Players That Impressed In NBA Summer League

The following players improved their stock during summer league play. Some have already garnered partial or non guaranteed deals, but they all have chances to land training camp spots.

Nate Wolters – Point Guard – Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards

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Wolters showed an ability to effectively run an NBA offense. He played under control and found open teammates regularly. Wolters could play spot minutes at point guard this coming season in the NBA, but if he doesn’t receive any offers he will do very well in Europe.

Scouting Report: NateWolters

Stefan Jankovic – Power Forward – Miami Heat

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Jankovic has great flexibility on offense. He has the ability to make the three-point shot and score in the post. His defense will be the question. He has already received a deal from the Heat to compete for a roster spot in training camp.

Scouting Report: stefan-jankovic

Briante Weber – Point Guard – Miami Heat

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Weber is a great defender. In college, he would have become the all-time NCAA leader in steals but was injured mid way through his senior year. Weber is not much of a scoring threat unless he is finishing drives in the lane. He prefers setting up his teammates for scoring opportunities. He also has received a deal from the Heat and will compete for a spot during training camp.

Scouting Report: BrianteWeber

Patricio Garino – Small Forward – Orlando Magic

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Garino is a 3 and D prospect. He has solid length and athleticism that translates to the NBA level. Garino performed well at the Orlando Summer League with the Orlando White squad. Currently he is preparing with Argentina’s national team for the Rio olympics. This could drastically improve his chances of landing a training camp deal if he performs well.

Scouting Report: Patricio Garino

Brandon Paul – Shooting Guard – Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers

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Paul is a great athlete. He displays great strength for his size and uses it to his advantage. He is not a great shooter from the outside, but he excels at driving and finishing in the lane. Paul is also a solid defender. He can guard 1-3 even with his lack of height, because of his strength and athleticism. Paul has signed a partially guaranteed deal with Philly to compete for a roster spot in camp.

Scouting Report: Brandon Paul

Vander Blue – Shooting Guard – Dallas Mavericks

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Blue is a flat out scorer. He finished second in the NBA D-league last year at 26.3 ppg. He is not a great shooter from three, but he does well drawing contact in the paint. Blue does not project as a point guard at the NBA level. He will need to improve his defense as well. He lacks consistent effort on the defensive side of the ball. Blue has potential to be a bench scorer for teams lacking fire power, but his lack of three-point shooting and versatility hurt his chances.

Scouting Report: Vander Blue

Nate Wolters Summer League Review

Nate Wolters

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Nate Wolters’ steady play for the Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards in summer league proved as to why he deserves to be in the NBA this coming season. His numbers were not gaudy, but he displayed the ability to make plays for his teammates consistently. For the Pacers, in five games, Wolters finished with 6.2 ppg., 4 reb., 3.2 apg. in only 21 mpg. For the Wizards squad, in three games, Nate finished with 9.3 ppg., 3.3 reb., 3.7 apg. in 26 mpg.

Wolters showed the ability to effectively run a pro offense. Yes, it was just summer league but….. Wolters has some NBA experience already. He started 31 games his rookie year with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013-2014. He split the next season with Milwaukee and New Orleans, as well as the NBA D-league squad the Grand Rapids Drive in 2014-2015. Last season he signed a contract with Besiktas of the Turkish pro league, after an injury with the Clippers summer league squad derailed his chances of earning a contract.

Nate excels in pick and roll situations. He knows when to pass or when to make plays for himself. He uses the change of pace very well and is always looking for the open man on the roll. He has a knack for keeping his body in front of defenders protecting the ball and drawing contact. Wolters is a very unselfish player. He is always looking to pass before scoring himself. A true point guard. As I like to say, there is always room for unselfish players in a selfish league.

One area that Wolters needs to continue to improve on is his three-point shooting. His stroke has solid arc, but lacks great rotation. He needs to improve to impose more of a threat for defenders. This would open his game up even more.

He could also improve his on ball defense. Since he is not the most gifted athlete he will have to be more dedicated to applying pressure and giving constant effort. He has solid awareness, so there is potential to improve for sure.

Overall, Nate Wolters has shown that he belongs in the NBA. He could come off the bench and play spot minutes on any given night. He may not be able to be a starting point guard, but he could be a consistent back-up.

