Rashad Vaughn: An Underrated Draft Pick

Rashad Vaughn’s stock is on the rise and it’s been on the up and up for over the past month. Despite the fact that the 6’5” shooting guard is now a lock to hear his name called in the first round of the draft, his talents are still being under-valued by scouts and front office personnel.

At this point in time, Chad Ford has Vaughn slotted to the Bulls at No. 22 while DraftExpress has Vaughn going 26^th to Spurs. It wasn’t that long ago when Vaughn’s name didn’t even appear in the first round on those websites. When Ford released his first version of his Top 100 last summer, Vaughn’s name was nowhere to be found and it took until Mock Draft No. 5 to get his name in the first round. Meanwhile DraftExpress started the season with Vaughn in the 20’s, but they soon dropped him to the second round in February before reinstating him in May.

Before We Begin:

Two years ago in the spring of 2013 Rashad Vaughn and Devin Booker were similar players while participating on undermanned teams in the Nike EYBL AAU circuit. Both players had free reign on the offensive end and dominated the ball trying to create off the dribble or from the pick and roll. Vaughn averaged 19.4 points per game on 43% shooting and shot just 32% from behind the arc. Meanwhile, Booker averaged 16.8 points per game on 43% shooting while going 33.7% from three.

Going back just one year, Rashad Vaughn was a fringe Top 10 player in the high school class of 2014 and also was considered the top ranked shooting guard. Now, it’s the 6’5” Devin Booker who is the consensus top shooting guard in the draft after being ranked below Vaughn just one year ago. After an extremely strong one and done season for the 39-1 Kentucky Wildcats, Booker is a projected top ten pick as both mock draft sites mentioned above have him pegged to the Hornets at pick number nine.

What Happened?

When Vaughn chose to play his college ball at UNLV, it wasn’t hard to predict what type of freshman season he would have.

Prior to the 2014-15 season, my scouting report on Vaughn noted the following:

“Vaughn will have free reign at UNLV, which might not be the best thing for his development. While he will score a lot I feel his game might have progressed better in a more structured setting with more talented teammates. Going into the summer before his senior year, Vaughn was “the man” on an AAU team that was less talented than the majority of opponents. He shot 43% with a high turnover ratio. With his ability to get shots from all over the floor, this often leads to forced shots or less than ideal shots during the course of the game harming his overall percentage. He can get hot in a hurry and hit numerous shots in a row, but he can also force a lot of shots trying to find his rhythm. In my mind, Vaughn will have a very high usage rate at UNLV, but his offensive efficiency might leave something to be desired.”

Sure enough, Vaughn averaged 17.8 points per game. Good for first among players at UNLV and second among all freshmen guards. With that, Vaughn shot just 44% from the field. He ended the season with an extremely high usage rating of 29.0 (No. 70 in the country) and a fairly putrid 101.4 offensive efficiency rating.

Contrast those stats with Booker and you see a tale of two different freshman seasons. While Vaughn took 32.7% of the shots at UNLV, Booker only received 21 minutes of playing time per game. In John Calipari’s platoon system he excelled producing 10 points per game with an offensive efficiency rating of 121.0. Booker also shot 41.1% from behind the three point arc and is now basically considered the top shooter in the draft.

UNLV Season:

UNLV started the season off 2-0, but their wins over Morehead State and Sam Houston State by a combined three points were also a sign of difficult times ahead. Soon after their home victories, the Rebels traveled to Brooklyn for the Coaches vs. Cancer Clinic. Playing at the Barclay’s Arena in front of a handful of NBA executives did not go exactly as planned for Vaughn. He went just 2-9 in a blowout loss to Stanford and followed that up with a 2-10 performance in a close win over Temple.

Subsequent to the Coaches vs. Cancer Clinic, Vaughn had his high points which included several key baskets in an upset win over Arizona, a 31 point, nine rebound effort against Utah State, and 30 point game against Colorado State where he went 12-21 and 6-10 from three. He also had additional low points including a 6-16 output against Utah, and an early end to his season with a torn meniscus against Fresno State which occurred after just 23 games.

from www.pointafter.com

Why Is Vaughn Underrated?

