doordoor123 wrote:Saints14 wrote:doordoor123 wrote:
He didn’t play against good competition and will be a G-league player even if he’s drafted. Just kind of dominated players with his athleticism. Can’t really dribble, not a great feel for the game and not a good defender (despite his steals). Reminds me of Avery Bradley a bit without the elite defense, but again he’ll need to develop his game. I talked about him earlier in the year.
Not a great assessment of Pickett. His feel and BBIQ (on O and D) are his best qualities, and he isn’t an explosive athlete. This might not be his year to commit to the draft but when he’s ready, I think he’ll stick in the league because he’s a guy coaches can trust. He does for sure need to develop his handle
Lol. This is funny, his feel and BBIQ have been questionable. If it’s his best quality then he has a bad best quality. His best quality is his athleticism and amount of touches he has. Its been reported he’s likely going to return, which will probably benefit his game and potential as a prospect going forward. But he’s not at all ready right now for an NBA role. He’s a G-league player right now, besides his game and lack of handle he’s super skinny. Guys with his body type and lack of elite size tend to have a hard time making it in the league. His handle isn’t just bad, it’s horrible for someone his size too. No control. If he gets in the league, it’s because of his athleticism and defensive potential. He gets back on D and tries to block shots in transition with his elite verticality.
I don't know who you've been watching but Pickett is definitely not super skinny (pic below) and one of the reasons he ended up at Siena was because his athleticism was questioned (
https://dailygazette.com/article/2019/03/07/how-siena-college-men-s-basketball-landed-jalen-pickett). His middling free throw rate is a question mark, and he struggled gaining separation on drives even against MAAC competition - unclear if that's more a reflection of his poor handle or mediocre first step.
But man, having watched most of his games, I can tell you his feel and BBIQ is special. So rare for a freshman PG to make so few mistakes and command such control of the game (at any level). His A/TO ratio was elite, and even then most of his turnovers came from getting his pocket picked and not from poor decision making. His game isn't flashy but he just always makes the right play; he has excellent vision and makes a ton of high-value (again, not flashy) passes. And that's without even playing PG before college! Makes me believe in his ability to be a positive impact player in the NBA at some point - maybe not this year, but down the road.
