Jhery Matos

Jhery Matos, 6-3, PG/SG, Santo Domingo, 2016 High School Class

Analysis

DraftExpress first saw Matos at the 2014 FIBA U18 Americas in Colorado Springs where he impressed with his explosiveness, defensive potential, and passing instincts, but left much to be desired in the shot selection, perimeter shooting and decision making category.

Over one year later as one of the oldest players at Nike Global Challenge, Matos looked like the same player we first saw in Colorado Springs. There's no questioning his quickness and explosiveness. At 6' 3” with a solid frame that has yet to fill out, Matos can beat his man off the bounce in a straight line or finish above the rim with relative ease.

But Matos really struggled to command the ball consistently, sprayed the ball all over as a shooter, had issues finishing in the paint and didn't do a great job picking his spots both as a shooter and playmaker.

Sporting a fairly low and inconsistent release, Matos shot 2-of-14 from three, and 3-of-8 from the free throw line. While he struggled from the perimeter, he also has a tendency to throw up wild layups or floaters any time he sees a help side defender rotate over, oftentimes not even looking at the rim. Matos is also a very wild ball handler and distributor as he collected only three assists in 97 minutes compared to 11 turnovers.

Matos does show flashes of creativity as a passer when he wants to play that role (we've even seen him distribute fairly well in the past: 7.1 per 40 min pace adjusted at the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championships and 9.0 per 40 min pace adjusted at the FIBA U17 Centrobasket) but his basketball IQ and feel simply aren't there at this stage.

Defensively Matos has the tools to be an absolute menace with his quick feet, good size and long arms. His focus comes and goes on that end, however. Overall Matos hasn't made much progress turning his potential into production in the past year, but it will be interesting to see if Matos, who goes to a prep school in Miami, can develop at the college ranks and eventually begin to maximize his potential.

Mike Schmitz

Strengths
-Explosive athlete.
-Finishes above the rim with ease.
-Capable shooter.
-Potential on defense due to athleticism and solid length.
-Good anticipation in the passing lanes. Quick hands.
-Excellent in transition.
-Combo potential due to solid passing instincts.

Weaknesses
-Undersized for a 2-guard at 6-3.
-Very thin.
-Doesn't handle contact well at the rim.
-Has potential on defense but struggles on the ball against stronger guards.
-Slow release on his shot. Inconsistent.
-Turnover prone.
-Average feel for the game.

Outlook Matos is an intriguing prospect due to his elite athleticism at the two-guard spot. Although he's not the most polished player at this stage, Matos has some upside on both ends of the floor. He may not be an NBA prospect, but if Matos figures out how to use his athleticism the right way he could develop into a nice college player.