[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2023 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Jaylen Clark
Frame: 6’5”, 195 lbs
Position: Guard
Team: UCLA
2023 Draft Age: 21
Stats via sports-reference.com

Offense

Much of Clark’s necessary improvements to carve a role at the NBA level come from the offensive end of the floor. He’s already shown the ability to improve with a more prominent role by doubling his scorer output between each of his three seasons at UCLA.

Clark has a high basketball IQ without the ball in his hands, cleverly finding ways to open in his spots near the basket or in the 12-15-foot range. He’s an excellent cutter and mover and shot above 50 percent from within two-point range in all three college seasons.

However, Clark must improve as a spot-up shooter from distance and a decision-maker with the ball in his hands. He shot 30.2 percent from three for his college career. In his junior season – the only year he shot more than one three per game – he hit 32.9 percent of his threes. He also shot 66.1 percent from the free-throw line over his career.

Clark tends to slow ball movement as he generally likes to survey the floor while backing down an often smaller defender, which can lead to rushed possessions once the ball is out of his hands.

If he can become a quicker decision-maker – or a willing shot-taker and maker with the ball in his hands – Clark can easily be a viable offensive threat at the NBA level.

Defense

Clark may be one of the best perimeter defenders in the 2023 draft class. And had a torn Achilles not prematurely ended his 2022-23 junior season, his defensive chops would have been on full display in the NCAA Men’s Tournament.

He should be able to defend both guard positions, small forwards and may be able to handle some smaller power forwards in small-ball lineups that have become commonplace.

As an on-ball defender, Clark can force mistakes against some of the best players in the country. He was the primary defender on Cason Wallace – a top-10 prospect in this year’s draft class – when UCLA met Kentucky in December.

Wallace finished with seven points and zero assists on 2-for-13 from the field and 1-for-6 from three. Clark would score 15 points of his own in a UCLA victory.

Off the ball, Clark can wreak havoc in passing lanes. He has a knack for understanding where to be to provide help, and his 2.6 steals ranked fifth in the nation via ESPN.

Clark is also one of the best rebounding guards in the 2023 draft class. He averaged 6.0 rebounds per game at 6’5”.

Looking Ahead

Clark first needs to prove that he has recovered from the torn Achilles he suffered during the Pac-12 tournament in early March. Once he does that, he needs to improve his jump shot enough to be treated as a threat by NBA defenses.

Those are two significant hurdles, but he could be an elite three-and-D guard if he can achieve them. His defense still gives him a relatively high floor to impact a team as soon as he is healthy.