Hawkins declares for NBA Draft

[3rdbass]

I think he can have a JJ Reddick career, as faux pas as that is to say around here. And that’s not an insult.

I think he get be way better than Reddick due to his athleticism. He even mentioned he is going to work on other parts of his game when he gets to the NBA. I think JJ is the floor for him and not the ceiling. Believe in the Hawk.

 

[EBonz30]

I called you Baby Ray Ray for a reason- now go show the league & have a similar career as Ray Allen himself- it’s been a honor & true joy to be able to watch you for the last two years- thanks for everything & good luck in your future!

 

[RedStickHusky]

Thanks for the memories, go do great things.

 

[Icehawk]

I'll miss that lightning quick shot of his, best of luck to him!

 

[kris1]

If he had a Danny Green career as a floor, I wouldn’t be surprised.
(Not a diss, Danny is 14 years in & 100M in career earnings)

Hmmmmm…great comparison!!

2023 NBA mock draft roundup: Lakers land UConn standout Jordan Hawkins

With the college basketball season over, mock drafts for the upcoming 2023 NBA draft will now come into focus, a draft the Lakers have two picks in.

www.silverscreenandroll.com

 

[BigTenFan]

Great pure shooter. He should have a great NBA career

 

[AdamaNation]

This was expected and good for him, he deserves nothing but praise from the fan base.

I hope he lands in a good situation after the draft.

And never gets a sniff by charlotte or Detroit. Time for some new teams for our guys.

 

[AdamaNation]

He flipped a switch during the SJU loss on 1/15 when he went for 31 points on 9/16 shooting and was a superstar from that game forward. Was similar to what happened with Caron in his second season. Had a mini slump in March before the BET and then was on fire again.

Was such a pleasure to watch his development and admire his even keeled nature. And despite that, he was as cold blooded a shooter as you'll find in college bball. I'm a huge fan and think his skill set is perfectly suited to today's NBA.

I also have no doubt he'll continue to get stronger and tighten up his handle.

Good luck to you Jordan!!!

Much like Caron the last sophomore to leave after a successful tournament run. Hamilton left after the aac title and Kansas loss.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

I think he get be way better than Reddick due to his athleticism. He even mentioned he is going to work on other parts of his game when he gets to the NBA. I think JJ is the floor for him and not the ceiling. Believe in the Hawk.

JJ really never developed a versatile game, and was a pretty poor defender. Hawk has the growth potential to be a very good defender, and if/when he grows into his body, he’ll be able to take the bumps and bruises.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I think he can have a JJ Reddick career, as faux pas as that is to say around here. And that’s not an insult.

I get what you’re saying, and Reddick deserves a lot of credit for working his a ss off to become a much better NBA player than most people expected - I’ll admit it, I like the dude a lot - but I think Jordan’s ceiling is considerably higher.

 

[SwingDog]

No reason in the modern world for kids like Hawkins to stay even though I’d like him to. Seems like a good kid who hopefully will do well We are lucky we won an NC with him, but I’m not convinced that ordinarily it’s good for a program when kids leave early if all it does is attract more kids who might leave early regardless of team success. Very hard these days to repeat once let alone dream of a Wooden era, when the date that brung ya leaves the station ahead of schedule.

I’m very close in age to your parents and was weaned in the era when frosh could’t play varsity and couldn’t be drafted early. I kinda like it when the program has continuity with its star players. We have a team this year where there is a chance that 3 non senior stars could leave in Hawkins, Sanogo and Jackson even though Jackson and maybe Sanogo might stay. If they plus Newton were all to be gone, repeating next year would be a steep hill regardless of how good our freshmen are. With all three we’d probably start the year at or near #1. Different times. Not sure it’s better times except for the players.

I agree. I understand why Hawkins is leaving, and none of us are surprised, and we all wish him nothing but the very best. That said I share similar sentiments as far as enjoying seeing players stay with the program for at least 3, maybe 4 years. It is satisfying seeing them develop not only as athletes but as young men in preparation for whatever comes next in life.

Something I always despised about the Kentucky's of the world are the one-and-done, restock/reload methods of building teams. On one hand it's impressive that coaches are able to successfully rebuild so quickly, but it also makes it disappointing for fans who benefit from watching players develop over time, and getting to sort of build a relationship from a fan/player perspective as you follow them. With early exits for the NBA draft plus the transfer portal, it seems this is the new world we live in in college basketball, and more of a business. I enjoyed seeing Jordan improve and excel and will always be grateful for what he did for the university and the fans.

