What Do We Know About Jalen Washington 2023-24?

[What Would Jesus Do?]

The more I think about it, unless Hubert lands a solid backup for Armando, Jalen Washington may be the difference between a good season and a great season.

He had 1 really good half last year. The Virginia game in January. Filling in for an injured Armando, Jalen racked up 12 points (on 5 of 7 shooting) and 3 rebounds in 11 minutes. Impressive. Promising. But he came back to Earth in the 2nd half, and that was his only double-digit game in points or minutes for the season. Worse still, he hardly played and failed to score the last 8 games.

Overall, he shot well from 2 pt range (57.1%), and was an adequate rebounder in limited minutes. But whiffed all his 3 pt attempts (only 7) and was nothing special from the line (64.7%). On a per-25-minutes basis, he was in the 10 points, 6 rebounds range. Serviceable, I suppose, but not there yet - especially when you consider that was on light use and skewed by his one good half.

So . . . what do we know about Jalen as summer begins in 2023? It's been a long while since his injury and surgeries. What improvements have those in the know seen? Is he there yet? Is he charged up and ready to go? Will he be ready, or will he be another Sterling Manley or Jeremiah Francis?

 

[Mrs.Jeans15]

Coming off an injury I didn't expect much. Not to mention the guard play wasn't great to make it easier for our bigs.

Will judge him by this season.

 

[montana_heel]

You always hear the first year back from knee issues, players are not the same. Add being a freshman to that mix. I am expecting big things from Jalen this year. Think he will block some shots and rebound well. He seems to have the ability to shoot with a soft touch. My hope is that he has the ability to bang a little down low on offense when it is called for. See how his strength has come along over the summer.

 

[kjcooper]

Really hoping for big things from Jalen this coming season, as stated it's not easy coming back from knee injuries. The problems he encountered last season was lack of conditioning, and not trusting his rehabilitation on the knee. Not so sure that he will be a force early on, but as the season progresses he will probably show tremendous improvement from last season. Have to root for him to be able to contribute this season, after all that he has endured.

 

[TPFKAPFS]

IIRC he had multiple surgeries so it stands to reason he needed extra time to recover physically and mentally! But it is especially difficult for him because he lost so.much strength/conditioning; he was stepping way up in comp; the perimeter players didn't feed bigs well; and he had coaches who were growing into their jobs! I expect a big jump next season and a tremendous leap the following!

 

[DSouthr]

First, I want folks to understand, when Bacot was out last season, we saw an uptick in both Jallen as well as Nance's production and we as well saw what may have been some our best play last season from guys not named Bacot. The reason, David Sisk discussed this in a couple pods, when Bacot was in he stayed in the deep paint, his defender stayed there with him and many times and additional defender was in there as well, the lane was still a bit clogged. But when Bacot came out either Jalen or Nance came out of the lane some, freed up for drivers that had a little more room. So it is a little different thing that spread defenses out a little bit more, not a dig at Bacot, just saying it made the other guys go about things a bit different that seemed to work out well. This is why I am not as panicked about having another stationary big man when we have Jalen and High.

 

[Archer2]

First, I want folks to understand, when Bacot was out last season, we saw an uptick in both Jallen as well as Nance's production and we as well saw what may have been some our best play last season from guys not named Bacot. The reason, David Sisk discussed this in a couple pods, when Bacot was in he stayed in the deep paint, his defender stayed there with him and many times and additional defender was in there as well, the lane was still a bit clogged. But when Bacot came out either Jalen or Nance came out of the lane some, freed up for drivers that had a little more room. So it is a little different thing that spread defenses out a little bit more, not a dig at Bacot, just saying it made the other guys go about things a bit different that seemed to work out well. This is why I am not as panicked about having another stationary big man when we have Jalen and High.

