NBA Comparison: Rodeny Hood/KZ Okpala

Strengths: Wells is a slender 6’8 205 SG/SF with the smooth athletic ability for the perimeter…Has good height for either wing position and the frame to continue to add muscle…One of the better shooting threats in the 2024 Draft; there is plenty to like about his potential as a floor spacer at the NBA level (12.6 PPG, 42 3FG% as a Jr.)…A safe bet to knock down shots when he has his feet set, and he possesses consistent & compact shot mechanics that held up well to contests given his nice size on the wing…Possesses the floor awareness to find open spots along the perimeter when the defense collapses on his teammates drives…Shows flashes of deep range and doesnt need much space to let shots fly…Also able to pull up and make rhythm jumpers and runners in the mid-range area when chased off the line due to his good body control and soft touch…Decent ball-handling skills; not uncomfortable with using pick and rolls or DHO actions to create offense on the move…Has some ability to shoot/score over smaller defenders when he’s near the rim, with sporadic flashes posting up guards…Not bad with his shot selection and rarely hunts shots or stagnates possessions (43 FG%)…Good at the FT line (81 FT%, 79 made FTs)…Decisive; good feel for the game and takes care of the ball (0.7 TOPG)…Functional ability to defend his position on the wings and could eventually be able to defend some stretch 4s with added muscle…Classic late bloomer; former D-2 player who has been trending upward with each passing season and adjusted well to playing P5 ball…Will be 21 during his rookie season, making him slightly younger than your typical prospect entering the draft 3 years removed from HS …

Weaknesses: Not a plodder, but possesses just middling athleticism in terms of quickness, burst and explosiveness…Despite being reasonably good as a finisher, he doesn’t get to the rim often and shows just an average 1st step…Could stand to get stronger and more physical…Doesn’t consistently separate from defenders, leading to him having to pull up and settle for tough 2s at times (46 FG% inside the arc)…Pretty simple offensive reportoire; mostly a straight-line dribbler who currently doesn’t show many moves and counters as a shot creator…Wouldn’t describe him as a selfish player but shows nothing more than average court vision (1.2 APG)…Adequate on defense but not impactful (only 17 steals in 23-24) and sometimes had lapses fundamentally that led to him allowing penetration that collapsed his teams defense…Has some things to learn in terms of positioning himself to better see ball and man as an off-ball defender and navigating through screens too…Raw and sometimes showed some bad, yet correctable habits adjusting to his jump in competition level on both ends of the court …

Overall: Jaylen Wells’ unconventional path to the 2024 Draft began in Sacramento, where he had a productive 2-year varsity career that saw him emerge out of nowhere as a Jr. after not being on the schools team his 1st 2 years of HS…Having flown under the radar he went to Sinoma State, a D2 school, and had another productive 2-year run that now had finally garnered him interest from P5 colleges…He ended up transferring to Washington State with little fanfare, starting his Jr. year coming off the bench on a team with low expectations coming into the season…After a few impressive shooting performances in the nonconference slate he was placed in the starting lineup, and he responded to his extended minutes by scoring double figures in 18 of WSU’s final 20 games, finishing 3rd on the team in points and being a main contributor for a surprising Cougar squad that made the NCAA Tournament for the 1st time in 16 years and advanced to the Round of 32…Wells impressively put up 18 PPG and 50 FG% in 2 tournament games and thus started generating buzz as an NBA prospect, showing good size and shot-making ability on the perimeter under the bright lights…He’s had a good draft process and has improved his standing to be firmly in the discussion, so after being more of a longshot to be selected this year a few months ago Wells has been mocked in the 2nd round consistently as of late

Notes: Measured 6′ 6.50” barefoot, 8′ 7.50” standing reach, 206.2 lbs, 6′ 7.25” wingspan, 27.5 standing vert, 36 max vert  at the 2024 NBA Draft Combine …

Jorrye Nixon 6/20/24