2021 NBA Draft Scouting Report: SG James Bouknight

PSO’s original Scouting Reports strive to be uniquely valuable in evaluating a player’s future outlook by focusing on the four main subjects that summarize a player’s likelihood of succeeding at the next level including: Natural Athleticism, developed NBA-Caliber Skills, proven Production, and overall Risk that each individual player presents to a team drafting him. For a full breakdown of PSO’s Scouting Reports, click here.

BIO

Pos: SG

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

School: UCONN

Class: Sophomore

DOB (Age): 9/18/00 (Age 20)

Height: 6’5″ | Weight: 190 lbs.

Wingspan: 6’8.25” | Vertical: N/A

INTERESTING FACTS

Began HS career at La Salle Academy, alma mater of former NBA players Metta World Peace and God Shammgod
Played baseball for most of his childhood in Crown Heights Brooklyn, did not start playing basketball until middle school
Played AAU for the PSA Cardinals on the same team as Magic guard and New York native Cole Anthony

ATHLETICISM

Pros

Great vertical leaper for his size; seems to float in the air for rebounds and acrobatic dunks
Lateral quickness is a strength; improved on this his second year at UCONN; better on ball defender now
Athletic with the ball in his hands; gets the defender off balance easily creating open shot opportunities
Quick in tight spaces, easily gets into the lane for scoring or kickout opportunities
Explosive off either foot; gets to max vertical quickly
Very balanced despite sometimes playing out of control, can stop and change directions quickly
Active hands on defense; leads to a lot of deflections and steals which quickly turn into opportunities at the rim

Cons

Quickness is more of a half court strength; does not have break away speed like some may think
Due to his weight he is a mismatch issue against stronger front court players
Wingspan was originally said to be closer to 7′, not a major weakness, but less than expected

Grade: A-

NBA SKILLS

Pros

Walking bucket; plain and simple the best pure scorer in the draft, with the ability to take over games
Very shifty and crafty leading to wide open midrange looks and opportunities around the basket
Solid shooter from behind the arc with the range to potentially succeed in the NBA
Plays above the rim as much as possible; aggressive rebounder who will begin the break quickly
Plenty of go-to moves to get space, but has also shown he can hit contested shots when needed
Solid defender with room to grow; disrupts passing lanes well and makes good reads
Cuts very well; on the offensive end of the floor he will always keep the defense on his toes

Cons

Outside shooting/shot selection must improve, not being the #1 option should help with this
Occasionally forced the issue, needs to lessen turnovers; again could be a product of his place in the offense
Engagement on the defensive end must equal engagement on the offensive end; would be huge for his ceiling

Grade: A-

PRODUCTION

Pros

31.6 USG rate; accustomed to being the focal point of an offense and having the ball in his hands
5.7 RPG; aggressive on the glass for a guard, can jumpstart the offense right away
18.7 PPG; averaged 26% of the Huskies points per game this season
40 point game vs Creighton; has the ability to win a game by himself with his scoring

Cons

29.3 3P%; most likely a product of forcing shots as his team’s #1 option, but will need to work on selection
1.8 APG; should be higher for a guard as he will need to improve defensive reads
3.2 TOV; must improve decision making, has the ability to score without forcing the issue
FG%, FT%, and 3P% both decreased from Freshman to Sophomore season
108.7 O-Rating; should be higher for such a dynamic scorer, more polish to the rest of offensive game is needed

Grade: B-

RISK

Pros

Potential to be the steal of the draft; scoring ability of his caliber is hard to come by
Comfortable with being the face of his team; knows how to perform with plenty of pressure
Has plenty of pro-ready offensive moves; should have no problem scoring against increased defensive quality
Great motor; always looking for the next cut or move that will get him towards the basket
Very exciting player who fans of any organization will love watching

Cons

High flying style combined with a skinny frame increases the potential for injuries
Shot selection was an issue at times; risk teams take with someone who can score at his level
Will need 3-point shot to improve to a respectable level; better shot selection should help this
Plays very well as the main ball-handler, but turnovers could be a big issue in the NBA

Grade: B

OVERALL

Whenever there is a scorer with the skill level of James Bouknight in the NCAA, he immediately becomes must-watch television. The UCONN star battled through injuries during his Sophomore year, but still put up some great performances for Bobby Hurley’s Huskies. The New York native flashed his entire bag of tricks, from ankle-breaking dribbling combination to high-flying poster dunks.

Bouknight is capitalizing on this stellar season by heading to the NBA draft where he has been ascending up draft boards ever since the collegiate season began last November. One of the reasons Bouknight’s potential is so high is because many believe his 3-point jumper can be a viable weapon. He has the ability to knock down open jumpers from anywhere in the halfcourt, but his contested numbers and shot selection were questionable last season.

He does flash the ability to make contested shots which gives teams hope. He is near impossible to stay in front of, gets to his mid-range game easily, and has an array of moves around the rim, which result in free throw attempts. On defense, he needs to become more consistent with his energy, but he made strides last year and disrupts the backcourt. Overall, Bouknight has star potential, and in 10 years he could be talked about as the steal of the draft.

Pro Comp: CJ McCollum (POR)

Projected Rd/Pick: Mid-Lottery

Prime Destinations: SAC, ORL, OKC

OVERALL Grade: B+