In his heart, Rashad Vaughn is a scorer. Not only is he a scorer, but he has ideal shooting guard size, decent athleticism, and oh yeah, he CAN shoot. In 23 games, Vaughn shot 38.3% from three making 54 out of 141 attempts. Meanwhile, the more highly regarded Booker hit only four more three’s than Vaughn did on the season going 58-141 from behind the arc.

While Booker might have the purest shooting stroke out of the two and was significantly better from the free throw line there is basically no difference when it comes to comparing three point percentage. Well, there is one. Booker was the beneficiary of playing on the most talented team in the country. A majority of his shots came with his feet set and open looks at the basket. A lot of Vaughn’s looks came off the dribble or with a defender in his face. Given the high usage rate, a 38.3% three point percentage is pretty damn good.

After a strong draft combine, Vaughn put on a sizzling performance in Santa Monica. From Chad Ford’s recap he noted “Vaughn had the best workout I've seen the past few weeks on the road. Crammed into the Boys & Girls Club in Santa Monica along with 150 scouts lining the walls, he put on a shooting show, effortlessly knocking down shots from everywhere on the floor, outshooting two of the better shooters in the draft -- Notre Dame's Pat Connaughton and Stanford's Anthony Brown.”

While Vaughn had a fairly inefficient freshman season, he also was able to learn more about his game given the increased opportunities provided to him. Often times Vaughn was asked to make decisions off of the pick and roll where he was able to explore his mid-range game in addition to a variety of floaters and soft shots in the paint. As an offensive player, Vaughn’s game is advanced and he has an ability to get shots in a plethora of ways which can also lend to taking difficult, low percentage shots while forcing the issue at times.

A perfect example came during Vaughn’s junior season in Minneapolis when he was going up against Tyus Jones in the Target Center. Vaughn hit a tough one-footed fade away jumper that led to Fred Hoiberg and Roy Williams shaking their head in disbelief. While he made this acrobatic shot, it then led to two even more difficult shots, both of which were missed. With talented teammates in the fold, the degree of difficulty in Vaughn’s shot attempts will decrease and his offensive efficiency will subsequently increase.

In addition, Vaughn is extremely young for his age. Right now he is still only 18 and won’t turn 19 until August making him one of the youngest players in the draft.

Concerns:

As far as concerns go, well those definitely exist. Along with his offensive shot selection, Vaughn gives the air of an alpha dog player. DraftExpress eloquently notes:

“Vaughn's skill-set dictates he would be best suited operating as a role-player at the NBA level, but his mentality and body language often looks like that of a star. While he's clearly very talented, and many laud his work ethic, there are quite a few question marks about his lack of discipline and whether he's unselfish enough to thrive in a competitive team setting, particularly when playing time needs to be earned.”

Could Vaughn cause chemistry issues on an already established playoff team? In an interview after his Wizards draft workout, Vaughn noted that the Wizards needed a guy to come off the bench behind Bradley Beal and John Wall to score the ball and he alluded to his ability to do that. Whether that positive attitude can continue remains to be seen.

Thoughts From A Former Coach:

As a senior in high school, Vaughn left the friendly confines of Minnesota to enhance his game at Findlay Prep. While there Vaughn played with another potential lottery pick in Kelly Oubre. While honing his game in Henderson, NV, current Findlay Prep head coach Andy Johnson said “He learned how to play with other good players and they pushed each other.”

Coach Johnson also had high praise for Vaughn’s future noting “I think he’s going to have a real good career. The sky is the limit and he’s so young for his age. He’s such a hard worker and a gym rat and that really translates at every level. He’s a kid that will put the work in and he’ll keep pushing himself to be great. His ability to shoot is what really, really stands out. Shooting is at a premium now with how the game is being played at every level, especially the NBA. With his great personality that he’s got, very outgoing, great teammate, and like I said earlier, his ability to work, you put that all together and I think he’s going to have a great NBA career.

He’s got a chance to be a really, really good player just due to the fact that he’s more than just a shooter. For the first time in a long time he’s 100 percent healthy right now. He’s been able to put in a lot of work without being hurt finally and all of the aspects of his game are starting to come together.”

Conclusion:

Rashad Vaughn did not have an ideal freshman year at UNLV and there are definitely question marks surrounding him. As expected, his usage rate was high and his effectiveness was low and it all ended after just 23 games.