Scouting Report : NateWolters

Stefan Jankovic

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Stefan Jankovic has displayed his great versatility thus far in the NBA Summer League with the Miami Heat. The 6’11” 215 pound stretch four has shown he has the perfect skill set on offense for todays NBA. Jankovic has the ability to hit the 3, while still posing as a threat on the low block as well. He has great foot work, and uses his pivot like a crafty veteran. This makes up for his lack of athleticism. Jankovic is a versatile big that can pose a threat especially in small ball lineups. He would be most effective in pick and pop situations. His mid range stroke is solid as well, and he has a soft touch.

One big question mark is defense. Jankovic seemed to lack effort at times. He moves his feet very well, and is extremely mobile for his size. He has potential to get better due to his solid mobility. One area that he will be exposed for sure is low post defense. Jankovic lacks the girth and strength to be able to defend an offensive threat on the low block.

Another area Jankovic has room for improvement is as a rebounder. Last year at Hawaii he averaged only 6.6 rpg. He seems to lack the high energy and effort to get rebounds at times. His rebounding numbers were a little inflated in college because he was the tallest player on his team by 4 inches.

Jankovic has been signed by the Heat after performing well in the Orlando Summer League. He has a shot to crack their roster, but if not he would thrive in the NBA D-League.

Scouting Report : stefan-jankovic

Dzanan Musa At The FIBA U17 Championship

Dzanan Musa

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Dzanan Musa is a 6’8″ point guard, that played for Bosnia and Herzegovina during the FIBA U17 Championship in Spain this past week. Despite Musa being 6’8″, he showed pure point guard skills and was always playing at his pace. He also destroyed the previous record of 41 points, which was tied by Jaylen Hoard of France earlier in the tournament, by scoring 50 points against Chinese Taipei. He was extremely efficient as he did so on only 26 shots and by going 11 of 15 from the free throw line.

Dzanan scored at will all tournament, but what was most impressive was his understanding of the game. He rarely forced the issue and took bad shots. He also tried to involve his teammates. If he saw someone with an open shot he would pass it to them without hesitation. This was extremely impressive considering he was the leading scorer in the tournament with an average of 34 ppg. Dzanan used his body to get by defenders and get into the lane where his scoring ability was on full display. He loved using his crossover and going left despite being right handed. He drew contact almost every time he drove the lane and averaged fifteen free throw attempts per game! Musa showed the ability to stretch the defense as well. He only shot 33% from three, but showed a consistent jump shot that should improve in time. This really kept the defense off balance and made it easy for him to play to his strength of driving the lane.

On defense Musa showed great versatility. His length allowed him to guard any position on the floor. He showed great awareness off passing lanes and also displayed quick hands. He finished averaging 1.4 steals per game and .9 blocks per game.

Dzanan proved to be the ultimate team leader throughout the tournament. He could be seen encouraging teammates and constantly talking during gameplay. This is exactly what you want from your point guard, leader and best player. Musa was perhaps the best overall player in the tournament. While he may not be the best athlete his competitiveness and fire more than made up for it. He finished with a final stat line of 34 ppg. 8.1 reb. 3 ast. 1.4 stl. .9 bs. 47% fg. 33% 3pt. 70% ft.

Dzanan will be a coveted division 1 prospect, but he could easily stay the European route until he receives interest for the NBA.

Jaylen Hoard At The FIBA U17 Championship

Jaylen Hoard

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Jaylen Hoard is a 6’8″ small forward, that played for France’s U17 national team in the FIBA Championship this past week in Spain. Hoard displayed his tremendous athleticism and overall smooth feel to his game throughout the tournament. He started with a huge U17 FIBA record tying performance against Korea with 41 points, despite his team coming out on the losing side. Although, they would get their revenge by 58 points in the playoff consolation round!

Hoard is a long and athletic small forward. He uses his length extremely well getting all the way to the rim on dribble drives. When he doesn’t finish he draws a lot of contact and gets to the line at a high rate, seven times per game. His range also extends out to the three point line, where he shot 36% during the tournament. Despite Hoard finishing as the second highest scorer in the tournament at 22.4 ppg., he is a more than willing passer. He displayed solid court vision and was always trying to involve his teammates.

