Jayden Quaintance

Jayden Quaintance is one of the most naturally talented prospects in the country. He’s 6-foot-9 with massively long arms (7-foot-3-plus wingspan), vertical athleticism, a strong frame, good hands, soft touch, shooting potential, natural face-up skill, and signs of a passing instinct. He also runs the floor well and is a solid rebounder when he commits himself.

Offensively, he has all the natural tools to be a huge mismatch threat. He’s already a major lob and tip-dunk threat who dunks balls while still on his way up, and is equally dangerous out of the dunker spot. He’s intent on developing his shooting range and has the natural touch to do so, which will allow him to maximize floor-spacing in both directions. Consequently, he should be a very tough cover in ball-screen action, because he’s equally capable of rolling or popping. He can put the ball on the floor and attack opposing bigs off the dribble. He’s also a threat to out-run them from rim-to-rim and capable of both making tough catches in traffic and then absorbing contact. Long-term, he should even be someone who is difficult to double-team because of his natural passing ability.

Consistency and efficiency should be the primary objectives for Quaintance moving forward. His overall production can be streaky, often in correlation to his decision-making and shot-selection. He has a tendency to settle for jumpers and hasn’t yet fully grasped how his vast versatility should allow him easier shots, not tougher ones.

Defensively, his fundamentals, footwork, and overall awareness are going to need to be cleaned up, not unlike many talented youngsters, but there’s plenty of sheer tools to work with. His shot-blocking numbers were still solid during the recent grassroots season. He can close ground quickly for his size when closing out and also has the length and athleticism to stay in plays, even when getting caught in a bad angle.

He’s also extremely young for the class. He won’t turn 17 until July of 2024, meaning that while he reclassified up from his original graduating class of 2025, he is not one-and-done eligible in 2024 because of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement.

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• Evaluated 09/01/2023 Eric Bossi National Basketball Director Read