That being said, Vaughn will be ready to put up points from the time he enters the league. With textbook form, Vaughn’s shot will be effortless from three and he will be able to score in a variety of ways while spacing the floor which is crucial in today’s rapidly evolving NBA game. Right now, it appears that teams with draft picks in the 20’s are looking at Vaughn, but it will soon be apparent that teams with earlier picks will regret passing on one of the more underrated players in the draft. 

2014 McDonald's All American Practice: Tuesday

The second day of practice for the McDonald’s All-American teams was short and sweet. Both teams went for just over an hour before they played a closed scrimmage later in the afternoon. Yesterday it was the West team that came out with the intensity in drills and scrimmages, but today the East squad matched their level of play which created a hard fought session this morning in Chicago, IL.

EAST

Top Players:

Romelo Trimble, 6’3”, G, Bishop O’ Connell (VA)

The future Maryland Terrapin had his offensive game working this morning as he scored from a variety of areas on the court. Trimble is known for his scoring prowess and he showed why in both the 5 on 5 half-court and full-court scrimmages. Going against Tyus Jones, Trimble was able to get a step on Jones on occasion and used his powerful shoulders to keep the smaller Jones on his hip. Trimble finished at the rim with right handed lay-ups and he also dropped in a soft floater from around eight feet. He also knocked in a three from the wing capping an extremely productive morning practice session. This past season he was one of the best, if not the best player in the DC area and is now continuing his high scoring ways against the top players in the country. 

Karl Towns Jr., 6’11”, C, St. Joseph (NJ)

On Day #2, Towns Jr. and Myles Turner were battling again in the post. This time Towns Jr. got the better of Turner by using his power and strength to finish several tough baskets around the rim. Not just a bruiser, Towns Jr. impressed with his ability to get up and down the court as well. He also showed patience by not getting frustrated after numerous fouls that weren’t called during the scrimmages.

Justise Winslow, 6’5”, SF, Saint John’s (TX)

The Texas native showed media and scouts his ability to become a lockdown defender at the next level with his defense on Isaiah Whitehead, one of the top shooting guards in the country. Despite having one of the nicest jump shots in the country, Whitehead had trouble even getting a shot off. Winslow hounded Whitehead all over the court and stayed with him when he tried to shoot from the outside and when he tried to attack off the dribble. In addition to his defensive prowess, Winslow also came to play on the offensive end as well. He hit several open jump shots and also used his athletic ability to finish at the rim. 

Other Notes:

Five-star center Cliff Alexander missed practice today after a wrist contusion suffered during the PowerAde Slam Dunk Contest. The Chicago native still hopes to play in the game. D’Angelo Russell continued his stellar play from Day 1 looking extremely comfortable firing up jump shots off the dribble. While Russell was making his outside shots throughout the practice, so was James Blackmon Jr., the men’s winner of the 3-Point Contest. Blackmon hit several three’s and pull-up jump shots from 10-15 feet on the day. Future UCLA Bruin Kevon Looney took advantage of a mismatch in the post this morning. Going against small forward Justin Jackson, Looney used his strength down low to score several easy baskets early on.

WEST

Top Player:

Jahlil Okafor, 6’11”, C, Whitney Young (IL)

Okafor had a strong day yesterday, but was a monster today. Going against the 7 foot Thomas Welsh, Okafor used his size to score in a variety of ways down low including a rim rattling dunk on the future UCLA center. Okafor grabs the ball like it’s a tennis ball to keep it out of reach from the defense and needs only one or two dribbles to back his man down below the basket. Okafor used his patented spin move at times, but he also scored from the middle of lane off the left and right block. Today Okafor showed why he is considered the top player in the country. 

Other Notes:

Rashad Vaughn continued his hot shooting from Day 1 hitting several three’s from the wings and corners during the half-court and full-court action. Along with Vaughn, shooting guard Devin Booker also displayed his smooth stroke from the outside. The 6’5” guard struggled to get to the basket against quicker defenders but had no problem knocking in jumpers off the catch. Emmanuel Mudiay became a bit more involved today. Sliding over to the point guard position, the 6’5” guard was able to get in the lane off the dribble and was a lot more involved than yesterday. Power forwards Reid Travis and Trey Lyles continued to do battle with both players scoring on each other inside and outside.

