OKC Thunder Draft: 2 NBA star comparisons for Jalen Suggs
By Mark Nilon
NBA player comparison No. 1) Jrue Holiday
Looking around at some already established player comparisons, we personally feel as though a lot of them are shooting a bit too low when it comes to the overall potential that Jalen Suggs possesses.
No disrespect to guys like George Hill (a former OKC Thunder player himself) and Cory Joseph, but a player of Suggs’ magnitude deserves some higher-level players attached to his name.
Today, we give him those higher-level names, starting with Milwaukee Bucks star, Jrue Holiday.
Frankly, it’s rather obvious why we believe the two, two-way players are great comparisons.
Like Holiday, Suggs is a guard who is just as terrific on defense as he is on offense. During his one-and-done season with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, the 19-year-old managed to post stellar all-around Box Plus/ Minus ratings such as a 4.8 OBPM, a 4.6 DBPM, and an overall BPM of 9.4.
Both are interchangeable when it comes to their backcourt positioning. Play them on-ball at the one, and watch as they excel at running the offense while creating for themselves as well as others — Suggs averaged an assist percentage of 23.7 with 4.5 dimes dropped per game while Holiday is averaging a 25.4 assist percentage with 5.8 dished out.
Slot them in at the two and watch them dice through a defense off-ball in an effort to cut to the rim while also navigating around screens to get open for catch-and-shoot opportunities.
Like Jrue Holiday, Jalen Suggs showcases positional versatility (something Sam Presti and the OKC Thunder would love to have in tow) within the backcourt with the potential to be a legitimate problem when looking to buy a bucket, set up his teammates, or when guarding his opponent whilst on the less glamorous side of the ball.