Jeremy Hazell’s future as an NBA player

This post will look at my opinions about Jeremy Hazell as an NBA player. I have seen him dominate the Big East for the last four years and know a lot about him. He is one of the top scorers in the draft class and his length and athleticism should make him a good defender. Whoever takes a chance on him in the 2nd round of this draft will be very pleased in the future.
1. His ability to score the ball: I was going to write his ability to shoot the ball but that is not the only way he scores. Before this season, he was considered only a shooter. But after this season, it is clear he can score in many ways. This year he showed us his ability to finish in the lane, force fouls, hit the mid range shot, and obviously hit the 3 ball. His ability to score the ball is simply unprecedented and will make him an offensive asset on any team.
2. His ability to defend: Before this year, defense was viewed as Jeremy’s biggest flaw. However, this year, he led Seton Hall in steals with 2.3 per game (according to Yahoo Sports) and was consistently their best man to man defender. He closed out on jump shots and really caused havoc on opposing players. His ability to defend multiple positions will also help him. He has the size and length to guard positions 1 to 3 in the NBA.
3. His work ethic: Jeremy Hazell was one of the hardest working players in college basketball. We hear many stories about how he would show up multiple hours before gametime to shoot around with SHU Assistant Coaches. This work ethic will allow him to make the transition to the NBA game with relative east on the court.
4. His leadership ability: Before the season, Seton Hall was looking for a leader. Jeremy Hazell answered by becoming the unquestioned leader of this team and really showed it throughout the season. He was constantly instructing players where to be and when he was injured, he would help coach the team during timeouts.
5. His basketball IQ: When I watched Jeremy Hazell play this year I noticed this. He would never clog a side on offense, and on defense he would always be in the right spot. This IQ will be another big factor in his NBA success.

Ultimately, these 5 things (along with many others), will cause Jeremy Hazell to become a good to great NBA player. I think that given proper coaching and playing time, he could average 18ppg, 4rpg, 2apg, and 1.5spg in the NBA. I think he will be one of the biggest steals of this draft as he will likely go in the 2nd round. I am hoping the Knicks get him just so I can watch him 82 times a year.

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