Overall:

The practice session was shorter today, but definitely more intense. After going against their teammates the past two days the East and West faced off in a scrimmage on the United Center floor this afternoon. After playing in front of media and scouts, the most talented players in the country are looking forward to a national audience tomorrow.

2014 McDonald's AA Practice: Monday

The McDonald’s All-American week has begun. While the skills competition, three-point shootout, and slam dunk contest will be broadcast on ESPNU this evening the players were showcasing their skills to the media and NBA personnel in the morning. Both the East and West teams went through an hour and a half practice session at the Quest Multiplex in Chicago, IL in an event open to NBA scouts and front office personnel. While there were not any players at the level of Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker there were several standouts on Day 1 and most likely a fair amount of players that will be at the top of the 2015 NBA Draft.

West Team:

The West team is led by Frank Allocco, the head coach of De La Salle High School in California and there was no doubt which team meant business Monday morning. Within minutes the West team was doing full-court drills and instituting out of bounds and half court plays. The intensity displayed in the first minute of action carried over for the remainder of practice. For the most part the West was broken out into two teams:

Team A:                                               Team B:

Joel Berry (UNC)                              Tyler Ulis (Kentucky)

Rashad Vaughn (UNLV)                   Emmanuel Mudiay (SMU)

Kelly Oubre (Kansas)                       Stanley Johnson (Arizona)

Travis Reid (Stanford)                     Trey Lyles (Kentucky)

Thomas Welsh (UCLA)                    Jahlil Okafor (Duke)

Devin Booker (Kentucky)               Grayson Allen (Duke)

Top Players:

Rashad Vaughn, 6’5”, SG, Findlay Prep (NV)

The silky smooth shooting guard had his outside shot working from all parts of the court. He stayed within his means and didn’t force the action while also distributing the ball at times and giving a strong effort on the defensive end. Along with his deep outside shots, Vaughn showed his athletic ability to get to the basket while also hitting fade-aways over smaller defenders. 

Grayson Allen, 6’4”, SG, Providence School (FL)

Another wing that impressed was shooting guard Grayson Allen. The 6’5” wing displayed his athleticism with several dunks in the open-court and like Vaughn was on target with his outside shot. Allen was usually the sixth man for his team, but just like in AAU action he contributed right away.

Stanley Johnson, 6’6”, SF, Mater Dei (CA)

On Saturday night, Johnson was busy winning his fourth straight California state championship and just two days later he was back in action playing with a purpose on the defensive end and using his powerful body to aggressively drive to the basket. Johnson misfired on several outside shots, but he did end one scrimmage with a three from the right wing.

Top Match-Ups:

Joel Berry vs. Tyler Ulis

The two point guards on the West squad went head to head all morning long. Ulis took the lead early on as his quickness on the defensive end frustrated Berry and resulted in an early steal while Berry was dribbling the ball on the wing. After the turnover, Berry’s game took a turn for the better as he started to use his strength to attack the rim. He finished an acrobatic lay-up on the right side and then attacked the basket for a left hand lay-up early on. Berry’s finest moments came on the defensive end when it looked like Jahlil Okafor had an easy dunk but instead resulted in a half block / half steal for Berry as he met Okafor at the basket. Neither Ulis nor Berry took many shots from the outside, but both got the ball to their shooters for open jump shots.

Jahlil Okafor vs. Thomas Welsh

It was clear that Okafor was the dominant player in this match-up from the beginning, but it was also impressive to see Welsh never back down, despite a 30 pound (at least) weight disadvantage. Okafor used his power and large hands to score consistently in the low post, but Welsh challenged him for rebounds and at times was able to keep Okafor out of the lane. Towards the end of the scrimmage, Welsh hit a soft 6 footer and followed that up with a basket at the rim. 

Other Notes:

Trey Lyles and Travis Reid both had their moments as the two rugged Midwest power forwards attacked and countered each other all morning long. Whether it was tough post-ups or outside jump shots, the Lyles and Reid match-up was a fun one to watch. Emmanuel Mudiay and Kelly Oubre are both Top 10 prospects, but both players were fairly quite in the practice and were not as aggressive as their other teammates.

