Jalen is excellent at forcing the issue in transition and then making quick decisions to find potential shooters. Professional coaches and players do not take kindly to possession after possession being wasted away by poor isolation play. By: Cody Taylor. One of the 2021 NBA Draft's top prospects opted out of the NCAA season on Monday. Two former Blue Devils are listed in the first round of the latest edition of Gary Parrish's CBS Sports NBA … Hard work on the defensive end should be enough for him to be a positive on that end, but he will have to make some sacrifices to be able to help a half-court offense. Remember these clips when you get to the defensive section as well. Duke freshman forward Jalen Johnson has opted out of the remainder of the college basketball season and entered the NBA Draft, the program announced on Monday. Johnson will need to improve his balance on jumpers and he has a tendency to get lazy in his lower body and not get full power on his shot. He is a rangy defender that can guard multiple positions, and he also thrives at scoring in transition as well as in the post on offense. Multiple reports surfaced on Monday that freshman Jalen Johnson, widely seen as a first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft after having averaged 11.2 points per … All and all though, his form should be workable at the NBA level. Duke basketball’s top newcomer is in the right place to impress NBA scouts. In addition to Moody and Johnson, Texas forward Kai Jones, Kentucky players BJ Boston and Terrence Clark, and Florida guard Scottie Lewis also signed with Rich Paul-led group to form a talented haul of draft … Jan 19, 2021; … DURHAM — Duke freshman Jalen Johnson announced Monday night that he was opting out of the rest of the season to get ready for this summer's NBA draft.Johnson … However you … JJ’s halfcourt offense is at its best when he is making quick decisions, moving the ball, and putting pressure on the rim as a driver, cutter, and lob threat. Johnson is a good finisher at the rim, finished strong through contact, and is quick enough to get around the big men that were forced to cover him on the perimeter at Duke. 2021 Draft Profile - Jalen Johnson NBA Draft Room - Jan. 31st: "Johnson is a world class athlete and an overpowering force at the college level. Johnson’s issues in isolation went beyond the turnover problem. This combination of issues led to Johnson turning the ball over on more than 20% of his possessions, per Synergy. Johnson is at his best when he grabs a defensive rebound and pushes the floor, eyes up scanning for shooters. Ball continues to progress daily in his rehab from wrist surgery and appears to be nearing a return to the lineup. He paired that with a 63% free throw percentage on 5.5 attempts per 40 minutes (.349 FTr). Jalen Johnson's time at Duke has come to an end. The Duke guards didn’t take advantage of the lob threat Jalen provided as the roll man often enough, but this scripted play for Johnson at the backdoor should be enough to provide a glimpse. When Johnson announced he wouldn’t play any more games for Duke, Krzyzewski said he was supportive of the move. Before Jalen Johnson ever arrived on the Duke basketball scene in August, the freshman’s name had appeared as a lottery pick on most 2021 big boards for years. With Jalen Johnson’s time in college basketball finished, his performance with the Duke Blue Devils is being evaluated by NBA personnel executives, scouts, draft analysts and … The size and passing combination is very tempting, but there are more well rounded players that I would rather invest a premium pick in if I were an NBA team. However, Johnson’s draft stock isn’t expected to take the precipitous hit that some observers might believe. His ability to end possessions are shown clearly in the stats as well. JJ shot 44% from three this year on only 2.6 attempts per 40 minutes (.165 3PAr). Jalen will be asked to spot up more than he was at Duke to space the floor. The part of Jalen Johnson’s offensive game that will translate first is his work in transition. That bravery leads to turnovers at times, but those turnovers are not the ones that kept Coach K up at night. He excels at initiating the fast break and finding teammates and is a true quarterback of the offense/point forward. His length makes it difficult for guards without a strength advantage to finish at the rim. Freshman Jalen Johnson opts out of remainder of Duke's season to begin preparation for NBA draft He instead played at Duke, which – as part of the NCAA cartel – colludes with competing schools to cap athletes’ wages below market value. This is a baaaaaad man pic.twitter.com/Pe9EKU9bij. And as we move to the defensive side of the ball, here is a clip of Jalen Johnson turning defense to offense with absolute above the rim violence. Jalen Johnson - SF/PF - Duke - NBA Draft Profile and Stats Tied lottery teams split their ping pong balls evenly, and any odd remainder and the