Jalen Suggs 2021 NBA Draft Profile

The 2021 NBA Draft will be an important event for teams to build for their future. Here is the Jalen Suggs 2021 NBA Draft Profile.

Jalen Suggs Background

Position: Point Guard

Size: 6-foot-4, 205 pounds

School: Gonzaga

Class: Freshman

2021 stats: 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.9 turnovers, 50.3% FG, 33.7% 3PT

Jalen Suggs had some pretty big moments in his one season of college basketball. Suggs saw both individual and team success at the college level, which helped his NBA draft stock.

Suggs was a five-star recruit out of high school by many recruiting services. Although he could’ve played football or gone to a more historic school, Suggs decided to play for Mark Few at Gonzaga. The Bulldogs went all the way to the National Championship Game with an undefeated record, but dropped the last game of the season to Baylor. Suggs helped run the show at point guard for the Zags with 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. His play saw him be named a consensus All-American.

Following a great run in the NCAA Tournament that saw him hit an amazing half court shot to beat UCLA in the Final Four, Suggs decided to go pro. He is currently projected to be a top five pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Strengths

Jalen Suggs

Suggs is an elite athlete with a quick first step. He not only could have gone to any college he wanted for basketball, but he also could have in football as a dual-threat quarterback. He uses this athleticism to stay in front as a defender and to beat his man off the dribble and get to the basket. There isn’t a better all-around athlete in this class at the point guard position.

His athleticism allows him to be a very efficient player inside the 3-point arc. He can hit mid-range jumpers, but what is really impressive is his ability to finish at the basket. Suggs can finish with either hand and can finish over bigger defenders. If he is fouled, he hits a decent percentage of his foul shots at 75.6 percent. Allowing him to get inside the paint is dangerous for that reason.

There was a good reason that Suggs played both point guard and quarterback in high school: He knows how to distribute the ball. Gonzaga had a lot of talented players and he made sure that they all could succeed. He can drive and kick the ball out to the wings or find guys underneath. Suggs can run the pick and roll very well, which is becoming more and more important in the NBA. An NBA team drafting Suggs can hand over the reins to the offense and trust in him.

Weaknesses

Suggs needs to become a more consistent outside shooter. He didn’t shoot poorly from deep at 33.7 percent, but he could improve with how important the 3-point shot is becoming in the NBA. He is solid both off the dribble and the catch, but could improve at both. If he can get his 3-point shooting percentage up to over 40 percent, he could be a more lethal offensive player.

At the collegiate level, his athleticism allowed him to beat his man and get to the basket. Suggs will need to add more moves to his game to beat NBA defenders because he won’t be able to win purely based on his athleticism. He should continue to add moves to his game throughout the first few years of his career.

Suggs did do a decent job of protecting the ball given how much it was in his hands, but he could cut down on the turnovers. He averaged 2.9 of them per game at Gonzaga. With the floor spread out, he could limit them at the next level because he, and other players on his team, will have more room to operate.

Projected Draft Range: Top 5 Pick

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