The 2021 NBA Draft will be an important event for teams to build for their future. Here is the James Bouknight 2021 NBA Draft Profile.
James Bouknight Background
Position:Â Guard
Size:Â 6-foot-3.5, 190 pounds
School:Â UConn
Class:Â Sophomore
2020-21 stats: 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.3 blocks, 1.1 steals, 44.7% FG, 29.3% 3PT, 77.8% FT
One of the best scorers in college basketball last season was James Bouknight. After two years at the college level, his draft stock has risen to that of a solid draft pick.
Bouknight was a four-star recruit out of Rhode Island who chose to stay close to home to play for the Connecticut Huskies. As a freshman, Bouknight put up 13 points and 1.3 assists per game. After the season ended prematurely due to COVID, Bouknight decided to return for his sophomore season. He was only able to play in 15 games in the 2020-2021 season due to injury. In the games he did play, he averaged 18.7 points and 1.8 assists. UConn was bounced in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament in a loss to Maryland.
With his stock at its peak, Bouknight decided to declare for the 2021 NBA Draft after the season. He is currently projected to be a mid to late first round pick.
Strengths
Bouknight has great athleticism for a guard. This includes good quickness, speed and jumping ability. His athleticism shows up on both end of the court and he can use that athleticism to turn defense into offense. While his size isn’t the greatest, his athleticism will help him match up in the NBA and help him make highlight-reel plays.
His ability to get to the basket and finish is among the best in the class. Bouknight has a quick first step and nice ball-handling ability to beat his man off the dribble. Once he is near the basket, he can finish with dunks and layups. Bouknight finished over bigger defenders and even showed the ability to go up strong after getting fouled or having the ball hit while he was going up for the layup. He is a great scorer because of his ability to get to the basket.
He has good ball-handling ability, which will allow teams to play him on-ball and off of it. Bouknight can create his own shot because he is able to use dribble moves to beat his man. This includes a nice step-back and some hesitation moves. He won’t struggle to separate at the next level.
Weaknesses
In order to really up his game, Bouknight needs to work on setting up his teammates more often. He has shown flashes of making good passes, but not on a consistent basis. Bouknight may have the ball in his hands a lot at the next level and will need to do better than averaging the 1.8 assists he did last season. If he can focus more on his passing, his scoring numbers will take a hit, but he will be a much more well-rounded player.
His shooting took a hit in the 2020-2021 season. He shot just 29.3 percent from deep. There is some hope though, as he shot 34.7 percent as a freshman from 3-point range. Bouknight needs to work on releasing the ball quicker and shooting without hesitation. This is an area of his game that could improve quickly if he works on it with the right people.
Bouknight has the athleticism to be a good perimeter defender, but he isn’t always engaged. If he was engaged on every possession, he could hold his own. There may be points where Bouknight needs to be taken off of the court because of his defense.
Projected Draft Range:Â Mid to late first round pick
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