R.J. Barrett, Canada, SG/SF, Class of 2019, Uncommitted, 16.8 Strengths
-Tremendous physical profile for his age. Developed, yet still has quite a bit of room to fill out. Wide shoulders. Long arms with a 6' 10 wingspan. Measured 6' 6.5 in shoes.
-Good athlete who is a tough cover in transition thanks to his long strides. Puts pressure on the rim. Not afraid of contact.
-Not afraid of the moment. Was rarely underwhelmed by the fact that he was by far the youngest player in attendance. Plays with a level of confidence rare for his age.
-Herky-jerky style of play. Makes an effort to play at different speeds and change directions, although he can do so with more force. Uses his long strides to step around help defenders and his length to finish from different angles. Uses scoop shots. At his best as a straight line slasher either in transition or the half court. Can mix in an occasional in and out crossover.
-Impressive passer when he's dialed in, especially in the open floor. Can hit rim runners in stride or drop it off to bigs around the rim with great timing. Capable of playing out of pick and roll and hitting the diver. Career 3.2 assists per 40.
-Capable spot shooter with time and space. Game shooter. Struggled in drills but found a way to make shots when the lights came on. Low release point, but gets solid rotation. Lifetime 38.5 3P% on 39 attempts.
-Tremendous defensive potential thanks to his frame, length and instincts. Solid feet on the ball. Uses his length in the passing lanes when he's locked in.
-Impressive overall versatility for his age given his tools, slashing ability, playmaking potential, and occasional shot making.Weaknesses
-Excellent upper body but thin lower body. Legs are a bit bowed out.
-Didn't look as explosive as he has in the past. Was slightly hampered by a lower extremity injury - had come straight from Dick's Nationals where he reportedly hurt his knee. Moves in a bit of a herky jerky fashion. Has yet to reach his athletic potential?
-Struggled a bit to get by long athletes thanks to his so-so burst (maybe due to injury) and very raw handle - loose, away from his body. Makes an effort to change speeds but doesn't do so with much force. Left hand dominant at this stage.
-Not as explosive around the rim in traffic as he is in space. Relies more on his length and ability to finish from different angles than pure explosiveness. Has shown he has a higher degree of explosiveness in the past
-Very streaky shooter. Low release point, off hand involvement, set shot even on the move, wrist action is a little loose. Career 57.5% from the free throw line (92 attempts). Struggles to create separation and get to his jumper off the bounce without time and space, because of the nature of his release.
-Decision making comes and goes. Can really pass but has his questionable moments. Will force up contested threes or wild floaters early in the clock.
-Defensive intensity comes and goes, especially off the ball. Gets caught sleeping.
-Not all that vocal on the court. Tends to look a bit uninterested at times.Outlook
Barrett wasn't at his best after a long stretch of games, but he was still able to show his impressive physical profile, gamer mentality, slashing ability, court vision and shot making with time and space. His comfort-level at age 16 was quite impressive. With that said, Barrett was a bit up and down in terms of his ability to create in the half court, make shots off the dribble, finish vs length, and make good decisions consistently. Barrett's overall skill set could still use some polishing if he's to live up to the expectations he's been able to create with his unbelievable play at the 2015 U16 FIBA Americas, 2016 U17 Worlds, 2016 Jordan Brand International and NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp. At the ripe age of 16, Barrett was still far and away the best long term prospect on the World Team and showed enough to validate his current status as a prospect.
-Tremendous physical profile for his age. Developed, yet still has quite a bit of room to fill out. Wide shoulders. Long arms with a 6' 10 wingspan. Measured 6' 6.5 in shoes.
-Good athlete who is a tough cover in transition thanks to his long strides. Puts pressure on the rim. Not afraid of contact.
-Not afraid of the moment. Was rarely underwhelmed by the fact that he was by far the youngest player in attendance. Plays with a level of confidence rare for his age.
-Herky-jerky style of play. Makes an effort to play at different speeds and change directions, although he can do so with more force. Uses his long strides to step around help defenders and his length to finish from different angles. Uses scoop shots. At his best as a straight line slasher either in transition or the half court. Can mix in an occasional in and out crossover.
