Before getting into prospect analysis I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention what a fantastic event Adidas Nations is. The talent level was just absurd in the high school field, both domestic and international. Basically every game was hyper-competitive and the 4-day sample actually allowed one to draw valuable observations. It was a very well run event as far as structure goes.
If I had one suggestion it would be to stagger games more. Having 6 games going at once is overwhelming if the event is serving as an introduction to some players. I would definitely advise sitting in between two high profile games and trying to see as much of both as possible. That strategy served me well over the latter half of the tournament once I learned the ropes. Anyways, bravo Adidas. Onto the prospects, starting with our overlord Dennis Smith Jr. and some returning sophomores.
Dennis Smith Jr: 6-2, 180 (N.C. State) Age: 18
Position: Lead Guard
Smith was the most notable college prospect at Nations, and he didn’t disappoint. I rarely put prospects in my categorization series in tier 2 “outlier athletes/tools” subset for lead guards, which is reserved for truly elite athletes such as Westbrook, Prime Rose and Wall types, but Smith looks like that caliber of athlete. His ability to change direction with elite short area quickness and his speed + burst combination on dribble drives is rare, and when you throw in the suddenness of how he can explode vertically for above the rim finishes it’s just a mesmerizing package.
Smith had a play in Sunday night’s scrimmage where he casually ran towards the rim on an offensive rebound and just suddenly skied for a put back dunk attempt with his head nearly at the rim. It’s one thing to see Smith in highlights making explosive plays. It’s entirely different in person where he looks like a true ET athlete.
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I was also impressed with his passing acumen in 5 on 5s: he advances the ball unselfishly up the court in transition and can make all the reads in pick-and-roll. I definitely think he’s a pure point who can also score, which is precisely what you want in a modern NBA lead guard. There are some concerns with Smith, mainly his shooting consistency and lack of plus length, both of which are warranted. But after sustaining that horrific injury last year Smith’s athleticism looks to have returned to elite status.
The debate for No. 1 lead guard honors in the 2017 draft between Smith and Fultz (Ntilikina likely wont warrant the same buzz but he’s right there for me) should be a fascinating one that will largely come down to shooting efficiency. Fultz isn’t the athlete Smith is, instead relying on shiftiness and slipperiness with the ball to navigate his way on the court. Both are locked in as top 5 prospects on my board, and paired with Josh Jackson, Harry Giles and the aforementioned Ntilikina the top 5 of the 2017 draft is loaded with potential all-stars.
OG Anunoby: 6-8, 215 (Indiana) Age: 19
Position: Wing/Four
OG didn’t scrimmage at Nations to my knowledge, but he did participate in station drills and shoot around enough to draw some observations. I watched every shot of his on Synergy last season, and his shooting mechanics looked more fluid in a brief sample size at Nations than they did last season. Most NBA prospects can hit open shots in warm ups with a much higher than 50 percent conversion rate with regularity, but OG looked especially good doing so.
He has the physical tools, straight-line first step + vertical athleticism, slashing ability and defensive prowess to be a 3-and-D type of player who can check athletic threes in the league, a truly rare archetype. I’ll be writing more on him in the near future, as there isn’t a more intriguing returning sophomore in the nation this year from an NBA prospect perspective.
Thomas Bryant: 6-10, 240 (Indiana) Age: 19
Position: Five
OG’s teammate at Indiana wasn’t drawing near the praise at Nations, where seemingly every conversation assessing his play was negative. I only got to see him play one game, where he didn’t impress, let alone dominate in any way. I’ve always been concerned with his hip flexibility and ability to slide laterally in space. He does have some offensive skill, but the question is will that skill translate against better athletes. Bryant’s game will be picked apart this year in ways it wasn’t in 2015-16. We’ll see how he responds.
Related Story: Thomas Bryant is my NCAA sophomore crush
2017 High School Class
If you watched the championship game on ESPNU last Monday you probably realized just how stacked “Team Harden” was. It was an army bred for a single purpose: to destroy the world of men (but in actuality it was designed to get the really high profile prospects wearing Adidas on TV of course). Because one team wasn’t fair, I ended up following said team around all weekend, and thus most of the following player write-ups involve said team.
