Almost three years ago, some of the top 16 and
17 year-old high school players gathered in Colorado Springs for the USA U17
tryouts. There was talent galore in the gym with the likes of Malik Monk,
Dennis Smith, and TJ Leaf all getting cut. Two players from that team were
drafted in Henry Ellenson and Diamond Stone and now six more are expected to
hear their name called Thursday night. Here are my notes from three years ago
on:
- Jayson Tatum
- Josh Jackson
- Harry Giles
- Caleb Swanigan
- Terrance Ferguson
- Ivan Rabb
Strengths:
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| Giles-Tatum talking about college |
Standing at 6’7”
and probably still growing, there isn’t a whole lot that Jayson Tatum can’t do
on the basketball court. While he is the second youngest player on the team,
Tatum is the most skilled from an offensive stand point. Not just on the USA
team though, in all of high school basketball. He is comfortable playing point
guard (and will probably handle the ball a fair amount for Team USA) and on the
wing. Tatum also uses both his strong (right) and weak hand (left)
interchangeably while dribbling or finishing shots in the paint. He likes to
take advantage of miss-matches and can post up smaller defenders and either
shoot over them or hit a fade-away. He can drive by slower defenders and finish
at the rim or pull-up from 15 feet as well. Tatum dominated AAU at the 16U
level last year and averaged 18.9 points in the 17U EYBL this year. Tatum came
off the bench for Team USA last year, but he will definitely be one of the
focal points this year.
Weaknesses:
Strength and
shooting are the focal points even though he’s already shown improvements in
both areas from his freshman to sophomore season. Tatum has a thin frame, but
he has definitely put on muscle in his upper body and will continue to do so
over the next two years. The only time I’ve seen Tatum bothered on the
offensive end, was when a team put a strong and athletic 6’5” wing on him who
tried to rough him up. Tatum still did what he wanted, but had to work a little
harder than he was accustomed to. As for shooting, Tatum shot just 28% from
three and 42% from the field in the EYBL. During the USA tryouts he was
draining three’s from the international line on the first night and continues
to improve in this area. One other note, he does not exhibit freakish
athleticism like some players but with his height, guard skills, and offensive
repertoire it isn’t easy for anyone to slow him down.
Josh Jackson:
Strengths:
A top 5 player in the junior class, Jackson is a smooth and skilled wing (although almost one year older than Giles and Tatum). Last year he averaged 11.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in just under 20 minutes a game during USA play. Athletic with a good first step, Jackson is the prototypical wing at the next level. He is very strong in one on one situations and can use his left to right spin move to finish aggressively at the rim. He can break people down off the dribble and is tough to stop once he gets in the lane. Jackson is the type of player that likes to get up and down the court for high flying dunks, but he also uses his length and quickness to lock down defenders on the wing.
Weaknesses:
For all his talent, Jackson has a tendency to blend in more than he should. At times you can forget that he is on the floor as he can float from offense to defense aimlessly without making an impact several minutes at a time. His jump shot is also a work in progress. He shot just 2-15 from three during the Under Armour Finals in July, but was very effective from inside the paint. Jackson has the tools and just needs to stay aggressive to fulfill his talents while continuing to hone his jump shot to turn into a threat from all areas on the court.
Harry Giles:
Strengths:
Giles is the
best pro prospect on the USA team although he still has a way to go before
being fully healthy again. After starting two games last year in the FIBA
Americas, Giles tore his ACL and missed his entire sophomore season. He
returned to the court in May and the beginning months were rough as he tried to
return to the player he was as a freshman. After looking tepid during the first
USA tryout, Giles suddenly started flashing the skill-set that made him the No.
1 player in his class. With a 7’2” wing span, Giles started throwing down
vicious one and two hand dunks in traffic. Giles noted he is at about 90% right
now and he is still lacking that quick first step; however, he is able to play
in isolation from 15 feet out or in the post. His jump shot is still a work in
progress but he can hit off the dribble, from mid-range, and the three point
line on occasion. With his length and athleticism, Giles resembles a player in
the Chris Webber mode. While not the passer Webber was, his aura on the court
is similar. It is going to take time for Giles to fully trust his knee, but
when that time comes he could reclaim his top spot in the class of 2016. Oh
yeah, he is also the youngest player on the team.
