Jawun Evans, Sophomore, Guard, Oklahoma State
Overview:
Jawun Evans entered the NBA Draft after a stellar sophomore campaign that ended with a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team. After a disappointing freshman season that ended with a shoulder injury in February 2016, Evans was one of the best guards in the nation in 2017. The 6-0 guard tallied 19.2 points and 6.4 assists per game en route to an NCAA tournament appearance. He’s an absolute blur in the open floor and has tremendous vision as a passer. Evans doesn’t have the ideal size for an NBA guard at just six feet, but he should be able to hold his own in the league with his strong frame and solid 6-4 wingspan.
Evans’ premier NBA skill is his ability to master the pick and roll. Oklahoma State ran most of Evans’ action out of the pick and roll, which will help him transition into an NBA offense. He attacks defenders in a variety of ways. He can split defenders to get into the middle of the lane and knock down a runner. He can reject the screen to get past guards or can punish switches by using his speed to drive right by bigger defenders. He changes speeds exceptionally well and gets into the lane almost at will. Evans is also a phenomenal passer out of the pick and roll. His limited height affects his ability to pass over the top, but he has outstanding vision to whip passes around the court in the passing lanes he creates. He consistently sets teammates up with easy shots around the rim or with open jump shots. Evans can also shoot over the top if the defender goes under the screen, as he hit 40.6% of his threes in his college career.
Evans’ biggest weaknesses are mostly a result of his subpar height. As good as he is at getting into the lane, he lacks explosiveness and plays under the rim. He relies on getting off difficult shots around taller defenders and struggles to finish them at a high rate. He only shot 45.3% from inside the arc this year due to the tough shots he takes. Evans does have a good floater, which will be vital to his success in the NBA. He’s able to attack either side of the lane, but always relies on his right hand to get his floaters off. Despite his struggles against length, Evans never backs down and often absorbs contact with six FTA per game last season.
Jump shooting and defense are two areas Evans shows potential in but needs to further develop to survive in the NBA. Most of his jump shots are taken off the dribble due to his ball dominance within the offense. His shiftiness with the ball makes it easy for him to create space to rise up and hit jumpers. However, Evans will have to develop better balance on his pull-ups and extend his range on them. Despite his high three point percentage, Evans attempted less than two per game and needs to be more comfortable shooting from beyond the arc. With a career 81.4% mark at the free throw line, Evans should be able to develop a reliable jump shot. Defensively, Evans shows potential to defend on-ball, collecting 1.8 steals per game. However, his size makes it tough to project him being very versatile on the defensive end. Bigger guards will be able to easily shoot over the top of Evans and can take him into the post with little resistance. His size also makes him a non-factor when rebounding in traffic.
Final Projection:
Jawun Evans has many traits that the NBA covets in guards, but his lack of size will make him a bit of a gamble as a draft pick. Evans is excellent in the open floor, in the pick and roll and shows potential as a pull-up shooter. However, it can be tough for players six feet or under to find success in the league. As long as Evans’ speed, vision and shooting carry over, his floor shouldn’t be worse than a quality back-up point guard. If Evans is able to become a more proficient shooter, run the pick and roll at a high level and become a legitimate defender, then he could be a starter in the league for a long time. Players like Chris Paul and Isaiah Thomas have become all-stars at six feet or under and Evans will hope to find similar success in the NBA.
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