2015 NBA Draft results: Olivier Hanlan selected by Utah Jazz
The Jazz grabbed another guard to add to a backcourt of question marks.
Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
Olivier Hanlan has been drafted with the No. 42 pick by the Utah Jazz. He’s the first Boston College player to be drafted. A high-scoring guard, Hanlan will rely on a developed offensive skill in the NBA.
As a junior at Boston College, Hanlan averaged 19.5 points, 4.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. He scored in a variety of ways, with pull-up jumpers, drives to the hoop, and hitting from deep. He shot 45.4 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from deep and scored 30 points or more four times -- including 39 in a loss to Pitt. His ability to get to the lane got him to the free-throw line often, where Hanlan shot 76 percent. Plus, Hanlan doesn’t force it. He was never afraid to dish the ball to an open big man after penetrating.
Defensively, Hanlan has a lot of work to do. At 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, he doesn’t show enough intensity on the defensive side of the ball. He does have the quickness and length to improve, however. Hanlan can score in bunches, but he’ll have to play with more intensity at the NBA level defensively.
Hanlan steps into a situation in Utah that is conducive to a scorer thriving: While the Jazz do have Trey Burke, Alec Burks, and Dante Exum as backcourt options, Hanlan may be a better scorer than all three, and could certainly push for playing time as a spark plug in a second unit.
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