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USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp Scouting Reports: Wings

USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp Scouting Reports: Wings
Oct 08, 2015, 07:30 am
Scouting reports on seven of the top wing prospects seen at the 2015 USA Basketball Junior National Team Mini-Camp in Colorado Springs, including Jayson Tatum, Josh Langford, Tyus Battle, D'Shawn Schwartz, Robert Woodard, Gerald Liddell and Cameron Reddish.
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Note: This is not a ranking or evaluation of the top prospects seen at USA Basketball, but rather an update of those players with outdated or no scouting report in their DX profile. Some of the players in Colorado Springs (such as Josh Jackson, V.J. King, Gary Trent, Jarred Vanderbilt) have had very recent scouting reports published in their DX profiles, and those did not require an update. Other prospects were not deemed ready for an entry due to injury, their youth or otherwise.

Jayson Tatum, 6-7, SG/SF, St. Louis, MO, Class of 2016

Mike Schmitz

Strengths
-Nice size and length for a wing at 6' 7” with a 6' 10” wingspan
-Continues to make progress on his body – 206 pounds of lean muscle. Has gained 15 pounds since he weighed in at 191 pounds before the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship, and 40 pounds in the past three years. Big shoulders.
-Very good athlete who displays excellent fluidity and can play above the rim both in transition and the half court. Extremely agile and coordinated. Great body control.
-Elite skill level for his age.
-Comfortable ball handler who's capable of bringing the ball up and operating out of pick and roll. Not overly advanced but changes speeds smoothly. Very good burst.
-Mid-range killer. Elite footwork. Sports a high release with very good rotation. Creates separation with step backs and a slight lean on his jumper. Uses pivots.
-Impressive mid-post package. Uses spin moves, up and unders, turnaround jumpers over either shoulder.
-Should develop into an above average spot-up 3-point shooter in time given his mechanics.
-Has the tools to be a very solid defender

Weaknesses
-Very skilled but can be a bit of a ball stopper. Relies a bit too much on 1-on-1 isolations.
-Can be somewhat predictable at times. Has a tendency to catch on the perimeter, drive left, and either take a two-dribble pull up or go into a brief post up and eventually take a mid-range pull up while drifting to his left.
- Not the most willing passer. Has some vision but wants to score. Gives it up when he has to, and isn't overly creative with his passes.
-Isn't all that comfortable taking (and making) catch and shoot threes with regularity. Very solid mechanics just needs to improve his shot preparation and the speed of his release. It's more about developing a catch and shoot mindset instead of immediately dribbling and trying to get to mid-range spots.
-Hasn't completely tapped into his defensive potential quite yet.
-Fairly quiet on the floor. Not the most vocal player.

Outlook: Tatum took the Mini-Camp by storm early and often as he thoroughly dominated the first session, sporting an improved frame, added explosiveness and the skill set that scouts and coaches alike have become accustomed to seeing. When Tatum was rolling, he did virtually whatever he wanted on the floor and looked the part of a potential #1 overall pick. As the camp progressed, however, Tatum began to show some small holes in his game – namely spot shooting and shot selection. The 2016 Duke commit proved that he still has some areas of his game to improve upon, but there's no doubting his physical profile, skill level and production at the highest level. Tatum should be a significant contributor in the ACC once he steps foot on campus and is likely to be a very high pick whenever he decides to enter the draft.


Josh Langford, 6'5, Shooting Guard, Alabama, Class of 2016

Jonathan Givony

Strengths
-Excellent athlete. Vertical. Quick off his feet
-Outstanding in transition. Quick in the open court. Always in attack mode in early offense
-Solid ball-handler, particularly in a straight line. Loves to drive the ball straight into the teeth of the defense to draw fouls. Does a great job of initiating contact
-Gets to the free throw line frequently
-Shows great toughness crashing the offensive glass from the wing
-Shows some ability to create for others. Not a bad passer, particularly in drive and dish situations
-Not a great shooter by any means, but also not a non-shooter. Mechanics leave some room for optimism long-term
-Streaky, but shows some potential both pulling up off the dribble and with his feet set.
-Does a great job of creating separation from the defense with his pull-up

Weaknesses
-Body, height, length hasn't changed much in last few years. Has just decent height for the shooting guard position (6-5-ish), which is compounded by the fact that he doesn't have great length (between 6-6 and 6-7)
-Inconsistent as a shooter still. Partially a product of shot-selection. Stroke is somewhat deliberate. Shoots a bit of a mon ball jumper
-Struggles when forced to create his own shot in the half-court (pick and roll, isos) using advanced moves. Often just tries to bully his way to the basket
-Doesn't really have a left hand
-Age-wise, should be a freshman in college already. Turns 19 in January. Will be 20 mid-way through his freshman year.
-Tends to force the issue at times. Drives into brick walls. Settles for very difficult shots early in the offense. Feel for game is a work in progress.
-Isn't always as much of a bulldog on defense as you might think. Gets a little lazy time. Late with closeouts. Gets posted up and shows no resistance. Dies on screens, etc. That, combined with his average size and length, isn't ideal considering his limitations offensively.

Outlook: Aggressive small forward from Alabama currently committed to Michigan State. Had a strong weekend in Colorado Springs.


Tyus Battle, 6-5, SG/SF, Edison, NF, Class of 2016

Mike Schmitz

Strengths
-Very developed frame. Big shoulders. Strong lower body. Not afraid of physicality on either end of the floor.
-6' 5” with a 6' 8” wingspan – solid measurements if he's able to transition into more of a SG than a SF. Measured closer to 6'7” in shoes previously.
-Good athlete. Can play above the rim in transition. Long strides.
-Excellent defender. Moves really well laterally. Aggressive defensively. Will pressure the ball and fight over screens. Multi-positional defender at the college level.
-Brings a level of toughness to the floor. Crashes the offensive glass with regularity
-Solid pull up game. Gets good rise on his jumper. Best in mid-range spots, but can make an open three.

