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Nike Hoop Summit Scouting Reports: Wings

Nike Hoop Summit Scouting Reports: Wings
Apr 24, 2013, 06:01 pm
Scouting reports on Andrew Wiggins, Sergey Karasev and Tomas Dimsa.

2013 Nike Hoop Summit Coverage
-Nike Hoop Summit Scouting Reports: Guards
-Nike Hoop Summit Group Practice Workout Videos Playlist
-Nike Hoop Summit Game Recap
-USA and World Select Team Practice Wrap
-World Select Team Mid-week Practice Recaps
-USA Team Measurements
-World Select Team Coaches Interview
-World Select Team Early Practice Storylines
-World Select Team Measurements
-World Select Team Roster Preview Podcast
-World Select Team Roster Preview

Andrew Wiggins, 6-8, Small Forward, Huntington Prep (WV), 1995, Canada

Jonathan Givony

Andrew Wiggins had somewhat of a quiet showing on the all-star circuit over the past three weeks, not really dominating the competition the way some might expect considering some of the accolades he's garnered. That might be somewhat by design, though, as from watching him closely and interacting with him, it's difficult not to feel like he's deeply fatigued from the three weeks he spent on the road as well as the incredible circus that has surrounded his college recruitment the past few months. Any scout evaluating him for the first time probably didn't come away thinking he's the NBA franchise changer he's been billed as, but that's not really that much of a concern considering he's still at least 14 months away from having to fill that role.



Watching him practice and play in Portland, Wiggins' talent shined through regardless of how motivated he felt to prove himself at any given moment. He measured an inch taller (6-8) and longer (7-0) than he did last year in Portland, although he hasn't added a single pound to his frame since then, and he's still one of the best athletes you'll find in the world outside of the NBA. Wiggins has the ability to create his own shot at will with an array of jukes, shakes, hesitation moves and amazing body control, even if his ball-handling skills in the half-court still haven't quite caught up. He's dynamite in transition and very capable of finishing effectively in the half-court as well since he can simply rise up over the top of the defense and wait until traffic has subsided before elegantly laying the ball in.

His perimeter shooting is getting more and more consistent as time goes on, as his mechanics have improved and most importantly his release point is getting higher and quicker. His pull-up jumper is becoming a more dangerous weapon as well, aided greatly by the fact that he can simply rise up on a dime and elevate over defenders before throwing the ball in the basket. The touch he shows on his jump-shot leaves a lot of room for optimism regarding how he'll develop in this area down the road.



Not a selfish player by any means, Wiggins looked more than happy creating for others over the course of the week, seemingly taking pleasure in taking the attention off him for once.

Defensively, Wiggins has all the tools to be a menace at his position, with his long arms, excellent size and terrific athleticism, but didn't seem to put all that great of an effort in at most of the events we've seen him at over the past year. He rarely gets into a stance and seems pretty non-chalant in his overall approach, but that likely has more to do with the settings he's played in and what's being demanded of him more than anything.



All in all, nothing Wiggins has shown on the court leads us to believe there is a better NBA prospect anywhere in high school basketball. There may be some concerns about whether he has the mental makeup and killer instinct needed to (want to) be the go-to star his talent indicates, but it will be much easier to draw further conclusions about that at the college level than right now.



Shooting Drills at the Nike Hoop Summit Practices

Sergey Karasev, 6'7, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Triumph, 1993, Russia

Matt Williams

One of the first international players we evaluated this season, and for a good reason, Sergey Karasev is years ahead of the learning curve of the average 19 year-old European prospect, and it showed all week in Portland.



Having already appeared in the Olympics for the Russian national team and leading the country's top basketball league, the PBL, in scoring, Karasev is likely the most productive young prospect in all of European basketball. Able to attend the Nike Hoop Summit thanks to some fortunate scheduling that did not force him to miss any game action for Triumph Lyubertsy, he was clearly the most mature player in attendance.

The son of a coach and former player, Karasev impacted the World Select Team's practices and the game itself with his high basketball IQ, even when he wasn't scoring. An extremely savvy passer, Karasev is unselfish and possesses excellent court vision. Forcing very little this week, he was content to take a complimentary role, but still managed to impress with his feel for the game and decision-making.

Karasev did most of his damage offensively in catch and shoot situations, taking advantage on the occasions when he found himself open. Shooting the ball with great range and effortless mechanics with his feet set, Karasev impressed scouts with his prolific perimeter shooting both in drills and game action to the point that it was surprising to see him miss at times. Making 38% of his 3-pointers this season, Karasev's numbers belie his consistency from the perimeter given the defensive pressure he regularly faces.



When Karasev did attack, he showed deft touch on his pull-up jump shot and the ability to create for teammates. Lacking great foot speed and strength, particularly as a finisher around the rim, Karasev is not a prolific threat off the bounce one-on-one, but can take what defenders give him.

His defensive potential is the biggest question mark regarding his NBA potential at this point. Karasev put good effort in on this end of the floor, but needs to continue to add strength to his 197 pound frame and work on his technique if he's able to handle the very athletic wing players he'll face on a nightly basis in the NBA. His 6-9 wingspan isn't terrible, and he certainly didn't embarrass himself, even matching up with Andrew Wiggins on a daily basis, but he'll have to continue to improve here to show he can hold his own.

An aggressive, decisive, and confident scorer in the European game, Karasev showed the ability to seamlessly translate his game into a smaller role this week, a promising sign considering the role he'd likely be asked to play early in his NBA career. Having already put his name in the draft and extremely flexible with regard to when he would like to make the jump to the NBA, Karasev is among the most intriguing international prospects in this draft and certainly helped himself in Portland.


Tomas Dimsa, 6'4, Shooting Guard, 1994, Lithuania

Matt Williams

Arriving a day later than everyone, Tomas Dimsa had a fairly quiet week in Portland, not really standing out among the quality of talent assembled, but also not looking out of place. He came through for the World Select Team when he was called upon on gameday though, knocking down his only official shot, a 3-pointer, and all 3 of his free throws after getting fouled on another 3-pointer to finish with six points in six minutes.



A late addition to the Hoop Summit roster, Dimsa had a difficult time using his athleticism to get to the basket throughout the week. Noted for his explosiveness for a European prospect, he did get loose and elevate for a dunk over a defender at one point in practice, but did not convert. Lacking great ball-handling ability and strength in the half-court, and not being the most assertive player around, Dimsa was not able to make plays consistently off the dribble and particularly in transition like he did in previous settings we've evaluated him. He has a strong first step, but the length and athleticism of Dante Exum and Andrew Wiggins posed obvious challenges for him. He did make some very intelligent passes throughout the week, though, looking very unselfish and appearing content not forcing the issue amongst the deep collection of talent that was alongside him. He also put a solid effort in defensively.

The Kaunas, Lithuania native did most of his damage when he could find his range, getting hot during the World Select Team's scrimmages on one notable occasion where he went 4-4 from beyond the arc in a matter of minutes. He has a fairly long shooting stroke, but gets good arc on the ball and is fairly consistent with his feet set. Considering this has been considered a weakness of his up until this point in his career, it was nice to see Dimsa shooting the ball effectively, something he'll need to continue to do consistently to reach his full potential as a prospect.

Averaging double figures for Zalgiris-Sabonio krepsinio centras in the 2nd division of Lithuania, also known as the NKL, Dimsa had a solid season at the level of competition he played at. Whether he pans out as a NBA prospect will have a lot to do with how his body and floor game improves in the coming years. It will be interesting to see how he fares when he gets the opportunity to ply his trade against better club competition in Lithuania, as he's definitely one of the more talented wing prospects the country has developed in the last few years.

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