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Nike Hoop Summit Scouting Reports: Guards

Nike Hoop Summit Scouting Reports: Guards
Apr 11, 2017, 05:52 pm
Scouting reports on six of the top guard prospects seen at the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit, including Collin Sexton, Trevon Duval, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Shai Alexander, Lindell Wigginton and Quade Green.

Collin Sexton, USA, Point Guard, Class of 2017, University of Alabama, 18.2
 
Strengths
-Solid tools for a point guard prospect at 6'2, with a 6' 6.5 wingspan, especially when coupled with his explosiveness.
-Quick twitch athlete with excellent burst. Dynamic in transition. Shifts gears with force. Doesn't need a ball screen to get to the rim. Explosive leaper in space, especially off two feet.
-Game is predicated on his ability to get into the teeth of the defense - 39.4 points per 40 minutes (25 lifetime DX database games). Most comfortable attacking to his left. Plays off of hang dribbles. Can finish with either hand.
-Improving shooter, although still inconsistent. Went through competitive shooting workouts after every session. Hard worker. Career 33% from three. Best in mid-range spots. Can create space off the bounce.
-Tough kid who plays with a chip on his shoulder. Doesn't shy away from contact at all. Crazed look in his eyes during the heat of the battle. Positive emotion after big plays. Keeps coming at you. Killer mentality. Attacks his own misses.
-Competes defensively. Can really sit down and slide. Active hands. Not afraid to defend with physicality.
-Although more of a score-first point guard, he showcased his vision throughout Hoop Summit practices and games. Can deliver the ball from different angles. Passes over the top in pick and roll with his left hand. Good in drive and dish situations. Still developing as a pure point guard but certainly has vision.
-Has the mental makeup of a player who will maximize his potential
 
Weaknesses
-Good not great physical profile for an NBA lead guard. Average height and frame when compared to some of the NBA's elite lead guards.
-Very streaky shooter. Somewhat mechanical release. Hand a bit too on top of the ball. Shoots it off the outside of his hand at times. Can improve his range and comfortability from deep.
-Turns down rhythm spot ups. More comfortable off the bounce.
-Gets too sped up at times. Wild driving into traffic. Very turnover prone at times. Will hoist up contested jumpers early in the clock. Score-first guard. Flash over substance passer. Still has room to polish his point guard skills.
-Explosive, but can add more savvy as a finisher. Goes for the homerun, flashy finish at times. Could benefit from a more consistent floater. Slightly more comfortable loading up off of two feet than one.
-One-position defender due to his tools
-Lets his emotions get the best of him at times when things aren't going his way. Can do a better job of staying even keel and controlling the pace of the game.
 
Outlook
Although he didn't have a great game from an efficiency standpoint (3-of-11, 0-of-5 from 3), Sexton's explosiveness, passion for the game, improving vision (8 assists) and overall intensity (4 steals) really shined through in Portland, particularly during the scrimmages leading up to the game. Sexton possesses the killer mentality and confidence that NBA scouts and executives covet in a young prospect. The Atlanta native certainly has room to improve as a player - he's an average shooter at best and his wild nature gets him in trouble for stretches - but it's hard not to bet on his no fear' mentality, explosiveness, scoring ability and passing potential. He may not have the elite size and length that you see from the majority of today's top guard prospects, but Sexton should leave Tuscaloosa as a lottery-level prospect in the 2018 NBA Draft.

 
Trevon Duval, USA, Point Guard, Class of 2017, Undecided, 18.7
 
Strengths
-Physical specimen at 6'3, with a 6'9 ½ wingspan and a chiseled 195 pound frame. Big hands. Wide shoulders
-Tremendous athlete. Impressive combination of quickness, body control and sheer strength in the open floor. Overpowers smaller guards on a regular basis. Gets to wherever he wants on the floor.
-Quick twitch acceleration in the half-court. Has an extra gear. Can play above the rim with ease
-Can make the extra pass. Shows some vision on the move, especially in the open floor. Will uses both sides of the floor at times
-Outstanding potential defensively. Gets low, moves his feet and puts great pressure on the ball with his size, length and strength. Very impressive when he's focused, competing and working to lock down the opponent
-Articulate and intelligent off the floor. Student of the game. Leaves a lot of room for optimism with his intangibles
 
Weaknesses
-Hasn't made much progress with his jumper. Still looks like he's shooting bowling balls at the rim. Shoots on the way down, or from his shoulder. Stiff with his release
-Needs to improve his ability to finish with finesse around the rim. Struggles in traffic at times despite his tremendous tools
-Decision making skills leave a lot to be desired. Not the most fundamentally sound or solid passer. Looks to make the highlight reel pass instead of the simple one too often, rendering him turnover prone. Often a split-second late with his reads. Kills his dribble in traffic
-Gambly defender who takes possessions off at times
 
Outlook Despite being considered the #1 point guard prospect in the class, Duval struggled for the most part in Portland, particularly in the scrimmages where he was outplayed by Collin Sexton. Duval's jump-shot hasn't made the type of progress you may have hoped, and defenses have gotten much smarter about sagging off him and forcing him to beat them from outside. He's a monster in the open floor, but his decision making skills are still catching up to his athleticism ability in the half-court.

