NBA Draft Profiles: Charles Jenkins, Hofstra

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Stats: 22.6 ppg, 4.8 apg, 3.4 rpg, 2.2 t/o's, 1.7 spg, 42.0 3PT%

Age: 22, senior

Size:

• Listed: 6'3", 220 lb
• Official: 6'1.5" (no shoes), 6'3.25" (with shoes), 6'7.5" (wingspan), 8'0.5" (reach), 216 lb

Strengths: There is a lot to like about Charles Jenkins' game. First and foremost, he can flat out score the basketball. He's a deadeye three-point shooter at 42.0%. A crafty ball-handler, Jenkins is quicker than he is fast, which allows him to create space for his mid-range jumper, which was a real weapon for him this season. He can get all the way to the rim, but he's not really explosive enough to finish amongst the trees at the NBA level. There are two things I really like about Jenkins after this past season -- he only turned the ball over 73 times despite playing 37.3 mpg as Hofstra's primary ball-handler and scorer. He also averaged 4.8 apg and showed terrific shot selection, which are good signs for his future as a point guard in the NBA. He averaged 22.6 ppg, but he only took 20 or more shots three times. Two of those instances were overtime games, one of which he scored 40 points on a season-high 22 shots. I'll take that.

Weaknesses: Athleticism. Jenkins is never going to be a guy that can blow by his defender. He's never going to be a player that can consistently finish above and around the rim. At 6'3" on a good day, Jenkins is going to have to, at the very least, play a role as a combo-guard, and most of the successful combo-guards you see today in the NBA are guys like Jeff Teague, Aaron Brooks, and Monta Ellis -- long, lanky scorers that are impressive athletes. You might have been able to infer it from that last comment, but the biggest question mark involving Jenkins is whether or not he can actually be a point guard at the next level.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Willie Green. Jenkins has a little more grit and toughness, but an extremely similar type game and build as the former University of Detroit standout. Natural, yet slightly undersized, scoring guards who can get fill it up if you them the ball as a complimentary type scorers and shooters on the floor to a star. An interesting comparison I've seen is OJ Mayo. Mayo, who was supposed to be a superstar in the league, has become a role-player and a jump shooter for a playoff team in the Grizzlies.


• Worst Case Scenario: Ronald Murray. Flip was a guy who could come in off the bench and bring you aggressive scoring in spurts. Jenkins is better shooter from 3, but if things don’t work like the former Shaw University star, expect Jenkins to have a similar up and down career, journeyman type career.

Outlook: Like a number of players in this draft, whether or not Jenkins develops into a starter in the NBA is going to depend on whether or not he can develop some better point guard instincts. Yes, he averaged 4.8 apg and just 2.2 t/o's, but Jenkins was and always has been a score-first player. That certainly is not a bad thing, as he can really fill it up when he gets going. There is also probably a role for him in the NBA as a hired-gun off the bench, someone that can come in, spread the floor with his ability to shoot, and create points in a hurry. Throw in the fact that, by all accounts, Jenkins has his head screwed on straight despite a rough early childhood, and you're probably looking at a guy that will have a nice NBA career.

Draft Range: Mid-to-Late 1st round

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "I spoke with a number of NBA scouts about him this weekend, and the consensus continues to evolve. Last time I checked, in November, scouts saw him as a possible late-second-round pick. That's changed. More scouting and perhaps a bit more open-mindedness now has a few scouts conceding that he could sneak into the first round. 'You combine his toughness, shooting ability and efficiency, and I think you can find a spot for a guy like that in the league,' one NBA scout said. 'The first time I saw him this year, I told my GM he's a maybe. Now I think we have to bring him in. We need guys who can score, and he's as lethal as any guard in the country.'"


• Draft Express: "That is where Jenkins truly sets himself apart from the other elite scorers at the Division 1 level – the sheer volume of shots. While players like Fredette, Walker, Providence star Marshon Brooks and even Charleston's Andrew Goudelock are attempting in the realm of 18 to 19 shots per game, the Hofstra senior has managed his eye popping scoring numbers on just 14.5 attempts. In fact, in 28 games this season, Jenkins has taken 20 shots only three times, and two of those games went to overtime."


• Swish Scout: "Tenacious scoring guard with a quick dribble, superb shooting stroke, and scorers mentality. While he projects as more of a pure SG in the NBA, Jenkins is slightly undersized and he played as a one man team at a small school, but is a gamer with great energy and toughness to warrant a fringe first round pick."

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