Vanderbilt's John Jenkins is a hot name with teams picking in the latter part of the first round and with good reason. He can really shoot. Jenkins played three years at Vanderbilt and shot over 40 percent from three in every one of them. His jumper is by far his best feature as a player, so expect playoff teams that could use a sniper off the bench to have interest.
Equally important at the next level will be Jenkins ability to utilize his lethal range in a variety of fashions. He has an extremely quick release and showed he could shoot off screens and off the dribble in college. Jenkins' form is picturesque and he has mastered squaring up on his release, making his jumper effective in most in-game situations.
The biggest question with Jenkins will be what else he can do outside of shooting. Can he defend? Can he take the ball to the basket? Can he handle the ball under pressure? He is only 6-foot-4 and definitely doesn't have point guard attributes, making him undersized to play shooting guard in the NBA. There were major questions about his ball handling abilities. According to some pre-draft workout reports, he partially answered the concerns with impressive showings which were a factor in the perceived rise of his draft stock.
While undersized at the two, Jenkins does possess a wing span approaching 6-foot-8. He has shown that he is a willing defender and his length enables him to project as at least adequate at the next level. His defense will largely decide how successful he is at the next level. We know he can shoot, but if he is a liability on the other end of the floor than his ceiling is that of a specialist that is only used situationally.
There have been plenty of rumors about the Bulls being hot on his trail and with the Richard Hamilton experiment in Chicago only having limited success it seems like a good fit. The Bulls need shooters who don't need the ball to pair with Derrick Rose in the back court. Chicago picks at 29, but unfortunately for them there are several other teams that could use Jenkins' services selecting right before them. Look for any of Memphis, Indiana or Miami to be in the mix with Chicago.
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