-Impressive passer when he's dialed in, especially in the open floor. Can hit rim runners in stride or drop it off to bigs around the rim with great timing. Capable of playing out of pick and roll and hitting the diver. Career 3.2 assists per 40.
-Capable spot shooter with time and space. Game shooter. Struggled in drills but found a way to make shots when the lights came on. Low release point, but gets solid rotation. Lifetime 38.5 3P% on 39 attempts.
-Tremendous defensive potential thanks to his frame, length and instincts. Solid feet on the ball. Uses his length in the passing lanes when he's locked in.
-Impressive overall versatility for his age given his tools, slashing ability, playmaking potential, and occasional shot making.Weaknesses
-Excellent upper body but thin lower body. Legs are a bit bowed out.
-Didn't look as explosive as he has in the past. Was slightly hampered by a lower extremity injury - had come straight from Dick's Nationals where he reportedly hurt his knee. Moves in a bit of a herky jerky fashion. Has yet to reach his athletic potential?
-Struggled a bit to get by long athletes thanks to his so-so burst (maybe due to injury) and very raw handle - loose, away from his body. Makes an effort to change speeds but doesn't do so with much force. Left hand dominant at this stage.
-Not as explosive around the rim in traffic as he is in space. Relies more on his length and ability to finish from different angles than pure explosiveness. Has shown he has a higher degree of explosiveness in the past
-Very streaky shooter. Low release point, off hand involvement, set shot even on the move, wrist action is a little loose. Career 57.5% from the free throw line (92 attempts). Struggles to create separation and get to his jumper off the bounce without time and space, because of the nature of his release.
-Decision making comes and goes. Can really pass but has his questionable moments. Will force up contested threes or wild floaters early in the clock.
-Defensive intensity comes and goes, especially off the ball. Gets caught sleeping.
-Not all that vocal on the court. Tends to look a bit uninterested at times.Outlook
Barrett wasn't at his best after a long stretch of games, but he was still able to show his impressive physical profile, gamer mentality, slashing ability, court vision and shot making with time and space. His comfort-level at age 16 was quite impressive. With that said, Barrett was a bit up and down in terms of his ability to create in the half court, make shots off the dribble, finish vs length, and make good decisions consistently. Barrett's overall skill set could still use some polishing if he's to live up to the expectations he's been able to create with his unbelievable play at the 2015 U16 FIBA Americas, 2016 U17 Worlds, 2016 Jordan Brand International and NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp. At the ripe age of 16, Barrett was still far and away the best long term prospect on the World Team and showed enough to validate his current status as a prospect.
Kostja Mushidi, Germany, Small Forward, International, Mega Leks, 18.8 Strengths
-Measured very well, at 6'5 in shoes with a 7'0 1/2 wingspan
-Has a chiseled 226 pound frame. Has clearly worked on his body. Has a well proportioned frame
-Length plus strength gives him the versatility to guard small forwards, and even some small-ball power forwards, which is important considering some of his weaknesses
-Let things come to him nicely most of the week in both the games and practices. Game seems to be slowing down for him. Didn't look as wild as he had in the past
-Solid IQ. Figuring out how to fit in within his role. Moves without the ball. Makes the extra pass.
-Shot the ball fairly well overall on the week, including going 4/7 for 3 in the game (with one impressive iso pull-up 3-pointer). Has a compact, consistent stroke in spot-up situations. Also showed potential as a shot-maker off the dribble at times
-Competitive player defensively
-Still only 18 years old. Has plenty of time to continue to address his weaknesses and is in a great place to do so at Mega LeksWeaknesses
-Not a very creative or polished ball-handler. Doesn't have much wiggle to his game. High, loose and rigid handle that mainly relegates him to straight-line drives. Doesn't have much shiftiness to his game to compensate
-Average passer on the move. Doesn't see the floor all that well once he puts the ball down
-Lacks a degree of explosiveness finishing in traffic
-Not yet a knockdown shooter. Career 31% on 588 attempts. Release is somewhat low, without much of a wrist snap
-Upright defender who gets burned off the bounce frequently by smaller players. Not very quick-twitch laterally. At his best guarding small forwards, even though he's only 6'5.Outlook
When Mushidi is hitting his 3-pointers, like he was in the Hoop Summit game, and at times in the practices, he has the makings of a very solid utility role-player. When his jumper isn't falling, he has a hard time making an impact, as he doesn't bring a great deal of high-level value in any other part of his game at the moment, even if he shows some potential with his length, competitiveness and solid IQ. There's a niche for players in Mushidi's mold in today's NBA, but he'll likely need to continue to gain experience in Europe and polish up his game before he's ready to make the leap over, which makes sense considering his youth.