DeAndre Ayton: 7-0, 235 (Hillcrest Hoops, AZ) Age: 18
Position: Five
There is some debate about who the top prospect in the 2018 draft should be between Ayton, Carter, Bamba and even Porter, but based on the in-person sample at Hoop Summit and Nations, there really shouldn’t be. Ayton is an athletic freak with a burgeoning skill-set. He cleans up everything near the rim, whether a lob pass or offensive rebounds, in emphatic Dwight fashion. He’s incredibly fluid changing ends and can defend in space when he sits down. He basically looks like someone you’d design to play the 5 in a lab, and his skills are growing. The last time I saw him on the World Team at Hoop Summit he didn’t have much of an intermediate floor game. It might have been the small sample, but recently he’s shown much more adept skill as a passer facilitating from the top of the key on high-low situations (passes to Carter) or on skips. His IQ is growing, which is a scary thought when paired with his physical tools.
Most of Ayton’s appeal is his combination of physical tools and vertical/horizontal athleticism, but he supplements that with an evolving “unicorn” skill set. His jumper is technically sound from catch-and-shoot standpoint, and he has legitimate range on his shot that extends beyond the three-point line. He projects as a dual pick-and-roll, pop, and dive threat with his ability to shoot and catch lobs with his insane athleticism and catch radius. Perhaps the best encapsulation of Ayton’s abilities is the following: I was watching another game, glanced over at Team Harden twice, and in those two glances Ayton had a beautiful high-low entry pass, an emphatic put back dunk and hit a 3. That was roughly 15 seconds of intermittent watching.
Overall, Ayton can’t make plays on the move yet when putting the ball on the floor attacking the basket (from what I’ve seen), and sometimes he doesn’t finish plays defensively protecting the rim. If he starts doing the former he might edge out even Towns as a prospect as he’s a better athlete. Ayton looks like a true franchise changer, and will be the “get” prospect in 2018.
Wendell Carter: 6-10, 258 (Pace Academy, GA) Age: 17
Position: Five
Nations was my first look at Carter, and you can immediately see the appeal. His frame is very developed, and while he’s not the same caliber of athlete as Ayton, he’s bouncy in his own right and is more skilled at this juncture. Carter showed rare ability to pass on the move at his age, making reads while diving to the rim and in transition going near full speed. He has legitimate shooting touch around the rim and extending out to the midrange area. Carter also showed the ability to put the ball on the floor some and attack.
There were a few plays where Carter either got beat in space defensively or failed to protect the rim with his lack of elite lift, but he projects as a legitimately skilled two-way 5 if he continues to grow. It should be noted that Team Harden coach Sam Mitchell could’ve staggered his lineups better, especially when it came to playing Ayton and Carter together (insert commentary here), which probably impacted performance some with inferior spacing.
Trevon Duval: 6-3, 175 (Advanced Preparatory International, DE) Age: 18
Position: Lead Guard
The unquestioned top lead guard in the 2017 HS class and no one improved his stock more over the summer all-star circuit. Duval has outstanding speed with the ball with elite burst to get into the lane. What separates him from other lead guards like teammate Jaylen Hands is his ability to elevate vertically around the rim to finish. Duval has great bounce for his size, and fantastic body control around the basket. He looks more like a score first guard who can also make plays for others, but if he refines his jump shot he has the physical tools to be a high lottery pick in 2018.
Troy Brown Jr: 6-6.5, 215 (Centennial, NV) Age: 17
Position: Wing/Secondary-Handler
My favorite prospect at Nations, Brown is a swiss-army knife wing who can do it all skill wise with near elite athleticism. Brown is basically a 6-6 wing who is still growing with lead guard skills. His understanding of the game and passing acumen is rare for his age. You don’t find a lot of guys with his athleticism on the wing who can playmake like he can as a legitimately two-way secondary handler.
