Getty Jalen Hudson of the Florida Gators, who projects to be an NBA prospect.
Jalen Hudson enjoyed one of the better 2017-2018 seasons in the NCAA and was widely regarded as a legitimate NBA draft prospect as he chose to head back to Florida for his senior year. However, things have not gone according to plan and Hudson has seen himself fall out of most NBA mock draft projections for the 2019 NBA draft. Hudson has struggled mightily with his shot on the year and his numbers are down in every major statistical category compared to his junior season. Shooting just 29% from three-point range compared to the 40% he shot the year before.
Defense ➡️ Offense‼️
However, to Hudson’s credit, his strong play has been the main reason for the Gator’s late-season surge and he seems to be rediscovering his previous form.
Jalen Hudson Latest NBA Mock Draft Projections
Currently, Jalen Hudson has played his way out of every NBA Mock Draft and is most likely faced with the fact that he will need to earn his way onto an NBA roster as an undrafted free agent. The good news here is that Hudson is undoubtedly on most NBA team’s draft boards given the fact that he was projected to find himself taken in the draft before the start of the season.
Hudson would need a herculean performance in the tournament in order to convince scouts to spend a draft pick on him, so working his way back into the draft is an unlikely ask. His shooting inconsistencies proved to be a year-long issue and not just a slump, putting a major red flag on Hudson. If Hudson can regain his deep stroke in the tournament and the NBA Summer League (where he should inevitably get a shot), he could very well find himself on a two-way contract or potentially even make an NBA roster.
Jalen Hudson NBA Draft Profile & Player Comparison
Especially if Hudson is unable to regain his shot, his size and game look fairly similar to Andre Roberson. Roberson is a long, tenacious perimeter and wing defender who despite lacking any form of a jumper, is able to contribute positive minutes on the defensive end.
Last night, Andre Roberson put on a clinic on how non-shooters can still make positive plays offensively. Here are three such instances:
Hudson is far from being at that level of a defender yet, but if he is unable to find the shot that made him an NBA draft prospect, his only path into the league will be on the back of some elite defense. However, if Hudson can get his shot back and show to teams that this senior year was an aberration, he has a chance to crack an NBA roster as a “three and d” two-way wing player.
Hudson has incredibly tantalizing upside but also possesses one of the lowest floors of any draft prospect. With all the red flags surrounding him, Hudson has a long road to climb in order to regain the trust of NBA scouts and front offices but a strong tournament would go a long ways towards getting that effort off on the right foot.