UTAH JAZZ
Jett Howard NBA Draft Analysis
May 12, 2023, 2:11 PM | Updated: 2:14 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz own three first-round selections in the 2023 NBA draft, and one of the players they’ll consider in June is Michigan wing Jett Howard.
With a top 10 pick, the 16th pick, and the 28th pick in the first round, the Jazz will work out an enormous swath of players projected to be selected throughout the draft.
Let’s look at how potential lottery pick Jett Howard performed in his lone season at Michigan.
Jett Howard Strengths
Averages: 14.2 ppg | 2.8 RPG | 2.0 APG | 41 FG% | 36 3Pt % | 80 FT%
Standing 6-foot-8 and weighing 215 lbs, Howard has prototypical size for an NBA wing and the type of frame that will continue to fill out at the professional level.
The Michigan freshman has one of the purest jump shots in all of college basketball, and mixed with his size, projects as a high-level shooter at the next level.
Howard can shoot off of movement and in spot-up situations, giving him the type of versatility off the ball to impact the game with his gravity, even without dribbling.
Michigan's Jett Howard with another eye-opening showing after going for 30 in last exhibition. 21 points tonight, more impressive shooting versatility for a 6-8 guard/wing. Off movement, relocation, a deep pull-up. But also 5 assists, showed vision, made reads within offense. pic.twitter.com/jBdKnn7UNB
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) November 8, 2022
Son of coach and former NBA forward Juwan Howard, the freshman made advanced reads coming off screens and finding his teammates.
Howard has NBA range already, and with better spacing, he could become a far more complete offensive player, giving him a relatively high-floor, high-ceiling type of prospect.
The Florida native played in a system at Michigan that favored dumping the ball into low post big man Hunter Dickinson which may have limited Howard’s full potential in college.
Jett Howard Weaknesses
Considering his billing as an elite shooter, Howard didn’t have terrific shooting percentages in college, despite being bigger than nearly every wing he went up against.
Some of that was due to the fact that he fell in love with taking incredibly difficult shots that he proved he can make, but didn’t convert at a high clip.
The question then becomes did he like taking difficult shots, or was he forced to because of his lack of athleticism and quickness?
Howard did make strong reads coming off of screens, but struggled to beat his man in isolation situations, and rarely went to the free-throw line.
Illinois' Matthew Mayer is out of his "caffeine-induced euphoria" gaming session, and is giving Jett Howard work pic.twitter.com/5DTXE8cmHF
— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) March 3, 2023
While spacing in the NBA will certainly improve, that won’t matter if he’s not able to get downhill against his defender one-on-one.
Despite standing 6-foot-8, Howard was a poor rebounder in college averaging just 2.8 per game, seventh best on the Michigan roster.
Three much smaller guards on the Michigan roster outrebounded Howard in his 29 appearances, begging questions about his athleticism, and his desire to do the difficult things to win on a Wolverines team that drastically underperformed.
There are many who believe that Michigan was a better team when Howard was off the floor. At other times, it was clear that the team never quite figured out how to incorporate him into the offense, and he would disappear for long stretches.
Defensively, Howard also struggled as a freshman, often allowing less talented players to drive past him, or body him in the paint.
His NBA size helped him on the offensive end, but it was rendered nearly useless on defense where he lacked the toughness to slow the opposition, or the willingness to finish possessions with a rebound.
Jett Howard Overall
Due to his size, age, and three-point shooting potential, Howard is likely to hear his name called in the top 20 of the NBA draft, and could easily prove himself worthy of that selection.
However, his lack of athleticism, low statistical production, and questions about his overall ability to help a team outside of hitting difficult shots could easily push him out of the lottery.
The NBA Draft is fast approaching, and we're breaking down the top prospects on the board.
Here are the scouting reports for all of the names you need to know.#TakeNote | @utahjazz https://t.co/oSnjjz9GZc
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) May 11, 2023
Howard could benefit well by showing more consistent shooting ability and improved athleticism in space during his draft workouts, and could be a candidate to get selected in the mid-teens.
But with the apparent weaknesses in his game, it might be hard to justify drafting him over other talented freshmen.
Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops or on Instagram @BensHoops.
