Scouting the U18 Men's team following FIBA Americas

Led by coach Shaka Smart’s ultra aggressive pressing, trapping scheme and switching basically everything scheme, the USA U18 Men’s team took home the Championship at the FIBA Americas in Chile on Saturday. I watched 4 of the 5 USA games at the event, and the team was a delight to follow with it’s unselfish ball movement brand of basketball offensively and high level defensive athleticism covering space impressively. Smart traded in some open looks from 3 by opposing teams for increased turnovers and transition opportunities via traps and ball pressure. Teams like Canada in the final were able to keep it close if those three point looks were falling, but Smart’s bet on the tradeoff off enhanced open court opportunities running off turnovers and USA’s general athleticism advantage over time predictably won out.

The most intriguing aspect of the games was player evaluation moving forward in regards to the next two drafts. Several high level prospects, a few from the 2016 high school class and most from the 2017 high school class, took part in the event, and for the latter it was almost across the board my first look at them. The following will encompass my scouting notes on every player on the U18 USA roster, drawing both on any past viewership in combination with FIBA Americas, and outline how I view their draft stock/NBA fit moving forward.

2016 High School Class

Markelle Fultz: Lead Guard (#7 ESPN Recruiting Database)

Capturing MVP in Chile, Fultz either continued his blazing ascension up draft boards for those still not totally sold on him or cemented his elite status for those of us who are entering the college season. Personally, the 6-4, 185 pound Washington commit peaked my interest in the McDonald’s All-American game, and fortified his place in my personal top 3 for the 2017 draft over the week of practices at the Hoop Summit in April after a dazzling performance.

Fultz checks virtually every box for what you want in a modern NBA lead guard. He has ideal positional size and length (reported 6-10 wingspan) with accompanying plus athleticism. He’s not an outlier athlete in the Westbrook/Wall mode, but he is tremendously fluid and can finish above the rim in space, as he showcased numerous times in Chile. Fultz pairs above the rim finishing capability with an already advanced craft finishing with either hand (especially on reverses) around the rim, and has ridiculous body control in the air.

Skill-set wise, Fultz has rare three-level scoring ability with the ability to create space and shoot off the dribble (the golden ticket for NBA lead guards), creating offense for himself and for others. He’s not a knockdown shooter yet, but his mechanics are sound with a very high release point, compensating for his non-ultra-quick release. He’s very adept in pick and roll both as a passer on the move and has plus burst with the slipperiness to change directions quickly and split.

Fultz’s two best attributes are his shot creation ability with style/handle and his elite vision. He simply plays at a different pace than almost every other player. He has an upright style with the ball, but plays light on his feet and his short area quickness/agility is off the charts. He can beat you going either direction off the bounce and can pull-up on a dime at any point, rendering him almost impossible to stay in front of. He can put the ball on a string and his combination of shake and slipperiness side-to-side especially is so unique.

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Overall, Fultz looks the part of an elite lead guard prospect, and Washington’s high pace and switching scheme should only help Fultz showcase NBA translatable skills. He’s a pass first lead guard with amazing feel who can also be a lethal scorer from all three levels, with his ability to create space and shoot off the dribble being a true game changer. His player archetype is a scheme-changing lead guard, combining different elements of Lillard, Russell and Irving, but with more defensive potential (he showed flashes of plus lateral quicks and had a few impressive blocks in Chile showcasing his athleticism). His shooting will be closely monitored next year, for if he can shoot 3s both off the catch and off the dribble especially the sky is the limit here. ESPN has guards like Lonzo Ball and De’Aaron Fox ahead of him in the recruiting rankings, but Fultz is a clear level above as an NBA prospect.

Jarrett Allen: Five (#15 ESPN Recruiting Database)

The 6-11, 225 pound Texas recruit has an easily identifiable NBA translation with his size, length, bounciness and movement skills at the 5 spot. Allen’s contributions start on the defensive end, where he served as the lynchpin of Team USA’s defense with his ability to protect the rim, especially in recovery situations. He has excellent range mobility wise, and can cover space in a hurry. I sat 10 feet from Allen at Hoop Summit Practices under the basket in attempt to gage his rim protection ability and instincts, and what stood out most is his bounciness, especially in second jump situations. Allen can get off the floor quickly and can do so multiple times in quick succession contesting shots.

Paired with his length and instincts (he usually shows good timing as a rim protector, but was late rotating a few times in Chile) he projects as a plus shot blocker moving forward. In terms of perimeter/space defense, ultimately Allen will likely be able to switch some and contain smaller players in space. In Chile he could slide laterally once or twice, but lost contain letting up. I’m not sure if that was schematic as Smart probably wanted to avoid fouls, but that’s a skill Allen should be able to develop over time with more refinement. His rebounding instincts and ability to high point balls with his length are fantastic.

