Team USA Men's Select Team Player Breakdowns
Kemba Walker shined in Las Vegas. (Icon SMI)
By Ryan Feldman
rfeldman@thehoopsreport.com
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
LAS VEGAS - After watching each of the 20 members of the USA Basketball Men's Select Team play against each other and against the elite NBA players on the Men's National Team, it was evident which skills each player needs to work on before making it to the NBA. Here is a breakdown of what each player does well and what they need to work on in the next year.
LAVOY ALLEN, Temple
What he does well: He is very mobile in the post. He is quicker than most big men, so he can maneuver his way around a defender and finish on either side of the rim. Or he can use fakes and end up dropping in a little baby hook.
What he needs to work on: Strength and his jumper. He isn't able to back down many big men or keep them out of the lane. He needs to get stronger to bang with NBA big men. He likes to shoot jumpers in the 16-20-foot range, but needs to gain more consistency with that shot. If he works on his shot, it could be a dangerous asset.
WILLIAM BUFORD, Ohio State
What he does well: He knocks down jumpers. He can shoot the ball from anywhere on the court. Putting the ball in the basket definitely translates to the NBA.
What he needs to work on: Creating his own shot. Buford often relies on other players to dish to him for outside jumpers. But with Evan Turner gone, Buford has to do it himself now. He has to be able to drive into the lane to create his own shot or find open teammates.
LACEDARIUS DUNN, Baylor
What he does well: He can shoot. Dunn can certainly catch fire from the perimeter.
What he needs to work on: He has to get better going to the basket. With the slow release on his jumper, he has to have a quick first step and be a threat driving to the hole. If he does that, it will be easier to get his shot off.
JIMMER FREDETTE, BYU
What he does well: Shoot. Fredette is as pure a shooter as anyone in college basketball. He can shoot the ball from NBA range with consistency.
What he needs to work on: Against the NBA players, Fredette had trouble getting open for an outside jumper. At his size, he needs to be a point guard to make the NBA. His ball-handling and passing wasn't great at all. He needs to prove this year that he can be an NBA point guard.
SCOTTY HOPSON, Tennessee
What he does well: Handle and shoot. Hopson is a solid ball handler and can knock down outside jumpers.
What he needs to work on: Mid-range game. Hopson is now the star at Tennessee. He can shoot the ball, but he doesn't score enough to carry a team. He has to be able to get into the lane and score from anywhere on the court.
SCOOP JARDINE, Syracuse
What he does well: Strength and ball handling. Jardine is a very strong guard and he can handle the ball well as a point guard. He also is good at creating his own shot and knocking down long jumpers off the dribble.
What he needs to work on: Being a point guard. Jardine often wants to just go one-on-one and make things happen himself, but sometimes it's better to run the offense and move the ball around and then get the ball back later in the shot clock.
JAJUAN JOHNSON, Purdue
What he does well: Length and defense. Johnson is a good defender and uses his length to alter shots.
What he needs to work on: Post moves and strength. He needs to get stronger to bang with the NBA big men, and he needs to develop some post moves to help him score points one-on-one in the post.
JON LEUER, Wisconsin
What he does well: Versatility. Leuer can play the power forward position, but he can stretch a defense out to the perimeter with his shooting and ball-handling abilities. Or he can play small forward and dominate in the post.
What he needs to work on: Defense. While being able to play two positions is an asset, he still has to be able to defend those positions. He often isn't quick enough to stay with small forwards and may not be strong enough to guard NBA power forwards.
SHELVIN MACK, Butler
What he does well: Shoot the ball and create his own shots. Mack is a very good scorer. He can play off the ball and knock down outside jumpers, he can get into the lane and knock down mid-range jumpers, or he can go all the way to the hoop and finish.
What he needs to work on: Being a point guard. For Mack to make the NBA, he has to be able to run the point. He struggled at times against the pressure of the NBA players.
MARCUS MORRIS, Kansas
What he does well: Rebound and shoot. Morris can rebound as well as any of the big men on the Select Team. He knows where to be when the ball comes off the rim and he almost always boxes out. He also has developed a nice jumper from 16-20 feet.
What he needs to work on: Consistency. At times, Morris is all over the place, grabbing rebounds, scoring in the post, etc. But at other times, he disappears. He has to continue to be aggressive and dominate down low.
JACOB PULLEN, Kansas
What he does well: Handle the ball. He is a good ball-handler and he can create his own shot. He also is a very good outside shooter.
What he needs to work on: Shot selection. Pullen doesn't know a good shot from a bad shot. Most of his shots were with a hand in his face and ill-advised. He has to be a point guard and run the offense and wait for the shots to come to him.
JOHN SHURNA, Northwestern
What he does well: Shoot. Shurna has a quick release and can knock down outside jumpers.
What he needs to work on: Strength and versatility. Shurna isn't very strong down low and he can't do many other things other than shoot.
KYLE SINGLER, Duke
What he does well: Versatility and basketball IQ. Singler looked like he fit in well with the NBA players. He can do so many things well. He can shoot, he can score down low, he can handle the ball like a guard, and he makes good basketball decisions.
What he needs to work on: Consistency on his outside jumper. Singler can certainly shoot the ball, but he is often inconsistent. If he could become a deadly outside shooter from NBA range, he would be that much more ready for the NBA.
CHRIS SINGLETON, Florida State
What he does well: Versatility and shooting. He can shoot the ball well from the perimeter for a guy his size. He is tough to guard because he can play in the post or he can handle the ball on the perimeter.
What he needs to work on: Speed and quickness. Singleton is too slow for the NBA. He doesn't blow by anyone and he isn't strong enough to dominate just in the post.
NOLAN SMITH, Duke
What he does well: Attacks the basket and basketball IQ. Smith sees the openings in the defense and knows when and how to attack the basket. He also makes smart basketball decisions and knows how to run a good offense.
What he needs to work on: Outside shot. Smith has gotten significantly better over the last year at shooting from 3-point range, but he needs to take that next step to become a great shooter and to be able to shoot it from NBA range.
TREY THOMPKINS, Georgia
What he does well: Scores in the post. Thompkins can score consistently in the post on NBA defenders. That's a good sign. He really knows what he's doing when he gets the ball.
What he needs to work on: Rebounding and defense. Being able to score is only one thing. To be a great player and make the NBA, he needs to be able to dominate on the glass and shut down players in the post.
MIKE TISDALE, Illinois
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