NBA Draft: Florida State's Jamir Watkins Could be Poised to Take Another Leap

After withdrawing from the 2024 NBA draft, Jamir Watkins has shown an expanded game in Florida State's two exhibition games

Mar 2, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Florida State Seminoles forward Jamir Watkins (2) dunks over Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets forward Baye Ndongo (11) in the first half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Florida State has impressed in their two exhibition victories against St. Leo and West Florida, headlined by potential first-round pick Jamir Watkins.

While the Seminoles were not facing high levels of competition in either of their preseason matchups, Watkins consistently showed what makes him so intriguing as an upperclassman prospect. This article will break down Watkins’ play in each of these exhibitions while highlighting the aspects of his game that could best translate to the NBA next season.

As one of the better returning draft prospects in college basketball, Watkins enters the season with a great chance to raise his draft stock thanks to his already impressive two-way versatility. He is coming off a very productive season in which he averaged around 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. This level of statistical dominance is not the only impressive aspect of his draftability; his physical tools and long-term development are also very promising. His positional size at 6-foot-7 and 210 lbs stands out, but when combined with his impressive lateral and vertical explosiveness, he seems ready to be effective in the NBA as early as his rookie season.

His first showing this preseason against St. Leo provided a clear view of how he makes his impact felt. Finishing the game with 18 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals in 22 minutes of action, Watkins is a very active player on both ends. Offensively, he consistently knocks down catch-and-shoot threes, which stood out in this game with his 3-of-5 shooting from deep. He moves well off-ball and quickly makes smart reads to get to his spots. Not all of these reads off movement lead to threes, as he also effectively attacks cutting lanes to create easier looks at the rim. While he is not an overly creative ball-handler, he does a good job of staying under control and attacking angles. His four assists in this matchup demonstrated promising growth as a decision-maker. He will likely not be asked to do too much of this as the season progresses, but flashes like this are extremely promising for his versatility as a connective wing.

The defensive side of the ball is where Watkins can really shine. He makes great reads on and off the ball and aggressively attacks passing lanes. He is switchable along the perimeter and targeted weaker handles in this matchup to create turnovers while defending on-ball. He showed flashes of picking up smaller guards for the full length of the court, and if he does this consistently throughout the season, he has a chance to be one of the top three-and-D players in this class.

His second showing against West Florida did not offer quite as much of an opportunity to showcase his game, but he still finished with a stat line of 14 points, four rebounds, six assists and four steals. The variety of productivity he showcased this preseason is incredibly promising and suggests that his game has expanded from last season. He plays aggressively regardless of the level of competition and made the most of this exhibition by focusing on getting into the lane. He struggled from deep in this game, shooting 1-of-4, but did a great job of adjusting his playstyle and excelled at moving the ball quickly.

His four steals in this matchup stood out as he looked dominant while applying pressure. He reads opponents very well, and despite playing aggressively, he rarely got out of position in this matchup. West Florida was clearly not on the same level as Florida State, but if Watkins can carry this level of engagement into ACC play, he could quickly rise up draft boards.

Watkins seems to be flying under the radar to a certain extent due to his age, but his two-way potential is extremely promising. Most NBA drafts in recent years have been dominated by young talent, but Watkins looks to be in a position to battle for one of the top upperclassmen selected in the 2025 draft class.

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