Weaknesses
-Fairly limited ball handler. Can change speeds a little bit but is mostly limited to basic straight line drives.
-Not comfortable creating vs pressure, especially going to his left.
-Isn't quite as explosive as he looks. Struggles to finish effectively around the basket at times
-Career 40.9% from two. Doesn't get all the way to the rim as often as you would hope. Shoots a lot of pull up jumpers.
-Can make threes but has a slight hitch on his jumper. Shoots on the way down at times. Better off the dribble.

Outlook: Battle showed out as a defensive stopper type who can get out in transition and make an occasional spot three or pull up jumper. There isn't a ton to Battle's game on the offensive end, as he has quite a bit of room to improve his shot-creation skills and shooting consistency, but the Edison native will have no problem stepping into the ACC as a freshman and defending at a high level.


D'Shawn Schwartz, 6'6, SG/SF, Colorado, Class of 2017

Jonathan Givony

Strengths
-Has solid physical attributes for a shooting guard at 6-5 ½ (in shoes) with a 216 pound frame and a 6-8 wingspan
-Shows potential as a shooter. Reliable with feet set, especially when given time and space. Can also make some tough ones off the dribble at times
-Solid straight-line ball-handler who is effective in transition with his strong frame, aggressive nature and ability to play above the rim
-Unselfish player who made some nice passes over the course of the weekend, especially once he got comfortable
-Competitive on defense

Weaknesses
-Good not great athlete. Lacks a degree of explosiveness in the half-court
-Shot-selection is questionable at times. Settles for some very difficult pull-ups
-Needs to improve his advanced ball-handling skills in the half-court, particularly with his off (right) hand. Tries to just bully his way through opponents at times with his strong frame

Outlook: Colorado Springs native and surprise invite who very few people had heard of leading up to this event. Held his own nicely regardless, making a bit of a name for himself in the process.

Interview:



Robert Woodard, 6'5, SG/SF, Mississippi, Class of 2018

Jonathan Givony

Strengths
-Doesn't have great height for the wing yet (around 6-5) but is extremely long with a near 7-foot wingspan, which allows him to play bigger than his size.
-Also has a very strong frame. Has added 16 pounds in the last year according to our measurements database
-Extremely steady, versatile and mature for a player his age
-Has an excellent feel for the game. Unselfish player who finds the open man
-Making significant improvement as a jump-shooter. Seems to have improved his shooting range. Used to have a long hitch at the end of his jumper that he's slowly eliminating
-Very competitive defensively. Gets in passing lanes frequently. Outstanding rebounder. Stays in front of opponents. Can guard multiple positions

Weaknesses
-Not exceptionally athletic
-Skill-level still a work in progress. Ball-handling ability is mostly limited to a straight line
-Shoots a rainbow jumper that still lacks great consistency at the moment.
-Slightly undersized for the wing

Outlook: One of the most improved players at the Camp compared to last year. Father played at Mississippi State. Solomon Hill-esqe small forward who can slide to the power forward spot in certain situations. USA Basketball staff members rave about his intangibles and work ethic, which is a great sign for his future.


Gerald Liddell, 6-6.5”, SF, Cibolo, TX, Class of 2018

Mike Schmitz

Strengths
-Impressive measurements for a wing at 6' 6.5” with a 6' 11.5” wingspan. Frame has plenty of room to add weight.
-Very fluid. Gets up and down with long strides. Good first step in the half court.
-Shows some potential as a ball handler. Was able to play at different speeds from time to time. Skilled handle for his age and size.
-Fundamentally sound shooting mechanics. Didn't show off much range or consistency in game settings but there's certainly something to work with.
-Uses his length to make plays on the defensive end.

Weaknesses
-Rail thin at 172 pounds. Very skinny legs. Lack of strength limited his ability to get to the rim and finish.
-Overpowered at times on the defensive end and the glass
-Didn't show a great feel for the game. Got sped up vs pressure and forced up wild shots, particularly off the dribble in the mid-range area
-Jumper has potential but he didn't take many or show the most natural touch
-Fluid but not an elite leaper

Outlook: At 16 years old with impressive size and length, Liddell is certainly an interesting prospect to track moving forward. He's still not quite there in terms of producing versus high-level defenders and thinking the game quickly, but he showcased some potential as a ball handler, shooter and defender, and is certainly someone to monitor in the 2018 class.

Interview:


Cameron Reddish, 6-6.5”, SF, Philadelphia, Class of 2018

Jonathan Givony

Reddish did not have the most productive or impressive camp, but its notable to at least mention the fact that he's grown about an inch a half and added 11 pounds to his frame in the past year. Judging by his body type and age, just having turned 16 years old, it wouldn't be surprising if he continues to grow. Reddish has an ideal basketball frame, which is likely the main reason why he's generated as much attention as he has in Philadelphia at such an early age, but is still a very early stage of his development from a skills standpoint, even compared to other players his age.

He has some athleticism and ability to change speeds, but looks extremely passive on the floor and tends to blend in completely and rarely utilizes his physical gifts, seemingly not knowing how to at the moment. He settles excessively for pull-up jumpers and seems to avoid contact around the basket. He has terrific tools on defense with his 6'10" wingspan, but does not display a high energy level and often leaves you wanting a little bit more here as well.

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