NBA Comparison: Isaiah Joe

Strengths: Hawkins is slender, lengthy 6’5 185 SG prospect with good athletic ability … Possesses a sweet jump shot that is undoubtedly his bread and butter offensively (nearly 38 3FG% on over seven 3FGA per game) and he should only get better … One of the best and most confident shooters in the 2023 Draft class; can get rolling spotting up, in rhythm off the bounce in either direction, as a transition trail man, and impressively coming off screens and pin downs … Very clean and consistent shooting mechanics squaring himself up for shots; shoots a pretty ball with feathery touch and a hairpin trigger release … Moves exceptionally well off the ball and navigates off-ball motion as well as anybody in the college game … Can get hot and hit shots in bunches (16 ppg as a Soph.); as of writing has had 10 games where he made 4 or more 3-point shots as a Soph … Quick with solid footwork to get into the paint when guarded tightly on the perimeter … Will cut and occasionally slash to the rim when played aggressively by defenders who try to force him off the 3-point line, and has the explosive leaping ability off 1 or both feet to finish above the rim … Has some success pulling up from mid-range too … Will be a threat in transition with his athleticism & speed, and is a high flyer when he has a running start … Won’t be confused with a facilitator (1.3 APG this season), but is starting to sporadically use his shooting gravity to find open teammates for easy shots … Active defender who contests shots (17 blocks as a Soph.), works to get himself back into plays when beat off the bounce, and should be able to match up with either guard spot at the NBA level given his length and lateral quickness … Has had some encouraging flashes as an on-ball defender pressuring the ball and occasionally roaming around to get deflections as a help defender as well … Reliable FT shooter (88 FT% on over 3 FTA) which further illustrates his touch …

Weaknesses: Not an efficient player right now (40 FG% as a Soph., career 39%) and doesn’t get to the rim as much as he should considering his twitchy athleticism and length … Shoots a ton of jump shots and has proven to be more streaky than consistent with it despite solid deep ball numbers … Mediocre ball-handling ability & feel for the game; posted a negative A/TO in both of his seasons at UConn (career 1/1.2) and settles quite a bit as a shot selector … Doesn’t pass the ball that much … Very right-hand dependent player; upside as an overall shot-creator and finisher at the rim amongst the trees will be limited until he improves using his left (45 FG% inside the arc) … Not a particularly physical or tough player and would benefit from adding muscle/getting stronger on both ends of the floor … Some concern that he will get washed out of plays often when working through screens defensively at the pro level … Somewhat foul prone for a guard (2.3 fpg as a Soph.) and will gamble and pick up ticky-tack reaching calls at times … Seemed to become more conservative as a help defender as the season wore along; didn’t force nearly as many turnovers down the stretch as he did at the beginning of the season …

Overall: Jordan Hawkins was a 4-star recruit out of the powerhouse DeMatha Catholic program in Maryland who flashed nice potential as a Fr. for UConn in limited minutes behind some experienced guards in the 2021-2022 season … He was a popular preseason pick to breakout in the Big East as a Soph. and he did not disappoint, boosting his stats and efficiency across the board, nearly tripling his scoring totals and earning 1st Team all-conference honors … He had plenty of games where he lit up the scoreboard with his shooting stroke and put NBA scouts on notice with his twitchy athletic ability, illustrating good scoring potential and high intensity on the defensive end … He needs to get stronger and develop a better off-hand (both of which tie hand-and-hand with his lack of offensive efficiency) or he may be typecast into instant offense or 3-and-D type roles despite having the natural talent and physical tools of someone capable of more … Still, his ability to shoot in so many different ways without having to dominate the ball, his speed & athleticism to fit well in an up-tempo offense, and his lateral quickness and length defensively give him a higher floor as a SG prospect … He isn’t yet the sum of his parts, but he is fun to watch, has excellent potential and will be given plenty of hard looks by teams searching for a 2-guard that are selecting in the mid-to-late 1st round of the 2023 Draft …

Notes: Measured 6′ 4.25” barefoot, 8′ 5.50” standing reach, 186 lbs and a 6′ 6.75” wingspan at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine …

Jorrye Nixon 3/23/23