 

[superjohn]

I get what you’re saying, and Reddick deserves a lot of credit for working his a ss off to become a much better NBA player than most people expected - I’ll admit it, I like the dude a lot - but I think Jordan’s ceiling is considerably higher.

I agree if things play out great for Jordan he could be better than him, he has a higher ceiling than Redick because he's significantly more athletic but JJ had like an 8 year stretch where he was a 16 ppg scorer on something like 43% three point shooting. I would sign up right now for a Redick like career for Hawkins.

We have posters comparing Andre to Kidd, Draymond, and Rondo right now. I think we're all feeling euphoric.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Redick had $116m in career earnings. I'd sign up for that

 

[gtcam]

I have following Hawk since his sophomore year in Baltimore after seeing him in person as a freshman at an AAU tournament that summer.
I am glad he decided to stay at UConn for his sophomore more year because his parents were not happy after last season.
He is a lights out shooter but also has the athleticism that the NBA looks for. He may even grow an inch or so and the good muscle weight he will gain will transform him into a confident pro.
Have to chuckle at 2 things: 1. Those who say Charlotte is taboo. Nothing is true about that if basing it on Bouk. Bouk would/will screw up anything he touches. Charlotte was good to Kemba and helped Lamb gain a big contract elsewhere.
2, to those on the chat who would say - Hawk NBA LOL - eat crow
Congrats young man - the best is yet to come. Thanks for the memories and bringing UConn the 5th NC. Fly high

 

[David 76]

Thanks Hawk
For playing so beautifully
For working so hard
For brining home a championship

 

[djct1999]

Hawk is a modern day Reggie Miller.
His movement off the ball is elite.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I agree if things play out great for Jordan he could be better than him, he has a higher ceiling than Redick because he's significantly more athletic but JJ had like an 8 year stretch where he was a 16 ppg scorer on something like 43% three point shooting. I would sign up right now for a Redick like career for Hawkins.

We have posters comparing Andre to Kidd, Draymond, and Rondo right now. I think we're all feeling euphoric.

I don’t know what other people comparing Andre to Jason Kidd has to do with me thinking Hawkins has a higher ceiling than JJ Redick. And I like JJ Redick and was blown away by the career he made for himself. I just think Jordan is hitting the league with way better tools to build on.

But I also didn’t have Hawkins in the G League at halftime of the St. Mary’s game like other people did, so I might just be more bullish on him.

 

[caw]

If he had a Danny Green career as a floor, I wouldn’t be surprised.
(Not a diss, Danny is 14 years in & 100M in career earnings)

It feels like that should be his floor. It's a good comparison in some respects though.

Danny Green was much more of 3 and D guy than Hawkins projects to be. Still can't argue comparing Hawk to a 40% career three point shooter. Danny Green also has at least 20 lbs on him and is more of a SF. Hawk should be able to be more than a 3 and D guy, even if his percentages are slightly lower.

Still say he compares more to JJ Reddick in how he plays (of current NBA guys).

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Feels good reading other team boards and seeing them gush over Hawkins like this. Thought it’d be a cool share.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

 

[Dove]

Dove is happy for this kid. Looking forward to his success.

 

[NJHoops]

Worth another watch…

 

[caw]

I think he can have a JJ Reddick career, as faux pas as that is to say around here. And that’s not an insult.

Made that comp in January and still agree that should be his floor.

One thing Hawkins has over both Lamb and Bouknight is that his shot is just much better. Never safe to assume it will translate to the NBA but Lamb always had a bit of a slow release and Bouknight never seemed to get his balance right. His upper body would look fine but he always seemed to be floating so the shot just clanked too often.

Hawkins, could find himself a starter with his shot alone. Reddick comes to mind. His shot looks that good when open (and even when guarded). Not saying he would be amazing, but he could easily start with his shooting alone. I think he has plenty of other things going for him as well. Not a star as things stand but certainly could be an asset on the right team.

Someone disagreed because it was an insult to JJ, wonder how that person feels now.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

My bold prediction is that he will make $250M+ in his career and go down as one of the best 3 point shooters ever. Go Hawk Go!!!!

His shot and release are special
Also his willingness to work for that shot shows the stuff needed to stick .
This is no surprise .

 

[willie99]

There is a big difference between being a lottery pick and being a late first round pick. The later, one might want to stay and move into the lottery.

Hawk appears to be closer to a lottery. I think he may be a lottery pick, then he has to go.

Thank you for choosing UConn Hawk. Thanks for the ride. Now chase your dreams. If it's time, it's time. All the best