Over the next few weeks, we’re evaluating every SEC player that has a chance of going pro and taking an in-depth look at their strengths and weaknesses as the 2018 NBA Draft approaches.
Today, we go down to Gainesville to focus in on Jalen Hudson, a junior guard who spent his first two seasons at Virginia Tech before transferring and playing for Mike White this past season.
Hudson was one of the leaders on a Gators squad that earned a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and along with Egor Koulechov, Chris Chiozza, and KeVaughn Allen, helped create a dynamic foursome that was hard to beat at times in SEC play.
Let’s look at Hudson’s strengths and weaknesses, along with where and when he could be drafted.
Diagnostics
- Name: Jalen Hudson
- Height: 6’6”
- Weight: 192 lbs.
- Points Per Game: 15.5
- Assists Per Game: 1.1
- Rebounds Per Game: 3.9
- Field-goal Percentage: 45.4%
- Three-point Percentage: 40.2%
- Free-throw Percentage: 66.2%
- Points per 100 possessions: 34.1
- Assists per 100 possessions: 2.3
- Rebounds per 100 possessions: 8.6
Strengths
- Off-the-dribble jumper
One of the more highly publicized areas of Hudson’s game is his ability to create shots off the dribble from all levels of the floor.
He has quick rise on his jumper, which allows him to get his shot off over most defenders, and that quick burst allows him to get good lift, which is a major key in his jumper’s effectiveness.
Having the ability to make an off-the-dribble jumper in the NBA is one of the most valuable offensive skills that translates over from college, and NBA teams can find value in a player that can create his own looks without the help of teammates.
- Positional Size
Hudson projects to play the 2-guard position at the next level, but given his size at 6’6”, he can most likely play any position between 1 and 3 in a modern NBA system.
With his great length and height, he provides a lot of positional versatility that raises his NBA draft stock.
NBA teams look for positional size in prospects, so Hudson already has a leg up on the competition heading into the draft.
Weaknesses
- Defensive consistency
Hudson might not be regarded at the best defender in this class at his position, but he still has the tools needed to be solid on that side of the court.
If he wants to become a more viable NBA prospect, he needs to begin to use his size and length defensively, especially against bigger and more physical combo guards that he will be expected to guard at the next level.
If Hudson can make a marked improvement defensively, he definitely can improve his draft stock significantly.
- Visibility
Hudson struggled to maintain a starting spot on Mike White’s team, which might have something to do with his consistency on the offensive end.
Hudson can be explosive when his jumper gets going, but if it fizzles in any given game, he struggles to bounce back.
Finding a way to be consistent from game to game will be one of the biggest keys to his pro career getting off the ground.
NBA Comparison
Hudson’s offensive game compares very favorably to Jamal Crawford in how he fills the scoring sheet up at times with a variety of ways to get into his jump shot, which is his greatest asset as he transitions to the NBA.
If Hudson can round his game out, the sky is the limit for his potential role in the league, and his offensive game is the basis of that.
Draft Range
Hudson has not signed with an agent, which means that he can still return to Florida for another season should he withdraw by May 30.
However, should he remain in the draft, he merely projects as a second-round pick in the back half of that round simply due to an oversaturation of players in this class and the lack of a true skill besides shot creation.
If he demonstrates an ability to play both ways at a high level, then he can certainly climb into the higher range of the second round.
But for now, if he decides to stay in the mix, look for him to hang around the 45-50 range.
Prediction: Mid-to-late 2nd round