JALEN SUGGS

G, GONZAGA, FRESHMAN
Age on draft night: 20.2 | 6'4" | 204 | Wingspan 6’5”
Birthdate: Jun 23, 2001

Primary Values: Toughness, leadership, scorer

Ranking: 5
Pos Ranking: 1
Draft range: 4-6

Scouting Report:

Strengths: Suggs is an ultra-competitive guard who can play both the 1 and the 2. The former high school quarterback plays like a QB on the basketball court. He is very aggressive on both ends. He has an explosive first step and the physical strength to finish with contact, and he uses his strength and quickness to lock down opponents on the defensive end. He has good, but not elite, floor vision. He has a terrific motor, plays very unselfish and rarely takes bad shots. He fit in well with his talented Gonzaga teammates. His shooting range extends well beyond the 3-point line. 

Weaknesses: Is he really a point guard? If he’s playing the 2, he lacks elite size and length for his position. His ultra-competitiveness can come back to bite him in the form of foul trouble and turnovers. His 3-point shooting has been streaky all season.

Bottom line: Suggs is a natural leader who excels with the ball in his hands at the end of games. He can score from anywhere on the floor, defends both backcourt positions and cares about winning more than his own stats. His decision-making and fearlessness make him an ideal guard to build a team around. He has the highest “It” factor of any player in the draft. His presence on and off the court is compelling.

Position-specific traits:

athleticism: 9

ballhandling: 8

court vision: 7

defense: 9

leadership: 10

NBA readiness: 10

scoring: 7

shooting: 6

size: 7

strength: 9

Statistical strengths for position:
defensive rebounding
defensive plus/minus
2pt field goal %
shooting

Statistical weaknesses for position:
fouls
turnovers
3pt field goal %

Best game: Mar. 30 vs USC (18 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 turnovers, 2-4 from 3)

Worst game: Jan. 3 vs Pepperdine (4 points, 5 rebounds, 5 fouls)

Key stats:

PPG: 14.4
RPG: 5.3
APG: 4.5
BPG: 0.3
SPG: 1.9
TOPG: 2.9
EFG%: 56.0
3PT%: 33.7
3PTM/PG: 1.6
FT%: 76.1
FTM/PG: 4.0
PER: 22.6
WS: 4.6

Full stats here