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

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.

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