Orlando NBA Pre-Draft Camp - Day 2 - Part 2

The good fellas over at DraftExpress and NBADraft.net put up some analysis that helps expand on my earlier post covering the Orlando NBA Pre-Draft Camp - Day 2.

Here is a look at some individual performances from Day 2, courtesy of DraftExpress and NBADraft.net, with some of my comments thrown in:

Gary Forbes: On the other side of the ball, Gary Forbes was clearly the best player on the winning team. He looked extremely instinctive putting the ball on the floor and taking it to the rack, getting to the free throw line repeatedly and finishing impressively around the cup. He also made some excellent passes, showed nifty ball-handling skills, and generally left a very strong first impression. He’s not overly athletic, but he’s extremely smart and crafty, and he just continued to add on what was an excellent performance last month at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. We’ll be watching him in the drills tomorrow to see how he shoots the ball from the perimeter. (DraftExpress)

Forbes had his complete game on display today. Matching up with Wayne Ellington, he definitely came out with the upper hand. He was able to get into the lane, either finishing with a nifty move, or getting to the foul line. Although he was the focal point of the offense, he was still very unselfish, setting up teammates on numerous drive & dishes. The big question with Forbes has always been his explosiveness, but today he seemed very quick, moving his feet well, and staying in front of the frustrated Ellington.(NBADraft.net)

Comments: Looks like Forbes is continuing to impress scouts and has really helped his draft stock since the season ended. His play making abilities seem to be what impresses the most and if he can show a consistent stroke from the outside then I wouldn't be surprised to see him sneek into the end of the first round.

Ty Lawson: Ty Lawson was a cut above everyone else on the floor here, showing incredible quickness taking an outlet pass and getting his team out in transition, and fantastic court vision finding open teammates on the move. He made the game very simple for all of his teammates, as all they had to do was run with him and make sure their hands were ready for the pass. He got to the rim and finished only semi-well (his size hurts him here), converting 4 of 10 shots for 10 points and 4 assists, and also played terrific defense on Lester Hudson. He slowed down in his second stint of playing time in the second half, but the strong impression he needed to make was already felt. We’ll be watching him in the drills tomorrow to see how he shoots the ball, something that is very important for him. He had not stood out prior to this game at all. (DraftExpress)

From the moment he came on the floor he changed the tempo of the game. Pushing the ball in transition, he made some nice decisions finding open teammates or getting to the hoop and finishing. The highlight for him may have been the fact that he completely outplayed Lester Hudson, the man he was matched up with. Not only did he get by Hudson at will of the dribble, but he held him scoreless for the longer part of the game (Lester finally broke the seal when Lawson went to the bench). He did knock down a few jump shots, but his release continues to be all over the place, resulting in inconsistent shooting and some bad misses. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: At this point, Lawson looks like a lock for the first round. I don't know if he will be around late enough but the Celtics could really use a play-making point guard off the bench like Lawson. He will probably be gone by that point though and I wouldn't be surprised if he went as high as # 20 to Denver and possibly even # 19 to Cleveland.

Joey Dorsey: In terms of the bigs, it was nice to see Joey Dorsey and Devon Hardin being active and getting after it. The two most sculpted players in the camp did a great job making their presence felt defensively and on the glass, which is exactly what NBA teams want to see from them. Dorsey (surprisingly) made some nice passes and at times used his wide body to box out the entire opposing team, which allowed his teammates to feast on the offensive glass. (DraftExpress)

Dorsey showed his usual aggressiveness defensively in the post. Offensively, he seems to have an improved game around the basket, where he was able to catch difficult passes, and covert on some back to the basket moves. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: I'm pretty sure Joey Dorsey is going to be a productive NBA bench player for some team. It's just a matter of when he is going to be drafted. The fact that everyone pretty much knows what he can do already is probably going to hurt his draft position but I don't think it will hurt his game once he's in the NBA. He would be a great piece off the bench for a playoff team. Someone like Toronto could certainly use his toughness.