better … Johnson’s ability to combine size, athleticism, and vision is extremely intriguing in an NBA prospect. Duke forward Jalen Johnson, the No. Scottie Barnes – NBA Draft Scouting Report, James Bouknight – NBA Draft Scouting Report, Cade Cunningham, Moses Moody, & The Halo Effect In My Draft Process, Sandro Mamukelashvili – NBA Draft Scouting Report. Jalen also struggled quite a bit with footwork and positioning as the drop man in pick and roll defense. Johnson was a turnover machine once he slowed the game down and tried to work in isolation. The basketball star has opted out in order to prepare for the NBA draft. A … As a result, he was bodied pretty easily in the post, and didn’t provide much resistance at the rim against stronger players. JJ’s inability to score efficiently in isolation at the college level is not a great sign for his ability to do so in the pros. Critics of Johnson may feel that he quit on his team, but in reality the freshman’s departure was a mutually beneficial end to a player/school match that never fully clicked on the court. Duke forward Jalen Johnson is opting out of the remainder of the 2020-21 season and will enter the 2021 NBA draft. There is reason for optimism, however. He certainly isn’t as dangerous of a threat as his three point percentage suggests, but I think there should be some optimism that he can improve his shooting. Johnson’s ball stopping tendencies will hopefully be stamped out in the NBA. These matchups weren’t a great fit for Johnson, who struggled to make up the strength advantage that the opposing center had most nights. He is also quite adept at guarding quicker players on the perimeter. That same vision, length and athleticism should provide Johnson with a safe floor in the NBA with hard work. He is a Philly sports fan, a basketball fanatic, and a voracious learner. Where will Matthew Hurt, Jalen Johnson and DJ Steward get drafted this summer? He played college basketball at Louisville. Jalen Johnson is a very athletic, energetic forward whose versatility and solid set of all-around skills could enable him to be a lottery pick in the 2021 draft. The 6’9”, 220 pound big man’s season ended after only 13 games due to a combination of injury and the eventual opt out. Jalen Johnson – due to an agreement between NBA owners and a union that represents current NBA players trying to protect their jobs – was not allowed to play in the NBA this season. OKC Thunder linked to standout power forward from Duke, Jalen Johnson, in Bleacher Report's most recent 2021 NBA Mock Draft. His combination of handle and passing puts pressure on the opposition’s transition defense. Jalen Johnson was a bit miscast as a defender at Duke, often guarding centers to free up Matthew Hurt from the tougher assignment. Of the six Duke basketball freshmen, who together represent the No. CJ Marchesani is the creator of Roll Call Sports Network. He often stopped the flow of the offense and forced bad shots that turned into long rebounds. NBA Prospect Jalen Johnson Opts Out of Rest of Duke’s Season With Blue Devils Struggling The star freshman came into this season as the No. He was a travel risk every time he touched the ball, and a ton of his isolation drives ended in steals and blocks. In this clip, he gets put underneath the basket on the drive, and doesn’t make much of an effort to contest the shot. I mean that in a literal but also metaphorical or spiritual or karmic sense. He has the body and transition game to make an immediate impact in the NBA, but he will need to buy into a … Highly touted Duke freshman Jalen Johnson is foregoing the rest of the Blue Devils' season and declaring for the NBA draft. Jalen Johnson’s decision to opt out of the remainder of the season for Duke is undoubtedly going to come back and haunt him on NBA draft night. However, to succeed at the next level he is going to need to improve his ability to impact the game in the half court. Photos: Look back at Jalen Johnson's career as the former Sun Prairie star preps for the NBA draft Sun Prairie's Jalen Johnson has his shot blocked by Janesville Craig's Adam Anhold during the first half of a game in Sun Prairie, Wis., Jan. 26, 2017. He was selected in the top 8-9. Let’s take a look at what worked for Johson at Duke, what didn’t work so well, and what to expect as he makes his eventual transition to the NBA. He spots cutters before they break open and is brave enough to fit passes into tight areas with both hands from unique angles. Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State – NBA Draft Scouting Report. 