I've seen the comparison to John Wall be made in terms of Ivey's athleticism and speed, and I think they're (largely) merited. Ivey's the sort of dude who can just leave defenders in the dust, who can be standing still with a good defender in front of him, in position, ready for the attack... and still just get right by him. So I think, on that level, people are sleeping on Ivey's upside as a prospect. Because you can't teach the first step that Ivey has.

That said, Wall was definitely a better passer than Ivey is. Ivey's just not really there yet as a primary playmaker kind of dude. The jumpshot is... fine-to-good, but nothing to write home about, and his midrange game isn't really there either. I also think his defense is more of the "potential" variety right now, where he has the tools to be a terrific defender, but I'm not sure the effort on that end was there last year. (What that means for him as an NBA player is anyone's guess.)

I'd love to have Ivey as a prospect, and I'd gladly take him Top 5, because his upside, if he improves the passing a healthy amount, is to be, say, a slightly worse John Wall. There's very real All-Star potential there due to his speed and his attack. But I'm not sold that he can be your every-play primary playmaker like Wall-- or, to put it more plainly, it's not exactly where I'd put his median expected outcome. Fortunately, he's got really good positional size to play alongside a primary guard, especially one who likes to run, while the team tries to bring him along as a playmaker.