What I Watched This Week: 1/6-1/13

Ben Saraf, Jamir Watkins, Maxime Raynaud, Trent Sisley, and more

• Ulm vs Gran Canaria EuroCup

  • Ben Saraf was mostly strong in this, but as the game progressed and Ulm became more desperate in the final minutes, Saraf’s weaknesses became apparent. There are some scouts who question Saraf’s point guard traits, and the final five minutes of the game felt like vindication for those scouts, even though Saraf ultimately finished with 19 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 turnovers on 9/16 shooting. Take these two plays from the fourth quarter that highlight these weaknesses. First is Saraf passing up an open shooter as the defender is non-committal, then Saraf takes a bad shot out of a spin jumper. Next, Saraf misses a somewhat basic pass for an NBA point guard out of the give & go cut, driving into two defenders while not noticing the corner being open that his momentum is shifting towards.

  • These two examples of tunnel vision in the most stressful moments of the game are somewhat worrisome, but seeing how he improves his crunch time playmaking throughout the year will be telling of his point guard abilities.

• Montverde vs CIA Bella Vista

  • Trent Sisley is someone that, while I haven’t considered him much of an NBA prospect in the immediate future, he has blown me away with skills that could translate to college well. His toughness, great intelligence, nose for the ball, motor, and overall intangibles make up for physical limitations. He must improve his shot, but this game made me rethink what his upside could be. A 6’7 shooter with toughness could be a desirable sell.

  • Aginaldo Neto’s defense wowed me in this game, being an absolute pest and locking guys up with easy switchability. At 6’1 his projection to the NBA may not be easy right now, but he could be a pesky guard that thrives in a few years in college.

  • Hudson Greer’s shooting was impressive, but he fouled out halfway through the fourth quarter. Would like to see him do more away from scoring to impact the game.

• Stanford vs Virginia + Virginia Tech

  • Maxime Raynaud

    • Needs to cut some sloppy turnovers; a bit awkward and stiff on the court but it doesn’t limit him. Has soft touch near the rim. Not very athletic and is prone to getting blown by on the perimeter and can be unable to effectively contest shots most players his size can. Quickly gets his feet set and makes a decision out of pick and rolls/pops. Shot needs to be sped up, but the shot is projectable. More of an old school stretch 5. Doesn’t protect the rim much and is used in a funky way defensively. Sees the floor well and can hit cutters and spot up shooters accurately and quickly over defenses. Impressive rebounder that chases every ball down like the game is on the line. Talks a ton on defense and is extremely vocal on both ends of the floor. How much his athleticism limits him will determine his NBA floor. His margin for error is slim defensively because of his athletic limitations in areas like recovery ability, so minimizing mistakes will be essential. Truly sees over defenses and maximizes his 7’1 frame to see the floor incredibly well and creatively. Makes great passes from the perimeter and the post, and doesn’t miss cutters and shooters. A true perimeter oriented 5. Can hit hook shots with both hands and has deep range on his hook shots. He’s a very unique prospect offensively with glaring flaws defensively.

  • Shooters

    • Virginia Tech’s Ben Burnham impressed me, even if he isn’t on many radars and is unlikely to be in the NBA. He should make a living overseas as a 6’7 shooter that was able to attack closeouts and hit the paint. He currently leads VT in BPM at 5, which makes him an intriguing look beyond his 7.5 PPG

    • Isaac McKneely should be on more radars. A career 39% shooter from deep through 2.5 years, McKneely makes defenders tired by having to chase him nonstop, and his ability to change speeds when going into his shots makes him lethal. The way he runs off screens seems scalable, even with some size deficiencies. There’s some Sam Merrill to his game which could be valuable in the second round.

• San Diego State/Houston (from November 30)

  • Miles Byrd

    • Killer in the free safety/roamer role. Super long arms, great reflexes, and great timing on blocks and steals helps him thrive. Deep range on his jumper with good form, plus he can hit threes off of quick movement and plant his feet quickly.. Crashes the glass almost every play and not only goes hard, but also goes to the holes of the floor to get the loose ball, helping him beat lazy rebound attempts.

  • Emanuel Sharp

    • Despite being 6’3, there’s a lot of strong indicators in Sharp’s game that suggest he will at the very least be a high level overseas player. As of 1/13 he is shooting nearly 50% from 3 with 92% from the free throw line with a 15.4 BPM, second best in the nation. His shooting is all-around and his scoring upside is quite high given his efficiency. If he can prove he is a full-time point guard, his NBA chances will rise.

• Indiana/Penn State

  • Mackenzie Mgbako

    • Can sacrifice shot mechanics when he feels pressure/when he has to rush to shoot over contests. Shot is quick, but he needs to consistently balance speed of release + knowing how to not let his shot get impacted by a strong closeout. Really needs to improve his handle, he is easily strippable and he doesn’t protect the ball with his body enough. Isn’t very quick and doesn’t blow by defenders on spot up drives even after getting them up in the air.

  • Ace Baldwin

    • Space creating guard with high passing feel as a floor general. Defenses cannot afford to let him go to his dominant left hand on drives. Shot didn’t fall in this game, but still controlled the offense and got to the rim decently.

• Florida State/Syracuse

  • Jamir Watkins

    • Runs the offense often as the lead guard. Defensive awareness needs improvement; late to react at times and can play P&Rs poorly. Lives at the free throw line more than almost any other prospect. Forces some bad mid range shots, and can be too shoot-first + miss open teammates while he drives. He was oddly good at making plays from the corners and along the baseline both for himself and others. Made a few head scratching plays down the stretch, forcing a shot in the final three minutes early in the clock while up double figures, and an unnecessary foul 60 feet away from the rim in transition up double figures with 90 seconds left.

  • Taylor Bol Bowen

    • Shot mechanics need to be cleaned up a bit; doesn’t seem like a natural shot. However, his percentages are strong and he has good size + is young, making him a fun upside play. He’s comfortable finishing with his left over defenders and in traffic, which is a key trait for someone his size. On-ball defensive form in space is a bit awkward in the way he uses his arms and hands in stance, generally compact. However, his defensive impact was overall strong with good contests and three blocks. The best play of his game was this block on defense into a strong finish in transition.

  • Donnie Freeman

    • Often invisible at times, Freeman had some spurts of mid range jump shooting. Beyond a projectable jumper with good size, there is still a lot left to be desired from Freeman. He can miss rotations, be turnover prone, and his impact is minimally felt when his shot isn’t falling. Right now he finishes well at the rim, has shooting upside, and rebounds well, but everything in between the tools needs to be filled in.