Othello Hunter: Possibly the player that helped himself the most in the first game was Ohio State's Othello Hunter. He went 6 for 7 from the field in 20 minutes—knocking down a mid-range jumper, showing slightly more skill in the paint than we’d seen in the past, and using his extremely impressive length and athleticism to run the floor and make his presence felt inside the paint. On the negative side, he only grabbed one rebound and had four fouls—a clear product of his lack of strength. Although he’s undersized at 6-8 (but with a pterodactyl wingspan to compensate) and not all that skilled in general, we need to keep in mind that he’s only 21 years old and has only been playing basketball for about six years—and thus still has upside to continue to improve. We’ll see how he does over the next few days. (DraftExpress)

Othello Hunter somehow found a way to have the dunk of the game despite DeVon Hardin's assault on the rims. Hunter's reverse ally oop finish was the highlight of this game and maybe the most athletic play of the day. He was a highly effective 6-7 from the floor and finished with 13 points. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: I am definitely intrigued by Hunter since he has followed up his strong Portsmouth Camp with another great showing in Orlando. He is undersized but has a long wingspan and is looking very much like a Carl Landry type. At this point, I think it's a lock that some team will draft him and they might have a steal on their hands if he continues to develop.

Pat Calathes: Pat Calathes only got to play 15 minutes (sitting an extensive amount of time between stints), but really made the most of his time out on the floor, scoring 10 points and dishing off 5 assists (compared to just one turnover), many of the spectacular variety. His ball-handling skills, vision and all-around creativity were on full display throughout, looking aggressive and intelligent while not forcing the issue in the least bit. He would have had even more assists playing with some more skilled big man. He seems like a lock to get drafted at this point, and may be able to work himself considerably up the board if he continues to play like this in the next two days. (DraftExpress)

Showed some nice moves off the dribble and in transition, he was able to use his quickness to get by the defense. He seems to have put on some weight since Portsmouth, but still looks extremely skinny. He can knock down the mid-range shot, but with his unorthodox release he seems to lack range out to the NBA 3. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: Calathes was somewhat under the radar before the Portsmouth camp but it looks like the scouts know who he is for sure now. He seems like he would be a Luke Walton type off the bench in the NBA, due to his size and feel for the game.

Patrick Ewing, Jr.: Patrick Ewing had a quietly effective game with 14 points on 5-7 shooting, impressively hitting an NBA 3-pointer, getting on the offensive glass, and playing well in transition. (DraftExpress)

With Ewing Sr. in attendance, the younger Ewing put in a decent game. He was able to convert on a number of open jumpers and showed some nice athleticism, but his overall skill set has glaring holes and he does not have a natural position on the floor. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: I think Ewing would be the perfect bench player in the NBA because he has never been a star so you know that he can accept whatever his role is on the team. Plus, he can do alot of different things on the floor and he has good size for the defensive end. He's sort of a poor man's James Posey.

James Gist: James Gist displayed his tremendous athleticism with a reverse jam in which he was fouled and missed, followed by a nearly identical reverse dunk in which he was able to covert. He also showed a mid range game knocking down a number of 12-15 foot jumpers. And while he still needs to add consistency to his shot, there's some reason for optimism about his offensive game. Gist could be this year's Renaldo Balkman, a guy who came in without much hype and could establish himself as a highly sought after athletic specimen. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: Gist wasn't even on my radar before his perfomance on Day 2 but it looks like he has a chance to get drafted if he keeps having performances like this. Even if he does get drafted, I don't think he'll have much impact in the NBA right away.

Wayne Ellington: The second game was fairly weak as far as big time draft prospects were concerned. The most intriguing story might have been the incredibly poor play of North Carolina shooting guard Wayne Ellington—projected by some as a first round pick, but looking like anything but one from what we’ve seen in the first two days so far. Ellington was 1 of 8 from the field until the game was pretty much over with two minutes left and he managed to make his boxscore look somewhat respectable with two garbage-time baskets. He forced a number of shots badly, dribbled the ball off his foot on his way to 6 painful turnovers, played poor defense and did not grab even a single rebound in 27 minutes. He finished the game with 8 points, and is looking like he’ll be on the first plane back to Chapel Hill to kick off his junior season once this camp is over unless he can turn things around in a major way. (DraftExpress)

Wayne Ellington was one of the day's big disappointments. He scored a couple buckets late to salvage his stats to a degree but in reality he was thoroughly outplayed by Gary Forbes who appears to have strength, size and experience over Ellington. Ellington hit just 1-5 from three and his six turnovers and 3-10 shooting were too much for his teammates to overcome. Ellington has first round potential, but based on his showing after the first day, it's not likely to be this year. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: Looks like they might have to start referring to Ellington as Lil Wayne if he keeps putting up small time performances like this. He'll probably be headed back to UNC next year, unless he catches fire, and I'm not really surprsied because I have never been all that impressed with Ellington's game.

