One Lakers draft target at each position with the 17th overall pick

Lakers small forward draft target: Jett Howard, Michigan

Jett Howard, the son of Michigan head coach Juwan Howard, is a 6-foot-8 small forward/shooting guard out of Michigan. As a freshman, Howard showed promise and earned multiple accolades, including All-Big Ten 3rd Team and All-Big Ten Freshman.

Howard’s greatest strength is his three-point shooting ability, which he demonstrated with a 36.8% accuracy from beyond the arc on 7.3 attempts per game. He can be deployed as a stationary sniper or a shooter off movement. He also demonstrated a knack for being a pure scorer, not only from three but by creating his own shots in the mid-range pull-up department and by hitting tough shots at the rim.

According to Synergy Sports Technology, Howard connected on 43.5 percent of his three-point attempts that were classified as transition shots, off-screens, and handoffs.

Howard should excel in the actions that most NBA teams run for shooters and scorers like him. He plays hard enough on defense, but he lacks quickness and the defensive intelligence to be an effective on-ball defender against wings in the NBA. He also struggles to maintain a defensive stance and can be a victim of laziness in attempting to get around ball screens.

In terms of weaknesses, Howard suffered multiple ankle injuries during his freshman campaign, which appeared to take a severe toll on his game. Additionally, he doesn’t provide much rim pressure as an interior finisher, but injuries could’ve contributed to his lack of willingness to attack the basket. He was often targeted on defense and got caught ball-watching multiple times.

Overall, Howard’s pure scoring ability and three-point shooting prowess make him an intriguing prospect for any team in need of a sharpshooter. While he needs to work on his defensive game, with development, he could become an impactful player in the NBA. He is one of the prospects who has been more frequently mocked to the Lakers at the 17th pick.

NBA Comparison: Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.