Jakarr Sampson

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St. John’s 67, Bucknell 63

Tuesday, November 19, 2013 | Carnesecca Arena (Queens, NY)

Jakarr Sampson — SF, 6-8, 205
Sophomore, 21 years old

Season: 15 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 53% Field Goal

Game: 11 points, 6 rebounds

Outlook: Standing at 6-8 with a 6-11 wingspan, Sampson is a freakishly athletic swingman with great length and a quick first step. He has great potential finishing in transition, rebounding from the wing, and developing his touch inside the paint. That said, he’s frail, has a suspect handle, poor jump shot, and doesn’t seem to have much of an offensive skill set inside the 3-point line.

Sampson primarily played in the paint last season (97% of his shots were inside 17-feet), so first and foremost, he will need to expand his game to play small forward at the next level.

Sampson is a good player with obvious upside, evidenced by averaging 14.9 points and 6.7 rebounds en route to winning Big East Freshman of the Year last season. He plays with a strong motor and is a tough cover due to his length and open-court threat. But his weaknesses are obvious, and at this point—very early in his sophomore season—he’s more of a project than a polished player.  After flirting with the NBA Draft last season, Sampson needs to showcase progress in his game this year.

Offense

Field Goals

Although he’s disoriented on offense (in terms of ball handling and coordination in isolation situations), Sampson did showcase a nice touch with his right hand vs. Bucknell. He seems to have an idea of what he’s trying to do with the ball, but he hasn’t perfected any go-to moves. Against Bucknell, Sampson would often receive the ball, try to make a move, get stifled, then pick up his dribble. With his size and athleticism, it was a little concerning that Sampson did not “take over”—or even stand out—at any point in the game.

I think Sampson’s intrigue stems from his ability to make a few “wow” plays every game, when he showcases his NBA athleticism and length.

Sampson was fairly averse to “going left” as a freshman. On drives last season, he went right on 78% of possessions and went left on only 22% of possessions, where his 1.33 PPP going left ranked in the bottom 95 percent nationally. Furthermore, when Sampson received the ball on the left side of the court last season, he drove toward the middle 73% of the time (avoiding going left). And when he received the ball on the right side of the court, he attacked the baseline (using his right hand) 61% of the time. This is perhaps something to monitor throughout the season.

Shooting

Sampson can post up smaller defenders, and is a terror in the open court. However, he struggles shooting the ball — his .76 points per possession on jump shots last season ranked in the 33^rd percentile nationally, and his .75 points per possession on catch-and-shoot attempts ranked in the bottom 75^th percentile. Defenders often sag off and let him shoot, making it tough for him to score off the dribble. There’s still a lot of time for Sampson to showcase an improved jump shot this season, but I didn’t see it vs. Bucknell.

Transition

Sampson quickly gets up the floor and is a threat to spot-up, receive the ball in stride or finish an alley-oop. He’ll need to add muscle to finish through contact, but he’s a great asset in transition.

Activity / Put-Backs

Offensive rebounds and put-backs composed 10.3% of Sampson’s shot attempts last season, where he posted a very solid 1.19 points per possession (72^nd percentile). Statistics aside, though, it’s easy to see on film — he’s long, active, athletic, and plays in the post. Sampson can make you pay if you don’t box him out.

Defense

Sampson’s length and lateral quickness allow him to stay with his man and contest shots on the perimeter. His .769 points per possession defending spot-up shots last season ranked in the 72nd percentile nationally, and his .52 PPP in isolation situations ranked in the 81^st percentile. If he can get stronger, he should be able to defend NBA small forwards. If he doesn’t, he will get bullied in the post, and probably won’t see minutes in the League.

Overall

Simply put, if Sampson can add weight and showcase an improved jump shot, he has the athleticism and rebounding ability to get drafted. That’s a big “if”, though, as there’s so many things that go into correcting a jump shot. If he continues to be a poor shooter and again shoots 97% of his shots inside 17-feet this season, it will be difficult for him to crack an NBA rotation.

Syracuse 68, St. John’s 63

Sunday, December 15, 2013 | Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)

Jakarr Sampson — SF, 6-8, 205
Sophomore, 21 years old

Season (28.3 mpg): 12.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 52% FG

Game (24 min): 12 points, 6 rebounds, 6-10 field goals

Outlook: As previously mentioned, Sampson is an NBA-level athlete with two-way versatility and smooth finishing ability. He can rebound from the wing and is improving off the dribble. If he can add muscle to his frame and continue to slowly extend his range, he’ll be one of the more intriguing prospects because of his bounce and activity level.

Sampson is more skilled creating off the dribble than I originally thought. Against Syracuse, he showcased the ability to create separation from his defender and rise for a jump shot. He still releases the ball from his chest, though, so I’m not sold.

Video: vs. Syracuse

He had good awareness on the glass, too.

This is not the end for evaluating Sampson. He’s developed nicely over the first half of the season — let’s see if he can continue to take steps forward. Also, it seems he’s assuming a leadership role on this St. John’s team, a sign of development off the court as well.

Coming soon