim and finishing during his collegiate career. His 63% on about three shots per game put consistent pressure on opposing defenses.
Finishing at that rate in the NBA will certainly be a challenge against longer, more athletic opponents. Even with great footwork and fundamentals, he is going to have to develop some counters.
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Improving his floater would be one of them. As shared by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic (subscription required) via Synergy, Lipsey made only 38% of his floater attempts during his senior year. An in-between game needs to be improved, as his pull-up jump shooting percentage was only 33%.
Tagging/Switches
There are some things that Lipsey’s size is going to be a true detriment. Opposing teams are likely to hunt him at times, and despite his strength and willingness to defend, he will be at a disadvantage.
The same goes when opponents are running their sets, and he has to tag a rolling big man. How effective can he be in such a situation? Will the team he lands with have to adjust their game plan completely when he is on the floor?
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An elite point of attack defender who also excels in the team scheme, it will take some creativity from a coach to hide him when necessary. However, basketball fans did just see Jose Alvarado, a similarly undersized guard, make an impact for the New York Knicks en route to the NBA championship.
3-Point Shooting
Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) shoots the ball against Baylor during the first half in the Big-12 men’s basketball on Feb. 7, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
This is the most important development for Lipsey to stick as a pro. He made only 33.5% of his 3-point attempts with Iowa State, and some of his fundamentals and mechanics need work even after all this time.
If a team can help unlock a more consistent jump shot and he can push toward 35% in the NBA, it will drastically increase his value to a team. As things stand right now, he is someone opponents would just ignore on the perimeter, daring to shoot the ball.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/iowa-state as 3 Areas of Improvement for Tamin Lipsey To Stick in NBA.
