Jalen Williams 6'6" 210 lbs

Jalen Williams gained traction from the draft community late in the process but then he backed the push up with a fabulous performance at the combine that squarely put him on scouts radars. Williams coupled great testing measurements (7'2.5" wingspan and a 12'0.5" max vertical reach) and being the best player that played in the combine into reaching the lottery discussion for some teams. Fun fact: There are only two players in NBA draft combine history to reach these incredibly specific thresholds for leaping ability (33.5" standing vertical), speed (3.11s 3/4 sprint), and length (1.116 wingspan/height). Jalen Williams and Donovan Mitchell. Measurements aside, Williams is a smooth, fluid and explosive athlete that handled a heavy load at Santa Clara. Despite the workload, he toed the line of determined and needed scorer and not forcing the issue impressively. Williams also defended well and could project to be an even better NBA defender due to a smaller offensive burden. Williams plays with good pace, strength and distributes the ball on time and intelligently. Williams projects to be an immediately solid NBA athlete that has breakdown isolation skills developed but likely will have a reduced role from college so he can be efficient on catch and shoots and attacking closeouts.

Strengths:

• Good catch and shoot shooter. He made 44.3 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s. He also made 3's in multiple ways.

• Late bloomer who worked his way into being a great distributor at college level. He is a mature playmaker who stays under control.

• Elevates in the paint well to be a solid finisher in traffic and he has a soft enough touch to shoot floaters.

• Active and full of effort defender who is aware on ball and off ball.

• Does all of the intangible things well that make role players excel at the next level.

• 51/40/81 shooting splits.

Concerns:

• Doesn't explode in the half court despite impressive athletic testing.

• Late bloomer in a mediocre conference. What does that mean about his ability to thrive in the NBA.

• Isn't super quick laterally but there seemed to be improved speed at the combine on defensive side.

Jalen Williams will likely be taken 14-25 and can exceed that draft slot if he becomes an above average defender who can start in a backcourt with an on ball guard and thrive in a 3 and D role or be a focal point of a second unit with a larger on ball role. Williams will likely carve out a long NBA career using his prototypical size for a complimentary guard and on ball experience to be a useful player on both sides of the ball. Williams, if he hits, in his prime, could average 16 points, 5 rebounds 5 assists on a solid team. He plays similarly to a slightly more athletic John Salmons.

Williams is a talented wing with ideal skills. He can create shots off the dribble, while being a high level shooter. His all around game is really polished. The only issue with him is that he isn't exceptionally good at any one thing. His defense could use some work as well. He has potential to be a very solid role player, but there honestly isn't a ton of upside with him.

NBA Comparison: Boris Diaw

Projected Draft Range: 18-35

Height 6'6

Weight 190 lbs

Wingspan 7'2

DOB 4/14/01 (Draft Age: 21)

Pre-Draft Team Santa Clara Broncos

Offense

• Really strong inside the arc especially inside ten feet.

• Good looking compact release, should have no problem as a very good catch and shoot guy. Off-dribble shooting shows high promise.

• With NBA spacing and better teammates his playmaking abilities should come to full display.

• Outstanding PnR player, understands reads and when to attack. One of the best PnR prospects of the class. Big time secondary ball handler upside with the potential to be a lead guard in spurts.

• Three level decision maker in the PnR.

• Can self create with change of pace and shiftiness.

• Enough bounce to hold his own in the league.

• Doesn't have a huge burst.

Defense

• Good defensive engagement and effort.

• Not a great stance, doesn't get as low as you'd like sitting.

• Not a great lateral mover, fluidity in his hips needs work. Should guard 2-4.

• Long strides and huge wingspan make and effort will make up for some deficiencies.

• Willing and aware help defender.

• Should be good on closeouts due to length.

Swing Factors

• Defensive mobility - Can he competently defend in space? Where does he match up?

• Offensive Translatability - Really smooth looking offensive player with a variety of skills. Santa Clara and the NBA are two different worlds. Can he find the effectiveness necessary to maximize his skill sets at the NBA level?

  Role

• An offensive upside project guard with a wide array of skills scoring and playmaking.

• LOW: Unable to translate his diverse scoring prowess from Santa Clara and struggling to defend in space Williams ends up as a big guard/wing near the end of a rotation who can hit some open looks and play serviceable team defense.

• HIGH: Untapped playmaking abilities from the increased space arise, his C&S perimeter shooting is effective, and he finds ways to score inside the arc while maintaining his collegiate effectiveness. Defensively Williams is heads up in team defense and he works hard to gain the necessary hip mobility and technique to be able to defend in space. Jalen is one of the surprises of the draft becoming a team's starting lead guard with versatile abilities.

