In lieu of the G League draft tomorrow, I am reviewing several showcase/allstar events over the spring and summer. Many of these players are already signed overseas - they may be future candidates. For the rest, some of the standouts may be able to work their way onto a G League roster. The first event reviewed herein is the HBCU Showcase at the NBA's Summer League.
Top Standouts
Jermaine Marrow, Team Bonzi - While he also was dynamic in the TBT for HBCUnited, Marrow ran the show for Team Bonzi, and did an excellent job of probing the lane. Replete with good burst, Marrow was able to consistently take his man off the dribble and attack the rim. While he struggled at times when met with the backline rim protector due to his 6'0 size, Marrow was crafty and involved his teammates throughout both contests. He made several flashy scoop passes, wrap arounds, and demonstrated that he is comfortable passing with one hand on the move. Marrow was in attack mode in both games, driving in the lane and drawing contact, before finishing with either hand. When he doesn't drive it all the way to the rim, Marrow flashed a nice floater. He had mixed results from 3pt range in this contest, and he struggled at times to get his midrange jumper off due to a lower release point/his size. Marrow was a pest defensively, and did a nice job deflecting balls away and even was aggressive bothering post entry feeds. Marrow's impressive quickness and finishing ability at the rim, coupled with his P&R instincts, make him a great candidate to play at a higher level overseas or in the G League. He is currently signed with CB Menorca (LEB Plata or Spanish Third Division).
Ron Jackson Jr., Team Bonzi - Jackson Jr. is a prototypical modern 6'8 big, who possesses the perimeter skillset to keep defenses honest, yet is highly capable cutting to the rim in P&R. He was active on both ends in this showcase. While he was a bit quiet in the first contest (against Team Mo), finishing off offensive rebound tip ins and connecting on one 3pter off of screen action, Jackson flashed his full repertoire against Team Reggie. Jackson did a great job moving in space and was the recipient of several nice passes at the rim. He finished with authority out in transition and ran the floor hard. When he made a mistake passing the ball, Jackson hustled back to steal the ball back and correct his error. Overall, Jackson is an active big with a good perimeter shot, who can be utilized in a variety of ways and would be a good candidate for a G League team. Unfortunately he is signed overseas with Basket Torino in Italy's 2nd Division.
Amir Hinton, Team Reggie - The former G Leaguer did a nice job of attacking the rim at this HBCU Showcase, driving all the way to the basket or pulling up for a midrange jumper. While he did not flash much from the perimeter, missing on several open attempts, he displayed his excellent athleticism in the halfcourt. Hinton must continue to refine his shooting stroke if he hopes to make an impact at high levels of play. He did demonstrate that he can connect on pullup jumpers off the bounce or take it all the way to the rim. He also was very good out in transition. With that said, Hinton must continue to improve his strength finishing through contact. On the defensive end, Hinton is dynamic, with quick hands and good length, getting in the passing lanes. He can defend multiple positions. He is currently signed with Al Wasl in the United Arab Emirates.
MJ Randolph, Team Reggie - Randolph displayed a quick first step and a willingness to involve his teammates. He also stood out in a positive way at the G League Elite Camp at times. Though his decision making is still a work in progress, Randolph has the tools to function as a lead guard at a pro level. He either got in the lane or found cutters in his first contest against Team Kenny. Therein, he also flashed a decent midrange jump shot when run off the line. He moved the ball along the perimeter and found shooters when defenses converged on his drive. In the second contest against Team Bonzi, Randolph also moved the ball well, finding open shooters. However, his shot simply was not falling. To this point, he must work on his shot selection at times. Randolph possesses the athleticism to excel attacking the basket, as he does a nice job of drawing contact and earning trips to the line. While he did not showcase much at this event on the defensive end, he possesses the quickness and athleticism to challenge at the rim and close out on shooters.
Tobi Ewuosho, Team Kenny - In the first contest against Team Reggie, the Chicago native displayed good athleticism attacking the basket, getting in the lane and finishing at the rim. Tobi ran the floor hard and was dynamic in transition. While Tobi needs to continue to refine his perimeter shooting, he did connect on a dribble pullup jumper in his team's first game. Ewuosho has a very nice first step and a good second gear as well. He was very active throughout both contests, staying aggressive and corralling offensive rebounds. As such, he drew numerous fouls over the course of the Showcase, both out on the perimeter and attacking the rim. On the defensive end, Tobi stayed with his man out on the perimeter and applied consistent on ball pressure. According to Eurobasket, Tobi is currently playing with Imortal in Portugal.
