NBPA Top 100: Session 3

Session 3 of the NBPA Top 100 kicked off at 11am this morning and featured a ton of strong performances from the guard and small forward spots. With teams playing their 3^rd “regular” season games of the camp, the action was intense as the jockeying for playoff seeding began.

Top Performers:

Isaiah Whitehead, 6’4” 2014, Juice All-Stars

Whitehead averaged 15 points per game on Day 1 and continued that trend with 15 points early on in Day 2. After missing his first shot in the 2^nd quarter, Whitehead got hot in a hurry. He began with a lay-up, followed by a picture perfect three from the right corner, and then went coast to coast for a lay-up where he switched from the right to the left hand in air. In addition he added two assists and another lay-up in the quarter. In Charlottesville, Whitehead has shown off one of the most complete offensive arsenals in the camp. He can attack off the dribble, finish in the paint amongst taller players, and has a textbook looking jump shot when he gets his feet set. Today he also created for open teammates and finished with three assists to go along with 15 points on 6-10 shooting.

Tyler Dorsey, 6’4”, 2015, ICP Elite

Known as one of the top players in the class of 2015, Dorsey wasted no time in showing why he is so highly rated. He started the game off with a deep jump shot from just inside the top of the key and followed that up with a blow-by of Joel Berry en route to a contested lay-up. Dorsey finished with 9 points but showed elite quickness and ball-handling skills that allow him to get shots off at anytime. He also used his long arms to create steals and deflections. Dorsey is a high level athlete and one of the most entertaining players to watch in the camp.

Tadric Jackson, 6’2”, 2014, Georgia Stars

Despite playing in a losing effort, Jackson put up points throughout the game including a flurry late in the 4^th quarter as he tried to bring his team back. Jackson hit deep 3’s from all areas on the court and also got points in the paint after driving by his defender. Not the most elite of athletes at his position, Jackson still managed to do whatever he wanted on the offensive end scoring 16 points.

Jordan McLaughlin, 6’0, 2014

McLaughlin grabbed the spotlight when he finished a lay-up on the break and then turned around and stole the in-bounds pass for another lay-up. The west coast point guard controlled the tempo and played a heady game throughout the game. He was aggressive on offense and attacked the basket and then often found an open teammate for easy shots.

Brandone Francis, 6’5”, 2014, Florida Elite

Francis had one of his finer games of the camp this morning showing off his jump shot to go along with his aggressive drives to the basket. Francis is usually stronger than any of the players that guard him and he used that factor to gobble up offensive rebounds for put-backs which is par for the course. In the first half he also knocked down a 12 foot jump shot and drained a pull-up three to beat the buzzer. 

Justin Jackson, 6’7”, 2014, Houston Hoops

Another efficient game from Jackson as he went 5-6 from the field including 2-2 from the three point line for 12 points. Jackson had his normal mid-range floater game working while also finding openings down low for easy baskets. In the course of a game, Jackson will normally only take one or two three’s and this time he nailed them both, with the last three coming close to the NBA arc. 

Caleb Martin, 6’5”, 2014, Team Loaded

Martin had a fine 2^nd quarter for his team hitting a variety of shots all in a span of a few minutes. He hit a contested deep jump shot, and followed that up with an aggressive drive to the basket for an and-one. He also swished in a corner three-point attempt off a pass from Brekkott Chapman. Martin cooled off in the second half but then hit the game winning free throws in overtime to give his team the win.

Devin Booker, 6’5”, 2014, Alabama Challenge

Booker built on his game from last night and had another efficient and impressive outing. Booker scored 10 points with all five of his makes coming within 15 feet. Another surprising thing about his made shots was the fact that they all came with his left hand. His first basket came on a contested lay-up from the right side where he switched to his left hand to avoid the block. He also added in two other left hand lay-ups, a left hand dunk, and then a lefty floater from seven feet out. Booker continued to handle the ball a fair amount and has one of the better handles for a shooting guard in the high school ranks. Not known for his athleticism, Booker also had a violent block on a defender going in for a lay-up.

Josh Langford, 6’4”, 2016, Atlanta Celtics

One of the youngest players in the camp, Langford showed off his immense skill level in quick spurts today. Being guarded by the older Devin Booker, Langford used his elite burst and explosion to get to the rim for a contested lay-up and then also hit a contested pull-up jump shot over Caleb Martin. Langford only received the ball a few times in an offensive threat position as he was surrounded by older teammates, but when he did he made sure to take advantage.  