 
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Canada, PG/SG, Class of 2017, Virginia Tech, 18.6
 
Strengths
-Excellent tools for a lead guard prospect at 6' 5.5 with a 6' 9 wingspan. On the light side (especially in the lower body) but has wide shoulders that should fill out nicely. Gained six pounds since Elite 24 in 2016.
-Versatile offensively - can operate on and off the ball thanks to his ability to play out of pick and roll and make spot up jumpers (43.3 3P%) with time and space. Streaky shooter but can make a pull up three if the defense goes under.
-Creative ball handler who uses his ambidexterity to change directions and attack going left or right. Uses his wiry frame to fit into tight spaces. Makes an effort to shift gears although he's not all that explosive or shifty with the ball. 
-Although not all that explosive he uses his length to finish from different angles around the rim. Puts english on the ball when necessary. Comfortable right and left-handed finisher.
-Solid vision on the move. Can pass over the top in pick and roll or deliver the ball from different angles while on the move. Equally as comfortable passing with either hand.
-Good instincts defensively. Long arms. Will sit down in a stance and compete. Best defending lead guards right now, but could become a two-position defender with added strength.
-Professional approach. Although not overly vocal, he's a good teammate overall.  Very articulate off the floor.
 
Weaknesses
-Nice frame but thin at this stage of his development, especially in the lower body. Needs to improve his ability to play through contact on both ends.
-Lacks a degree of physical toughness. Struggles around the rim vs length and size. Doesn't get to the free throw line at a high rate: 3.7 attempts per 40 minutes. Would benefit from adding a consistent floater.
-More smooth and fluid than explosive. Lacks an extra gear off of a live dribble. Relies on strides, craft and change of direction to get into the paint.
-Inconsistent shooter. Career 50% from the free throw line. Slow getting to his release. Needs time and space. Doesn't always finish th same. Shoots more of a set shot. Can improve his ability to create space off the bounce.
-Decent feel overall but still a bit raw as a decision maker. Tends to force the issue at times. Will drive into traffic without much of a plan. An improved pull up jumper should open up the floor for him.
-Can improve his physicality on the defensive end - dies on screens, better defending guards he can space defend. Not always going to use his body to contain penetration.
-Checks a few boxes but isn't quite great in one area.
-While he has good body language as a teammate he can become more vocal running the show
 
Outlook
Alexander-Walker had an up and down week in Portland in front of NBA scouts and executives. On one hand the Toronto native struggled to make shots consistently, wasn't able to create much separation against length and athleticism, had some issues playing through contact, and proved to be more of a combo guard than a pure point guard in terms of his decision making. With that said, Alexander-Walker's physical tools, sound overall feel for the game, potential as a jump shooter, ambidexterity, creativity as a finisher and flashes of vision make him a very intriguing long-term prospect, especially as his frame fills out. Alexander-Walker will have his toughness tested by Buzz Williams at Virginia Tech, where he'll be asked to play with defensive intensity and physicality, which should go a long way in his development. Alexander-Walker may need some time to develop on both ends but he certainly has upside as a versatile guard with NBA tools who can play on or off the ball.

 
Lindell Wigginton, Canada, Point Guard, Class of 2017, Iowa State, 19.0
 
Strengths
-Impressive athlete. Quick, shifty and explosive. Can play above the rim off one or two feet.
-Very good in the open floor. Tough to stop with a head of steam. Puts pressure on the defense with his ability to push in transition
-Rhythm shooter with a good looking stroke from a mechanical perspective. Could develop into a decent shooter in time. Gets great rise on his jumper, helping him get his shot off against bigger defenders
-Doesn't need a screen to beat opponents off the bounce. Impressive speed attacking closeouts. Can create high percentage looks out of isolation situations by virtue of his quick first step
-Tough guard who isn't afraid of contact. Has a no-frills style of play. Will likely live in the paint and at the free throw line at the college level
-Quick feet defensively. Can heat up the ball and slide his feet
-Appears to have strong intangibles. Has some leadership skills. Well spoken. Knows who he is as a player
 
