TIER 2
Floor - secondary starter
Bullseye - all star
Ceiling - all NBA
OFFENSE
Pass - Grade: 84
Notes: Suggs is a very solid and crafty passer. Suggs is unselfish with very good vision, but is not poised and under control enough to be an elite passer. He's at his best in transition, threading the needle and displaying amazing creativity and accuracy on eye-popping passes. He will make the extra pass and good reads in the half court, but he's not manipulating defenses and creating open looks for his teammates out of nothing. His passing arsenal reminds me a lot of Lonzo Ball: very creative, accurate, best in transition, versatile, makes good reads, but not necessarily an orchestrator or manipulator. Passing overall is without a question a positive attribute for Suggs.
Dribble - Grade: 89
Notes: Suggs has a tight and productive handle, that is very effective when going down and creating space. Suggs is great at changing speeds, and has an amazing first step. Suggs is great at maximizing his dribbles and not dribbling aimlessly. He's great at blending his handle with his athleticism, particularly in transition and when attacking the basket. Suggs handle however is not too crafty. He's not poised and crafty in the PnR, and he struggles to orchestrate in PnR. He relies on his athleticism to create space on jumpers more so than his handle. He's not a pick apart the defense ball handler, but a get to his spots ball handler. His handle is very crisp though, and he does have a deeper and more creative arsenal than it may appear.
3pt shooting - Grade: 77
Notes: Suggs shot 35% from 3 on 79 attempts. He's got a really nice looking shot, especially off the dribble. He didn't shoot it at an elite level, but he takes a lot of tough shots. The room for him to grow as a 3pt shooter is there, especially off the catch since he will be playing off ball in the NBA more so than at college. Suggs does have a knack for shooting his best in the biggest moments, especially from three. He also is a heat check type player, and can get hot (and cold) quickly. His volume varies based off of how well he's shooting game-to-game.
Mid-range shooting - Grade: 75
Notes: Suggs rarely shoots mid-range jumpers, and there's a reason for that. His game does not generate too many mid-range looks due to his downhill nature and lack of PnR craftiness. When he does take them, he gets great elevation and they look pretty good. Just not a big part of his shot profile.
Finishing - Grade: 85
Notes: Suggs is an incredible athlete with a strong and sturdy frame, and this makes him a very dynamic finisher. Suggs has great elevation on his finishes, and great explosiveness on his drives. Suggs has good core strength and a wide base, allowing him to absorb and finish through contact. He lacks creativity when finishing around the rim, and sometimes will leap without a game plan. He can be over-reliant on creating contact instead of going up just to finish. He can get stifled by good rim protectors since he hangs for so long and will leap from so far. He can straight up dunk over guys and is absolutely fearless at the rim. His elite ability to get the rim generates a lot of open finishes for him.
Off-ball playmaking - Grade: 85
Notes: Typically active off-ball, good at cutting back door and from the opposite side of the ball. Sets off ball screens with purpose. Good at relocating and filling lanes. Crashes the glass with purpose, and will hustle back when he doesn't succeed. Spots up when appropriate.
Offensive Summary: 88
Jalen Suggs is very good at a lot different things, but is not elite at anything. His motor, athleticism, frame, leadership, and work ethic plus him already being very good at lot of different things make him a very enticing offensive prospect. He will definitely struggle with ball security early on, and will get caught in the air a solid amount too. Suggs will have a learning curve, but he will also be immediately effective. Suggs ability to play on and off ball is a bonus. He needs to work on his spot up and C&S three point shooting to be elite off-ball, and he needs to work on his poise, control, tempo, and PnR ball handling ability to be elite on the ball. He's got a lot of work to do, but he has a really promising foundation. No structural or fundamental changes are needed to his game or body. Just reps and natural progression. Suggs is a very aggressive player and finds ways to be effective.
Defense
Engagement - Grade: 99
Notes: Suggs is absurdly active. He is always looking for ways to get involved in the play. He takes pride in his activity, and is always engaged on defense on and off-ball.
Containment - Grade: 90
Notes: Suggs has all the makings to be an elite guard POA defender, but he's not quite there yet. He's got an extremely strong base, good but not great lateral quickness, and the aggression needed to be a true pest. He's great at fighting over and avoiding being screened, but he can lack an awareness as to when screens are coming. He can be overly aggressive and commit fouls, or get caught reaching. He can rely on his instincts too much and not play based off of the offensive players movements. However he's great at always making things difficult one way or another. If his feet can get a little quicker and Suggs can play a bit more within himself, he'll be one of the best guard POA defenders in the league.