I concur. As I stated in another thread, I believe congestion in the lane will be much improved(even with Mando in). I don’t believe there are many collegiate guards who will be able to handle Cadeau one on one. Improved perimeter shooting and no longer playing 3 on 5 offensively means Leaky and Nance’s defenders can’t drop down, clogging up the lane. Cadeau’s ability to penetrate and assist also opens up the lane as help defenders must adjust.

I think Washington and Trimble are the X-factors for this season. If we get improvement from them, and I think we will, we have a lot of potential.

 

[DSouthr]

Exactly right Arch !

While I for sure agree that Seth and Jalen will be important pieces for us I feel like the real difference makers that can take us from being pretty good next season to what I think is a final 4 level team is the duo of Ingram and Withers. More so due to how I think they will fit with the rest of our starters as well as what it seems Hubert wants his team to do. There were others in the portal more talented than those 2 fellas, I don't know that there was a better fit than those 2, I will take fit over talent.

Think about it, literally all Ingram and Withers need to do on the offensive end is take and make wide open jumpers, to be able to shoot enough that defenses can not leave them alone and double elsewhere. And yet, opponents are not going to be able to handle Cadeau 1 on 1 and teams will have no chance if they try to defend Bacot 1 on 1. If Ingram and Withers can take and make those open jumpers with RJ hunting his shot & Cadeau looking to drive and dish, good luck defending UNC cause ya gonna need it! Their being + defenders on the other end of the court makes it even sweeter!

Now I see some saying that IF Hubert takes us back to the UNC running game, pushing tempo, pass aheads, quick passing, primary and secondary breaking it will really juice our offense up. And while I for sure agree with that, I don't know that Hubert could slow Cadeau down enough to play like we did last season! LOL This kid is to the fast breaks what Ty Lawson was for Roy but Cadeau is a much better passer and he will consistently defend without having to be screamed at by his coach.

 

[TPFKAPFS]

Nance played his best ball when he moved back into the post! I hate peeps insisting on playing positions based on their wants and not on what their game + bodies demand and team needs! It is a function of the ridiculous idea of "positionless" basketball! Bball has positions and it has them for really good reasons! Skillsets, body composition, and team needs determine positions and peeps/teams thrive when they listen to reality! Peeps are confusing versatility with a lack of position. If a kid can play the 2 or 3 OR 4 or 5, then team needs comes to the fore! If a combo joins the team, he plays 1 or 2 based on who else is there! Our team has some really versatile pieces and, more importantly, our players seem to be the type that will play where they are needed!

 

[DSouthr]

Nance played his best ball when he moved back into the post! I hate peeps insisting on playing positions based on their wants and not on what their game + bodies demand and team needs! It is a function of the ridiculous idea of "positionless" basketball! Bball has positions and it has them for really good reasons! Skillsets, body composition, and team needs determine positions and peeps/teams thrive when they listen to reality! Peeps are confusing versatility with a lack of position. If a kid can play the 2 or 3 OR 4 or 5, then team needs comes to the fore! If a combo joins the team, he plays 1 or 2 based on who else is there! Our team has some really versatile pieces and, more importantly, our players seem to be the type that will play where they are needed!

PREACH ON BROTHER!!!!!!!

" I hate peeps insisting on playing positions based on their wants and not on what their game + bodies demand and team needs! It is a function of the ridiculous idea of "positionless" basketball! Bball has positions and it has them for really good reasons! "

My old fuddy duddy generation had a saying, if you are a jack of all trades you were a master of none. Had I had NBA level talent, frankly I would want to play what ever position they wanted me at, they would tell me what position I needed to play, it would not be me telling them, college or pro. I think you should work to master the position that your size, length and ability best fit you at and stop trying to be something you aren't.

 

[Tom79]

All I know is Jalen will be good. We did get a short glimpse last seaon but IMO he could be better
and more consistant than that in his minutes this season.

 

[Archer2]

Exactly right Arch !

While I for sure agree that Seth and Jalen will be important pieces for us I feel like the real difference makers that can take us from being pretty good next season to what I think is a final 4 level team is the duo of Ingram and Withers. More so due to how I think they will fit with the rest of our starters as well as what it seems Hubert wants his team to do. There were others in the portal more talented than those 2 fellas, I don't know that there was a better fit than those 2, I will take fit over talent.

