#4 Jalen Johnson – Forward – Duke
Entering the 2020-21 college basketball season, there was a lot of hype around Jalen Johnson at Duke, but he wound up only playing 11 games for the Blue Devils due to a foot injury and then decided to leave the team to prepare for the 2021 NBA Draft. There are questions surrounding his work ethic and character as a result of what transpired at Duke, but this should not take away from what kind of player Jalen Johnson is.
Standing about 6’9”, Johnson can not only be a factor on the wing or in the low-post, but he is more than comfortable bringing the ball up the court as a forward! He is definitely a very strong rebounder and with his big frame and athleticism, he is a tough player to keep out of the paint.
Jalen Johnson also has shown flashes of being a really solid jump shooter from the perimeter as well! In his small sample size of games at Duke, Johnson shot 8-18 (44.4%) from three-point range, which is definitely above-average for a prospect of his stature.
A cross between T.J. Warren and Tobias Harris type of player is definitely a strong comparison to make for Jalen Johnson. He is an above-average level athlete and while he may not be the most explosive player, he is more than comfortable taking his time to get to his spots on the floor.
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New Orleans is in an interesting position because they do not necessarily need a guy like Johnson to fill an immediate need since they have both Ingram and Williamson at the forward positions, but his versatility and size could give the Pelicans a strong interior presence on the offensive-end of the floor.
Rolling out a lineup with Ingram, Williamson and now Johnson in it would make New Orleans very tough to guard on the interior and also very tough to stop in transition. Jalen Johnson is extremely agile and fast for a 6’9” forward and would be an excellent running mate next to Zion in transition.
Drafting a stretch forward that measured a hand width of 10.5 inches, the largest at this year’s combine, is highly advantageous to the Pelicans not only because he can produce on offense, but because he can excel as a rebounder and possible shot-blocker as well. Jalen Johnson is definitely one of the biggest question marks of this year’s draft in terms of what kind of player he can be, but in New Orleans, Johnson could definitely find success early on in his career.
