// SCOUT_HOMEPAGE
RYANBBSTATS
PROFILES
01
BOARD_SPOTS
66
YEAR
2026
// SAVED_BOARD
2026_OVERALL_BOARD
TOP_30
// PROSPECT_GUIDE
JA'KOBI GILLESPIE
JA'KOBI GILLESPIE
Gillespie was the engine driving the Tennessee offense all year. At just 6'1 188, he plays bigger than his listed size through his intensity on the defensive end and ability to put pressure on the rim. When he gets hot from deep he gets HOT, and can shoot from anywhere on the court. He's a defensive playmaker, with outstanding steal numbers and consistently applies ball pressure on lead guards.
Size wise very similar, Gillespie has same shiftiness Pritchard has as well as ability to stroke it from anywhere. Similarities in the defensive playmaking side with quick feet and active hands.
I could definitely see Gillespie turning into a floor general like Jones who can put the ball into hoop when demanded. Size wise very similar as well.
Cryer and Gillespie both were elite college PGs with scoring chops. I think Gillespie's floor is a guy who stays on a roster because of capability to score and defensive intensity but doesn't stick in established rotations.
// OFFENSIVE_EVALUATION
Gillespie is one of those players you CANNOT leave. He has textbook shot form and the confidence to let it fly from the logo. He did struggle at times with efficiency at Tennessee, getting into lulls where his shot wouldn't go, but Gillespie was pretty much the only offense Tennessee could look to during this stretch without Nate Ament and was getting loads of attention. In the NCAA Tournament vs Miami(OH) and Virginia he was a flamethrower. While just shooting 33.8% from 3pt in his senior season, he's shown the capability to get hot in bunches, and this skill will most certainly translate to the next level. If a defender's hand is down, Gillespie will shoot. Gillespie rarely utilized the midrange (4.5 MID/100), which he'll have to change in order to succeed in the NBA. A unique part of Gillespie's game that makes up for the size disadvantage is his nack for getting to the rim. Gillespie utilizes his shiftiness to escape defenders and then jump into them, using his body and protecting the ball, and kissing it off the glass. He's in the 65th percentile for Rim Pressure, and 72nd percentile in Rim Attempts. But, Gillespie is just in the 14th percentile when it comes to free throw rate, which you'd like to see higher especially as an undersized guard entering the league. Gillespie has plenty of upside when it comes to playmaking, as the assist metrics will show. He's in the 88th percentile when it comes to Rim Assists. In the Rick Barnes offense, he threw tons of lobs to their centers and executed dump down passes that are a staple of the system. He has a 30.2% assist rate which is good for 72nd percentile, and this was without many willing shooters playing alongside him at Tennessee. Gillespie did get careless with the ball at times though, occasionally lacking focus or telegraphing passes that would get picked off. Even with these occasional passing negatives, he still boasted a 2.4 AST/TO ratio that puts him at the 80th percentile.
Percentiles are positional, measured against NBA players' last season in college.
// DEFENSIVE_EVALUATION
The easiest way to describe Gillespie defensively is a playmaker. He's not a stopper and his height will hinder who he can guard at the next level, but he's pesky, persistent, and always active on that end. He had 2.1 steals per game, good for the 89th percentile. Most of those came from offensive players backs being turned or getting hands in the passing lanes. A 3.6% steal rate (85th percentile) is nothing to ignore either. Gillespie really wasn't a factor on the glass at all for Tennessee, though some of that could be attribute to Tennessee's front court being dominant on the glass. He posted just a 7.2% DREB rate (5th percentile) and a 1.9% OREB rate (34th percentile). I can't see Gillespie being anything above an average rebounder at the next level, but with his effort and intensity level you never know.
