Abdel Nader Signs With Maine Red Claws

Abdel Nader Should Thrive In Maine

Abdel Nader played extremely well at the Portsmouth Invitational this year and showed some skills at the combine as well. Nader will be given a big opportunity with the Maine Red Claws in the D-league. The Red Claws are the Boston Celtics affiliate.

Nader was selected by the Celtics in the second round with the 58th pick. He was very impressive with the Celtics in summer league play. He showed his versatility on offense and on defense. Nader shows potential to be able to guard the 1-3 position. He is a plus athlete and a solid finisher at the rim. The area where Nader will need to improve is shooting the three ball. He shot 37% last year at Iowa State, which was 16% higher than the previous year. Nader will have to improve his consistency on his jumper to excel at the next level and have a chance to play in the NBA someday. Nader’s best quality is his relentlessness when attacking the basket. He uses his strong frame very well and can take a lot of contact while still getting shots off. His skill set is a great match for the up-tempo style of the D-league.

The following scouting report was done on Abdel Nader while at the Portsmouth Invitational.

Scouting Report: AbdelNader4-16-16

Nate Wolters Signs With The Nuggets

Nate Wolters Has A Great Opportunity

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Nate Wolters has signed a deal with the Denver Nuggets. Terms of the deal are currently unknown. Wolters will have a shot at cracking the roster, even though it is set at 15 already. The only point guards currently on the roster are Emmanuel Mudiay and Jameer Nelson.

Wolters has a great ability to create in the pick and roll. He shields himself from the defender and probes until the roll man has made a distinct move to the basket or flares for an open jumper. Nate is a more than willing passer and has the ability to score when needed. He is a pass first point guard, but will take what the defense gives him.

If Wolters can show a consistent ability to hit the three-point jumper and be a reliable defender, he has a very good shot at making the Nuggets roster. Nelson isn’t getting any younger and his production has fallen over the past several years. It is a matter of time before his effectiveness really takes a hit. Mudiay on the other hand needs more time to develop and Wolters could be a solid stop gap for him to do so. Wolters has a solid opportunity in front of him to return to the NBA. If I were the Nuggets I would give him a chance.

Scouting Report: NateWolters

The 2015-2016 Maryland Terrapins

The Five

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The following are scouting reports completed on the Maryland Terps during the 2015-2016 season. The reports completed were up to the date specified. The players include Melo Trimble, Jake Layman, Robert Carter Jr., Diamond Stone and Rasheed Sulaimon.

Scouting Reports:

Egidijus Mockevicius Scouting Report

Mockevicius Doing What He Does Best

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Egidijus Mockevicius recently just signed a deal with the Brooklyn Nets for a chance to make their roster during the preseason. It is reported that he will receive $100,000. guaranteed. Mockevicius was the leading rebounder in NCAA division I last season at 14 per game.That will be Mock’s calling card if he makes the roster. The Nets are in need of some depth at the center position. Mock will provide a solid physical body to get tough rebounds and play solid interior defense.

The only centers currently on the Nets roster are oft-injured Brook Lopez, inexperienced Justin Hamilton and Henry Sims. Mock will have a very good opportunity to crack the final roster. He will need to show more of an ability to make some plays on offense. If he can do that I think the decision will be between Mock or Sims. Hamilton is on a multi-year deal or else I would say it would be more of an open competition.

Mockevicius has the ability to make jumpers to about 18 feet. He is adequate in the pick and roll. He is not afraid to put his body on the line, as he sets solid fundamental screens. He will need to develop more in the post. He is not very polished, but if he were to make the team they would never run plays for him on offense to begin with. Especially if he were to share the court with Lopez, which may not be possible due to lack of versatility on offense. Mock will score mainly off hustle plays and put-backs.

Mock is a very tough defender in the post. If he continues to put weight on he will be even more solid down low. Mock averaged 2.76 blk. last season at Evansville. He does not project to be a prolific shot blocker, but he could surprise some guys on the weak-side. He also does a nice job altering shots without fouling. Mock is also very talkative on defense. Constantly calling out to teammates to keep everyone on the same page.

Mock has some potential to eventually be a rotation player in the NBA. He has a great opportunity right now with the Nets, but can he take advantage of it?

Scouting Report: EgidijusMockevicius4-16-16

Robert Carter Jr. Scouting Report

Robert Carter Jr. has signed a deal to play in Italy

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Robert Carter Jr. has signed a deal with Enel Basket Brindisi of Serie A in Italy. This is the top basketball league in Italy. Brindisi struggled last year and finished in 10th place failing to qualify for the league playoffs.

Robert Carter Jr. vastly underperformed with the Golden State Warriors in summer league play. Carter finished summer league play averaging just 6.2 ppg, 2.4 reb, while only shooting 22% from the field in 11 mpg. Not to mention, Carter who has solid stretch 4 type potential and versatility on offense went 0-11 from three during summer league play. That fact alone is why Carter is not getting an invite to any teams training camp.

Carter does have other areas he must improve if he wants to play in the NBA someday. He is a shaky on ball defender. His stance is very upright and he lacks good lateral foot movement. He is adequate in the post. His length helps him inside to bother shots, and he even can get a few help side blocks occasionally. Carter does not provide consistent effort on defense. He is more of a one way player at this stage in his career.

Another area where Carter needs to improve is his body. He shed a lot of weight when he transferred from Georgia Tech to Maryland, but its still a work in progress. He still has some weight on him that he could turn into muscle that would vastly improve his conditioning and overall strength.

Carter Jr. has all the tools to succeed in Italy or in the NBA. He may even end up playing some of the 5 this season. His skill set fits the Euro style very well. I would not be surprised to see him draw some interest for teams next season. There might even be a possibility, if he plays well, to come to the NBA D-League or earn a 10 day contract this season. This is all dependent upon what his deal was with Brindisi. Terms have yet to be released.

Scouting Report: RobertCarterJr.

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.