-Measured very well, at 6'5 in shoes with a 7'0 1/2 wingspan
-Has a chiseled 226 pound frame. Has clearly worked on his body. Has a well proportioned frame
-Length plus strength gives him the versatility to guard small forwards, and even some small-ball power forwards, which is important considering some of his weaknesses
-Let things come to him nicely most of the week in both the games and practices. Game seems to be slowing down for him. Didn't look as wild as he had in the past
-Solid IQ. Figuring out how to fit in within his role. Moves without the ball. Makes the extra pass.
-Shot the ball fairly well overall on the week, including going 4/7 for 3 in the game (with one impressive iso pull-up 3-pointer). Has a compact, consistent stroke in spot-up situations. Also showed potential as a shot-maker off the dribble at times
-Competitive player defensively
-Still only 18 years old. Has plenty of time to continue to address his weaknesses and is in a great place to do so at Mega LeksWeaknesses
-Not a very creative or polished ball-handler. Doesn't have much wiggle to his game. High, loose and rigid handle that mainly relegates him to straight-line drives. Doesn't have much shiftiness to his game to compensate
-Average passer on the move. Doesn't see the floor all that well once he puts the ball down
-Lacks a degree of explosiveness finishing in traffic
-Not yet a knockdown shooter. Career 31% on 588 attempts. Release is somewhat low, without much of a wrist snap
-Upright defender who gets burned off the bounce frequently by smaller players. Not very quick-twitch laterally. At his best guarding small forwards, even though he's only 6'5.Outlook
When Mushidi is hitting his 3-pointers, like he was in the Hoop Summit game, and at times in the practices, he has the makings of a very solid utility role-player. When his jumper isn't falling, he has a hard time making an impact, as he doesn't bring a great deal of high-level value in any other part of his game at the moment, even if he shows some potential with his length, competitiveness and solid IQ. There's a niche for players in Mushidi's mold in today's NBA, but he'll likely need to continue to gain experience in Europe and polish up his game before he's ready to make the leap over, which makes sense considering his youth.
Troy Brown, USA, Shooting Guard, USA, Committed to Oregon, 17.7 Strengths
-Measured extremely well, at 6'6 in shoes with a 6'11 wingspan and a 210 pound frame. Big enough to play the small forward position in the NBA, even though he has plenty of guard skills.
-Swiss army knife who can do a little bit of everything
-Unselfish, high IQ passer. Reads the floor and finds the open man
-Continues to show flashes as a shooter. Has a nice looking stroke, both spotting up and off the dribble. Very good in rhythm
-Shows some potential operating in the post
-Competitive defender. Instinctive getting in the passing lanes and crashing the glass. Shows the potential to guard any of the backcourt positions, or even some power forward at times
-Highly articulate and intelligent. Knows exactly who he is as a player. Seems very humble despite being considered an elite-level prospect for years seemingly
-One of the youngest players in this class. Won't turn 18 until the end of JulyWeaknesses
-Just an OK athlete. Lacks a degree of quickness creating off the bounce, and explosiveness as a finisher around the basket
-Doesn't get very low with the ball, lacks some wiggle to his game in the half-court. Can't always get by smaller defenders
-Has a ways to go to become a more consistent shooter. Doesn't always shoot it the same ayOutlook
Brown had a solid week of practices, but was somewhat quiet in the actual game. He's a very well-known commodity at this point who impresses with his versatility, competitiveness and IQ, even if he doesn't share the same upside as some of the more highly touted members of this class.
-Measured extremely well, at 6'6 in shoes with a 6'11 wingspan and a 210 pound frame. Big enough to play the small forward position in the NBA, even though he has plenty of guard skills.
