Jalen Suggs – 6’4”, 205 lbs – PG/SG – Freshman – Gonzaga
One of my favorite players to watch in this draft class and a player that has a tremendous upside and future in the NBA is Jalen Suggs. The 6’4” freshman from Gonzaga is one of the most intriguing NBA prospects this year because of how versatile he is as a guard. Not only is he extremely talented, but he is a guy that has that “it” factor when it comes to being a combo-guard in the NBA and someone that can definitely fill many seats in an arena.
Not only is Jalen Suggs going to be a franchise point guard for whoever drafts him, but he is probably one of the top athletes in this draft class. Suggs is great in transition, he is great in the half-court and he is a terrific pick-and-roll passer that can find his open teammates off-the-drive.
While he can be a streaky shooter, as he is shooting just 32.2% from the three-point line this season with Gonzaga, there are no major concerns about his jumper and his game will translate perfectly to the NBA.
Jalen Suggs has arguably the most explosive first-step in this draft class and there is really no slowing him down once he gets going. He is a lot like Ja Morant when pushing the ball in transition in the sense that both guards tend to use their quickness and athleticism to push the ball ahead of their opponents and get to the rim with ease.
Overall though, Jalen Suggs is most comparable to being hybrid between Deron Williams and Jason Kidd. I hate comparing college prospects to Hall-of-Famers and All-Star level players, but Suggs has the intangibles and the skill set to match up perfectly with a blend of a Deron Williams/Jason Kidd type of player in the NBA.
This season at Gonzaga, Jalen Suggs’ versatility has been on display all season long, as he has averaged 13.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.0 steals and has shot 49.6% from the floor, 32.2% from three-point range.
The outside shooting will get better at the next level and when it does, there is really nothing bad that can be said about Jalen Suggs’ game. He is a strong ball-handler, a crafty finisher and a really fluid facilitator, which is why he is one of the top guard prospects in this year’s draft. Like Evan Mobley, you can make a case for Jalen Suggs being the #1 overall pick, but he is likely to be picked in the Top-5.
Jalen Suggs is going to have a very long and very successful career in the NBA and he is going to be a player that will be making an impact immediately as a franchise point guard.
