In this contest, several players stood out as potential minor league prospects.
Georgia St.
Marques Johnson- Johnson is a 6'5 lead guard with an ability to man the point guard position. In this contest, Johnson evinced some decent court vision, feeding it inside whenever he got the opportunity. He excels as a passer, posting a 23.5 assist rate according to Kenpom. While Johnson tends to turn the ball over at a fairly high rate (25.5% turnover rate on the season), this is due in large part to his limited in-game experience and the offensive system he plays in, which is highly structured and prone to periods of stagnation. Not only did he play under control in this contest, but he also demonstrated a viable scoring skillset. Johnson scored his points shooting a pull up jump shot off the dribble. While he is not able to blow by defenders with a superior first step, Johnson was able to create separation off the dribble and square his body towards the basket. His height at this position will allow him to shoot over the top of defenders at the next level. On the defensive end, Johnson was not particularly effective closing out on shooters Brown and Polk, but his height and length did bother them on several occasions.
Brandon McGhee- McGhee is a combo forward with decent size and athleticism who was able to finish inside against the Towson frontline. His post repertoire is somewhat limited at this stage, but he is able to implement a decent jump hook in the post.
James Vincent- Vincent is a space eater that collected rebounds and provided solid effort on the glass. He was able to get to the line, but failed to finish these plays late in the game.
Towson
Josh Brown- Brown is a 6'1 combo guard with an ability to get out in transition. Brown was often able to break away on the fast break and score on easy lay ins. Additionally, he was able to hit some three point shots to keep the Tigers in the ball game. He has improved tremendously in this regard- connecting on 45% of his attempts from beyond the arc relative to the 24% that he shot a year ago.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
D League Notes: Texas Legends vs. New Mexico Thunderbirds
-Sean Williams started the game, but was only able to play around three minutes due to an illness.
-Dar Tucker hit shots from all over the floor in this contest. He employed solid athleticism to create separation and penetrate in the lane. Tucker was able to attack the basket due to his excellent combination of quickness and athleticism. Moreover, Tucker was efficient from the floor today, hitting some of his perimeter shots, and showcasing an improved free throw form. He still must continue to improve his consistency in this area. On the defensive end, Tucker worked fairly hard to assert himself against the Legends.
-Antonio Daniels was one of the bright spots for the Texas Legends. Not only did he do an excellent job of initiating the offense, but he was very unselfish with the ball in his hands- he would regularly pass up a quick jumper in order to grant a teammate with a better opportunity. He hit a corner three with just over 1:40 to play, effectively keeping his Legends squad in the game.
-Justin Dentmon was aggressive attacking the basket and looking for his own shot. However, he made a few poor decisions in this contest. For example, he tried to initiate contact from well beyond the NBA 3 point line and ended up traveling with the ball. While he is not a particularly efficient shooter, Dentmon proved to be a valuable ball hawk, working to keep Jalloh out of the paint for much of the game.
-Abdullah Jalloh was assertive going to the rim, and was able to draw contact against Matt Rogers and Keith Clark, forcing them out of the game in the fourth quarter. He is one of the most effective players in the D League at getting to the line.
-Booker Woodfox demonstrated why he is one of the more underrated players in the D League. Not only was he the leading scorer for the Legends for much of the game, but he also distributed the ball- tallying 7 assists. His passing was primarily centered around his ability to drive past his defender in the lane.
-Walter Sharpe demonstrated why he was drafted in the NBA in spite of his limited college experience. He played effective defense on Joe Alexander and bothered him with his length. Not only that, but he was able to get to spots and play solid positional defense. Finally, Sharpe formed a nice high-low combination with Shane Edwards, finding him for successful post entry feeds. If he can cut down on his turnovers, he may be an intriguing talent to examine in a few years.
-Joe Alexander evinced a highly developed offensive repertoire. He was able to attack opponents off the dribble and also hit open jump shots. Alexander drew contact regularly and was able to blow by defenders with his first step at this level. With that said, he did miss some critical shots late in the game and was not able to really assert himself during that juncture.
-Shane Edwards scored inside and played lock down defense, blocking several key shots in order to help his T-Birds squad secure this victory.
-Dominique Johnson was on fire in this contest, hitting just about every one of his shots. Through three quarters, he was a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc. And, he continued to shoot the ball from the perimeter in the fourth, draining several key shots late in the game.
-Dar Tucker hit shots from all over the floor in this contest. He employed solid athleticism to create separation and penetrate in the lane. Tucker was able to attack the basket due to his excellent combination of quickness and athleticism. Moreover, Tucker was efficient from the floor today, hitting some of his perimeter shots, and showcasing an improved free throw form. He still must continue to improve his consistency in this area. On the defensive end, Tucker worked fairly hard to assert himself against the Legends.
-Antonio Daniels was one of the bright spots for the Texas Legends. Not only did he do an excellent job of initiating the offense, but he was very unselfish with the ball in his hands- he would regularly pass up a quick jumper in order to grant a teammate with a better opportunity. He hit a corner three with just over 1:40 to play, effectively keeping his Legends squad in the game.
-Justin Dentmon was aggressive attacking the basket and looking for his own shot. However, he made a few poor decisions in this contest. For example, he tried to initiate contact from well beyond the NBA 3 point line and ended up traveling with the ball. While he is not a particularly efficient shooter, Dentmon proved to be a valuable ball hawk, working to keep Jalloh out of the paint for much of the game.
-Abdullah Jalloh was assertive going to the rim, and was able to draw contact against Matt Rogers and Keith Clark, forcing them out of the game in the fourth quarter. He is one of the most effective players in the D League at getting to the line.
-Booker Woodfox demonstrated why he is one of the more underrated players in the D League. Not only was he the leading scorer for the Legends for much of the game, but he also distributed the ball- tallying 7 assists. His passing was primarily centered around his ability to drive past his defender in the lane.
-Walter Sharpe demonstrated why he was drafted in the NBA in spite of his limited college experience. He played effective defense on Joe Alexander and bothered him with his length. Not only that, but he was able to get to spots and play solid positional defense. Finally, Sharpe formed a nice high-low combination with Shane Edwards, finding him for successful post entry feeds. If he can cut down on his turnovers, he may be an intriguing talent to examine in a few years.
-Joe Alexander evinced a highly developed offensive repertoire. He was able to attack opponents off the dribble and also hit open jump shots. Alexander drew contact regularly and was able to blow by defenders with his first step at this level. With that said, he did miss some critical shots late in the game and was not able to really assert himself during that juncture.
-Shane Edwards scored inside and played lock down defense, blocking several key shots in order to help his T-Birds squad secure this victory.
-Dominique Johnson was on fire in this contest, hitting just about every one of his shots. Through three quarters, he was a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc. And, he continued to shoot the ball from the perimeter in the fourth, draining several key shots late in the game.
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