-Swiss army knife who can do a little bit of everything
-Unselfish, high IQ passer. Reads the floor and finds the open man
-Continues to show flashes as a shooter. Has a nice looking stroke, both spotting up and off the dribble. Very good in rhythm
-Shows some potential operating in the post
-Competitive defender. Instinctive getting in the passing lanes and crashing the glass. Shows the potential to guard any of the backcourt positions, or even some power forward at times
-Highly articulate and intelligent. Knows exactly who he is as a player. Seems very humble despite being considered an elite-level prospect for years seemingly
-One of the youngest players in this class. Won't turn 18 until the end of JulyWeaknesses
-Just an OK athlete. Lacks a degree of quickness creating off the bounce, and explosiveness as a finisher around the basket
-Doesn't get very low with the ball, lacks some wiggle to his game in the half-court. Can't always get by smaller defenders
-Has a ways to go to become a more consistent shooter. Doesn't always shoot it the same ayOutlook
Brown had a solid week of practices, but was somewhat quiet in the actual game. He's a very well-known commodity at this point who impresses with his versatility, competitiveness and IQ, even if he doesn't share the same upside as some of the more highly touted members of this class.
Gary Trent, USA, SG, USA, Committed to Duke, 18.2 Strengths
-Has good size for the wing at 6'6 in shoes, with a strong 215 pound frame. 6'8 ½ wingspan is adequate, even to guard some small forwards
-Has impressive scoring instincts. Knows how to put the ball in the basket. Hungry for points. Alpha dog mentality
-Physical and aggressive player. Will crash the glass
-Shot-maker who can get hot and hit a barrage of 3s both spotting up and off the dribble, even from NBA range
-Can find success at times in the open floor and on straight-line drives
-Can move his feet and stay in front when he's locked in and competing. Aggressive playing the passing lanes and has good instincts for coming up with stealsWeaknesses
-Average athlete in terms of quickness and explosiveness
-More of a shot-maker than a pure shooter. Very streaky, partially due to his poor shot-selection. Career 33.5% 3P% on over 450 attempts in DX database
-Doesn't have much wiggle to his game. Wants to bulldoze his way through opponents. Relies heavily on his strength. Needs to add polish as a ball-handler. Ball slows him down. Wants to pull-up off the bounce at the first glimmer of daylight.
-Reluctant passer. Never met a shot he didn't like.
-Insistence on shooting long 2s, and below the rim style inside the paint makes him fairly inefficient scoring inside the arc
-Inconsistent in his approach defensively. Doesn't always put enough pride in on this end of the floor. Doesn't have standout lateral quickness, so will get roasted at times off the bounce. Likes to gamble for stealsOutlook
Trent had just a decent week of practice and capped it off with an inefficient 9 point on 11 field goal attempt game in USA's win over the World Select team. He measured an inch taller than he did in the past, but other than that, his game hasn't changed all that much since he first burst onto the scene a few years ago. When his jumper is falling, he can be impressive with his shot-making ability, but he'll need to find a way to become more efficient with the rest of his game as he tends to freeze out his teammates.
-Has good size for the wing at 6'6 in shoes, with a strong 215 pound frame. 6'8 ½ wingspan is adequate, even to guard some small forwards
-Has impressive scoring instincts. Knows how to put the ball in the basket. Hungry for points. Alpha dog mentality
-Physical and aggressive player. Will crash the glass
-Shot-maker who can get hot and hit a barrage of 3s both spotting up and off the dribble, even from NBA range
-Can find success at times in the open floor and on straight-line drives
-Can move his feet and stay in front when he's locked in and competing. Aggressive playing the passing lanes and has good instincts for coming up with stealsWeaknesses
-Average athlete in terms of quickness and explosiveness
-More of a shot-maker than a pure shooter. Very streaky, partially due to his poor shot-selection. Career 33.5% 3P% on over 450 attempts in DX database
-Doesn't have much wiggle to his game. Wants to bulldoze his way through opponents. Relies heavily on his strength. Needs to add polish as a ball-handler. Ball slows him down. Wants to pull-up off the bounce at the first glimmer of daylight.
-Reluctant passer. Never met a shot he didn't like.