Malique Trent, Team Kenny - While he was relatively quiet in his matchup against Team Reggie, Trent excelled in the second game against Team Mo. The 6'3 guard flashed tremendous athleticism and did a nice job of running the show for his squad in P&R. He made a few nice passes out in transition as well. While he got a nice roll on one pullup attempt, Trent needs to demonstrate that he can consistently knock down the 3pt shot. He was generally effective on the offensive end, beating his defender off the bounce and getting to the rim. However, Trent was exceptional on the defensive end, picking the pocket of several of his opponents and turning these opportunities into instant offense. Trent had some of the quickest hands at this event, with the possible exception of Jermaine Marrow. Malique is currently playing overseas with Surgut in Russia.
Kassim Nicholson, Team Kenny - Nicholson proved to be effective on both ends of the floor, particularly in his game against Team Mo. He did a nice job of moving without the ball, finding creases in the D, before driving the lane and finishing at the rim. Nicholson regularly employs shot fakes to throw his defender off balance. He has a very reliable floater in his arsenal, which he turns to if the help comes over. Nicholson does a nice job of creating offense for himself, backing down out of the post. He displayed very good strength and body control finishing at the basket. On the defensive end, he was able to create a turnover against Team Reggie. He appeared to be fundamentally sound on this side of the floor in these two contests.
Jeremy Combs, Team Kenny - Combs is an active traditional big with great pick and roll fundamentals, who flashed in both contests for his Team Kenny squad. Combs is extremely effective as a roll man, and he does a nice job of finishing at the rim. He moves well without the ball and was the recipient of some good feeds inside. Combs was aggressive on the offensive glass and created many extra possessions for his team. He is also effective operating in the post, facing up and spinning by his man, or backing him down and anticipating contact. Combs was one of the most effective defenders at this event, and he made an impact in a variety of ways. Combs jumped passing lanes and finished off plays on the other end out in transition. He also displayed good hands, deflecting the ball away from his opponent. Finally, Combs also took a charge and is fundamentally sound on this side of the ball.
Tristan Jarrett, Team Mo - Jarrett was most effective against Team Bonzi. He flashed his sweet shooting stroke, connecting on a baseline jumper off of a dribble handoff, as well as a 3pter off the catch. He beat his man down the floor in transition and finished on another occasion. Jarrett showcased his quick hands defensively, deflecting the ball away from his opponent and collecting a steal on another possession. While he was not as effective shooting the ball against Team Kenny, missing his perimeter jumpers, Jarrett did a nice job facilitating for his teammates in the P&R. He moved very well without the ball and demonstrated his offensive versatility. Jarrett is currently playing with Piratas in Colombia.
Troy Baxter, Team Mo - Baxter was the most athletic player at this showcase and made several eye popping recovery blocks. Baxter displayed good hands, poking the ball away from his opponents. Offensively, Baxter mostly operated as a finisher at this event, driving past defenders and finishing with a thunderous jam, or moving off ball, before catching it and slamming it home. Baxter's ability to knock down the perimeter jumper and keep defenses honest will be critical if he is to play in the G League this year.
Other Notes:
Jaquan Lawrence, Team Bonzi - The lengthy big demonstrated that he is highly capable on the defensive end, picking the pocket of several of his opponents and making several highlight reel blocks. He does a nice job moving into space off ball and making basket cuts. Lawrence was unselfish at times and looked to his teammates. He was most effective facing up in the post, as he does not have the lower body strength to contend with bigger pros on the interior. He was unable to connect on his perimeter shots.
Tajh Green, Team Bonzi - The MVP of the HBCU Allstar Game had a good performance against Team Mo, demonstrating excellent post footwork and a balanced midrange jumper. He did a nice job of utilizing a jab step to catch his defender off guard. Green is a very good finisher inside and he runs the floor hard in transition. On the defensive end, Green was very active switching and walling up smaller opponents. He was dynamic on the defensive glass and is a player to watch despite his quiet second outing against Team Reggie.
Jalen Seegars, Team Bonzi - Seegars made a few nice plays on the offensive glass. He had a very nice drive and finish through contact against Team Mo. He flashed a nice 3pt stroke, connecting on a corner attempt. Generally though, he was fairly quiet.
Devante Patterson, Team Bonzi - While Patterson was extremely quiet against Team Mo, he played very aggressively in the other matchup with Team Reggie. Patterson attacked the rim with reckless abandon early in the first half, driving the lane and getting to the line. He finished well through contact and demonstrated very good athleticism. On D, Patterson displayed good hands stripping the ball away and staying with his man. With that said, besides the outburst at the beginning of the Team Reggie game, he was generally quiet.