Weaknesses
-Has just an average combination of size (6'2 ¼ in shoes), length (6'3 ½) and strength (186 pounds) from an NBA perspective.
-Creates plenty of high percentage shots inside the paint, but doesn't always know how to finish the looks he generates for himself. Tends to drive right into traffic without a plan. Lack of length and just-decent frame limits his ability to finish among the trees
-Drives primarily looking to score. Doesn't have great vision on the move. Can get turnover prone. Needs to improve his decision making and playmaking ability in the half-court, especially out of the pick and roll
-Streaky shooter at this stage. Doesn't always shoot the ball the same way. Tends to jump way forward at times, or releases on his way down
 
Outlook Wigginton appeared to be the most polished and productive of the four Canadian guards in attendance from the start, even if he doesn't share the same long-term upside. His athleticism, toughness and scoring instincts makes him a great candidate to have a strong career at Iowa State. He'll have to become a better shooter, finisher and playmaker to emerge as a serious NBA prospect, but absolutely has the tools to do so and impressed with what he showed in the week of practices leading up to the game.

 
Shai Alexander, Canada, PG/SG, Class of 2017, Kentucky, 18.8
 
Strengths
-Outstanding dimensions for a point guard at 6'6 in shoes with a 6'10 wingspan. Has the size and length to defend any of the three backcourt positions. Has big hands, and a frame that should be able to get stronger in time
-Can get in a low stance and be highly disruptive defensively with his size and length on the perimeter. Will heat up the ball and slide along the perimeter. Gives his team great versatility with his ability to defend multiple positions
-Fluid athlete who operates at different speeds. Has long strides getting to the rim out of the pick and roll
-Willing passer who shows flashes of vision and unselfishness, especially in transition or in drive and dish situations. Sees over the top of the defense
-Showed flashes of shot-making ability, indicating his jumper isn't a lost cause long-term
-Vocal in the practices. Shows some leadership skills
 
Weaknesses
-Raw player, still at an early stage of development
-Smooth athlete, but not overly explosive
-Frame is still fairly weak, which prevents him from being overly physical on either end of the floor. May still have some upside he hasn't yet realized athletically, but hasn't gotten much stronger in the past year
-Struggles to create at a high-level in the half-court. Has a high, loose handle that slows him down off the bounce. Mostly a straight line driver at this stage. Needs to improve his off hand.
-Jump-shot is a major work in progress. Labored stroke with a bit of a hitch at the end. Needs time and space to get off. Struggles to make shots off the bounce
-Lacks high-level experience. Not a great decision maker at this stage. Often a split-second late with his reads. Telegraphs his passes
 
Outlook Alexander was up and down through the week of practices, showing flashes of impressive talent but also indicating that he's still a ways away from putting it altogether. Alexander's ideal position as a prospect is undoubtedly at point guard, but his skill-level isn't where it needs to be yet to man the position at the highest levels full-time. As a late bloomer, he has time on his side, and could emerge as a very interesting prospect down the line with added skill-development and experience over the next few years at Kentucky.

 
Quade Green, USA, Point Guard, Class of 2017, Kentucky, 18.9
 
Strengths
-Undersized, but has done a nice job of maximizing his frame
-Advanced passer who can playmake in transition, make all the necessary reads out of ball screens and drive and kick/dish in the half court. Excellent timing. Passes teammates open. Can deliver the ball with either hand. Lifetime 13.3 assists per 40 minutes. Vocal. Tight handle.
-Capable shooter who can make an open three with time and space. Lifetime 35%.
-Soft touch on floaters.
-Tough nosed defender with great feet. Competitive kid. Philly demeanor. Good instincts. Lifetime 4.5 steals per 40 minutes.
 
Weaknesses
-Average physical profile at 6' 0 in shoes with a 6' 1.25 wingspan. Doesn't make up for it with freakish athleticism.
-Struggles to finish vs size and length. Lifetime 48.1% from two.
-Average shooter off the catch and bounce. Shoots it from the left side of his face. Doesn't create a ton of separation off the bounce. Not a guy who's going to elevate while closely guarded and make a lot of contested jumpers.
-If he's not a dynamic shot maker or much of a finisher, how will he score consistently in the half court?
-A bit more turnover prone than you'd like for a floor general type. Struggles a bit with hard hedges. Can improve his ability to make the simple play. Size limits his ability to pass over the top of the defense.
-Defensive upside is capped by his average size and length. Tough, pesky defender but figures to struggle with bigger guards.
 
Outlook
NBA scouts weren't able to get an extended look at Green because he suffered a concussion early on i the week and didn't play in the game. In the little action we did see Green was able to show his court vision and defensive toughness while struggling a bit with protecting the ball and scoring in the half court. Green may not be loaded with upside but he figures to make an impact immediately at Kentucky thanks to his ability to create for others along with his pesky on ball defense.  

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