Menu

Sundiata Gaines

RCSI: 120 (2004)
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
Weight: 205 lbs (93 kg)
Position: PG/SG
High School: Archbishop Molloy High School (New York)
Hometown: Jamaica, NY
College: Georgia
Current Team: Penarol
Win - Loss: 4 - 9

Articles

D-League Showcase: Day Two

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Jim Hlavac
Jim Hlavac
Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Richard Walker
Richard Walker
Jan 06, 2010, 03:11 pm
As we discussed extensively on Twitter yesterday, the Utah Jazz decided to fill their backup point guard void via the D-League by calling up Sundiata Gaines on a 10-day contract. Gaines has been one of the most prolific players all season long on the fastest paced team in the league here in Idaho, and was ranked as our top prospect in the D-League before the draft in November. D-League coaches disagreed and allowed him to drop all the way to the 15th pick, but Gaines has shown to be a superior talent at this level and has given the D-League a big boost by earning a call-up during their Showcase.

Gaines is a reasonably athletic point guard who excels in transition and sports a chiseled frame that is substantially improved since his college days. He can create his own shot going left or right and gets to the free throw line at a high rate, excelling on the pick and roll in particular where he can get to the rim and finish (61% 2P) with an array of spin and pivot moves or find open teammates spotting up on the wing. He does a good job taking care of the ball despite the incredibly fast pace his team plays at, and appears to have strong fundamentals and a nice basketball IQ to help compensate for his lack of incredible physical tools.

The biggest question mark about Gaines (besides his average size) revolves around his perimeter shooting stroke, which has never been considered a strength throughout his career. He shot just 32% from beyond the arc this season and 30% as a NCAA senior, attempting quite a few shots which may indicate some shot-selection issues. With that said, he has a very strong mid-range game, being highly adept at creating space and knocking down shots pulling up off the dribble.

Gaines is a fairly tough and scrappy guy who plays good defense for the most part and is a very good rebounder for a point guard. He’s a bit inconsistent from game to game, something he needs to address, but should fit in well in Utah’s flex offense and is the type of player Jerry Sloan likes.

Blogging through the NCAA tournament (Day One)

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mar 20, 2008, 12:22 pm
Sundiata Gaines kept Georgia in the game with his timely scoring and playmaking, similar to the way he did in the SEC tournament. He’s forced to do far too much ball-handling on his team, as well as take shots that he isn’t really comfortable taking, because of their clear lack of shot-creators, which hurts his numbers somewhat. You still have to love his toughness, strength and all-around feel for the game, as well as the unselfish nature in which he plays. He defends, handles the ball well, hits mid-range jumpers, gets to the basket, and is not afraid to take responsibilities on himself. He’s probably not an NBA player because of his lack of size, freakish athleticism and perimeter shooting, but he will surely make a lot of money playing professional basketball somewhere. We had him on our suggested roster for the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, and after the way he’s backed that up over the past two weeks or so, it would be pretty surprising to see him not get in.

Latest results

12/20/2023 92 - 76 vs Comunicaciones Mercedes Comunicaciones Mercedes
12/16/2023 87 - 85 vs Gimnasia Comodoro Gimnasia Comodoro
12/07/2023 87 - 74 vs Riachuelo Riachuelo
12/05/2023 75 - 98 vs Quimsa Quimsa
DraftExpress Shop