One of the biggest late risers in the draft. Extremely good playmaking skills and overall feel for a wing. Shows some really good flashes of self creation. Very good at the rim, skilled, crafty and patient finisher, doesn't finish only by dunking. Projects as a good 3 point shooter at the NBA level. Very long arms (7'2 wingspan) which allows him to be disruptive on the passing lanes and create turnovers. Wasn't exactly good on defense at the college level. A lot of people say it's just because he carried a big offensive load so he just didn't put the effort. I personally don't see a fundamentally sound defender but at worst he'll be able to switch 1-3 without getting exposed. Struggles with bigger, more physical players. Of course didn't play the best competition so it's always a question how much of his tape translates to NBA level.

Best fits: Los Knicks, Charlotte, Denver, Atlanta

Player analysis

Jalen Williams played at Santa Clara last season as a junior, Williams played against the weakest competition out of all the first round caliber prospects this year so it makes it difficult to project him. He is a lengthy wing who made a name for himself during the draft combine because of his measurements and performances in scrimmages against other prospects. Williams measured in at 6’7 with a 7’2 wingspan which is very large for a player that primarily plays 1 - 3, Jalen looked to be one of the best players on the floor when playing against other prospects and he found no trouble scoring against better competition to what he was used to. Jalen is a talented player on offense, he passes and makes plays like most point guards while being able to score on the perimeter like a wing. His offensive versatility was the reason why scouts were interested in the first place with many questioning if it could scale up which it has been proven to so far. Williams scored very well last season, he shot 39% from three at Santa Clara and had a two point percentage of 55%. The confusing part about him is the fact that he is a below average defender despite having a ton of length, teams will be looking into how to help him improve on that end of the floor. It’s tough to see where he gets drafted because he wasn’t a first round talent until the combine and now a couple people have said they see him going as high as the lottery, personally i'm skeptical of his ability and I wouldn’t draft him until the mid to late first round.

Projection

Draft range: [ 16 - 29 ]

Comp: [ Shake Milton + ]

Strengths: Shot Creation and Polish Weaknesses: Explosiveness

High Side Comp:Dejounte Murray/SGA Low Side Comp: Cam Payne

Ideal Fit: Rotational Guard with Lead Guard Potential

Draft Range: 9-25

Result: 12- OKC

Athleticism: 5/10 Size: 3/5 Defense: 4/10 Strength:3/5 Quickness:5/10 Creation:4/5 Jumpshot:7/10 Finishing: 4/5 NBA Ready:4/5 Ball Handling: 7/10 Passing: 7/10 Intangibles: 4/5 Potential: 8/10 TOTAL: 65=Mid First

SLEEPER ALERT

Williams is a nice combo guard and is a hidden gem. He has good playmaking ability. Also, he can score very well but is not a great isolation player. He can slash and shoot well but needs to be more consistent.

Celling: Star/ Rick Rubio

Floor: Role Player/ Donte DiVincenzo

Pros:

• Crafty playmaker and passer, plays at his own pace, very effective in P&R action

• Efficient scorer at all 3 levels, relies on his good handle to create space to shoot

• Great length for someone with a guard skillset: the 7'2 wingspan allows him to guard wings in the NBA

Cons:

• Lack of burst/first step: on offense this can be ignored due to the handle, but on defense it can be problematic (often relies on his length to recover)

• The shot isn't a sure thing: in the first two years he shot the 3 in the low 30s but the FT % is somewhat reassuring

• Doesn't project as an efficient and reliable iso scorer

Jalen's best role in the NBA is probably as a secondary ball handler that can run the offense with his good reads and passes. If he improves the 1v1 without relying heavily on the crossover he can go a long way. The defense has to be sound though in order to remain on the floor.

Pros

• talented playmaker and passer

• great accuracy on his passes

• great pick and roll creator

• efficient scorer in the pick and roll especially with the floater

• capable and crafty self creator with hesi's and changes of pace

Cons

• doesn't have the quickest first step

• slower lateral movement on the defensive end

• not as active as you'd like on defense

Jalen Williams is a name that is not mentioned often by social media. He went to a small school at Santa Clara, but his improvements this season went seriously under the radar. His overall offensive ability is strong. With the increased workload this past season and already good shot form, his efficiency from everywhere improved greatly, putting up 51-40-81 shooting splits. He is a poised dribbler who is able to finish with good contact balance. His 6'6", 210 pound frame and 7'2" wingspan certainly helped him get off some difficult finishes and shots. He also demonstrated good playmaking abilities in the pick-and-roll and his cutting ability is exceptional. He is a technically sound offensive player. He has a difficult time with better competition and the spotlight was too bright in those moments. While he remains active and versatile defender, he does have deficiencies on that end. His speed is an issue, along with his on-ball perimeter defense. His pick-and-roll defense is also lackluster, as he has a difficult time navigating the ball-handler after the pick is set. His length and overall strength and fundamentals will get him good rotation minutes early. Williams will be an awesome rotation piece when he gets to game speed.

Player Comparison: Gary Trent Jr.