2017 Orlando Magic Draft Preview: Who is Jawun Evans?
The Bad
So why is Evans considered a borderline first round pick or a late first round pick? Why is he not among the top prospects?
Evans for all his speed, athleticism and ability just could not finish consistent enough at the rim. He can drive into the lane and break players down off the dribble, but he struggles to finish all the time. HIs efficiency is just not at the level a team would want for a top star. It works in college. . . but the pros are a different level.
Some of this has to do with his height. Evans is 6-feet tall and that lack of size hurts him as he gets into the paint. Evans often has to throw up floaters to get shots near the basket. He is not great finishing with his left hand, sometimes leading to awkward scoop shots.
That does not mean he cannot finish all the time, but it made him inefficient once he got to the basket if he could not draw a foul. Evan’s biggest offensive weakness is just that — his inefficiency.
That inefficiency spread throughout his game.
Evans shot just 43.8 percent from the floor last year. Certainly, some of that came because he had such a high usage rate. He took 15.1 field goal attempts per game last year. That was not the concern.
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But even his effective field goal percentage — 47.5 percent — and true shooting percentage 53.5 percent, leave something to be desired. it is unclear just how good a shooter he can be in spot up or what happens when you take the ball out of his hands. He is not a good enough shooter to unleash fully as an on-ball threat.
As with all drivers, the question is whether he can do all of this at a NBA level. And without elite-level finishing or athleticism, it is hard to say exactly how Evans translates.
His size is his biggest hindrance. The question is whether he can take the hits and bumps in the NBA. And his ability to finish will become tougher at the next level with his size.
Evans is very good and a good scorer, but he is not particularly elite at any skill. The numbers look good, but translation will be his biggest test as he enters the NBA.