Team Defense - Grade: 98
Notes: Suggs has incredible anticipation on defense, and plays the passing lanes like a hungry defensive safety. He's constantly waiting and anticipating for an opportunity to make a play, and he's always quick and read when the opportunity presents itself. Suggs is very vocal and active, and does whatever is required of him off the ball on defense. He can gamble a bit at times, but is great at recovering. He rotates and switches on time with an occasional lapse. His motor and aggression along with great instincts make him a guy you want on your team and hate to play against.
Rim Protection - Grade: 90
Notes: Suggs is an elite shot blocker for a guard. Suggs can pin shots on the back board, and is great at mirror contests when recovering off of a hedge. His vertical and core strength allow him to contest shots in a manner that makes him seem so much bigger than he actually is, a trait that few possess and is of likes of Dwyane Wade and Jrue Holiday.
Playmaking - Grade: 99
Notes: Suggs is a highlight waiting to happen on defense, and even when he sells out to get one and fails he's so good at recovering it often doesn't matter. Suggs is as good as anyone in the class at anticipating passes. He's got a great deflection and steal rate, and is just an overall pest with a true nose for the ball. Suggs averaged 2 steals a game this year.
Versatility - Grade: 90
Notes: Suggs can hold his own when switched onto bigger wings, and can guard either guard position at a high level. His strength and verticality allow for this versatility.
Defensive Rebounding - Grade: 95
Notes: Suggs ridiculous motor, desire to push the ball, athleticism, and nose for the ball make Suggs a great rebounder for a guard. Suggs is truly a good and high volume rebounder.
Defensive Summary: 93
Notes: Suggs is an absolute high-motor pest on defense. He's always anticipating, and he works incredibly hard. He's very strong and pretty quick, and projects to be a very good defender in the NBA with serious all-defense potential. His patience and feet will have to improve a bit, but he's going to be a great defensive asset to whatever team selects him. He's also a vocal leader on defense, and is a true spark plug.
Measurables: 95
19
6'4
205
6'6 wingspan
Functional Athleticism: 97
Suggs has one of the best vertical leaps in the draft
Suggs is one of the quickest open floor players in the draft with and without the ball
Suggs has one of the best bursts in the draft
Suggs is still very much above average laterally
Suggs has great core and overall strength
Suggs has elite stamina
General Thoughts:
Jalen Suggs is an extremely dynamic and active player on both ends of the floor. My favorite quality about Suggs is his extremely high motor. High motor, good point of attack defenders are rare to find in today's NBA and they are very valuable to any team. What's even more rare is for these high motor, good point of attack defenders is to have a very high upside on offense. Suggs has great vision, is great at changing speeds, has a lethal first step, is great at slithering his way into the lane at multiple different speeds and angles, is very good at absorbing contact when finishing around the rim, is one of the best transition/downhill players in the draft, and has a great looking jumpshot. Suggs only shot 34% from three and 75% from the line, but I expect these numbers to improve as he fine tunes his shot selection. Suggs is 6'4 and a freak athlete. His lateral quickness is as good as anyone in the draft, he's got a crazy high vertical, and his open court speed is elite. I do believe Suggs will be able to play the 1 and the 2 in the NBA, but it will be an adjustment period for both positions upon entering the league. Suggs feel for the game is an interesting case study. He's got a high IQ due to his vision and his natural ability to elude defenders and create/attack space, but he often makes the wrong read, finds himself caught in the air, or is out of control in general. Suggs often immediately realizes his mistakes and what went wrong, so I expect he will slowly but surely be able to overcome these short coming but it will take years to do. I would be surprised if his assist/TO ratio exceeds 2:1 within his first three years. While Suggs is a great point of attack defender, he often gambles to much and will find himself lost in rotations. He will regularly find himself over-helping off ball and ball watching. His high motor makes up for these minor mental lapses, which makes him a trick or treat player on both ends of the floor at this stage in his career. Suggs' motor and athleticism allow him to be a great rebounder for his position and size too. When Jalen Suggs is on the floor, you will KNOW Jalen Suggs is on the floor. He is extremely active and his presence is always felt. He's going to be pretty mistake prone early on in his career, but whatever team gets Jalen Suggs will be extremely lucky. I'd bet on Jalen Suggs improving every year in all aspects of his game, and I do think Jalen Suggs will be a NBA all star. I absolutely love his fit in Toronto under Nick Nurse and in a guard rotation featuring FVV, Malachi Flynn, and Gary Trent Jr.
