Overview
Proctor was born and raised in Australia, and his father, Rod, played professionally for the Sydney Kings. In 2021, Tyrese (then a 16-year-old) debuted with the senior Australian national team and earned a scholarship to attend the NBA Global Academy. He joined Duke in 2022 but was still involved with the national team that summer, returning to Australia to play in the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifying win over China in July and winning gold at the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup in Indonesia later that month. Proctor played right away as a freshman, averaging 9.4 points, 3.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game, and he delivered similar stats as a sophomore. However, with Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg in town, Proctor increased his scoring to 12.4 ppg (his assists dropped to 2.2 apg). His biggest improvement came in his shooting efficiency: he shot 38.1% overall and 32% on 3-pointers as a freshman compared to 45.2% and 40.5%, respectively, as a junior.
Analysis
It took time for Proctor to excel, but he was certainly a star in his final season with Duke as he became a go-to playmaker for a Final Four team. He was a polished player as a junior, knowing where and when to attack defenses, but Proctor’s shooting ability was his best attribute. While he’s not a natural point guard, he does have a good feel for the game. Defensively, he has good length and instincts, but must put on weight to guard NBA wings.
Projection
Proctor projects to be a solid 3-and-D NBA player, with offensive upside as a playmaker. He shares a similar playstyle and frame to sharpshooters like Denver’s Julian Strawther (6-foot-6, 205 pounds) and Chicago’s Kevin Huerter (6-foot-7, 198 pounds). However, if Proctor improves as a primary playmaker, he could carve out a high-usage, sixth-man role like Cleveland’s Ty Jerome (6-foot-5, 194 pounds) and Atlanta’s Caris LeVert (6-foot-6, 205 pounds).
— Profile by RotoWire.com