Walker BeekenAfter flying a bit under the radar during the practice session at the 2011 Nike Hoops Summit, Polish wing
Mateusz Ponitka had a solid showing in the loss to team USA, finishing as the World Team's leading scorer with 17 points on 7-13 from the field in 25 minutes of play. He played with great confidence and didn't look to be intimidated at all by the physical talents of the USA players.
This was consistent with what we saw from him all week in drills and scrimmages, as he seems to be a very tough, competitive player. This is a big help for him defensively, but his lack of lateral quickness on the wing was evident during the game as he was beaten off the dribble pretty badly on occasions by Team USA.
Ponitka's shot is pretty flat and has some sidespin, but he shoots the ball confidently and showed the ability to knock down shots off the catch and off the dribble with range out past the 3-point line. He also displayed good scoring instincts and the ability to score some in the mid-range. His lack of elevation hinders his ability to score at the rim, however, and some of his game off the bounce would likely be limited if playing regularly against higher level athletes. He didn't show much in the way of creating for others or advanced ball-handling, and he didn't look to do much to set up his teammates, as he plays primarily with a scorer's mentality.
Ponitka plays in the Polish second division at the moment, on an academy team composed of young players. His options for next year include playing in the NCAA or signing with a big team in Europe. How he's able to translate his scoring prowess to a higher level of competition will likely tell us quite a bit about the extent of his potential, as there are some question marks about just how far his physical tools can carry him.
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