Hardwood Houdini Draft Profiles
Jawun Evans: Oklahoma State, PG
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 185 pounds
Age: 20
Click on the name for up to date stats: Jawun Evans
Strengths
Scoring:
Evans is a terrific all-around scorer. He can get to the basket with his speed and can finish at the rim. Although his 3-point shooting percentage went down this year, he is still a legitimate threat from the perimeter. Evans failed to reach double figures in scoring only four times this season. He scored over 20 points in each of his last four games as a cowboy and carried his team to the NCAA tournament this year. He is a quick guard with a great skill set, and really knows how to get buckets.
Facilitating:
Evans can make plays for himself, but he is also a very good playmaker. He sees the floor well, knows how to get his teammates involved, and puts them in positions to succeed. Down the stretch of the season, Evans was a complete floor general. He controlled the tempo of the game, and became a phenomenal duo-threat player. Defenses had to be aware of his scoring ability, but also his passing ability. He had 15 assists against Kansas in the second to last game of the season, and 12 assists in their loss to Michigan in the NCAA tournament.
Weaknesses
Upside:
So, this draft is loaded with young, high-ceiling point guards. Fultz, Ball, Fox, Smith, and Ntilikina will all be lottery picks, and all have the potential to be franchise point guards. Evans is probably the next best point guard prospect, but is not in that same tier. Will he be a starting point guard, or will he be a solid back up point guard? I think he has the talent to be a starter, but the NBA today is extremely point guard heavy, so there will not be many opportunities for him to become a franchise point guard. At the end of the day, he simply doesn’t have the upside that the top five point guards have.
Size:
At 6’1”, Evans is a small point guard, who could get tossed around by bigger point guards in the NBA. Going back to the other point guard prospects mentioned above, they all have good size. Evans actually reminds me a lot of Chris Paul, but Paul is a once in a lifetime player. Only so many small point guards succeed in the NBA, many get overwhelmed. His size could potentially be a negative factor when he gets to the next level.
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Overview
After the top five point guard prospects, Evans is probably next. He is quick, skilled, sees the floor well, and is a great scorer. He doesn’t have great size or great upside at the point guard position. However, I think Evans will be a late first round pick, and I think he can contribute right away. The biggest question will be if he will ever get the chance to be a starting point guard in the big leagues.