Jaylen Nowell: The Upcoming Rise

In-depth detail on why Jaylen Nowell will make a name for himself during this upcoming NBA season.

Well, the time has come for Jaylen Nowell. The 6’4 23-year-old guard is set to have a big role for the Minnesota Timberwolves this upcoming season. With Malik Beasley and Patrick Beverley being shipped off as part of the Rudy Gobert trade, Head Coach Chris Finch has mentioned that Nowell is a key piece for the future of the Timberwolves and his development this year will be crucial.

Now, Jaylen Nowell’s stats and numbers aren’t crazy, but that is all due to the minute distribution the Wolves have had this past season. In 62 games this past season, Jaylen Nowell averaged only 15.7 minutes per game. In that span, Nowell’s averages looked like this: 8.5 PTS, 2.0 REB, 2.1 AST and had a very respectful 39.4 3PT%. His TS% was also 58.1%. Look, obviously these aren’t good enough numbers to receive any attention around the league, but the Timberwolves media, the fans, the players and staff all know what Jaylen Nowell is capable off and he will be much more than just a casual role player for this Timberwolves team.

Let’s look at why Jaylen Nowell is a special player…

Highly Skilled Three Level Scorer

Being able to score the basketball anywhere on the floor is a very exceptional skill to have in the NBA. Although not many people know, Jaylen Nowell can do just that. The former PAC-12 player of the year is very good with the basketball, in fact in addition to him shooting almost a 40% clip from three this past season, Nowell is statistically one of the best pull up jump shooters in the NBA. Being in the top percentile in pull up jumpers, Nowell is a scary guard due to the fact that he can pull up and knock down a jumper wherever he is on the floor. This also allows him to be a very smooth and dangerous player in the pick and roll game because opposing players must respect his shooting ability, especially his mid-range game. Here is a video of Nowell scoring 28 PTS vs the Pelicans:

As you can see in this video, Nowell was amazing handling the ball in the pick and roll, attacking defenders and hitting basically everything he wanted with his ability to create and get to his spots that make him comfortable.

Athletic Frame and Handle

As an athletic combo guard, Jaylen Nowell has a ton of upside and untapped potential still. He has very sneaky bounce to his game and has the ability to finish well at the rim over defenders. Over the first few years Nowell’s handle was a little sloppy but has been on the much higher improvement side this past year. He has had some very flashy and athletic plays that go unnoticed around the league including this dunk vs the Celtics:

With that shown, you can tell the explosiveness and leaping ability is right there for Jaylen which just adds more tools for him to be such a problem on the offensive end. Chris Finch talked about his defense this past season and how it needed to improve. It steadily got better over the span of the season, but Nowell does need to show more aggression and tenacious energy on the defensive end which would really bring his game to the next level.

Underrated Playmaker

One of Nowell’s biggest growing spots and something that goes under the radar about his game is his playmaking. Yeah, the numbers don’t show a ton of crazy assist numbers but his ability to draw defenses in and make the right winning play or pass is something he’s really strived at when given the opportunities. Nowell is a very acrobatic player and as hot as he can get shooting and scoring the ball, his IQ and passing precision is quite good, especially for a guard who is usually at the SG position. Enjoy another career high video vs the Celtics here:

Again, Nowell is a player that always stays ready for when his name is called which is something I love about the 23-year-old.

Overall, Nowell is a very bright, young player who has the chance to really improve his game with an increased role this season the Timberwolves. He will be the go-to man off the bench in a big role and there is no doubt in my mind he will make the best of it. Wolves’ fans should be nothing but excited and lookout because Jaylen Nowell’s leap this season will be one to remember!