This post will illustrate why I believe Jeremy Hazell will be a good to great pro player in the NBA. Lets get to it:
1. His ability to score the ball: I was going to write his ability to shoot the ball but that is not the only way he scores. Before this season, he was considered only a shooter. But after this season, it is clear he can score in many ways. This year he showed us his ability to finish in the lane, force fouls, hit the mid range shot, and obviously hit the 3 ball. His ability to score the ball is simply unprecedented and will make him an offensive asset on any team.
2. His ability to defend: Before this year, defense was viewed as Jeremy's biggest flaw. However, this year, he lead Seton Hall in steals with 2.3 per game (according to Yahoo Sports) and was consistently their best man to man defender. He closed out on jump shots and really caused havoc on opposing players. His ability to defend multiple positions will also help him. He has the size and length to guard positions 1 to 3 in the NBA.
3. His work ethic: Jeremy Hazell was one of the hardest working players in college basketball. We hear many stories about how he would show up multiple hours before gametime to shoot around with SHU Assistant Coaches. This work ethic will allow him to make the transition to the NBA game with relative east on the court.
4. His leadership ability: Before the season, Seton Hall was looking for a leader. Jeremy Hazell answered by becoming the unquestioned leader of this team and really showed it throughout the season. He was constantly instructing players where to be and when he was injured, he would help coach the team during timeouts.
5. His basketball IQ: When I watched Jeremy Hazell play this year I noticed this. He would never clog a side on offense, and on defense he would always be in the right spot. This IQ will be another big factor in his NBA success.
Ultimately, these 5 things (along with many others), will cause Jeremy Hazell to become a good to great NBA player. I think that given proper coaching and playing time, he could average 18ppg, 4rpg, 2apg, and 1.5spg in the NBA. I think he will be one of the biggest steals of this draft as he will likely go in the 2nd round. I am hoping the Knicks get him just so I can watch him 82 times a year.
Throughout the next week I will be posting articles about Seton Hall's first season under Willard, Herb Pope, Jeff Robinson, and the incoming recruiting class. Next week I will post preliminary information about our schedule next year and what I expect for next season.
No comments:
Post a Comment