Weaknesses:
Getting healthy
and working on the outside shot. Right now, Giles is still gaining confidence
in his movements. An ACL tear takes time to come back from, but Giles is
getting more confident as the days go by. Once his first step improves and he
regains a little bit more of his athleticism Giles will be tough for any
opposing big to guard. As noted above, Giles hit several outside jump shots in
the tryouts although he miss-fired badly on a few as well. He has the range and
touch to stretch the defense but needs to continue to hone his form and release
going forward. While coming off a knee
injury, he lacks vertical explosiveness.
Caleb
Swanigan:
Strengths:
A late addition
to the USA tryout roster, Swanigan quickly made a name for himself and earned a
coveted spot on the 12-man team. The big man out of Indiana brings a toughness
to Team USA and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. In the first four tryouts,
Swanigan was often seen man handling taller big men down low. He did his best
work on the offensive glass and after grabbing the board, Swanigan usually used
his upper body mass to get the defender underneath the rim and effectively out
of the play. He knows he is a beast down low and doesn’t stray from his bread
and butter after leading the EYBL in rebounds with 11.9 per game. While not an
outside scorer, Swanigan did show a nice touch and soft feet throughout the
drill work in tryouts.
Weaknesses:
At 6’7” / 6’8”,
Swanigan could stand to have another inch or two, although his 7’1.5” inch wing
span sometimes makes up for that fact. While he dominated the boards and often
scored on put-backs he also got blocked when going straight up a fair amount.
When long defenders are in his face he has a hard time scoring without moving
them out of the way. While it’s great that Swanigan knows his strengths he will
need to improve his face-up ability and propensity to turn the ball over in the
post going forward.
Terrance Ferguson:
Strengths:
Another repeat
member on the USA team, Ferguson is a long and lean 6’6” with a solid shooting
stroke. He excels in the mid-range whether it is a shot off the catch or off
the dribble. He gets good elevation and with his long arms and he can usually
extend above the defender. His elbows are locked in tight and his misses are
usually short or long (a sign of a good shooter per Larry Bird). He has range
beyond the international three point line even though his percentages would
suggest otherwise. There was a lack of pure shooters at the USA tryouts and
many observers thought that Ferguson might have the nicest stroke of them all.
Ferguson is a strong run and jump athlete although his forays to the basket are
usually limited to highlight dunks on fast breaks. Ferguson came off the bench
last year for the USA team and will do so again this year looking to become the
zone buster for team USA.
Weaknesses:
Ferguson is a
strong shooter, but he is also trying to develop other parts of his game such
as his ball handling and slashing abilities. With an increased handle, Ferguson
will be able to do more damage than just pull-up jump shots. Also, at just 170
pounds Ferguson can get tossed around by defenders that are stronger or more
aggressive. Ferguson has a good tool set to work with and can become a
dangerous player off the bench in Dubai, but needs to continue to focus on
getting stronger and turning into more than a jump shooter and dunker on the
break.
Ivan Rabb:
Strengths:
Using an NBA comparison, I would compare Rabb to a younger Chris Bosh (Updated note: YIKES), although Rabb is a bit shorter at 6’10” and a 7’1” wing span. Last year Rabb started three games on the U16 team and led it in rebounding at 9.8 per game. Rabb is a lean big man that can often get pushed around down low due to his lack of weight, but on the offensive end he can finish with either hand. A natural righty, it isn’t uncommon to see Rabb hit shots with his left hand outside of the paint. He can handle the ball adequately and likes to sprint the floor on the break. Rabb can also hit a 12-15 foot jump shot, although his consistency remains a question. He grabbed (close) to double digit rebounds the past two years in the EYBL. There is also a strong possibility that he is not 100% healthy while in Dubai.
Weaknesses:
Due to his skinny frame, Rabb can get pushed around down low by stronger defenders. When he has a bigger defender on him, he should be able to use his quickness to his advantage, but is routinely cut off short on his drives. He needs to learn how to start and stay aggressive for an entire game as he sometimes plays more passively than one would like. Rabb also has a soft touch but needs to continue to work on his mid-range and face-up jump shots to make him a consistent scoring threat from outside of the post area.
