NBA Draft Spotlight: Jaylen Nowell

It’s not common for a Pac-12 Player of the Year to return to school so I wouldn’t expect Nowell to be the first. The sophomore leader put on a show for the Huskies all season.

Strengths:

• Excellent mid-range scorer. Has good balance and lift from the second level
• Solid positional defender. Isn’t an explosive athlete, but he is smart and strong. I think he is an even better defender than he was able to show in the zone
• Underrated playmaker. Can come off of pick-and-rolls and find guys. Capable of scoring, but also can be a ball-mover in the flow of an offense
• Mentally grounded player that doesn’t have to have a lead role to make an impact. Allows the game to come to him
• Three-point shooting showed on a small volume. Will need to make that a more common part of his game

Weaknesses:

• Not a great run-and-jump athlete. Plays angles more than he beats guys on quickness. Long, active defenders could give him problems, especially when trying to score from mid-range
• Need to see more of his three-point shooting. Shot does not look to have a lot of range on it, but he did shoot over 40 percent
• Still displays inexperience as a playmaker, especially when he gets too deep into the paint. It’s not uncommon for him to rush a pass when his initial lane is shut off
• Short for an off-guard. That is why his outside shot will be important because the mid-range will not be as easy to find against NBA length