Offensively, Allen is mostly a transition rim runner and dive man at this juncture. He can finish above the rim in space on lob catches, but isn’t an elite leaper/finisher from a standstill there. What impresses me most about Allen’s offensive game is his hands. He catches almost everything, including in tight spaces on the move and off-target heaters. You can do a lot with an athletic, coordinated big who can jump and catch, but Allen has shown more than that, albeit in flashes. He has decent touch on his right hand jump hook, even though his looks mostly come in early offense duck in situations where has the clear size advantage at this level. He flashes as a passer, and threw some on target cross-court skip passes in Chile. He doesn’t have advanced footwork in the post and currently doesn’t have any counters built into his post game (has no left), but there is a burgeoning skill-set here.

Allen has broad shoulders, which should help him add weight to his frame. With added strength, refinement guarding the perimeter and skill-development, Allen will likely hear his name called in the late lottery/mid first round in 2017. He has some Tyson Chandler to his game (not quite the same lift) as a defensive 5 with potentially more skill on offense, rendering him a sought after archetype for a league placing a premium on defense from the 5 spot.

James Banks: Five (#57 ESPN Recruiting Database)

I’m not going to pretend that I know Banks’ game well, with FIBA Americas being my first introduction to him and the fact he rarely played. What did stand out in a brief sample is Banks’ legitimate physical tools (reported 6-10, 240 pounds and long). He certainly looks the part and looked fluid changing ends. He’ll play behind Allen for Shaka next year, and he’s definitely on the radar now.

2017 High School Class

Mohamed Bamba: Four/Five (#3 ESPN Recruiting Database)

Going into the tournament I might have been the only guy at U&M who hadn’t seen Bamba. The first time he checked in off the bench and put his arms up to contest a shot I almost had an aneurysm. You just don’t see sub 7 footers with a 7-9 wingspan and 9-6 standing reach who are coordinated and have movement skills. Gobert has the most freakish size/length combination I’ve ever seen, and Bamba is even longer than him.

Bamba looked raw in Chile, but he has more coordination and fluidity than I would ever expect from someone that size and age. He can sit down guarding the perimeter with excellent hip flexibility and slide laterally, which just looks absurdly terrifying, and he’s straight murderous on closeouts with that length. He’s not the most bouncy athlete, being more fluid and mobile, but he can definitely change ends and move pretty well in space.

Skill-set wise, Bamba shows promising shooting mechanics, possessing a high release point and a high arc on his shot. He put the ball on the floor a few times and made a few passes on the move that signify his upside. He can’t do anything in the post at this juncture with his lack of lower body girth and footwork, and projects more as a finisher and face up player. His main contribution will come as a rim protector with his length and mobility range, as well as on the glass. If he can either shoot and/or playmake he might be the one of the few who can challenge DeAndre Ayton for the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 (I saw Ayton at the Hoop Summit and if you were going to build a big man for the modern NBA in a lab physically he already looks like that at 17).

Michael Porter Jr.: Wing/Four (#4 ESPN Recruiting Database)

Porter Jr. immediately stuck out in Chile with his size/length, fluidity changing ends, bouncy quick jumping ability and quick twitch athleticism. At reportedly between 6-9 and 6-10, Porter Jr. is incredibly coordinated on the court and moves smoothly and effortlessly, especially in transition. He’s a bouncy above the rim finisher who has quick twitch reactions as a rebounder, space defender and help defender in the passing lanes.

What stood out most to me in Chile was his ability to put the ball on the floor as a slasher, armed with a quick first step, and both finish and pass on the move. He looks to have excellent feel and knows how to play. Porter Jr. does have interesting shooting mechanics, with kind of a wind-up release with a lot of leg input into his shot, but it looks to be effective.

Overall, Porter Jr. gives me Aaron Gordon vibes (not a precise comparison but just generally). He needs to fill out, but the athleticism and feel combination is there. If he can continue to build on his shot creation off the dribble, he looks like a surefire top 5 pick in 2018.

Hamidou Diallo: Wing (#12 ESPN Recruiting Database)

The 6-5 Diallo looks like a potentially plus two-way player if he can develop a consistent jump shot and refine his creation acumen. Diallo is absurdly athletic, especially when he gets a head of steam attacking the basket in space. He had a few slashes in his final two games in Chile where his run and jump bounciness was on full display as an emphatic above the rim finisher. He has a plus first step and can attack in a straight line in either direction to finish with either hand, and is very adept as a cutter with a large catch radius for his size on lobs. Diallo also looks to be a high motor player who really contributes as a rebounder crashing down hard.

Diallo stood out most on defense as arguably Team USA’s best perimeter defender. He has excellent length, and his elite lateral agility allows him to stay in front of basically everyone. He really got into guys in USA’s press, and has the quick twitch reactionary athleticism to mirror ball-handlers with ease, as well as playing the passing lanes.