Marcus Barham, Team Bonzi - Barham was generally quiet , but proved that he is an effective shooter, connecting on a perimeter jumper. He was capable finishing through contact at the basket, with both an up and under move and a scoop layup. He made a few nice passes as well.
Brandon Tabb, Team Reggie - Tabb was pretty quiet in this showcase, but did hit a perimeter 3 off the catch and clean up an offensive rebound tip out.
Najee Garvin, Team Reggie- Garvin displayed nimble footwork in transition, finishing with a nice Euro step past his man. He played sound positional D throughout both contests, drawing offensive fouls on two occasions. His perimeter shot did not fall in this one.
Phil Carr, Team Reggie - Carr was generally quiet, but very effective with limited touches. He blocked several shots inside and displayed good athleticism on this side of the ball. On offense, Carr cleaned up misses, finishing through contact. He also stepped out for a pick and pop 3pter and connected on it.
CJ Williams, Team Reggie - Williams proved to be an effective 3pt shooter at this showcase, connecting on two attempts. He made a strong drive to the rim, quickly driving by two defenders. On defense, he was able to tie up the ball handler on one occasion. Most of his production came against Team Bonzi.
Jawaun Daniels, Team Reggie - While I previously reviewed Daniels, he was still effective at this showcase event, though he was not consistent enough to earn Top Performer status. Daniels nailed a 3pter and a perimeter jumper after he was run off the line. He did a nice job attacking the basket and finishing through contact, particularly against Team Bonzi. Daniels was a willing passer, kicking it to his teammates along the perimeter. He also was effective on both the offensive and defensive glass. Daniels is a versatile weapon who also showed enough at the HBCU Showcase to warrant a G League look.
Giovanni Jackson, Team Kenny - Jackson is another player who consistently stood out, but not enough to make my Top Performers List. Jackson was effective in the P&R with Combs, and made nice look ahead passes in transition. He is quick off the bounce and is effective attacking the basket, opting for dribble spin moves, shoulder shakes, and other techniques to throw his man off guard. He connected on a balanced pullup jumper on one occasion. On defense, Jackson has very quick hands and was effective poking the ball away, creating turnovers and disrupting his opponents' rhythm. Jackson is a fundamentally sound lead guard with a lot to offer.
Anthony Hassell, Team Kenny - Hassell was generally pretty quiet in this showcase, but did flash really good burst and athleticism attacking the basket. When attacking off the bounce he was able to find Jeremy Combs. On defense, Hassell showcased good lateral quickness helping down to disrupt a shot.
Lamar Morgan, Team Kenny - Morgan did a nice job on the offensive glass and connected on his 3pt attempt against Team Mo. He was unselfish feeding his teammates, but was out of control on one drive, where he was called for an offensive foul.
Brandon Battle, Team Mo - Battle was particularly effective in his matchup against Team Kenny. He did a nice job of distributing when attacking the basket. Battle moved well without the ball, catching it inside and finishing strong. He did a decent job on the offensive glass. Battle runs the floor well and brought tremendous effort and hustle tracking down loose balls. Battle was able to secure deep post position on one occasion, but he was unable to finish, though he employed a series of pump fakes. Battle brought good energy, but was not consistent enough to earn top honors.
Kevion Stewart, Team Mo - Stewart was effective shooting the ball against Team Bonzi. He nailed pullup jumpers and 3pters off the catch. He displayed good hands, stealing the ball on one instance. He did have the ball taken away from him on two occasions (one was a pass), so he could have improved his ball security. With that said, Stewart was one of the most effective shooters with his feet set at this event.
Davion Warren, Team Mo - Warren was very active in his second matchup with Team Kenny. He was effective in the lane, pulling up for jumpers or splitting defenders and finishing at the rim. Warren brought really good energy, pushing it in transition and finishing off his deflections up ahead of the defense. Warren did a nice job defensively in these two outings, moving his feet and tying his man up on one occasion. While he was dynamic attacking, Warren needed to show more with his perimeter stroke.
Jalyn Patterson, Team Mo - Patterson was an active lead guard who was effective attacking off the bounce, employing hesitation moves to get his defenders off guard. He made several impressive passes against Team Kenny, setting up both Brandon Battle and Troy Baxter for multiple easy looks. These changed the game's momentum. At the same time, Patterson did throw a few passes away and turn it over. His quick hands on defense enabled him to make up for these mistakes. Patterson was capable pulling up from distance and can keep defenses honest.
Martaveous McKnight, Team Mo - McKnight displayed good hands and potential on the defensive end, coming out of no where to block a 3pt attempt and stealing the ball back after turning it over. He had a cleanup basket on one play, but was quiet on offense.
Image Courtesy of Erik Verduzco/ Las Vegas Review-Journal