Three point shooting success will be the aspect of his game to monitor (2-11 at Nations). He apparently used to have a hitch in his release, but I didn’t see that in either games or practices. If he can shoot the three at a high level he’s everything you want in a modern NBA wing, looking like a Khris Middleton-type archetype but with superior athleticism. Brown’s athleticism shouldn’t be overlooked either. Other than Diablo’s freaky assault on the rim bounciness, Brown is in that second tier of elite wing athletes in the class. He needs to improve his off-ball D, as he gets lost in those scenarios as seen in the title game against Canada. But if he can develop there (he’s already fantastic on ball) he’s a rare sub-elite athlete with across the board skill.
ESPN had him ranked 28th in the 2017 HS recruiting class. He’s easily a top 10 talent in his class from what I’ve seen, maybe even top 5.
Hamidou Diallo: 6-5, 195 (Putnam Science Academy, NY) Age: 18
Position: Wing
I wrote pretty extensively about Diallo after the U18’s, and my thoughts on him haven’t changed. He’s a freaky athlete who attacks the rim with all the rage of the Mad King. In one of the games at Nations he basically did a windmill nonchalantly from a standstill and it looked like child’s play. We’re talking top shelf athleticism here with the toughness and competitiveness that teams crave in prospects. Diallo’s will to win jumps off the page, and he’s into every game. He got into it with Australia’s Noi in their outing, and there was a clear “zero backing down” in his personality.
Diallo isn’t a perfect prospect. He lacks advanced ball-skills at this stage, dribbles with his head down too often and can’t shoot yet (form isn’t broken). Some have compared him to Oladipo, but Diallo is far more advanced at this stage. If he can develop his ball-skills he could be an elite 1/2 defender in the NBA who could be a secondary offensive option. His intangibles both on and off the court are off the charts.
P.J. Washington: 6-7, 225 (Findlay Prep, TX) Age: 17
Position: Four
Similar to Diallo I already touched on Washington in the aforementioned U18 piece. One new facet I observed at Nations is Washington seems to struggle finishing through contact, which is a testament to his lack of elite size and athleticism despite a developed frame and plus length. It could be just small sample variance, but it’s something to monitor. Still a big fan of his game.
Kevin Knox: 6-8, 195 (Tampa Catholic, FLA) Age: 16
Position: Wing/Four
Knox is a smooth scorer with excellent size, length and plus athleticism. His ball-skills don’t wow you at this point, as I only witnessed him pass a handful of times over Nations. Still, the shooting passes the eye test, and his long-stride fluidity especially in transition is tantalizing. Set to turn 17-years-old in less than a week, Knox has the look of a combo-forward who if he continues to grow could morph into a scoring 4. He gives off Tobias Harris vibes (very generic comp).
Gary Trent Jr: 6-5, 190 (Apple Valley, MN) Age: 17
Position: Wing
Trent Jr. had his best game at Nations on the first night when I only saw spurts of the outing. He sat one of the games I witnessed so I don’t have the best read on him. From what I did see he looks like combo-guard scorer who will surely get buckets in college. He’s a good athlete with a strong frame, and has the scoring instincts, ball-skills and shooting touch to be a threat from all 3 levels. He’s definitely more of a scorer than an overall creator, and looks like a bucket-getter off the bench at the NBA level projecting down the road.
D.J. Harvey Jr: 6-6, 185 (DeMatha Catholic, MD) Age: 18
Position: Wing
Harvey Jr’s game at this juncture is mostly about slashing with his plus athleticism. He flashed several times in transition, getting out on the break and finishing emphatically above the rim. Most of his half-court offense is off of cuts and straight line drives. His mechanics aren’t broken shooting wise but he’s inconsistent from deep right now (4-17 from three at Nations), even in shootarounds. He has all of the tools to be a plus two-way player, but he’s a bit older than some of the other players already being 18, and his skill level needs to catch up with his raw athleticism.
Jaylen Hands: 6-2, 168 (Mater Dei Catholic, CA) Age: 17
Position: Lead Guard
The UCLA hard commit didn’t really pop for me until the championship game, which is understandable considering how Duval blew up at the position and given the surrounding talent on Team Death. Hands didn’t shoot the ball especially well, but he was fast with the ball in the open court and shows a plus speed-burst combination. He doesn’t have Duval’s vertical athleticism as a finisher, but he has enough size at 6-2 to compensate some for that.
