NBA Comparison: Duncan Robinson

Strengths: Juzang is a pure shooter and dynamic scorer, and difficult to stop on the perimeter with the ball in his hands … Excellent catch and shoot player … Proved to be extremely clutch, leading UCLA’s surprise run to the Final Four … Has a wide array of dribble moves to open looks on the perimeter … Has a polished floor game. Really comfortable taking pull up shots, and can create his own shot from behind the arc or inside … Functions well in the pick and roll as the ball handler … Averaged over 16 points per game last season … Takes, and makes, challenging shots … Excellent free throw shooter at 87.7%, reinforcing the idea that he can be an elite shooter at the next level … Has good length and a strong frame for a guard, which can help with the physicality in NBA … His greatest strength is his ability to create offense in the half court … Solid rebounder, averaging over four per game … Smooth, quick shot form that should translate to a higher three-point percentage given better looks … Can explode for huge offensive outbursts, as evidenced by his combined 57 points on 62% shooting in the Elite Eight and Final Four games … Juzang plays at his best in the most important games … Can score from every area of the court, and shot almost 50% on two-point jumpers … Has the size to defend multiple positions … Plays well off the ball … Had an incredible March Madness that highlighted his unique scoring ability and draft stock …. High level intangibles. A proven winner and player who loves the challenge of playing in the spot light …

Weaknesses: Lacks elite athleticism … Does not have an athletic body … Speed is below average at NBA level … because of his athletic shortcomings, he struggles in transition … Despite his shiftiness and creative handle, Juzang took less than 15% of shots around the rim … He can be too reliant on his jumper, and avoid trying to create shots closer to the hoop … Somewhat limited as a passer, averaging 1.6 assists and turnovers per game … .Can get tunnel vision and hunt his shot … Can disappear offensively if his three-point shots are not falling, including seven games scoring fewer than ten points … Will take shots regardless of whether they are falling … Can get lost defensively, and can either help too much or too little … Does not close out on shooters well … Provides little value on big play defensively averaging just 1.1 steals and blocks per game … Is not particularly athletic, and may struggle to convert shots at the rim against stronger defenders … Proved to be a decent individual defender, but won’t lock down tougher assignments, and looks lost during times of motion from the opposing offense … Needs to develop a stronger understanding of when to shoot and when to pass to find success at the next level …

Outlook: While his athleticism and body type don’t necessarily pass the eye test, (and perhaps that’s why he never broke through on the Kentucky depth chart as a freshman), once given a chance, he proved to be a star with incredible determination … Shooting has become at a huge premium in the NBA and Juzang proved to be an incredibly clutch shooter in this year’s NCAA tourney … Announced his intentions to enter the 2021 NBA draft but has retained his eligibility to return by not signing with an agent … On the heels of such an incredible NCAA tournament, Juzang would be best advised to roll the dice and leave his name in the draft, he has a real shot to be a first round pick, and would be running the risk of hurting his draft stock by returning to UCLA if he struggled to improve upon his sophomore season …

Notes: Measured 6’5.5” barefoot, 6’7.0” in shoes 8’4.5” standing reach, 209.0 lbs, and 6’10.5” wingspan at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine … Native of Southern California … Turned 20 on March 17th … Went from barely playing at Kentucky to being a first option star at UCLA … Shows he worked on improving his game and did exponentially better in a different system that allowed his offensive flow to flourish … Was a consensus top 50 prospect entering college …

Michael Hopp 4/24/21