Joshua Jefferson Needs To Overcome One Weakness To Make NBA Impact

To become an impact NBA player, Joshua Jefferson has one weakness to overcome.

Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders forward LeJuan Watts (3) drives around Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Iowa State Cyclones star Joshua Jefferson played at an incredibly high level during the 2025-26 season, stuffing the stat sheet during his senior year.

He averaged 16.4 points, 4.8 assists and 7.4 rebounds on a .471/.345/.700 shooting split. Not all of his impact came on the offensive end, as he was a difference maker on the defensive end as well.

His improvements as a shooter and the incredible playmaking ability he possesses helped him skyrocket up NBA draft boards throughout the campaign. With the 2026 NBA Draft now here, it will be interesting to see if Jefferson can sneak into the first round.

There is a lot to like about his game for contending teams looking for players who are ready to contribute and be plugged into the lineup right away. Jefferson may not have as much upside as some of his peers, but he plays a winning brand of basketball that teams will inevitably regret passing on.

Joshua Jefferson has athleticism concerns to overcome

Mar 2, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) blocks a shot by Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) during the second half of the game at McKale Memorial Center. | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Alas, his range is in the late first-round, early-second round for a reason. He has a few flaws in his game, but there is one area of weakness he is going to have to try hard to overcome at the next level: his athleticism.

By NBA standards, he is going to be below average in the athleticism department. He has the basketball IQ and fast-processing brain to help overcome those deficiencies, but there are some parts of his game that leave something to be desired because of his lack of explosiveness.

Offensively, it is going to impact his ability to score around the basket. He is a below-the-rim player and made only 54.1% of his shot attempts at the rim. His lack of lift will be a detriment to scoring around bouncy opponents with length.

Jefferson does possess an array of floaters and hook shots to combat the lack of athleticism, but that may not always work at the highest level compared to college.

Joshua Jefferson possesses a unique blend of playmaking, scoring and shooting for his size.

The 6'8" forward averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals on 47.1% shooting from the field and 34.5% from three in his senior season at Iowa State. He and Cameron… pic.twitter.com/oAD8vdJQri

— anthony chiu (@acfilmroom) June 20, 2026

Improving his jump shot will be imperative to his finding consistent success on offense. Defensively, his lack of burst could also limit some of the versatility he provided with Iowa State because his lack of rim protection will limit how much small-ball center he can play.

Bigger forwards who also lack foot speed, he will be able to match up with. He proved he could handle switches on the perimeter as well, but there is certainly a chance that opponents hunt him.

There is certainly more good than bad to Jefferson’s scouting profile. He is an NBA player; it is just a matter of how impactful he can be for a winning team. If he can find another level of athleticism or successfully develop counters to overcome his deficiencies, he is going to have a lengthy career.