Shan Foster: Shan Foster was a big disappointment once again, continuing the same trend we saw in the morning and the day before. He looks completely out of his element mentally, forcing bad shots and even air-balling one 3-pointer by about five feet, which is completely uncharacteristic of the player widely considered the top shooter in this draft class. He got chased off the 3-point line way too easily, getting caught into the trap of being forced to use his ball-handling skills, which he is much less effective at than just spotting up from behind the arc. He looks like he’s putting way too much pressure on himself, and will need to settle down a bit and remember what got him here. He unfortunately doesn’t bring enough else to the table besides his shooting to be able to be as cold as he’s been thus far. (DraftExpress)

Shan Foster struggled to get on track with just 7 points on 2-7 shooting. His lack of a great handle and ability to get by opponents appears to be getting exposed some. He's a great shooter, but still must show a more diverse offensive game. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: I thought Shan Foster could be a solid second round pick but it's possible that he falls out of the draft completely because it appears he has some weaknesses that will not translate well to the NBA.

Lestor Hudson: Lester Hudson showed mostly a mixed bag on both ends of the floor, struggling defensively trying to contain Ty Lawson, while showing nice creativity and vision with some occasional passes but also looking too lackadaisical making sloppy scoops that led to turnovers. There is no question that the guy can play, but he remains fairly unpolished at this point. (DraftExpress)

The story of game three was the utter domination of Lester Hudson by Ty Lawson. Hudson looked very uncomfortable bringing the ball up against the ultra quick Lawson and forget about running the offense or setting up teammates for scores, he had his hands full just getting the ball up to the front court and to a teammate. Hudson's 5 assists and 4 points came for the most part when Lawson was on the bench in the second half. Hudson's stock has taken a dip after day 1. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: So after all the hype about Lester Hudson, he goes out there and sucks it up. Maybe he'll play better the rest of the camp but at this rate he's headed for the D-League.

Joe Crawford: Joe Crawford had a very strong game with 19 points on 6-11 shooting, thanks to an extremely hot and aggressive start that kept his team in the game. He took the ball to the rack extremely well, showing smoothing body control, solid ball-handling skills and impressive overall scoring instincts, and also knocked down a number of shots from outside. He needed to play some defacto point guard minutes because of the injury to Jamar Butler. Defensively he was nothing special, and his size and physical tools probably don’t put him at the top tier of this draft, but he does have a very specific NBA skill—and that’s scoring. He helped himself for sure today. (DraftExpress)

Joe Crawford was one of the big surprises of Day One. His 19 points were the high point total on the day. Crawford was able to use his quick first step to get by his man and to the rim. He also knocked down 2-3 from 3 showing the ability to pull up off the dribble from distance. Crawford appears on his way to claiming a spot in the second round if he can keep up his quality play. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: Like I said, Crawford is definitely an NBA caliber scorer, and that is something that will probably find him on an NBA bench at some point. I'm not surprised he has a chance to get drafted in the second round and I have always liked his game.

Mike Taylor: Also a very pleasant surprise was the play of D-League product Mike Taylor—a 6-2 combo guard in the Louis Williams mold with freakish athleticism and terrific scoring instincts. He got to the basket at will, made some nice plays pulling up from mid-range, finished with a nifty floater, and hit one of his three 3-pointers (something scouts will be scrutinizing closely here). On the downside, he seemed to force the issue excessively at times—turning the ball over a game-high 5 times in the process), struggled a bit with his rail-thin frame fighting through screens and barely saw any minutes at the point at all. He clearly looks like an undersized shooting guard, but might just have the physical tools, scoring ability and overall ability to overcome that. It will be very interesting to continue to follow him. (DraftExpress)

