Pacers Draft Prep: Is Jawun Evans worth a first round pick?

Oklahoma State guard Jawun Evans worked out for the Pacers on Wednesday. Evans, a Sophomore, may be in the conversation for Indiana in the first round.

Jawun Evans missed the tail end of his promising freshman season with a shoulder injury. He came back in year two ready to bounce back and make the leap to the NBA. His numbers improved offensively with greater per game averages in points and assists and more minutes. Is he a fit for the Pacers?

Evans had a solid sophomore season and led the Cowboys to the NCAA tournament. He was a huge part of the offense and made contributions on the other end as well. His 1.8 steals per game are nothing to gloss over. The ability to force turnovers is a quality aspect of basketball.

How does Evans’ game translate to the next level?

Strengths

Evans generates points by any means. In his second season at Oklahoma State, he posted over 19 points and six assists per game. He exhibited his ability to find the open teammate or take it himself when necessary. He attacks the basket and gets into the paint, going in strong and drawing fouls and finishing the shot. As an undersized guard, drawing fouls is a great way to score points.

When Evans drew fouls, he hit his free throws. He hit 81.8 percent of his free throws in college while getting to the line 191 times as a sophomore (nearly six attempts per game). James Harden is one of the best players in the league, and his trademark is getting to the line.

There is plenty of defensive potential with Evans. In his first season at Oklahoma State, he had a defensive efficiency rating of 100.8. To put that in perspective, the NBA’s top defender in 2016-17, Andre Drummond, had a DER of 99.0. Evans averaged 1.5 steals in college.

Weaknesses

Turnovers tended to be an issue for Evans. He averaged nearly three giveaways a game in each season with the Cowboys. As a point guard and floor general, he needs to learn to take care of the rock.

Size may also be a factor. He stands only about 6-foot-nothing and 185 pounds. NBA guards are getting much taller, but at least Evans has the ability to hit jump shots.

NBA comparison: Patrick Beverly

Next: What should the Pacers do with their rotation players?

I think Evans is one of the most underrated players in this draft. His game will translate to the NBA despite his size, and his ability to provide points is obviously valuable. If the Pacers take him at No. 18, I wouldn’t be upset at all.