Joe TreutleinOne of the most naturally talented, highly skilled players at this event,
Ricky Ledo (#22 ESPN, #25 Scout, #8 Rivals) showed the good and bad of his game this weekend, but clearly seems to have matured somewhat since the last time we saw him, being focused and playing smart basketball most of the time.
On the offensive end, Ledo is nothing short of a superb talent, as he's an extremely potent scorer both attacking the basket and hitting perimeter jumpers. He seems to have taken his jump shot to the next level since we last saw him, as he hit an outstanding 9-for-17 threes in the two games here this weekend. More impressive is that most of them came pulling up off the dribble, where Ledo shows excellent balance, clear cut NBA range, and the ability and confidence to hit a shot with a hand in his face.
As a shot creator, Ledo has no problems getting separation and creating both going to the rim and pulling up from mid or long range. He possess a very low, controlled dribble with all the advanced dribbling he needs, while showing good instincts as well. He won't blow you away with his first step or vertical leap, being a more fluid and agile than highly explosive athlete, but still has more than enough quickness to get by at any level and also changes speeds and directions well.
Ledo does a good job finishing around the basket, showing great touch and creativity while being capable of finishing with both lay-ups and floaters as well as using either hand. He's also done a good job developing his playmaking skills, showing an improved feel in this area to take advantage of his excellent vision and passing abilities, something that was frequently on display here on both drive-and-dishes and drive-and-kicks. While not a pure point guard and probably best suited to play the two guard in the long run given his scoring abilities, Ledo reminds of
O.J. Mayo with his unselfishness and versatility (while also being similar in size and athleticism, but not strength).
On the defensive end, things were somewhat of a mixed bag for Ledo, not unlike what we observed the last time we saw him, but the highs were much higher this time, as he showed multiple prolonged flashes of high focus, high effort, and strong vocal leadership with his teammates. He's capable of being a very good defender both on and off the ball, and certainly is at times, but there are still times when he can get frustrated and not put in the effort on this end of the court, particularly when things aren't going well for him offensively.
Looking forward, Ledo is clearly headed in the right direction with his development and appears to be making an effort to eliminate many of his old habits, but considering his rough background, it's not something that's going to happen overnight. Ledo transferred schools once again this season, marking the nth time he's done so in his high school career, and his poor body language and erratic decision-making do still pop up from time to time. He'll certainly be a player to keep a close eye on in college from day one, and if he continues maturing as a player and person he's capable of being as strong a prospect as virtually any guard in this class.
Comments