East Team:

The East team while talented took a little longer to show the same type of intensity as the West team. Coached by Lou Wilson of Riverdale Baptist (MD) the East started the practice off with some easy drills to get warmed up and then eventually increased the difficulty with culminated with some scrimmaging of their own. The East time was first divided as follows:

Team A:                                                               Team B:

Romelo Trimble (Maryland)                         Tyus Jones (Duke)

Theo Pinson (UNC)                                         Isaiah Whitehead (Seton Hall)

Justise Winslow (Duke)                                 Justin Jackson (UNC)

Kevon Looney (UCLA)                                    Cliff Alexander (Kansas)

Karl Towns Jr. (Kentucky)                              Myles Turner (Undecided)

James Blackmon Jr. (Indiana)                       D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State)

Top Players:

Tyus Jones, 6’2”, PG, Apple Valley (MN)

Jones was quiet for a fair amount of the practice, but turned it on late in the scrimmage with several tough baskets. For most of his high school career, the future Blue Devil has been labeled as the best point guard in the high school ranks regardless of class. There is no doubt his ball-handling and overall point guard skills are top notch but some of questioned his slight frame. Jones ran his team, didn’t turn the ball over and got into the paint when he wanted and finished with short jump shots or floaters.

D’Angelo Russell, 6’4”, SG, Montverde Academy (FL)

Last spring Russell’s jump shot was a big question mark. Not anymore. Russell had several nothing but net outside shots throughout the practice and caused a few deflections with his defensive activity. The future Buckeye will have a strong chance to contribute immediately next year in Columbus. 

Top Match-Up:

Karl Towns Jr. vs. Myles Turner

As a whole, the East practice was less competitive than the West; however Towns Jr. and Turner went at each other all day long whether it was half-court drills or full-court scrimmages. There were a lot of uncalled fouls committed, but both players played through contact. Towns Jr. tried to use his power while Turner countered with his length. There was no clear cut winner in the big man battle, but you can be sure these two will be going at it once again tomorrow.

Overall:

Numerous players shined in a brief viewing this morning. NBA scouts got a fresh look at next year’s college freshmen and the media got one last look at the class of 2014. With the West getting a jump start on scrimmaging the focus of the day strayed toward this team. With additional practices tomorrow the East team will receive an in-depth look as well.

USA Camp: Class of 2014 Review

The USA Developmental Camp held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs will probably be the best event all year in terms of the amount of talent in one place and the competitive structure of the two day event. With each kid playing for a purpose the intensity level was high throughout. On Day 1, one of the drills involved half court and full court scrimmages where both the passer and shooter had to acknowledge each other immediately after a made basket or the point didn’t count. The kids learned very quickly to recognize their teammates. Each session involved individual drills, group drills, one on one play, controlled scrimmages, and 10 minute scrimmages.

Tyus Jones, PG, Apple Valley H.S. (MN), #4

Tyus Jones

Jones has been listed at the top of the 2014 rankings from the time his high school career began. He showed why at the USA camp as he excelled in all of the camp drills and controlled the pace during the scrimmages. While he is not a physical specimen, it wasn’t hard for Jones to get by his defender on the offensive end. He was a wizard in all the dribbling and passing drills and didn’t break a sweat. On the defensive end, Jones he struggled a bit, especially during the one one drills and when isolated with Rashad Vaughn in game situations. 

Rashad Vaughn, SG, Findlay Prep (NV), #13

Bad Rashad came out Saturday morning, but this persona was replaced by good Rashad on Saturday evening. In the morning session, Vaughn displayed his sweet stroke during shooting drills, but struggled during the scrimmage portion. He did not look to attack the basket and instead settled for difficult fade-away jump shots and deep three’s which weren’t connecting. He also forced a few too many shots despite all of the talented players around him. 

Saturday night was a different story. His intensity picked up from the get-go and harassed the hell out of his opponents on the defensive side of the ball in one on one and pick and roll drills. His intensity level stayed high throughout the session and he put together an incredible night session. In the scrimmages he blew by Tyus Jones several times for lay-ups and he also took the ball coast to coast for a floater. When given an open look he drained shots from the wing. Vaughn did not take any bad shots in the night session and was on the lookout for open teammates as he racked up assists on several possessions in a row. Vaughn’s team also won both games.

