NBA Draft: What Jamal Shead Brings as a Second-Round Selection

Chalking up the Houston lead guard's draft stock to his smaller stature and underwhelming wingspan is surface level. He'll provide an immediate defensive impact in several facets to wherever he lands on draft night.

Mar 29, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Cougars guard Jamal Shead (1) twists his right ankle driving against Duke Blue Devils forward Mark Mitchell (25) during the first half in the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Jamal Shead turned some heads at the draft combine in mid-May.

He scored 27 points across 38 minutes in two scrimmages on Day 1 and Day 2 at the event, plus 10 assists and a solid showing from beyond the arc, the former Houston Cougar's numbers and effort continue to outshine his measurables. Recorded at 6-foot-1, 200.8 pounds with a 6-foot-3 wingspan and 8-foot standing reach, he measures in the bottom portion of nearly each of those statistics — especially in the height and wingspan department.

These are the primary concerns of his selection coming any higher than past the early second round. His height dissuades scouts, and his offensive proficiency isn't enough to counteract the shortcomings of a 6-foot-1 point guard in today's NBA landscape, certainly if any team was looking to select him in the first round. And as a 29.6% 3-point shooter throughout his four-year career in college, he's not a shooting specialist by any means.

But that doesn't mean he can't grow in those facets, and it also doesn't mean that his hard-nosed, high-motored defense can't propel him to be a great on-ball and point-of-attack defender who provides great value to his team. In fact, I'd bet Shead, if utilized correctly, could be one who shines as a second-round selection in this draft class.

His efficiency at 41.2% from the field in as large of a role as he assumed for the Cougars could translate to the league if he is able to pick his shots as intelligently as in college, though it'd come in a much smaller scale. He's also proven his ability to playmake as a lead guard, able to navigate through the lane and find cutters, open shooters on the kickout, etc. Despite his slight shooting deficiency and lack of length, his offense isn't a crash course waiting to happen.

But the defensive upside a team would get with Shead is palpable. A full 94-feet gritty defender, being coached by Kelvin Sampson only fortified his tenacity and motor on that end. His physicality, size and center of gravity as an on-ball defender is something that shouldn't let him slip too late into the second round. And if a team went out on a limb to pick him up late in the first or early second, I can't say it'd be an unwarranted decision.

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