Shaqquan Aaron, 6’7”, 2014, Seattle Rotary

Aaron is not the most consistent shooter in the class of 2014, but he has range from anywhere on the court. Going against a lanky wing similar to himself in Derrick Jones early on, Aaron nailed two deep three’s to go along with an athletic drive to the basket. Aaron also miss-fired on several three point attempts but that did not deter him. Aaron can also handle the ball well for a player his size and threw two nice alley-oop passes to teammates after beating his man off the dribble.

Kameron Chatman, 6’7”, 2014, ICP Elite

Chatman was one of the most impressive players in the EYBL and averaged close to a double-double in points and rebounds with 15.8 and 9.8, respectively. The one thing he struggled with was his outside shooting going 9-54 from the three point line (16.7%). This morning Chatman sported a nice looking stroke and nailed a mix of three’s and deep jump shots. Already one of the most versatile players in the class, if Chatman can continue to shoot the ball well he will be one tough player to guard.

Chicago Best Buy Classic

The names might have changed, but the results are still the same. Class of 2013 stars Kasey Hill and Chris Walker are off to the University of Florida, but their Florida Elite AAU teams is still winning tournament championships.  This past weekend in the northern Chicago suburbs, Florida Elite took home another spring title with a victory over the Nashville Celtics. In the April, Florida Elite also took home the hardware at the Adidas VIP classic (just like in 2012) and will enter the Adidas Invitational in July with a target on their backs.  They are led by small forwards Dante Buford and Brandone Francis who both gained notoriety this past high school season playing for Arlington Country Day in Florida. While Florida Elite dominated the team play, let’s take a look at five individuals that performed well:

Damontrae Jefferson, 5’8” PG, 2015, Milwaukee Rebels

Damontrae Jefferson

Jefferson was the smallest player each time he stepped on the court, but also the most energetic and entertaining from an offensive standpoint. The tiny point guard knocked down several three-pointers from behind the NBA line with ease and got to wherever he wanted on the court with his ball-handling ability. Off of penetration Jefferson showed a soft floater, but normally liked to attack the basket and any defenders that stood in his way. When attacking the basket, he jumped from his left foot and showed off his extreme hops with either a lay-up or a trip to the foul line. While Jefferson wowed the crowd, he did force difficult shots which led to fast break opportunities for the opponent. He also did not show much interest in playing defense (actually it was the least amount seen all spring) and often hovered by the three-point line without guarding a defender. Overall, Jefferson is extremely entertaining to watch on the offensive end from a fan’s standpoint, but needs work on decision making and defensive effort to become a complete point guard.

Kevon Looney, 6’8”, F, 2014, Milwaukee Rebels

With all of the five star talents competing in Dallas and Minnesota over Memorial Day weekend, Looney was left to fend for himself in Chicago. Despite the watered down talent, Looney did not disappoint. He used his quickness to blow by defenders from the top of the key and then also his long arms to control the boards and block shots. Looney was always active on both sides of the ball and led his team to a final four berth. He is a great athlete that is still trying to adept to taking on more of an advanced role from the wing position on the offensive end. Over the weekend, Looney showed off his penetrating skills but will need to continue to work on improving the consistency of his outside shot. 

Eron Gordon, 6’3”, G, 2016, Eric Gordon All-Stars

Gordon definitely doesn’t look like he just finished his freshman year and definitely doesn’t play like it either. In a Saturday morning game, Gordon quickly took charge and scored in a variety of ways showing that he was comfortable knocking in three’s from the wing or scoring off the dribble. One of the elite scorers in the class of 2016, Gordon showed strong body control in the paint to avoid getting blocked by defenders. Talent wise, he could turn out to be the best Gordon brother, but it will be interesting to see his physical and mental improvement over the course of time.  

J.P. Macura, 6’4”, SG, 2014, Minnesota D1

Macura liked to show off during warm-ups with high flying dunk attempts and deep high arcing three’s, but he also delivered once the game started. Standing at 6’4” with long arms, Macura took advantage of his defender’s shorter reach throughout the game. In the first half of a pool play game, Macura drove baseline twice and executed several highlight reel reverse lay-ups in traffic. In the second half he took his defender into the post a few times while also utilizing a nasty right to left cross-over for a 15 foot jump shot. Macura plays with confidence and proved that his high scoring junior year in Minnesota was no fluke. While he needs to gain added upper body strength, Macura could see an increased interest in the July period from schools in the Midwest.

Delshon Strickland, 6’4”, SG, 2014, Minnesota D1

Another 6’4” player from Minnesota D1 that could see an increased amount of interest during July is Delshon Strickland. While not as flashy on the court as Macura, he gets the job done. Strickland’s strength lies in attacking the basket from the wing and does so using his speed and quickness. He is also the type of player that you can stick on the other team’s top player without a second thought. Quick and aggressive, Strickland will look to parlay an impressive spring into a stellar summer.