Jaylen has all the physical tools to develop on the other side of the ball as well. His length and quick hands disrupt passing lanes causing buckets in transition or turnovers. He showed a dedication to both sides of the ball which is rare and refreshing for a prospect of his age and caliber. He was involved on switches and has the ability to guard multiple positions at this level.

Hoard finished the tournament with a stat line of 22.4 ppg. 5.7 reb. 3.1 ast. 1.7 stl. .6 bs. 48% fg. 36% 3pt. 77% ft. His performance showed as to why he will be a high level division 1 recruit, if he chooses that pathway for his career. Otherwise you may be hearing his name in a few years in the professional circuit.

List of players scouted

Under The Radar At The P.I.T.

Under The Radar

Portsmouth, Va – The 64^th annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament was filled with competitive hard fought games throughout. Several prospects shined, but we are going to focus on the under the radar players that may have made a huge impact on where they will be playing next season.

Alex Caruso – Texas A &M – PG – 6’5 186

Caruso struggled in his first game, but picked up the slack in the other two. Caruso showed the ability to effectively run the pick and roll. As well as delivering perfect passes to players cutting in the lane. He has knack for using either hand to pass and knows when to hold the ball and take the jumper or drive the lane. However, he needs to continue to work on his mid range and three-point jumper. If he becomes a more consistent shooter he can pose a lot bigger threat on offense. He uses his length well and is a gritty on ball defender.

Adrian Diaz – Florida International – C – 6’11 230

Diaz has a massive and lengthy frame and he uses it to his advantage. He has a very raw offensive game and needs to develop in the post. He was involved constantly on the offensive and defensive boards and seems to get his hands on a lot of rebounds keeping the ball alive. He is also a threat to finishing plays down low with dunks. He needs to learn to gather and go up quicker. He has a very high motor and is an active defender around the rim. He has good timing on blocking shots and tends to do so without fouling.

Justin Sears – Yale – F – 6’8 205

Sears is very long and a solid athlete. His shot is a little awkward with a release behind his head some, but effective in the mid range. The best asset to his game is his defense. Whether on or off ball or even pick and roll, Sears is very active and physical. On pick and roll defense he hedges out aggressively on ball handlers and disrupts any passes that might go to the roll man by using his length. Sears has potential to be a premier defender at the next level because he can guard multiple positions with his size.

James Kelly – Marshall – F – 6’8 259

Kelly is a physical specimen for his size. He moves extremely well and is a very good athlete. He has the ability to score inside or outside on defenders depending upon the matchup. He has the potential to develop NBA range. He handles the ball well for his size and can score in transition. He is also a solid on ball defender and physical in the paint. Kelly also will use his size to chip in on the boards as he averaged 9.8 at Marshall this season.

Nathan Boothe – Toledo – PF – 6’9 250

Boothe showed his shooting prowess throughout the P.I.T. He is very effective stretching the defense and forces bigs to close out on pick and pop situations. He has NBA range and is extremely efficient off the catch and shoot. The down side on Boothe is he lacks foot speed on defense and struggles mightily with the pick and roll. He does communicate very well on defense though.

Abdel Nader – Iowa State – SF – 6’6 230

Nader showed he is a very solid athlete. He has the ability to hit the NBA 3. He also thrives getting in the lane. He draws a lot of contact and uses his body well to finish. He needs to work on tightening his handle some, but he mainly uses a quick first step to get by defenders.

Nick Faust – Long Beach State – SG – 6’6 210

Faust is an explosive athlete. He takes extremely long strides and is very effective in the open floor. His jump shot release is a little to left side of his head, but he has improved it over the past 2 years. He has the ability to make the NBA 3, but seems to be either hot or cold at times. He needs to continue to work on his defense all around.

Bryn Forbes – Michigan State – SG – 6’3 190

Forbes was either the best or second best shooter to Melvin Johnson for those at the P.I.T. Forbes showed the ability to hit from the NBA 3 off of pull ups, coming of screens or even the pick and roll. He has great form, rotation and arc. He needs to work on his ball handling some, as well as mixing in some drives to the basket to abstain from being too one dimensional. He also needs to work on his defense as he lacks lateral quickness, as well as physicality.

These were just several of the under the radar prospects that opened some eyes at this years P.I.T.