Toronto Raptors: 5 options for pick No. 23 in 2017 NBA Draft
By Nate Wolf
2. Jawun Evans, PG, Oklahoma State
Jawun Evans stands under six feet tall in shoes. That is a problem. It always will be. But it’s not a problem that can’t be overcome, as Kyle Lowry, Isaiah Thomas and Chris Paul have repeatedly demonstrated.
Evans won’t become the next CP3, although he was a decent proxy for those guys at the college level. During his sophomore year in Stillwater, the diminutive guard put up 26.2 points and 8.7 assists per 40 minutes, which is absolutely bananas.
He was especially productive in the pick-and-roll, still the bread-and-butter of NBA offenses, where he finished 56.3 percent of possessions, per DraftExpress. The Ringer‘s Draft Guide reads, “Good pick-and-roll playmaking upside. Knows how to navigate, split screens, or snake to middle. Can attack, pull up or pass.”
It’s one thing to master the pick-and-roll at the college level. The NBA is a different game; defenders are longer, faster and shut off passing lanes more quickly. Evans will have to adjust, and he’ll face an even stiffer test on the defensive end, where opposing teams will force him to switch onto bigger players at every opportunity.
In my opinion, though, Evans will hold up. According to Julian Applebome and Josh Riddell of DraftExpress, Evans is a hard worker and a strong, tough defender. His wingspan also measured in at over 6’5” at the NBA Combine, which helps mitigate his lack of height.
Offensively, Evans has sparkplug potential. The Ringer calls him a “speed demon” due to his burst when probing the lane. He can’t finish; he shot just 49.4 percent around the rim last season. But merely creating shots is, and always will be, the most important skill in basketball, and that’s why the Raptors would be fine drafting another point guard.
Cory Joseph is an obvious tax relief casualty this summer, leaving just Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet behind (hopefully) Lowry. Evans has more upside, at least offensively, than either of those two. Even if he didn’t, you can never have too many shot creators.