// PROJECTION
Ja'Kobi Gillespie is someone I believe a team should take a flier on in the middle of the 2nd round. At Tennessee he was tasked with being the offensive engine alongside Nate Ament, and Gillespie stood up to the task. He was productive when on the floor, and Tennessee's offense as a whole plummeted when he was off it. He has a translatable offensive game, with the quickness and agility to blow by defenders paired with a 3 point shot that can rain in from anywhere. His size definitely puts him at a disadvantage, with the NBA evolving into a bigger-guard heavy league, but I believe Gillespie has traits worth betting on. He's no slouch defensively as seen in his DBPM+ and STK/FOUL numbers, and has shown he can command a relatively high-level offense. At the next level, I project Gillespie to start off as a bench guard who will provide spot minutes, helping initiate offense and create havoc on the defensive end. Only time will tell if his size hinders him to the point where he can't compete with polished NBA guards, but Gillespie's college production and evident traits lead me to believe he's a player worth taking a shot on. If a franchise has a lob threat at center and respectable spacing on the wings, Gillespie can be a scoring guard that helps an offense mesh together and keep the defense from dropping off.
// OFFENSIVE_EVALUATION
Gillespie is one of those players you CANNOT leave. He has textbook shot form and the confidence to let it fly from the logo. He did struggle at times with efficiency at Tennessee, getting into lulls where his shot wouldn't go, but Gillespie was pretty much the only offense Tennessee could look to during this stretch without Nate Ament and was getting loads of attention. In the NCAA Tournament vs Miami(OH) and Virginia he was a flamethrower. While just shooting 33.8% from 3pt in his senior season, he's shown the capability to get hot in bunches, and this skill will most certainly translate to the next level. If a defender's hand is down, Gillespie will shoot. Gillespie rarely utilized the midrange (4.5 MID/100), which he'll have to change in order to succeed in the NBA. A unique part of Gillespie's game that makes up for the size disadvantage is his nack for getting to the rim. Gillespie utilizes his shiftiness to escape defenders and then jump into them, using his body and protecting the ball, and kissing it off the glass. He's in the 65th percentile for Rim Pressure, and 72nd percentile in Rim Attempts. But, Gillespie is just in the 14th percentile when it comes to free throw rate, which you'd like to see higher especially as an undersized guard entering the league. Gillespie has plenty of upside when it comes to playmaking, as the assist metrics will show. He's in the 88th percentile when it comes to Rim Assists. In the Rick Barnes offense, he threw tons of lobs to their centers and executed dump down passes that are a staple of the system. He has a 30.2% assist rate which is good for 72nd percentile, and this was without many willing shooters playing alongside him at Tennessee. Gillespie did get careless with the ball at times though, occasionally lacking focus or telegraphing passes that would get picked off. Even with these occasional passing negatives, he still boasted a 2.4 AST/TO ratio that puts him at the 80th percentile.
// DEFENSIVE_EVALUATION
The easiest way to describe Gillespie defensively is a playmaker. He's not a stopper and his height will hinder who he can guard at the next level, but he's pesky, persistent, and always active on that end. He had 2.1 steals per game, good for the 89th percentile. Most of those came from offensive players backs being turned or getting hands in the passing lanes. A 3.6% steal rate (85th percentile) is nothing to ignore either. Gillespie really wasn't a factor on the glass at all for Tennessee, though some of that could be attribute to Tennessee's front court being dominant on the glass. He posted just a 7.2% DREB rate (5th percentile) and a 1.9% OREB rate (34th percentile). I can't see Gillespie being anything above an average rebounder at the next level, but with his effort and intensity level you never know.
// PROJECTION
Ja'Kobi Gillespie is someone I believe a team should take a flier on in the middle of the 2nd round. At Tennessee he was tasked with being the offensive engine alongside Nate Ament, and Gillespie stood up to the task. He was productive when on the floor, and Tennessee's offense as a whole plummeted when he was off it. He has a translatable offensive game, with the quickness and agility to blow by defenders paired with a 3 point shot that can rain in from anywhere. His size definitely puts him at a disadvantage, with the NBA evolving into a bigger-guard heavy league, but I believe Gillespie has traits worth betting on. He's no slouch defensively as seen in his DBPM+ and STK/FOUL numbers, and has shown he can command a relatively high-level offense. At the next level, I project Gillespie to start off as a bench guard who will provide spot minutes, helping initiate offense and create havoc on the defensive end. Only time will tell if his size hinders him to the point where he can't compete with polished NBA guards, but Gillespie's college production and evident traits lead me to believe he's a player worth taking a shot on. If a franchise has a lob threat at center and respectable spacing on the wings, Gillespie can be a scoring guard that helps an offense mesh together and keep the defense from dropping off.
Percentiles are positional, measured against NBA players' last season in college.