Makai Ashton-Langford: 6-1, 180 (Cushing Academy, MA) Age: 18
Position: Lead Guard
The 11th man and odd man out on Team Harden, I’d be lying if I said I felt strongly in any direction about Ashton-Langford. He’s getting recruited by UConn and Louisville, which means he’ll get a lot of exposure.
Nick Weatherspoon: 6-2, 173 (Velma Jackson, MS)
Position: Lead Guard
This is another throw-in of someone who really balled out opening night and who I didn’t get to see intricately. The 6-2 lead guard generated a ton of buzz at Nations, and while originally believed to be headed to Mississippi State, Kansas and UNC are apparently in on the action now. Weatherspoon is definitely a player to keep track of over the next year.
Jericho Sims: 6-9, 225 (Cristo Rey Jesuit, MN)
Position: Four/Five
Sims caught my eye in drills all week with his run and jump athleticism. His fluidity running the court is effortless and he gets off the ground incredibly quickly on first and second jumps to finish above the rim. Right now he’s mostly a pick-and-roll, dive man, and rim-runner who cleans up everything near the basket, but his coordination and frame potential is alluring. He’s undersized for a center at 6-9, but he should be a very effective college player at the very least.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 6-5, 175 (Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, MO)
Age: 17
Position: Wing
Team: Canada
The 6-5 flame thrower from Canada already has a hard commit to Virginia Tech and Buzz Williams, and after watching him over the course of a few games the Hokies are getting a player. Alexander-Walker just knows how to play, whether it is moving off the ball to set himself up (11-19 from three at Nations) or putting the ball on the floor. He’s not an elite level shot creator, but he has plus athleticism and does have ball skills to pair with his big time quick trigger/range capability. The pipeline of Canadian wings lives on.
O’Shae Brisset: 6-8, 200 (Finlay Prep, NV) Age: 18
Position: Wing/Four
Team: Canada
High school teammate of Team Africa’s Lamine Diane, Brisset really flashed his run and jump athleticism in the championship game. He has some skill but is probably a 4 in college, lacking the shooting and playmaking for the wing spot. His measurables and athleticism are very alluring however, and he has the tools to be on the NBA radar with skill and shot improvement.
Mayan Kiir: 6-9, 225 (Victory Rock Prep, FLA)
Position: Four
Team: Australia
Kiir is an incredibly intriguing prospect at 6-9 with a lengthy wingspan, who is ridiculously fluid with the ball. He had one of the plays of the tournament in the open court, showing the ability to grab and go, use wide euro-steps and finish explosively above the rim. There just aren’t a lot of guys his size who can put the ball on the floor competently, and Kiir showed that acumen.
He’s also an adept passer from a standstill, and if he can learn to pass on the move there is really something here. Right now he has promising shooting indicators but isn’t consistent from outside yet. His defensive versatility and current skill alone should put him on high-level D1 and potentially even NBA radars.
Deng Gak: 6-11, 210 (Blair Academy, NJ) Age: 18
Position: Four/Five
Team: Australia
The 6-11, frail PF/C hybrid is getting looks from Duke, and with flashes like pump-faking, driving quickly to the rim and finishing hard it’s easy to see why at that size. Gak has great feet on defense, which is the biggest part of his game that stood out to me. He can really hedge and recover in pick-and-roll, and pairing that with a soft face up game there is some two-way potential here, ergo the allure from Duke.
Lamine Diane: 6-7, 190 (Findlay Prep, NV) Age: 18
Position: Wing
Team: Africa
The soon to be 19-year-old from Senegal led Nations in scoring, showing the ability to effortlessly get into the lane with his long-strides and either finish with fantastic length extension or get to the line. He did all this despite having a really loose handle and often times just attacking when defended by 3 guys near the basket and somehow making it work. NBA scouts were pining for Diane to pass the ball in the third place game, having taken 22 shots through 3 quarters against Team Rose. Diane definitely gets tunnel vision, and he desperately needs to refine his dribbling to be able to make an impact in the NBA down the road. But you can’t argue with the production at Nations.
