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[hoopvisionary-blog]

Two Rookies to Watch This Season

by Jeremiah Shaw

Caris LeVert, SG, BRK

The Brooklyn Nets were a team in desperate need of a change this off-season.  Without very much young talent or their 2016, 2017 (Celtics swap rights), or 2018 first-round picks, tanking would not be beneficial.  They traded Thaddeus Young to the Pacers for the 20th pick were they shocked everyone and took 6’7” SG Caris LeVert out of Michigan.  Prior to Levert’s junior year, most considered him a lottery prospect, but injuries to his foot and ankle forced him to miss much of the season.  Prior to his senior year, scouts were again high on LeVert and he did not disappoint, averaging 16.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 4.9 APG while shooting 50% and 45% from the three.  But again, after playing just 16 games, LeVert was sidelined with another lower leg injury.  Due to his proneness to injury, many scouts projected LeVert would be picked somewhere in the second round.

If LeVert can stay healthy, the Nets will find themselves with one of the late first round’s better scorers - a piece they can build around.  His ability to handle and pass the ball gives him the ability to play both guards’ positions, while his height allows him to contribute minutes at small forward.  He is not overly explosive, but has the overall athleticism to be successful.

Rather than a singular strength, LeVert’s value lies in his all-around versatility.  He can break a defender down off the dribble, shoot right over him, or find the open man for an easy bucket.  However, in order to become a consistent scorer in the paint, LeVert will need to improve his strength.  Weighing in at under 200 lbs, he will be easily pushed around by some of the bigger guards in the league.  LeVert can combat this weakness by developing a consistent pull-up jump shot, a skill that will render him a difficult match-up even against larger players.

His strength does impact him defensively, but with the Nets, he will be paired with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, a defensive specialist on the wing who will be able to handle some of the better scorers they will face.  A healthy LeVert gives the Nets an all-around player who will be able to score from all over the court, a player with the potential for far greater production than his draft position.

Tyler Ulis, PG, PHO

Measuring in at a suspect 5’10”, Tyler Ulis was one of the shorter players at this year’s Summer League.  That didn't stop him from taking over games and wreaking havoc against his opposition. Ulis, a product of Kentucky, spent the past two seasons leading the Wildcats backcourt. This past year he broke the Kentucky’s all-time single-season assists record, ranked 6th in the nation for an assist to turnover ratio of 3.57, and was named SEC Player of the Year. If not for his smaller frame, he would have surely been a lottery pick, and possibly the first PG selected, but after weighing in just 149 lbs at the pre-draft combine in Chicago, Ulis slid all the way to the second round for the Phoenix Suns. Buried on the depth chart behind fellow point guards Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight, it seemed unlikely that Ulis would see significant minutes his rookie year, but after his performance in Las Vegas (14.5 PPG and 6.3 APG), the Suns may feel inclined to open space for Ulis to develop.

Over the course of his career, Ulis has shown that he plays with a chip on his shoulder. While Ulis is seen as a poor match-up against most larger point guards, he uses tenacious effort on defense to heckle the opposition (2.8 spg). His leadership & poise were also on display when he hit a buzzer beater three to give his team the win against the Grizzlies in Vegas.  His understanding of offense coupled with his leadership allows him to make the correct decisions in difficult situations.  He is able to push the ball up the court speeding up the tempo, as well as slowing it down; he can pass to the open man or score it himself.  He is a complete player who only lacks in height and athleticism. Fundamentally, he was the best point guard coming out this past year, and will be given an opportunity to show exactly why.  

In addition to Ulis, the Suns added power forwards Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss in the first round, both of whom possess the athleticism to run the court.  Ulis will also be joined by his former roommate at Kentucky, Devin Booker, who averaged 13.8 PPG in his rookie campaign and seeks to build on that after a fantastic Summer League where he averaged 26 PPG, 5 RPG and 6.5 APG.  With a young nucleus like this, the Suns appear to be building a team with both the athleticism to attack the basket & run the floor as well as while the talent of excellent shooters all over the court.