From the start, Taylor was in full attack mode, never letting up and constantly probing the defense to get to the hoop. His speed and ability to change direction posed numerous problems for the opposition and he was able to convert on some very nice drives. With the game on the line, Taylor stepped up big, converting on a tough floater in the lane that ended up sealing the game. Main concerns with him are his size/position, as well as a hitch in his jumpshot that limits his ability to shoot from long range. (NBADraft.net)

George Hill: In the first game we liked the way the extremely smooth George Hill conducted himself—his wingspan made him a presence defensively and he clearly has a high basketball IQ and excellent perimeter shooting ability. He’s definitely not a true point guard just yet (he over-dribbled at times and ran down the shot-clock) and is just an average athlete at best, but he looks like a versatile player who does not look out of place in the least bit despite coming from IUPUI of the Summit League. Indiana Pacers scout Kevin Mackey (who knows him extremely well considering their proximity) told us back in January that “George could start for any team in college basketball,” and Hill has definitely backed him up. (DraftExpress)

Hill has more of laid back game than Taylor, but just as effective nonetheless. While it is hard to pinpoint a specific aspect of his game where he excels, he is very good in a number of areas. He showed nice handles, ability to get by people and even nice range that extends to the NBA 3. The one thing that stands out most in his game is probably his defense, where he is very aggressive, putting a lot of pressure on the ballhandler and disrupting the passing lanes with his nice wingspan. He is always in good position and is willing to sacrifice his body, as a result he was able to draw two very nice charges. (NBADraft.net)

Richard Hendrix: Richard Hendrix had a solid outing with 12 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes. He was extremely unselfish and did a great job crashing the glass, showing a good feel for the game but also struggling a bit defensively on the perimeter and not being very effective finishing around the rim in traffic. (DraftExpress)

Showed a nice touch from about 15 feet, facing up from the high post and using the glass. He was aggressive both defensively and on the offensive boards, where he can use his frame to clear space. Although the game play is guard dominated at camp, one would still like to see Hendrix demand the ball in the post and show some moves with his back to the basket. He does have great strength and athleticism, however, there is some concern about his actual height. (NBADraft.net)

Davon Jefferson: Who hurt himself the worst? Most likely Davon Jefferson. He came here out of shape, and has barely been hustling at all for the past two days. Although he was able to use his freakish athleticism to make some plays on the glass and in transition, NBA types can’t be crazy about what they are seeing here. He needs to realize the urgency of the situation quickly if he wants to avoid destroying what otherwise might be a very promising future. At this point it looks very obvious that the 21-year old freshman is not ready to be in this draft, and definitely made a hasty decision hiring an agent. (DraftExpress)

In the early going it seemed as if Jefferson may have made a mistake showing up this week, as he was almost non-existent. Although his performance was still not spectacular, he was able to salvage the day as he put up a decent 10 minutes together to finish the game off. His offensive skill is still in need of much work, but one cannot deny his terrific frame, and explosiveness. (NBADraft.net)

Malik Hairston: Malik Hairston’s stat-line might not have been that impressive on paper (8 points, 4 assists, 3-4 FG), but he did a very nice job finding teammates within the flow of the offense and playing with and off of Pat Calathes, who he seems to have nice chemistry with. His athleticism looked better than advertised getting off the floor and elevating for dunks. A very nice start for the Oregon senior, who we may have been underrating this season, at his then heftier proportions. (DraftExpress)

A decent stat line by the former Duck, yet his game never did much to impress. He is a solid player, but seems satisfied shooting spot ups instead of attacking the hoop. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: Interesting to see two different viewpoints on Hairston's performance. It's possible NBADraft.net is still overlooking him. He also has gotten in better shape since the NCAA season ended, so that could get some times to give him a second look.