Think about it, literally all Ingram and Withers need to do on the offensive end is take and make wide open jumpers, to be able to shoot enough that defenses can not leave them alone and double elsewhere. And yet, opponents are not going to be able to handle Cadeau 1 on 1 and teams will have no chance if they try to defend Bacot 1 on 1. If Ingram and Withers can take and make those open jumpers with RJ hunting his shot & Cadeau looking to drive and dish, good luck defending UNC cause ya gonna need it! Their being + defenders on the other end of the court makes it even sweeter!

Now I see some saying that IF Hubert takes us back to the UNC running game, pushing tempo, pass aheads, quick passing, primary and secondary breaking it will really juice our offense up. And while I for sure agree with that, I don't know that Hubert could slow Cadeau down enough to play like we did last season! LOL This kid is to the fast breaks what Ty Lawson was for Roy but Cadeau is a much better passer and he will consistently defend without having to be screamed at by his coach.

Yeah Dave, the only reason I said Seth and Jalen we our X-factors is because I too think Ingram and Withers are big improvements over Leaky and Nance because they fit our team’s needs much better. I expect them both to be productive from day one with their combination of skill and experience. With a true distributor in Cadeau, our shot selection will improve as Cadeau gets the ball to the other players where they can be most effective.

 

[DSouthr]

Arch, I am a little hesitant when it comes to Jalen and Seth only because there are major issues from last season in each of their games that really need work and I am not sure right now how much of that they can resolve for the coming season.

Seth, clear and to the point, has to jump shoot better, right now you play him to drive exclusively and dare him to jump shoot, the leaky treatment that poor shooters get. Limits his effectiveness if defenders play him exclusive to drive.

Jalen, I am hoping the key is just conditioning and adding strength/weight. I just can't dismiss that he could be Sterling Manley or he could completely recover and become a very very special player. Got to tell ya, guys with 7'5" reaches with that sweet sweet turnaround jumper and range out to trey do not grow on trees!

While I don't think it will be worst case for either of those fellas, I would suggest if it does end up worse case for those 2 that we still have what I think is final 4 level talent. If rather what we get is break out play from either of those fellas then the cherry is fixed on top of the sundae. LOL

 

[ChiShankCity]

Nance played his best ball when he moved back into the post! I hate peeps insisting on playing positions based on their wants and not on what their game + bodies demand and team needs! It is a function of the ridiculous idea of "positionless" basketball! Bball has positions and it has them for really good reasons! Skillsets, body composition, and team needs determine positions and peeps/teams thrive when they listen to reality! Peeps are confusing versatility with a lack of position. If a kid can play the 2 or 3 OR 4 or 5, then team needs comes to the fore! If a combo joins the team, he plays 1 or 2 based on who else is there! Our team has some really versatile pieces and, more importantly, our players seem to be the type that will play where they are needed!

I don’t think players play positions based on wants (not when the games really count anyways). Most of it is based on matchups later in the season.

If you don’t have some positional flexibility on defense, you’re going to get targeted. Leaky could defend 1-3 at a plus level and could hold his own against some 4’s. That made him a much more valuable defender than if he could only guard 3’s.

There were too many dudes you can hunt against us last year. You could hunt Caleb when he was shooting 3-14 and let his offense impact his defense. You could hunt RJ if you had taller guards. You could hunt Nance, Bacot or Washington on ball screens.

We’ll see about Cadeau, but hopefully RJ is the only one you can really hunt against us this season.

Defensively, give me as many “positionless” dudes as possible. We’ve sucked at guarding ball screens for the last 20 years, lol. I would kill for a team that could just switch 1-5 defensively.