Diallo’s shot mechanics don’t look broken, though he has a slightly low release, but if he develops as a shooter his player archetype is probably an elite 3&D 1/2 defender who can defend most threes to boot. He has some ball-skills, but doesn’t really handle all that well yet and doesn’t create space with change of speeds. I’ll be monitoring his creation ability and feel closely, as he has a high baseline in athleticism, defense and as a slasher.

P.J. Washington: Four (#16 ESPN Recruiting Database)

A bit undersized for a 4, Washington compensates with plus length and deceptive athleticism. He has an excellent body and frame for his age with aforementioned deceptive leaping ability to finish emphatically above the rim in space on the move and on lob catches. He’s not a quick twitch athlete, but is definitely fluid changing ends.

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In Chile Washington looked like Team USA’s most skilled big. He showed plus footwork in the post with soft touch on his right hand jump hook. He has magnet hands and killed teams on drop-off passes with excellent touch around the basket. Washington also showed some face-up skill, with the ability to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket. I was really impressed with Washington’s passing ability and court sense, as he made several passes on the move unique for a 4 his age.

Washington’s success given his physical build and position will be largely tailored to his shooting ability. He has solid shooting mechanics with a high release, but doesn’t have range outside the midrange area yet. If he can add a three point shot to his repertoire he has the skill to playmake attacking closeouts and the length/frame to protect the rim some and post up on switches. He has some upside in the potential playmaking 4 archetype mold, which is all the rage in the NBA game today, and that designation could render him a lottery pick in 2018.

Matt Coleman: Quasi Lead Guard (#27 ESPN Recruiting Database)

While Coleman doesn’t have elite size at 6-2, he is an exceptional “horizontal” athlete (side to side and straight line) with elite stop/start change of direction ability. Coleman’s speed/burst combination was evident in Chile blowing past defenders into the lane with a great first step. While not an explosive vertical leaper, Coleman compensates with a workable floater game finishing at the basket.

Coleman’s quick twitch athleticism is evident on defense, where perhaps only second to Diallo his lateral agility defending on ball shined. Similar to Diallo he really got into guys in Chile, and has the elite quicks/foot speed to likely one day defend NBA lead guards.

Coleman has more skill than just a 1/2 3&D kind of player. He can pass with either hand on the move and seems to have a good feel for the game, even if he isn’t on the Fultz level of elite lead guard instincts. Shooting will be crucial for him moving forward. He shot well from three in Chile on his left hand set shot and showed some ability to shoot off the bounce. If his shot is legit he looks to be in the quasi-lead guard George Hill kind of camp moving forward with enough playmaking chops to initiate the offense at times, and a potential fringe lottery, mid-round pick in 2018.

Quade Green: Lead Guard (#22 ESPN Recruiting Database)

Green was part of Smart’s third wave substitution wise, and didn’t get a ton of minutes in Chile, but his skill-set was apparent. Green is diminutive in size but has a solid speed/burst combination. Most impressively, Green seems to have elite vision and handle, manipulating space off the bounce to create time for teammates to free themselves on dives multiple times, and throwing impressive transition skip passes. In a limited sample Green looks to be more of a floor general relying on awareness and instincts than an explosive creator/scorer, but does have a bit of a floater game. I’m somewhat intrigued he could be a legit NBA backup lead guard, especially if his shooting is legit, which it looks to be.

Trae Young: Lead Guard/Quasi Lead Guard (#21 ESPN Recruiting Database)

A bit of a waterbug type given his diminutive size/frame/length combination, Young’s best attribute is his ability to shoot 3s off the dribble. He didn’t shoot it well in Chile, but his ability to handle, create space and shoot with deep range was evident. He has good burst and can change direction well, but is a below the rim athlete finishing at the basket, and might struggle there moving forward. He looks to have good passing instincts as well. The big question with Young is can he defend anyone with his lack of physical tools.

Kevin Huerter: Wing (Unranked)

Team USA’s designated shooter, Huerter shows excellent catch and shoot three-point ability, moves well off the ball and is adept footwork wise preparing to shoot. Huerter has good size for a wing with below average length. He got beat a fair amount in space with the inability to move laterally on defense and his general lack of athleticism. He looks like a one-dimensional shooter with his lack of ball skills on offense, and will be a high-level college floor spacer.

M.J. Walker: Wing (#18 ESPN Recruiting Database)

Similar to Banks, Walker didn’t get a lot of burn, but his athleticism, build and physical tools stood out. I don’t feel comfortable enough with his game to comment any further, but he looks like an intriguing wing prospect to monitor, especially given his high recruiting ranking.

Next: Observations from the FIBA Americas U18 Final

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Scouting the U18 Men’s team following FIBA Americas

By Cole Zwicker | Jul 26, 2016

2016 High School Class

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2017 High School Class