Jordan Nwora: 6-8, 220 (Vermont Academy, NY)
Position: Wing
Team: Africa
Diane’s less recognized teammate plays far more within himself. At 6-8, Nwora is an excellent shooter with range off the catch, and his size and quick shooting motion help compensate for his lower release point. Nwora has deceptive athleticism and can finish above the rim in space, and shows good instincts to draw fouls, knowing he isn’t the bounciest athlete attacking the rim in a crowd. He needs to work on his handle as well, but has enough juice there to straight line drive and be a factor in transition. Every team needs shooting, and when you get good athleticism and ideal wing size to pair with high level shooting high-level D1 teams will call.
Jhivvan Jackson: 6-0, 175 (Trinity High School, TX)
Position: Lead Guard
Team: Latin America
The 6-0 Jackson carried the load for the Latin American team in route to leading the entire player pool in assists and steals per game. Jackson is a feisty competitor who plays bigger than his size, and is not afraid to not only mix it up with bigs inside, but is a super impressive rebounder for a lead guard. Jackson’s main allure is his speed and burst with the ball, showing that quick burst to split doubles in pick-and-roll and finish with a refined floater game. Finishing over length, given his non-elite athleticism and lack of size could be an issue for Jackson moving forward, but he shoots it well enough (12-30 from three at Nations) where he can still be a plus offensive player away from the basket. He might be the least talked about good player at Nations, and if he lands on a D1 team where he can run the show it’s going to be a fun watch.
2018 High School Class
Zion Williamson: 6-7, 225 (Spartanburg Day School, SC) Age: 16
Position: Wing/Four
Williamson took home the *watching Team Harden* and “who the hell is that” award. Williamson was nonchalantly driving toward the hoop and all of a sudden cupped the ball with his right hand, proceeded to cradle it across his body using his wrist and then rose all of the feet in the air in attempt to furiously backhand it into the basket. It was a freakish display of raw power and explosion, reminding this Seattle native of the glory days of the Reign Man.
Basically, Williamson is a freak of nature. He’s a 6-7, 225 pound man-child and has an improving floor game. Williamson was a cool 23-28 from the floor at Nations, and did some promising stuff as a slasher off the bounce that wasn’t just run and jump athleticism. He can’t shoot threes yet, but he’s 16 damn years old, so considering how he just shot up five inches and his skill level is on a promising trajectory there are plenty of lives for Zion to wreck under the basket in his ascension to 2019 NBA draft lore.
2019 High School Class
Chol Marial: 7-2, 220 (Cheshire Academy, FLA) Age: 16
Position: Five
Team: Africa
The 16-year-old, 7-2 Marial from the Sudan was probably the first player anyone noticed upon entering the Next Level Sports Complex. I was in full scramble mode trying to match names/numbers to faces on my program not having familiarity with a lot of younger guys there, but as soon as I saw Marial I became so transfixed that I ended up just following him around station drills instead of doing what I was supposed to be doing. Marial has apparently come a long way skill wise over the past two years, and he’s another guy who saved his best for last in the final night of action.
Marial is incredibly fluid for his height, and possesses the ability to change ends effortlessly. I thought he was merely a rim runner who really can high point balls on the glass with his length extension and obviously alter shots around the rim, but he showed more skill than I thought he had in the third place game. Marial showed excellent touch on his right hand jump hook on duck-ins under the basket, and even hit two face up jumpers from the foul line extended. A lot of his success will be tied to strength addition, but it’s rather obvious that Marial has the insane tools (apparently a 7-9 wingspan!!) and some promising skill that will have him firmly on high-level radars.
Andrew Nembhard: 6-4, 175 (Vaughan Secondary School, CAN) Age: 16
Position: Lead Guard
Team: Canada
Some guys just have “it” in terms of court sense as a basketball player. Nembhard has “it” in spades. The 16-year-old is wise beyond his years, already showing poise and intellect running a team. He’s not the best athlete vertically or in terms of speed-burst with the ball and doesn’t have the best measurements, but he compensates with intellect and skill as a passer. He’ll probably have to master the pick-and-roll to be a legit rotation NBA option, but I’m fairly confident he will. Like most, shooting will be the biggie with him.