 

[TPFKAPFS]

Obviously in crunch time even the weakest coach will attempt to play his players in positions that increase winning potential! I did not say it was rampant or pervasive; I said I hate players trying to tell their teams where they want to play, even before they will agree to sign with a team! Players should take their time and analyze team makeup; team play style; coaching style and the coaches NBA connections; the conference; the potential for national exposure and upper-level comp; and their potential NIL-BUT they should never have the hubris to tell a coach I will only play if I am guaranteed to start OR I will only play position X! This is unbelievably ridiculous, and it contributes to the decline in play, the increasing number of coaches retiring, and the increase in fair weather fans! Versatility is one of the most important aspects of a player you can have! I love peeps who can guard and play multiple positions, but I hate players who insist on a position despite their bodies, games, and team needs saying otherwise! I especially love someone who is able AND willing to `put forth the effort and study required to effectively guard multiple positions! There is no such thing as a "positionless" player, but there are peeps who can play multiple positions! (They always have one that is their best fit, however) Magic Johnson might be the closest thing we have ever seen to a truly positionless player, but it is clear 5 is his weakest and 1 is his best!

Positionless basketball is at best a passing buzz word and at worst enables the entitlement of a few peeps over team success! Positionless bball means less than dribble drive offense-(is there any other way to drive?) Note that Joker is forcing peeps to go back to traditional bigs, lol! The game will force you to adapt to it, but it always maintains its core!

 

[ChiShankCity]

Positionless basketball is at best a passing buzz word and at worst enables the entitlement of a few peeps over team success! Positionless bball means less than dribble drive offense-(is there any other way to drive?) Note that Joker is forcing peeps to go back to traditional bigs, lol! The game will force you to adapt to it, but it always maintains its core!

If Jokic forces teams to go to traditional bigs, then no one is going to contain him for as long as he stays healthy. Jokic is the most unique big man probably in NBA history (maybe prime Arvydas?). The ultimate advantage he has is because he has the most varied skillset of a player his size.

"Positionless" is more of a thing with players with some size. You're not going to have a PG who ever plays center in the college or pro level. You likely won't have a SG play center. But if you're a 6'7" or taller, it's best for you to have some skills of a point guard, a shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center IMO. It makes you more valuable on defense for one. Depending how efficient you are, it makes you more difficult to guard.

Also, the "at worst enables the entitlement of a few peeps over team success" can easily be brought to players who want to play one specific position. Anthony Davis historically doesn't want to play center. Every year, his team performs best when he plays center. It has limited the success of his teams in the past since he hasn't wanted to play center all the time. What about a player that gets bitches about coming off the bench? Playing off the bench vs starting are two different things. Are the players that are able and willing to do both "positionless"? If so, then the dude that's bitches because he wants a starting "position" is limiting his team's success due to his individual entitlement.

Anything can enable entitlement of the individual over team success. That has nothing to do with "positionless basketball."

 

[TPFKAPFS]

BTW: Magic and LeBron are both point guards that can play center! (and they have size) They are versatile but have positions! AD is the perfect example of a guy who is allowed to negatively impact team success. The Lakers should trade him immediately for Dame since they have plenty of time to find another Big and have Hayes already! A guy bitching on the bench just gets to stay on the bench until he can be released or traded. If he couldn't earn the start he isn't really a bell cow now is he? AND none of this is even related to my point! I'll try to be clear since you work so hard to cherry pick-

A player is entitled by coaches allowing him to dictate the position he will accept or promising him either a position or a starting spot. Players like Kessler, Nance, Withdrew kill team chemistry and hurt themselves by refusing to play where the team and their games demand! (including playing from the bench) Players like Paige, RJ, Leaky add orders of magnitude because they play where they fit! (and change roles if needed) All are versatile, all have multiple positions, but some decided to let their selfishness prevent them from thriving!

BTW: The phrase "anything can enable entitlement of the individual...." is so overblown it borders on stupid! It is a textbook example of the logical fallacy described as "Erroneously attempting to make a reasonable argument into an absurd one, by taking the argument to the extremes. ' Try harder!