Brian Roberts: Brian Roberts was solid offensively, hitting 4-9 shots for 11 points and looking good pushing the ball up the floor in transition. He did struggle defensively trying to stay in front of the very strong and aggressive Stanley Burrell, who got to the rim whenever he wanted and absolutely man-handled anyone standing in his way. (DraftExpress)

Has good speed in the open court and a nice 1st step that allows him to get to the right spots on the floor. His shooting form may be the most natural at camp and his efficiency is also good (2-3 3fg, 4-9fg). The downside with him is that he is undersized and his slight frame gives him matchup problems with the bigger guards. (NBADraft.net)

Reggie Williams: Reggie Williams gave maybe the best effort of anyone in this game, playing fantastic defense and picking his spots nicely offensively. (DraftExpress)

An ultra efficient shooting game, Williams more than held his own. With some crafty moves off the dribble and around the basket, he was able to show some of the repertoire that helped him lead the nation in scoring for consecutive years. His nice ability to finish on the break as well as set other guys up in transition are very strong aspects of his game. There have been concerns about his defense, but today, while matched up with JR Giddens, Williams was able to stay in front and force Giddens into some difficult shots. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: As you might already know, I love Reggie Williams' game and I think he should definitely get drafted in the second round. Reggie is a big time scorer so the defense and playmaking ability he is showing should definitely be a plus in the eyes of the NBA scouts.

JR Giddens: On the other team, J.R. Giddens forced the issue with his weak ball-handling skills a little too much at times, but still flashed great potential with some of the moves he made at times. His talent is undeniable, he just needs to polish up his skill-set. (DraftExpress)

JR Giddens has been solid in scrimmages and drills but that didn't translate into the game as he struggled without anyone to set him up. He finished with 7 points on 2-4 shooting. While this performance certainly didn't hurt him, it also isn't a positive and he'll need to pick up his play in the next couple days. (NBADraft.net)

Trent Plaisted: Trent Plaisted had some flashes with his ridiculous athleticism, but was a bit too quiet in stretches, not making his presence felt enough. (DraftExpress)

Trent Plaisted struggled to get into the flow of the game. He's been one of the more impressive players in camp during drills, but was unable to get the touches to make much happen in this game. He looked athletic running the floor and crashing the boards. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: Plaisted is one of the players who could possibly jump into the first round of this draft. He may have gotten shut out by the guard dominated play of the camp and I would look for him to become more aggressive as the camp goes on. Expect a better peformance from him from this point out.

Robert Vaden: To go along with a revamped body, he put a nice performance together in his first outing. Doing most of his damage in the first half, Vaden made some difficult outside shots, showing a tremendous range. Coming off screens and in spot up situations, Vaden is an assassin because he can get his feet set, and convert on a high percentage of his shots. Where he struggles is when people get physical with him and force him to put the ball on the floor. His is not comfortable handling the ball and often gets out of control when making moves to get to the basket. (NBADraft.net)

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute: He seemed to have tweaked his ankle in the early going, but showed some character fighting through and still put up a decent performance. With his length and athleticism, he is always able to alter plays defensively, and convert on hustle baskets offensively. (NBADraft.net)

Devon Hardin: Devon Hardin had three thunderous dunks but struggled to display any touch or post skills. As impressive a physical specimen as he is, he appears to be a big tease, a player who gives the impression that he can become a force, but lacking the focus and direction to get there. (NBADraft.net)

Josh Duncan: Josh Duncan made some nice passes, displaying some of the court sense and team skills lacking from DeVon Hardin's game. If you could somehow combine these two players best attributes you'd easily have a lottery pick. Unfortunately, Duncan lacks the athleticism and strength meaning that he's stuck between positions and likely a European level player. (NBADraft.net)

Comments: Looks like my main man Josh Duncan is in trouble. He has been solid but not spectacular enough to stop the doubts that he is a tweener.

Charles Rhodes: Has put on some nice muscle definition and showed good touch from about 15 feet. He looked very good running the floor and was not afraid to mix it up in the paint. (NBADraft.net)

DeMarcus Nelson: DeMarcus Nelson shared game high honors with James Mays with 13. His 4-11 from the floor didn't help his cause, nor did his four turnovers. He plays bigger than his 6-3 height, but has his work cut out for himself to find a spot in the second round. (NBADraft.net)

Complete Orlando Pre-Draft Day 2 coverage: DraftExpress & NBADraft.net.

Previously: Orlando Pre-Draft Camp - Day 1 & Orlando Pre-Draft Camp - Day 2 - Part 1

Updated: Orlando Pre-Draft Camp - Day 3