14 overall pick in James Ham's latest mock draft for NBC Sports Bay Area, will not play another game for the Blue Devils and officially enter the NBA … After 13 games, Jalen Johnson’s college basketball career is officially over after his opt-out Monday. Jalen uses his length and athleticism to jump passing lanes and create transition opportunities. He has the body and transition game to make an immediate impact in the NBA, but he will need to buy into a program and accept his role. Jalen Johnson is going to be a complicated evaluation for NBA teams. He’ll need to expand his game and hit the 3 … If he falls out of the lottery because NBA teams are questioning his ability to be a teammate, a prudent GM should pounce on the opportunity to put a talented player in a spot that better fits his abilities. Your email address will not be published. Jalen Johnson had zero to do with Duke's biggest win of the Blue Devils' season. 13 recruit in the country Jalen Johnson goes to the basket against the Louisville Cardinals. Payton Pritchard goes for career-high, but Celtics fall to Thunder, Celtics rookie Payton Pritchard signs endorsement deal with Nike, Blazers at Pacers: Lineups, injury reports and broadcast info for Tuesday, Rumor: Knicks will need to trade Obi Toppin because of roster fit, Kings' Tyrese Haliburton calls it a dream come true to sign with Nike, Nuggets fans absolutely loved Bol Bol's two-handed jam in garbage time, Sixers' Joel Embiid had priceless reaction to a Paul Reed dunk, Mavericks at Kings: Live stream, lineups, injury reports and broadcast info for Monday, Hornets' LaMelo Ball participated in on-court workouts on Monday, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He is not a lockdown defender by any means, but his length and athleticism should provide solid weak-side help creating steals and helpful secondary rim protection. The freshman wing averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game for … You can follow him on Twitter @cjmarchesani. JJ is not a particularly high motor defender, but when he is locked into the flow of the game he is a certified event creator. Overall, I believe Johnson will be a positive defender at the NBA level once he decides to lock in consistently and puts on the strength to battle with the bigs. Just because Johnson doesn’t match up well against centers however, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have skills to offer an NBA defense. His vision is one of the skills that makes him unique and interesting as a prospect. In stunning news Monday night, Jacob Polacheck of ZagsBlog was the first to report that Duke's possibly NBA lottery-bound freshman Jalen Johnson opted out of … Jalen’s good vision in transition translates to the halfcourt as well. Duke freshman Jalen Johnson left the team earlier this week and opted out of the rest of the season to prepare for the NBA Draft.After winning their first game without Johnson on … Please check your email for a confirmation. 3 crop of rookies in the country, Jalen Johnson is the only one who arrived on campus last month as a surefire one-and-done in the eyes of media and fans. Jaylen Johnson (born August 7, 1996) is a forward for the Iowa Wolves. Johnson’s draft range probably starts at 6 and carries through past the end of the lottery at this point, depending on if teams are holding the Duke situation (and his decision to leave IMG Academy in high school) against him. Jalen Johnson is going to be a complicated evaluation for NBA teams. Required fields are marked *. He falls outside of the lottery. View all posts by CJ Marchesani, Your email address will not be published. Arkansas guard Moses Moody and Duke forward Jalen Johnson headlined the group of prospects that were signed by the Klutch Sports Group on Thursday, the agency announced. Former Duke basketball player Jalen Johnson may have cost himself millions. This would allow him to play the halfcourt in areas other than the dunkers spot and as the roll man and still have his defender respect him. Johnson is a versatile player who can play on or off the ball and has legit point guard skills in a 6-8 frame. “Our team loves Jalen,” Krzyzewski said on Feb. 17. Teams probably won’t want Johnson stuck on guards too frequently, but it’s helpful to have a player that can at least compete against quick ball handlers. His elbow also flares a bit when he is facing closeouts. Duke freshman Jalen Johnson, a potential lottery pick, has opted out of the remainder of the college basketball season and will enter the 2021 NBA Draft, he announced Monday evening. These issues were only made worse by the fact that Johnson often tried to post up and isolate without the strength to move bigger defenders on the block. Johnson posted steal and block rates of 3.1 and 6 respectively. Quick decisions and ball movement are going to be important for him to make a positive impact in half-court offensive possessions. The development of his jump shot will be a big key for his success in the league. Jalen Johnson’s freshman season at Duke came to an unceremonious close in mid-February when he decided to opt out of the remainder of the year. The last notable area of JJ’s offensive game is his above the rim gravity. Thunder linked to standout power forward from Duke, jalen Johnson & # 039 ; s time at,! 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