Works Cited:

http://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-men/d1/current/individual/473

[hoopvisionary-blog]

Three Takeaways from Las Vegas Summer League

by Jeremiah Shaw

1. Watch Out For The T-Wolves

It’s no secret that the T-Wolves have one of the brightest futures in the NBA, with an explosive young core of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Zach LaVine. After this year’s summer league, however,  they - without a doubt - stand to be a serious problem for the rest of the NBA.  New Head Coach & President of Basketball Operations Tom Thibodeau’s first move in charge was selecting point guard Kris Dunn out of Providence with the 5th pick.  Though Dunn’s run in the tournament was cut short as a result of concussion symptoms, the minutes he did play did not disappoint. Dunn not only led his team with 24 PPG, but also racked up 7 RPG and 3 APG; his play is reminiscent of a young Deron Williams. Thibodeau’s coaching favors pressuring the ball, and the rookie’s aggressive defensive style - collecting 2 steals and a block per game - proves he is potentially the ideal point for a Thibodeau led team.

While Dunn was expected to excel, Tyus Jones’ excellence was a welcome surprise.  The second-year guard out of Duke spent much of his rookie year inactive, and when he did play, he struggled to score, shooting just 36% from the field and 30% from three.  Summer league was a very different story for Jones as he averaged 20.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and led everyone at summer league with 6.8 APG - all while while raising his 3 point percentage to over 41%.  The real catalyst for Jones’ stellar performance was his entry into the role of full-time point in Dunn’s absence. Jones truly began to flourish - averaging 25.8 PPG and 8.5 APG over the last four games, leading to his being named MVP of Summer League.  The combination of Dunn & Jones appears to be the future of the PG for the T-wolves; a combination that provides potential flexibility to move proven vet Ricky Rubio for assets or pieces that better serve the cohesion of the team.

2. 76ers: Trust In The Process

The abandonment of Sam Hinkie & his “Great Rebuild”, by both Sixers ownership & the NBA at large, may have been premature.  It appears that the Sixers, a team with young talent & assets in abundance, has finally found a player worthy of being the face of the franchise.  Ben Simmons was an absolute stat stuffer, piling in 12.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 5.5 APG over the course of his four game appearance in Vegas.  He was the definition of a point forward, as he seamlessly grabbed defensive rebounds above the rim, led the break down the court, and sought out streaking teammates for easy layups.  While concerns about his shooting abilities remain valid, as he proved hesitant to take jump shots, he did show his ability to knock down open midrange jumpers.  Simmons also proved that he doesn’t have to be a scorer to make an impact on the game; he has the potential to be a LeBron-level facilitator.  

The Sixers already have several complementary pieces to Simmons that just haven’t developed yet: Nik Stauskas, Dario Saric, Joel Embiid, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Jerami Grant, and Richaun Holmes. Last season, the team made a trade with the Kings for SG Stauskas, a potentially quality shooter.  Saric, the Sixers’ 2014 first-round pick, will also be joining the team this year to provide a stretch four element that would fit perfectly with Simmons.  After missing the previous two seasons due to injury, it appears that in 2016, Embiid will finally make his NBA debut. Luwawu-Cabarrot, the rookie out of France, has the athleticism and shooting ability to be a quality “D and 3” guy in the near future. Additionally, Grant & Holmes emerged as two players whose production could increase this upcoming year with additional minutes.

3. Underwhelming Performances

While Simmons and Dunn played as advertised, there were several rookies that struggled in their first taste of NBA action. Though third-overall pick Jaylen Brown put together a solid stat line (16 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.8 SPG), he was wildly inefficient, shooting only 33% from the field.  He displayed a poor perimeter shooting touch and poor shot selection.  Although at times he demonstrated his elite athleticism, it was clear that he has a long way to go fundamentally to reach the potential Danny Ainge & the Celtics management saw in him during the pre-draft process.

Many believed that the Celtics should have drafted Dragan Bender over Brown with the third pick, but Bender’s performance in Summer League did not substantiate that belief.  Bender, known to be a sharpshooter, was anything but during his five-game outing.  Averaging a mere 8.6 PPG and 5.6 RPG in 30+ minutes per game, Bender shot just 27% from three on 34 attempts.  Physically, Bender isn’t quite ready to bang in the post with other power forwards - and if his shot isn’t following, he possesses little present value for the Suns.