[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2023 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Jalen Slawson
Frame: 6’7″, 220 lbs
Position: Forward
Team: Furman 
2023 Draft Age: 23
Stats via www.sports-reference.com

Offense

Slawson is an above-the-rim finisher who gets himself open by cutting to open spots around the rim or slipping ball screens in pick and rolls. He uses his vertical prowess to finish over rim protectors or just gets ahead of them in transition for easy flushes.

He’s improved as a three-point shooter, leaping from 30 percent the prior season to 38.5 percent. With Slawson’s high release, his shot is difficult for smaller players to contest. His mechanics are a bit awkward, as he has a two-motion shot, which is visible at the line where he shot  77.4 percent on 164 attempts. He has confidence in his shooting ability and has no problem getting up shots in space. He excelled as both a spot-up shooter and pick-and-pop threat this past season.

Slawson has developed as a facilitator, operating as a pseudo hub in the mid-post at times for Furman. He can find cutters around the rim and shooters in the weak corners—and threads the needle well to backdoor cutters. He showed flashes of patience, letting actions play out and finding a teammate open for a quality look, averaging 3.7 assists with a 20.4 assist percentage, per www.barttorvik.com. 

Slawson uses a right-handed hook shot over smaller defenders, which pairs well with his ability to facilitate. He often relied on his size to create advantages but didn’t score well with his left, which may not translate well to the next level. He shot an efficient at 39.7 percent on 73 attempts while being assisted on 10.3 percent of these shots. 

Slashing is another aspect of Slawson’s profile that has some flashes of brilliance. He uses a valuable pump fake to blow past defenders and get to the rim. He is a right-handed dominant player and often spins back to his right when attacking with his left hand. Despite his vertical pop and right-handed prowess, he needs to improve with his left.

His handle could be more diverse, as Slawson often appears stiff and uncomfortable when breaking a defender down. He is turnover prone when driving into areas with multiple defenders. Slawson shot 71.2 percent on 146 attempts while only being assisted on 54.8 percent. 

Defense

Slawson is a versatile defender, capable of guarding multiple positions effectively. His footspeed is good enough to let him stay in front of ball handlers on the perimeter with the ability to pluck the ball away from opposing players (1.5 steals with a 2.7 steals percentage).

But he doesn’t quite possess the foot speed necessary to consistently stay in front of smaller guards. Mobile wings such as GG Jackson Jr. (South Carolina) could easily score on Slawson. His lack of trust size at forward leads to struggles against big men. He’s more likely to defend wings at the next level.

He did how significant flashes as a rim protector. When one to two passes away, Slawson has excellent timing at rotating to send the shot out of the air. He can meet players at the rim to contest shots and even pin them against the glass.

At times, Slawson needs to improve his positioning on the weak side, which can lead to late contests. On the season, Slawson averaged 1.6 blocks with a 5.4 block percentage. 

He is prone to roaming around and ball-watching occasionally, leading to his man getting open looks or filling in an open spot on the court to make a quality attempt. He can have trouble getting through off-ball sets, a part of his game he will need to fine-tune at the next level.

Looking Ahead

Despite his age, Slawson is a prospect full of intrigue as a jack-of-all-trades player on both sides of the ball. His play finishing, growing facilitating ability, and defensive utility should garner second-round interest. His consistency as a defender and shooter will determine his future in the NBA.