Jett Howard is a freshman guard from the University of Michigan. He’s the son of NBA Champion Juwan Howard, the Wolverines’ head coach. His 6-foot-8 frame and sharpshooting ability make him an exciting prospect in this upcoming NBA Draft.
Jett Howard 2023 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Howard averaged 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.7 blocks at Michigan on 41/37/80 shooting splits. As a freshman playing 31.7 minutes per game, Howard finished first amongst the team in threes and second in points. Not only was Howard one of the best shooters on Michigan last season, but he’s also one of the best shooters in this entire NBA draft class.
Michigan could have had a more successful season, finishing fifth in the Big Ten with an 18-16 record. They ultimately lost in the second round of the NIT Tournament to Vanderbilt. Howard didn’t play in the tournament after suffering an ankle injury.
Howard was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. He also earned Third Team All-Big Ten honors along with teammate Kobe Bufkin. While Michigan as a team didn’t perform relative to their program’s expectations this season, Howard was one of the bright spots.
Strengths
Shooting is the apparent strength of Howard’s and is the main reason he’s a projected first-round pick. His combination of height and shooting is highly coveted in the NBA. Howard is a plug-and-play prospect who can fit into any team and system with his floor spacing ability. Whether it’s spot up, off the dribble, or coming off screens, Howard can do it all as a shooter.
In addition, his size and release time allow him to get his shot off in various situations, making him a tough cover. Because of Howard’s shooting ability, he also has the potential to improve his shot creation and become more than just a floor spacer at the next level.
Weaknesses
Howard has a couple of weaknesses that will likely drop his projected first-round draft stock. First, he’s not a great playmaker and a bit one-dimensional offensively. As a guard, you’d like to see Howard average more than 2.0 assists per game. At times, he becomes too focused on scoring and needs to emphasize getting teammates involved more often.
Another aspect of Howard’s playmaking he needs to improve on is his ballhandling. If he can’t improve this, he’ll be limited as an offensive threat and likely be a spot-up shooter. He needs to become more versatile offensively as someone who can create his own shot and get teammates involved; both areas of improvement involve his ballhandling deficiencies. Especially at the next level, with the quality of NBA wing defenders, Howard will have to get more comfortable attacking off the dribble.
Defensively, Howard has the frame that makes for an intriguing prospect because of his switchability. However, he currently isn’t a plus defender. He doesn’t have great agility and could have trouble keeping up with quicker guards at the next level. In addition, he needs to add strength to contain some other wings he might have to guard. As a result, he could present matchup problems and be a liability for his team on defense until he improves his quickness and strength.
NBA Player Comparison
James Jones. Jones is the same height as Howard at 6-foot-8 and had a solid 14-year NBA career as primarily a three-point specialist. In his career, Jones averaged 5.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.5 assists on 40/40/84 shooting splits in 15.7 minutes per game. Jett could have a similar NBA career as a role player that provides elite shooting off the bench.
Jones averaged only 0.3 steals and 0.3 blocks per game and likely would’ve seen the floor more if he wasn’t as one-dimensional, which is the same area that Howard needs to improve. In addition, neither are elite shot creators and rely on others to help them get open. If Howard wants to see the floor more than Jones’ 15.7 minutes per game, he’ll have to improve as a defender and playmaker.
Nonetheless, Jones still had a successful career as an offensive-minded, three-point specialist. He was a three-time NBA Champion. Jones is a blueprint that Howard should try to emulate to find success in the NBA, given their similar builds and skill sets.