-Insistence on shooting long 2s, and below the rim style inside the paint makes him fairly inefficient scoring inside the arc
-Inconsistent in his approach defensively. Doesn't always put enough pride in on this end of the floor. Doesn't have standout lateral quickness, so will get roasted at times off the bounce. Likes to gamble for stealsOutlook
Trent had just a decent week of practice and capped it off with an inefficient 9 point on 11 field goal attempt game in USA's win over the World Select team. He measured an inch taller than he did in the past, but other than that, his game hasn't changed all that much since he first burst onto the scene a few years ago. When his jumper is falling, he can be impressive with his shot-making ability, but he'll need to find a way to become more efficient with the rest of his game as he tends to freeze out his teammates.
M.J. Walker, USA, Small Forward, Class of 2017, Uncommitted, 19.0 Strengths
-Decent size for a wing prospect at 6'6 205 lbs. Strong frame.
-Competitive, aggressive player on both ends of the floor. Makes an effort to sit down and defend. Will get on the floor for loose balls. High motor overall.
-Capable spot shooter with time and space. Can shoot on the move a little bit. Decent rise shooting in mid-range spots off screens. Can make a one-dribble pull up.
-Solid straight line driver vs hard closeouts or when run off the line. More powerful than explosive, but uses his size to finish above the rim in space at times.
-Has potential as a passer. Willing to play a role.
- Uses his strength on the defensive end. Doesn't have elite size or length for a wing but can body up bigger threes thanks to his frame.
-Has role player potential if he develops into a knockdown shooter and can defend at a high level.Weaknesses
-Tools of a two with the game of a three. Average length with a 6'8 wingspan. Borderline thick frame. Mature physically. One of the oldest players in attendance. Will have to continue to keep his conditioning up to keep up with quicker wings on both ends.
-Doesn't have much wiggle with the ball. Not going to create a lot of offense. Basic ball handler. Limited to straight line drives.
-Not going to play above the rim in the half court. Average leaper.
-Willing to play a role, but can get a bit sped up at times when put in shot creation or playmaking situations. Best when he keeps it simple.
-Best guarding threes at this stage although he has the height and length of a two. Average twitch. A bit bulky fighting over ball screens.
-On the streaky side as a shooter. Needs to be near knockdown given some of his limitations as a primary shot creator.
-Overall upside is somewhat limited by his combination of age, average explosiveness, shot creation and length.Outlook
M.J. Walker took a back seat of sorts as one of the less heralded prospect on a loaded USA Select Team. Although Walker didn't stand out in one area or have a major impact in practices or the game, he should be able to step in and contribute early on at the college level (depending on where he ends up) thanks to his mature frame and ready-made shot making.
-Decent size for a wing prospect at 6'6 205 lbs. Strong frame.
-Competitive, aggressive player on both ends of the floor. Makes an effort to sit down and defend. Will get on the floor for loose balls. High motor overall.
-Capable spot shooter with time and space. Can shoot on the move a little bit. Decent rise shooting in mid-range spots off screens. Can make a one-dribble pull up.
-Solid straight line driver vs hard closeouts or when run off the line. More powerful than explosive, but uses his size to finish above the rim in space at times.
-Has potential as a passer. Willing to play a role.
- Uses his strength on the defensive end. Doesn't have elite size or length for a wing but can body up bigger threes thanks to his frame.
-Has role player potential if he develops into a knockdown shooter and can defend at a high level.Weaknesses
-Tools of a two with the game of a three. Average length with a 6'8 wingspan. Borderline thick frame. Mature physically. One of the oldest players in attendance. Will have to continue to keep his conditioning up to keep up with quicker wings on both ends.
-Doesn't have much wiggle with the ball. Not going to create a lot of offense. Basic ball handler. Limited to straight line drives.
-Not going to play above the rim in the half court. Average leaper.
-Willing to play a role, but can get a bit sped up at times when put in shot creation or playmaking situations. Best when he keeps it simple.
-Best guarding threes at this stage although he has the height and length of a two. Average twitch. A bit bulky fighting over ball screens.
-On the streaky side as a shooter. Needs to be near knockdown given some of his limitations as a primary shot creator.
-Overall upside is somewhat limited by his combination of age, average explosiveness, shot creation and length.Outlook
M.J. Walker took a back seat of sorts as one of the less heralded prospect on a loaded USA Select Team. Although Walker didn't stand out in one area or have a major impact in practices or the game, he should be able to step in and contribute early on at the college level (depending on where he ends up) thanks to his mature frame and ready-made shot making.
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