NBA Draft 2018 News: Villanova Wildcats' Jalen Brunson Could Be a Solid Addition for One of This Year's Playoff Teams
Brunson is the consensus National Player of the Year for the most recent college basketball season
Once the lottery portion of any NBA draft ends, the teams that still have picks to make are just hoping to land someone who can be a solid contributor.
For the team's selecting in the non-lottery portion of this year's draft, there are all kinds of prospects who project to be solid pros, but of all of them, the Villanova Wildcats' Jalen Brunson may be the player with the best chance of playing in the league for a long time.
Brunson recently declared his intention to enter the NBA draft via an essay posted on ESPN.com.
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Now that Brunson's officially in the prospect pool, teams around the league can start contemplating how his play in college will translate to the next level.
It's tempting to project big things for Brunson in the NBA given the way he improved through his three seasons at Villanova.
This past season was Brunson's finest at Villanova, as he averaged nearly 19 points per game while shooting over 40 percent from three-point range, per Sports Reference. Brunson also dished out more assists per game this past season, and he helped lead the Wildcats to their second NCAA title in three seasons.
Given his level of production and how successful his teams were, it can seem that Brunson should have a case to be considered as a lottery pick, but many people don't think he should go that high in the draft due in part to his level of athleticism.
As The Ringer's draft guide points out, Brunson's less than ideal athleticism may make it significantly harder for him to keep up his level of production in the pros. The NBA is currently filled with elite-level athletes and many of them play the same position that Brunson is expected to occupy in the league.
Going up against superior athletes on a nightly basis may be the greatest challenge Brunson will face in his basketball career.
Still, a lack of top-shelf athleticism does not mean that Brunson will be unable to succeed in the NBA.
Many mock drafts currently have Brunson going late in the first round and that could turn out to be a great thing for him. Going in that portion of the draft means Brunson will likely begin his NBA career with a playoff team, and being in that position could free him up to focus more on just fitting in as opposed to being seen as some kind of franchise savior.
Brunson may be overmatched as a 35-minute-per-night point guard in the NBA, but if a team designates him as the leader of a second unit, he could thrive.
Matched up against other reserves, Brunson's inferior athleticism may not negatively impact him as much as it would if he has to line up against someone like a Russell Westbrook or a John Wall.
Some Villanova fans may be disappointed if it turns out that Brunson's destiny is to be a point guard who comes off the bench for a playoff team, but that is far from being a bad role to have in the NBA.
More news about the 2018 NBA draft should be made available soon.
