Mavericks Select Jalen Brunson With No. 33 Pick in 2018 NBA Draft

The two-time national champion and reigning National Player of the Year will try to carry his winning habits to the NBA.

The Mavericks selected Villanova guard Jalen Brunson with the No. 33 pick of the 2018 NBA Draft. 

Brunson, a two-time NCAA national champion and reigning National Player of the Year, averaged 18.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game in 2018 while shooting nearly 41 percent from dowtown and turning the ball over less than twice per game. Coming out of high school, Brunson was a prolific scorer and a top-20 recruit in the 2015 class. After three years in college, he'll now join many of his peers in the NBA. 

At 6'2", Brunson is a tough, strong, and smart guard capable of setting up teammates or finishing plays himself. SI.com's Jeremy Woo broke down his strengths and weaknesses. 

Strengths

• Plays with almost unrivaled poise and high basketball IQ. Generated 1.097 points per possession as a pick-and-roll ballhandler last season.

• Brunson flourished as a scorer, boosting his three-point shooting to a 40.8% clip and dominating opposing guards in the post, averaging a ridiculous 1.208 ppp in those situations.

• Strong finisher around the basket, using either hand to finish among the trees and offset his size and athleticism disadvantage.

Weaknesses

• Brunson was officially listed at 6’3” but is visibly smaller. He doesn’t have an ideal build for the NBA, but has always been able to compensate with his skill and moxie.

• Limited athlete but uses excellent footwork to make up for lack of quickness and speed. Not extremely explosive getting into the paint.

• Physical limitations may hinder him on the defensive end, particularly against upper-tier NBA athletes. He’s a one-position defender given his size.