#1 Jalen Johnson – Forward – Duke
Jalen Johnson is definitely the best option for the Sacramento Kings with the 9th overall pick and for various reasons. Not only is he an above-average athlete at the power-forward position, but Johnson definitely has the potential to grow into one of the best talents from this year’s draft class.
Entering college at Duke, Johnson was one classified as one of the top freshmen in the entire country, but he only played a total of 11 games at Duke due to a foot injury and then him deciding to leave school to prepare for the NBA Draft.
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 this year’s draft class.
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Where Jalen Johnson will end up in this year’s draft remains a big question, especially since his stock has seemed to drop slightly since the NBA Draft Combine in June. Sacramento is in a weird position as a franchise because while they have gone back-to-back seasons with a 31-41 record, this team is still a long-way away from being anything special.
They have not been to the playoffs since 2006 and while drafting Jalen Johnson will not “set them over the edge,” he is probably going to be the best talent available with “immediate upside” Richaun Holmes being a free agent this year and Marvin Bagley III being a free agent next year creates a lot of questions in the Kings’ frontcourt that can be solved by drafting Johnson.
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There are also rumors that Bagley could be on the move this summer via a trade since he is in the final year of his contract, which is why bringing in Jalen Johnson would be a smart move for the Kings. Nobody really knows who Sacramento will be targeting, as they have been hiding a lot of their pre-draft workouts and information, but Johnson is definitely a player that is on their radar.
The Sacramento Kings will need to try and find a player who can be a difference-maker next to De’Aaron Fox moving forward with this 9th overall pick, which is why Jalen Johnson is the guy they should draft.