Stanley Johnson, SF, Mater Dei (CA), #6

Johnson did not dominate the action like he did during the EYBL and Peach Jam; however he did have a solid performance. He handled the ball at times and also used his strength and size to attack the basket especially during 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 drills. The main weakness in Johnson’s game relates to his outside shooting. In the two day session Johnson did not attempt many of these shots and it was hard to gauge whether any improvement had occurred.

Kevon Looney, PF, Hamilton H.S. (WI), #14

Looney used his long arms and agility to put together a solid defensive performance at camp. He has the quickness to guard small forwards and the length to handle big men in the post. Looney was a bit quiet on the offensive end as he decided to operate from 15 feet and in. At times he got by his defender and finished with rim-rattling two hand dunks, but for the most part did not dominate the action.

James Blackmon, Jr., SG, Marian H.S. (IN)

Fresh off cutting his college list to a final five, Blackmon put together an impressive performance at the USA camp. Known as a knock down shooter, Blackmon did that and more. He got all the way to the basket at times during the scrimmages and also put down some dunks during the drills and games. On the defensive side of the ball he used his quickness to frustrate Vaughn on Saturday morning and put together a strong performance every time he stepped on the court.

Myles Turner, C, Trinity H.S. (TX), #2

Turner had his dad and high school coaching staff in to watch him compete in his first USA event and he did not disappoint. Turner started off the camp battling hard in the one on one drills with his fellow big men. Turner was aggressive in establishing a post position and easy entry for the passer. Once he got the ball it was either one dribble for a right hook or one dribble for a lay-up. On the defensive side he used his wing span and quick jumping ability to block shots or force his opponent into a difficult attempt. Turner played with a high energy level throughout the camp and also displayed his outside game which has college coaches and NBA scouts drooling. It was also apparent that a recipe of 500 push-ups a day improved his strength from AAU season. On Day 2, Turner struggled a bit during the defensive agility drills, but that area will most likely improve as Turner continues to get more comfortable in his body. 

Jahlil Okafor, C, Whitney Young H.S. (IL), #1

The consensus top player in his class put a hurting on the young fellas early Saturday morning during post drills. He first matched up with Chase Jeter and used his 50 pound advantage to basically move Jeter under the basket for easy lay-ups. He also got the better of 2015 big man Diamond Stone by using his size and quickness for baskets in the paint. His dominance did not last long as Okafor suffered a right ankle injury towards the end of one on one drills and was done for the rest of camp. Okafor is a dominant presence in the post, but needs substantial work on his outside game. He currently shoots a set shot with a slow release which was evident in the full court drills performed by the players. This is not a concern for Okafor on the high school level but could be in the next few years.

Theo Pinson, SF, Wesleyan Christian Academy (NC), #27

Pinson was one of the leaders throughout camp. He started the first session off causing havoc on the defensive end in one on one drills and carried that intensity over to the scrimmages. On the offensive side he brought the ball up the court at times and fed the big men in the post. He also attacked the rim off the dribble and hunted for tip-backs on the offensive glass. Pinson struggled early with his outside shot which has been fairly normal for him; however when he went straight up and down on his shot, whether off the catch or the dribble, the result was usually pretty favorable. Overall, it was a solid two day showing for Pinson.

Justin Jackson, SF, Homeschool Christian Youth (TX)

Jackson had his moments but similar to Johnson he blended in more so than during previous AAU or camp games. Per usual, Jackson had his mid-range game and patented floater working early and often. He also was one of the best players in camp in terms of cutting off the ball for easy lay-ups and dunks. In the controlled scrimmages he was effective running the pick and roll with Ivan Rabb and other big men on his team. He didn’t shoot much from the outside, but during the shooting drills his shot still looked relatively flat with a lack of rotation which is one thing for him to work on before arriving in Chapel Hill. 

Chris McCullough, PF, Brewster Academy (NH), #15

McCullough was injured and did not participate.

Reid Travis, PF, De La Salle H.S. (MN), #39

Travis was injured and did not participate.

*All rankings from Scout.com