2021 NBA Draft Profile: Johnny Juzang

Johnny Juzang NBA Draft profile
Phantom Designs for Def Pen Sports

Johnny Juzang captured America’s hearts this spring. With his heroic performances for the UCLA Bruins all throughout the NCAA Tournament, Juzang became a sensation. The former Kentucky Wildcat thrived in the tournament his old team was not participating in. 20+ point performance after performance Juzang kept his team going and led them to a Final Four appearance. The Bruins were one shot away from making the championship game.

Now, Juzang could find himself a first-round pick and on his way to becoming a modern NBA shooting guard. Many parts of his game fit the modern NBA. If the right team drafts him he could be very valuable. So let’s break down what makes him so valuable.

Scoring

Juzang is often looked at as just a deep threat. A guy you put on the wing and hope to get him open. While he can hit those shots and that is a big part of his offensive game, he does so much more. He uses a strong dribble and will back other guards down. Notice I said, a strong dribble, he isn’t a finesse type ball-handler but he can take care of the ball while setting up his own shot. That means making a dribble move to the shoulder and pulling up. Sometimes a quick back down, spin to the opposite shoulder, and float it up.

Juzang has lots to his offensive game besides that deep shot. However, when he is dialed in there is little hope of stopping him. He shot 35.3% from deep this season and made 44.1% of all his field goals. Coach Mick Cronin had him handle the ball many times during the tournament and he took care of the ball when needed.

If you watched him in the tournament the first thing you would notice is how active he stayed on offense. The guard was everywhere he could be in order to get himself open for a shot.

Size & Energy

Juzang’s size at his position allows him to guard and do things that other smaller guards cannot. At the next level, that size should help him develop into a player that can guard anyone on the perimeter. As previously mentioned, his energy on offense is unreal. He sprints around the court the entire game, allowing his teams to find him for open shots.

That same energy allows Juzang to pick passing lanes and make other defensive stops. Steals and hustle play define his game defensively. He can stick with most players from the 1-3 positions. That same high energy will hopefully lead to the same results in the NBA. The young stars of the NBA Playoffs like Trae Young, Ja Morant, and others have shown tremendous energy. When players make spectacular plays at the next level, a lot of that has to do with the extra effort and energy they bring.

Juzang is also one of those former four-star guys that quickly rose the ranks in college. There seems to be a bit of a chip on the shoulders of guys like him.

Weaknesses

Johnny Juzang’s weaknesses are mostly the usual points made about young guards coming into the league. He needs to add strength, needs to cut down on mistakes made while handling the ball, etc. However, the most obvious weakness has to be his lack of athleticism. He isn’t going to be windmill dunking in transition or necessarily outrunning other guards for fast breaks. He is fairly average when it comes to athleticism and speed in the NBA, if not slightly below.

He shoots the ball super well from the free-throw line, 87.7% this past season, but he doesn’t get to the basket enough to take advantage of that. He shoots less than 20% of his shots near the rim, which means he doesn’t draw as many fouls as he should.

While he doesn’t have to only shoot the deep ball to get points, he uses it to energize his game. Many times you can tell if he is going to be on or off within the first two shots. If he can find more ways to get his offensive game going and become more confident overall, he will have a lot of success at the next level.

NBA Comparison: Tyler Herro

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

This comparison makes a lot of sense. Coming into college both players were valued solely as catch and shoot types that were ranked far too low. After spending their time in college, Herro one year, Juzang two, they both play in similar ways. Neither is all that athletic, Herro may be a bit quicker. Comparing Juzang’s numbers from his sophomore season with Herro’s freshman season and they look almost identical.

Both played just over 32 minutes per game and both shot 35% from three. Both are excellent free throw shooters and they both averaged just over 4.0 rebounds a game. Juzang averaged 16.0 points per contest versus Herro’s 14.0. They even had the same turnover average, 1.6! They do play similar games, with both preferring to run the baselines for open threes, or a quick pass inside and a flip to the basket. While neither is a maestro with the basketball, they can handle the ball well enough to create space and make a play. When they make defensive plays it comes down to effort largely, where they get a hand into the passing lane.

Both are ideal shooting guards for the modern NBA. Juzang should be able to fit in well on the bench somewhere and inject offense and energy when needed. I don’t think Juzang will have the same early success as Herro, but he has the potential to have a similar trajectory.

Related Topics

You May Also Like