Finally got to see a second SL game tonight (Knicks game)...
I believe there's enough data to draw some preliminary conclusions on some of these prospects:
Blalock- Strong upper body…He’s creative with quick feet… killer quick crossover… finishes at a fair rate (at least the two games I saw)… is willing to drive and kick (good sign)… active quick feet on defense… Nate Robinson did shake n bake him off the dribble a couple times .. still has a good rate of keeping his man in front of him…. As the draft report says his outside shot is not consistent. Amir- He’s added some muscle tone. It looks like he’s gained 5-10 lbs… still could add 15 more lbs. He’s got an awkward looking jump hook (did work a couple times)… he can hold his position as long his back is to the basket… Shows flashes of a quick effective inside shake move. On rebounds he gets pushed out… has a nose for coming up with loose balls (save the jokes)…. Still has a funky looking outside shot (didn’t attempt many)… at this point I’m not confident that he can knock em down with much consistency…. He did use the dribble a couple times to score… I’d say he’s lacking a half court game. Amir has problems keeping up with his player on defense (off the dribble or in transition)… He does have good instincts for shot blocking (prolific blocker in HS). Gotta keep them fouls down though. He looks like he needs another year in the D-League…. Still high on his upside. Acker- When he takes his man off the dribble (usually successful) he is much more likely to shoot than pass… draws a lot of fouls… He is very willing to feed a post player though…. His shot is smooth and natural (no bad misses) …Not many of his shots are forced as he has a knack for creating good looks. He has worked on his upper body strength but he’s still light in the pants and can be posted up (Green did it to him on three consecutive possessions)… Seems to have quick feet on defense but is prone to be beat on crossovers (Knicks have some creative guards)… He’s pretty good at slipping screens. Samb- Best way to describe him is active. Non stop motion… seems to have good endurance as he stays at the same speed late in his shift. He has a smooth looking hook shot… this could be an awesome weapon with his length. As expected he can get banged around for rebounds… even though he can be pushed it’s still hard for opponents to back him down and get the shot over him. Samb is somewhat of an eager beaver as he tends to bite on everything, which leaves his own man open. I’ll side with Low in that this kid looks instinctive and a possible steal down the road. Medley- Good BBall IQ… knows when to dribble, shoot, pump fake or pass. Looks like he has a nice shooting stroke…I would say he’s a poor perimeter defender… too often there was space between him and his man. As a whole the youngsters all did a lousy job of transition defense in the two games I saw (often beat down the court from rebounds) and poor at preventing dribble penetration…. Defending the P&R was a joke. Cleaves actually had more success in this area (guarded Nate Robinson)… none of our bigs are good rebounders… Rickert did seem willing to mix it up inside some. Cleaves- Doesn’t seem to get inside enough… and with his broken looking shot that doesn’t help… maybe I’m being too tough on him…he did do a pretty good job of staying in front of his man. He has slimmed down and is quicker. Just not much stands out. Jmax- I don't see where he's lost any weight... still looks about 260 lbs or so. One thing that’s consistent, he will be able to get inside position (even against taller players)… he used angles really well and then bodies the defender before getting his shot off… results are either a score or a foul… his 42% shooting was mostly attributed from attempting mid range shots… he had a lot better luck in last years SL hitting outside shots… he is capable… I think he’s really focusing on his post game as he knows that’s a serious need for this team. He does seem late getting out and setting screens … Jmax can take his man off the dribble to get better position… A black hole when receiving the ball... doesn't recognize double teams well...sure looks like a Corliss…. He’s very active defensively…. I don’t see many PF’s having success posting him up… he will not give ground and he moves his feet well…. The kind of player that will give Jmax trouble are quick lateral PF’s with outside range…. IMO if he can add 10% to his FT % he could score 15 PPG if given 25+ minutes. Rickert- He has beefed up… Willing to bang for rebounds and post position. Had a nice spin move against the Knicks… still seems kind of stiff… didn’t see any perimeter game (maybe Low saw something). Not much lateral quickness on defense. He’ll be borderline of making the preseason camp.
Hope this helps feed the need for info on these prospects.