Jalen Pickett facts for kids
.jpg)
Pickett with Penn State in 2022
|
|
| No. 24 – Denver Nuggets | |
|---|---|
| Point guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 22, 1999 Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| High school |
|
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 202 lb (92 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
|
| NBA Draft | 2023 / Round: 2 / Pick: 32nd overall |
| Selected by the Indiana Pacers | |
| Pro career | 2023–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 2023–present | Denver Nuggets |
| 2023–2024 | →Grand Rapids Gold |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
Jalen Pickett (born October 22, 1999) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Denver Nuggets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, Jalen played college basketball for the Siena Saints and the Penn State Nittany Lions. He also attended SPIRE Institute and Academy, which is a special sports training center.
Contents
Jalen's High School Basketball Journey
Jalen Pickett played basketball at Aquinas Institute in Rochester, New York. In his junior year, he helped his team win a state championship. He was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his great performance.
As a senior, Jalen scored about 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in each game. He led his team to the Class AA Federation Final. He also played for a special team called City Rocks. This team was part of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit. Jalen was a top player on this team.
After high school, Jalen spent an extra year at SPIRE Institute. This helped him become eligible to play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Even though he was a good player, he didn't get many offers from top college teams. He decided to play for Siena and their new coach.
Jalen's College Basketball Career
In his first year at Siena, Jalen had an amazing game on February 17, 2019. He scored 46 points and made 13 assists. This was a career high for him. He was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Rookie of the Week 11 times. This set a new record for the league.
As a freshman, Jalen averaged 15.8 points and 6.7 assists per game. He was named First-team All-MAAC and MAAC Rookie of the Year. After this great season, he thought about joining the NBA draft. But he decided to return to Siena for more college basketball.
In his second year, Jalen continued to play well. He was named the MAAC Player of the Year in 2020. He helped his team win the MAAC regular-season championship. He averaged 15.1 points and 6 assists per game.
His junior year was a bit tougher due to an injury and COVID-19 breaks. Still, he averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. He earned First Team All-MAAC honors for the third year in a row.
In 2021, Jalen decided to transfer to Penn State. He played well there, averaging 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. He decided to stay for his final year of college eligibility.
On February 14, 2023, Jalen had another incredible game. He scored a career-high 41 points against Illinois. This was the first time a Penn State player scored 40 points since 1961! He also became the fourth Penn State player to score 2,000 points in his college career. Just a few days later, he scored 32 points in another game. His amazing two-game performance earned him national player-of-the-week awards.
Jalen's Professional Basketball Career
Joining the NBA: Denver Nuggets
In the 2023 NBA draft, the Indiana Pacers chose Jalen Pickett as the 32nd overall pick. However, they soon traded his draft rights to the Denver Nuggets. This meant Jalen would play for the Nuggets.
Being drafted 32nd made Jalen the highest-drafted player ever from Siena. He and his Penn State teammate, Seth Lundy, were also the first pair of Penn State teammates to be picked in the same NBA draft. On July 6, 2023, the Denver Nuggets officially signed Jalen Pickett to their team.
Jalen's Career Statistics
These tables show how well Jalen Pickett has played in his career. They list his points, rebounds, assists, and other stats per game.
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Denver | 27 | 0 | 4.5 | .429 | .360 | .750 | .5 | .8 | .1 | .0 | 1.6 |
| Career | 27 | 0 | 4.5 | .429 | .360 | .750 | .5 | .8 | .1 | .0 | 1.6 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Denver | 3 | 0 | 3.6 | .667 | .000 | — | .3 | .3 | .0 | .3 | 1.3 |
| Career | 3 | 0 | 3.6 | .667 | .000 | — | .3 | .3 | .0 | .3 | 1.3 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Siena | 33 | 32 | 37.1 | .436 | .348 | .746 | 4.6 | 6.7 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 15.8 |
| 2019–20 | Siena | 29 | 28 | 37.0 | .458 | .374 | .689 | 4.6 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 15.1 |
| 2020–21 | Siena | 14 | 14 | 36.1 | .403 | .359 | .750 | 6.3 | 4.8 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 12.9 |
| Career (Siena) | 76 | 74 | 36.9 | .439 | .360 | .730 | 4.9 | 6.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 15.0 | |
| 2021–22 | Penn State | 31 | 31 | 37.2 | .420 | .320 | .746 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 13.3 |
| 2022–23 | Penn State | 36 | 36 | 36.5 | .511 | .385 | .774 | 7.3 | 6.7 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 17.9 |
| Career (Penn State) | 67 | 67 | 36.9 | .466 | .353 | .760 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 15.6 | |
See also
In Spanish: Jalen Pickett para niños
