2021 NBA Draft: 5 Most Undervalued Prospects
By Evan Wheeler
DeJon Jarreau, G (Point Guard), Houston
2020-21 Stats: 10.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 43% FG, 34.4% 3PT, 19.8 PER
Age: 23
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 185 lbs
Wingspan: 6’7″
Often overlooked for his Houston teammates fellow 2021 draft prospect guard Quentin Grimes and 2022 prospect guard Marcus Sasser, DeJon Jarreau could arguably end up being the most successful NBA player of the three. I don’t necessarily view Jarreau as highly as I do as the other names on this list, I don’t think he’s ever going to be a star player.
There are very clear deficiencies and limitations in his game, especially on the offensive end of the floor mainly as a scorer. I look at the 2021 AAC Defensive Player of the Year as a potentially invaluable role player who can be a franchise’s ultimate glue guy. I think he can be a tremendous backup point guard in an NBA rotation and provide whatever team acquires his services with defense and additional playmaking.
The main way he’s going to see the floor early on in his career is with what he can do as a defender, it’s going to be a calling card for most of his NBA career if he is to stick in my opinion. Jarreau finished last season in the AAC conference second in defensive rating (88.1), defensive box plus/minus (4.3), and defensive win shares (2.3). He’s about as good of an on-ball defender as you’re going to find in this draft and it’s where I assume he will be utilized the most.
Jarreau does an excellent job of smothering a ball-handler and forcing whomever he is guarding into making rushed decisions with the basketball by suffocating them with consistent pressure.
Offensively is again where I think Jarreau will have to adjust, he’s not really fantastic at any one thing on that end of the floor. His shot is spotty, to say the least, I’m not sure he’s an ambidextrous finisher as he favors his right hand heavily, and he doesn’t have elite handling skills. But what Jarreau can do offensively I still think will be valued by NBA teams, given what he will bring with his defense.
Jarreau is mainly going to impact the game offensively at the next level with his playmaking ability. He’s a capable pick-and-roll initiator and creator out of those situations, who can hit the occasional catch and shoot three or jumper. He’ll be a sneaky triple-double threat at times, probably even getting the classic 5-5-5 line like its clockwork, but I expect him to mainly be a second unit player for a majority of his career.
Jarreau might not be a clear All-Star level talent, but he does have immense value as a defensive playmaker who can hit some threes for you off of your bench. He’s the kind of player a coach is going to love and will be someone you want to have in your rotation to utilize. ‘
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If nothing else, Jarreau should be an effective NBA role player and while I wouldn’t draft him in the first round, he’s totally worth a selection in the second round for teams in need of defense and playmaking at the lead guard spot.