#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. Johnson has the talent to be considered one of this year’s top prospects, but he has not received the hype other players have in the 2021 NBA Draft class.
As a result, Jalen Johnson’s stock has declined a little bit and there is a chance that he could potentially slip outside of the top 10 in the 2021 NBA Draft. If this occurs, the Golden State Warriors could potentially look to get him with their 14th pick instead of their 7th pick. Golden State brought Jalen Johnson in for a workout with other lottery-projected players last week, so there is definitely interest from Golden State in the young forward.
READ MORE: NBA Mock Draft 5.0: Post-Withdrawal Date Edition
Given the talent in the Warriors backcourt, they could very well look to target another forward that can play minutes behind both Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green. Jalen Johnson would be a really strong fit in Golden State not only because of his athleticism, but because he could create a dangerous frontcourt moving forward with James Wiseman.
The two of these guys are both very raw and very young players with a lot of potential to grow, which is why the Warriors could look to bring in Johnson with one of their two lottery picks. Where Jalen Johnson ends up in the 2021 NBA Draft will be a very interesting development to keep an eye on, especially since he does possess one of the better upsides in this draft class.
