Cincinnati’s Jacob Evans III could bring defense, shooting to Suns

PHOENIX — The most important commodity for an NBA roster is a player who is smart, can shoot threes at a good clip and defend multiple positions.

Sure, Jayson Tatum is going to be a star one day for the Boston Celtics, but the majority of his appeal this season was about his ability to do all of those things as a rookie.

That’s the type of player to put around a focal point like the Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker.

It’s what the Phoenix Suns were hoping to do with their last three selections in the first round: Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss and Josh Jackson.

They targeted a similar player in Miami’s Davon Reed at the top of the second round last year, and the Suns will likely target the same type of impact role player in the middle of the first round and at the start of round two this upcoming NBA Draft.

It’s about building the right supporting cast, which is where the appeal is for a prospect like Cincinnati’s Jacob Evans III.

Evans worked out for the Suns on Tuesday along with five other prospects. In his first workout, he shared the floor with ASU’s Shannon Evans II and Kodi Justice, Australia’s William McDowell-White, Temple’s Obi Enechionyia and Wyoming’s Alan Herndon.

The 20-year-old Evans is aware of what makes him a potential first-round pick.

“Just being able to do a lot of things on the floor with my size and my length,” he said after the workout Tuesday.

Evans, who measured in at 6-foot-6 and 200 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine, has also been following that recent trend in the NBA.

“The NBA is translating to a very versatile, kind of positionless basketball, so I feel like I fit that mold,” Evans said.

Evans’ stat profile doesn’t look the part of a potential first-round pick. He averaged 13.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists a game for the Bearcats as a junior.

Where he does look the part is with those three aforementioned qualities.

Evans shot 41.8 percent from three-point range on 4.6 attempts a game last season and 37.0 percent on 4.5 attempts a game this season.

That’s the type of volume that shows Evans can make catch-and-shoot looks when the defense is still in a decent position.

That’s his swing skill, though, which Suns general manager Ryan McDonough highlighted as the key for him.

Defensively, Evans has a great motor and relies on his instincts to make plays. This clip emphasizes a possession where Evans isn’t necessarily overwhelming his man, but he works hard to beat him to the spot and then sees an opening for a steal.

“He’s physical, he’s aggressive,” McDonough said of Evans’ style.

Evans is not the fastest or the longest defender, but playing within the high-pressure defense for Mick Cronin’s Cincinnati team, there are three years of tape that back up his defensive ability and how it could transition into the NBA.

Evans is projected to go anywhere from the mid-first round to the beginning of the second round, where the Suns own the No. 16 and 31 picks.

“He’s a solid all-around player,” McDonough said. “Those versatile wings with some size and strength and length are pretty in demand right now.”

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