The NBA playoffs weren’t the only highlight of the basketball world this weekend as Saturday also marked the opening of the Nike EYBL season. The first session was held in Brooklyn and featured a highly anticipated matchup between two top five players in the 2017 class, DeAndre Ayton (California Supreme) and Mohamed Bamba (PSA Cardinals).
Bamba, a 6-11 center out of Westtown School (PA), called the meeting with the top-ranked Ayton his “Super Bowl” in an interview with Scout after putting up 13 points and 12 rebounds in PSA Cardinals’ 69-68 win. Ayton, a 7-0 center from Hillcrest Hoops (AZ), scored just seven points and grabbed nine rebounds in defeat. Still, both players showed flashes of the skills that have caused all of college basketball to take notice. Here’s a look at what they had to offer.
Bamba shows off his length and athleticism early
The first thing one notices about Bamba is his ridiculously long arms. The 17-year-old has a 7-8 wingspan that makes him a nuisance on the defensive end of the floor. Unfortunately, PSA Cardinals played quite a bit of zone in its matchup with California Supreme, but that did allow Bamba to grab a steal early on and go coast-to-coast for a slam. For a near 7-footer, Bamba showcased impressive fluidity and athleticism even if he won’t regularly play with the ball in his hands at the collegiate level.
Ayton’s foot work impresses
Ayton is an impressively skilled big man who can score in the post or while facing up his defender. His jump shot still needs work as it’s a bit flat due to Ayton’s release, which is more of a push at this point. Nonetheless, it’s plays like this one that will turn the heads of college coaches because of Ayton’s use of his pivot foot to avoid the incoming defender and finish with a slam.
Bamba forces an Ayton travel
While Saturday’s matchup was billed as Ayton vs. Bamba, the actual number of possessions where the two were matched up was small due to PSA Cardinals’ regular use of zone defenses and the presence of another top 10 prospect, 6-11 Brandon McCoy, in the front court with Ayton. Bamba was more frequently matched up with McCoy in man-to-man situations, but his length was on display in this possession versus Ayton. Bamba has a 9-5 standing reach (although it’s rumored to be 9-8) that allows him to challenge shots while barely leaving his feet. For perspective, Utah’s Rudy Gobert has a standing reach of 9-7. Here, Bamba bites on Ayton’s initial pump fake, but his length is still bothersome enough to force a travel.
Ayton runs the floor
The biggest knock on Ayton is that his motor isn’t constantly turned on. The lack of consistent effort was most noticeable on defensive possessions where Ayton lackadaisically challenged the shots of driving opponents. However, when Ayton is engaged, his skill set is able to shine. Here, Ayton runs the floor after a defensive rebound and shows soft hands and nice touch as he catches a pass in transition to finish at the bucket.
Bamba dunks the dump off
Bamba also showed off good hands on Saturday. His offensive game is not as well developed as Ayton’s and most of his points are generated from his athleticism or as a recipient of passes from teammates. Bamba scored on a couple of dump off plays against California Supreme, but the above play was his most impressive as he’s able to catch and gather despite not appearing ready for the pass.
Outlook
Both Ayton and Bamba have bright futures at the college and professional level. Ayton is more prepared on the offensive end of the floor at this point in his basketball career, even drawing a comparison to Kevin Garnett from ESPN’s Paul Biancardi during the broadcast, but Bamba plays with the kind of competitive fire that has made him a beast on the defensive end. The two players will likely battle throughout the summer and next season to be the top-ranked player in the class of 2017 and wherever they choose to attend college will be happy to have them.