2023 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Blazers and Bulls find new life
66. . F, Michigan. Phoenix Suns. Jett Howard. 12. player
Jett Howard has been one of college basketball’s most pleasant surprises. The son of Michigan head coach Juwan Howard, it didn’t take Jett long to carve out his role and cement his status as one of the top freshmen in college basketball. In a league built on size, versatility, and shooting, Howard checks every box.
The Suns currently have something of a void in the frontcourt. Jae Crowder is away from the team, they appear very hesitant to pay Cam Johnson, and injuries have ravaged Phoenix all year. Jett Howard could slide immediately into an important 3-and-D role for a Phoenix team that still has competitive aspirations.
With picturesque shooting mechanics and impressive 3-point efficiency (38.8 percent on 7.2 attempts per game), Howard should stick around at the next level on the strength of his floor spacing alone. But he’s not just a shooter with size. Howard has flashed real juice creating for himself off the dribble, frequently getting downhill and creating advantages off of his shooting gravity.
Howard isn’t the best defender on the board, but he’s strongly built and he competes hard every night. The effort level and desire to contribute within a team context exist, so it’s a smart bet that he will nail down the fundamentals in time.