DEN

2025-26 Season

JALEN PICKETT

Denver Nuggets | Guard | 6-2
Jalen Pickett
5.0 PPG
2.3 RPG
2.3 APG
16.1 MPG
-3.0 Impact

Pickett produces at an below average rate for a 16-minute workload.

NET IMPACT BREAKDOWN
Every stat, every credit, every cost — per game average
-3.0
Scoring +2.9
Points 5.0 PPG × +1.00 = +5.0
Missed 2PT 1.0/g × -0.78 = -0.8
Missed 3PT 1.5/g × -0.87 = -1.3
Missed FT 0.0/g × -1.00 = -0.0
Creation +1.9
Assists 2.3/g × +0.50 = +1.1
Off. Rebounds 0.6/g × +1.26 = +0.8
Turnovers -1.4
Turnovers 0.7/g × -1.95 = -1.4
Defense -0.6
Steals 0.3/g × +2.30 = +0.7
Blocks 0.1/g × +0.90 = +0.1
Def. Rebounds 1.7/g × +0.30 = +0.5
Fouls Committed 2.5/g × -0.75 = -1.9
Hustle & Effort +0.8
Contested Shots 1.7/g × +0.20 = +0.3
Deflections 0.5/g × +0.65 = +0.3
Loose Balls 0.2/g × +0.60 = +0.1
Screen Assists 0.3/g × +0.30 = +0.1
Raw Impact +3.6
Baseline (game-average expected) −6.6
Net Impact
-3.0
23th pctl vs Guards

About this model: Net Impact can't measure floor spacing, help defense rotations, or playmaking gravity — so wings and guards are slightly undervalued vs bigs. How Net Impact works

SKILL DNA

Percentile rank vs 235 Guards with 10+ games

Scoring 20th
5.9 PPG
Efficiency 29th
51.5% TS
Playmaking 49th
2.6 APG
Rebounding 47th
2.7 RPG
Rim Protection 24th
0.09/min
Hustle 1th
0.05/min
Shot Creation 50th
0% pullup
TO Discipline 76th
0.04/min

THE SEASON SO FAR

Jalen Pickett’s first twenty games were defined by a maddening identity crisis, oscillating wildly between a suffocating defensive presence and an offensive rhythm-killer. Too often, his methodical pacing actively harmed the team's flow. On 12/31 vs TOR, he tallied 10 points—a high mark for his standards—but posted a disastrous -14.1 impact score because relentless perimeter shot-chucking and heavily contested jumpers dragged down his overall value. Conversely, when he simplified his role, Pickett found ways to drive winning basketball without filling up the stat sheet. During his 12/29 vs MIA appearance, he managed a mere 2 points but recorded a stellar +5.2 impact because his steady defensive pressure and mistake-free ball handling stabilized his minutes on the floor. Even his loudest offensive performance came with frustrating caveats. Despite erupting for 29 points on 01/05 vs PHI, his modest +3.8 impact was severely capped by blown pick-and-roll coverages that gave points right back to the opposition.

A brutal offensive slump and an eventual demotion to the bench defined this miserable twenty-game stretch for Jalen Pickett. The offense routinely stalled when he pounded the air out of the basketball. Look no further than the 01/22 vs WAS matchup, where his inability to generate dribble penetration yielded a catastrophic -11.1 impact score. Even when he managed to rack up traditional stats, hidden costs dragged his overall value into the gutter. He tallied 13 points and 7 assists on 01/23 vs MIL, but his impact plummeted to -11.6 because he burned multiple empty possessions on an inefficient 5-for-14 shooting night. After losing his starting job in early February, Pickett occasionally found ways to contribute without scoring. On 02/11 vs MEM, he logged just 3 points in nine minutes, yet posted a stellar +4.8 impact score by providing steady point-of-attack defense. Ultimately, his ponderous decision-making and lack of scoring gravity made him a severe liability for most of this run.

IMPACT TIMELINE

Game-by-game performance vs average. Green = above average, red = below.

PATTERNS

Struggling. Pickett has posted negative impact in 83% of games this season. The production rarely outweighs the cost.

Middle-of-the-road efficiency — shoots 45%+ from the field in 44% of games. Not automatic, but not a problem either.

Average defender. Pickett doesn't hurt you defensively, but he's not making opponents uncomfortable either.

Flat trajectory all season — first-half impact -2.5, second-half -3.5. No major shifts, which fits with the overall steadiness.

Tends to go on runs. Longest hot streak: 1 games. Longest cold streak: 15 games.

MATCHUP HISTORY

Based on 73 games with tracking data. Shows who guarded this player on offense and who he guarded on defense, with their shooting stats in those matchups.

ON OFFENSE: WHO GUARDED HIM

His shooting stats against each primary defender this season

R. Rollins 69.3 poss
FG% 33.3%
3P% 40.0%
PPP 0.12
PTS 8
T. Johnson 39.8 poss
FG% 0.0%
3P% 0.0%
PPP 0.0
PTS 0
V. Edgecombe 29.9 poss
FG% 0.0%
3P% 0.0%
PPP 0.0
PTS 0
FG% 100.0%
3P% 100.0%
PPP 0.1
PTS 3
D. Robinson 27.7 poss
FG% 0.0%
3P% 0.0%
PPP 0.0
PTS 0
J. Fears 27.5 poss
FG% 40.0%
3P% 25.0%
PPP 0.22
PTS 6
K. Ellis 23.9 poss
FG% 50.0%
3P% 50.0%
PPP 0.13
PTS 3
I. Quickley 23.0 poss
FG% 40.0%
3P% 50.0%
PPP 0.22
PTS 5
B. Carrington 22.2 poss
FG% 100.0%
3P% 0.0%
PPP 0.09
PTS 2
A. Nembhard 19.9 poss
FG% 100.0%
3P% 0.0%
PPP 0.1
PTS 2

ON DEFENSE: WHO HE GUARDED

How opponents shot when he was the primary defender. Lower FG% = better defense.

R. Rollins 55.6 poss
FG% 33.3%
3P% 25.0%
PPP 0.09
PTS 5
T. Johnson 31.5 poss
FG% 37.5%
3P% 0.0%
PPP 0.19
PTS 6
V. Edgecombe 30.9 poss
FG% 25.0%
3P% 0.0%
PPP 0.06
PTS 2
D. Robinson 23.8 poss
FG% 0.0%
3P% 0.0%
PPP 0.0
PTS 0
J. Fears 22.9 poss
FG% 50.0%
3P% 0.0%
PPP 0.22
PTS 5
D. Daniels 20.0 poss
FG% 66.7%
3P% 0.0%
PPP 0.2
PTS 4
T. Maxey 19.2 poss
FG% 37.5%
3P% 40.0%
PPP 0.42
PTS 8
B. Carrington 18.6 poss
FG% 50.0%
3P% 50.0%
PPP 0.16
PTS 3
K. Ellis 17.2 poss
FG% 0.0%
3P% 0.0%
PPP 0.0
PTS 0
I. Quickley 16.6 poss
FG% 50.0%
3P% 50.0%
PPP 0.18
PTS 3

SEASON STATS

46
Games
5.0
PPG
2.3
RPG
2.3
APG
0.3
SPG
0.1
BPG
42.4
FG%
38.6
3P%
86.7
FT%
16.1
MPG

GAME LOG

46 games played