2021 NBA Draft: 5 Most Undervalued Prospects
By Evan Wheeler
JaQuori McLaughlin, G (Combo Guard) UC Santa Barbara
2020-21 Stats: 16.0 PPG, 5.2 APG, 3.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 49% FG, 41% 3PT, 26.1 PER
Age: 23
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 190 lbs
Wingspan: Unknown
Alongside Jason Preston and Sandro Mamukelashvili, I think JaQuori McLaughlin might be my favorite prospect in this entire class. The 2021 Big West Player of the Year has gone under the radar of the majority of the mainstream outlets but has worked out for a reported 18 NBA franchises ahead of Thursday night’s draft. I think he’s a first-round talent and a top 30 player in this draft primarily because of his shot-making and playmaking abilities.
What he could bring to an NBA team is what I feel you see Tyler Herro or Donte DiVincenzo do for their respective teams, McLaughlin can fit that same archetype in my opinion. I do think he’s a better playmaker than Herro though and can be more of a traditional point guard when needed. He finished first in the Big West in points produced (431) and is a versatile passer.
McLaughlin has good placement on his bounce passes and is good at throwing lobs for alley-oops, showing effectiveness as a playmaker off of the dribble.
McLaughlin’s shot-making ability and dynamic scoring potential are why I rank him so much higher maybe than some others do. He can handle the ball and is slippery when driving into the lane, showing good first-step quickness to get past defenders. He’s a great finisher and the numbers back that, according to Hoop-Math he shot 63 percent at the rim.
McLaughlin can make acrobatic finishes look easy and has great body control to hang and finish through contact at the rim. You add that to his ability to be a knockdown shooter effective from multiple ranges off of the dribble or even without the ball, and you can see why I think he can be a triple threat offensively. He’s a microwave scorer who can make plays as a passer in a variety of ways.
One of the big knocks on McLaughlin is that he’s viewed as a below-average defender and that he could be a liability on the defensive end of the floor. I believe he’s much more capable and solid than the narrative that might be out there on his skills.
He’s a good help defender, especially in post-up situations, and has the lateral quickness to stay with most guards on the ball. Plus you look at some of his defensive metrics, with the 95.1 defensive rating McLaughlin finished with last season and it adds to my confidence that he’ll be a productive NBA defender.
I just feel strongly that McLaughlin has become a true sleeper of this draft class and really a talent that’s hidden in plain sight for some reason. There are not sixty players in this draft better than him in my opinion, let alone thirty and I feel teams will be kicking themselves for passing him come draft night.