As we head towards the 2012 NBA Draft, it is time to give some looks at players who may not be locks to be drafted, or are for one reason or another, are not being talked about much, but they may have the skills and intangibles which could translate to a NBA career.  The Case For….takes a look at these players and tries to give a brief outline of what skills they have, what they are missing, and what steps would eventually lead them to the to the NBA.  This edition looks at a talented junior, who may not have had the chance in college to show all he is capable of – Georgetown’s Hollis Thompson.  Thompson is one of the best perimeter shooters in this class, and he did what he was asked to in the Georgetown offense, but in rare glimpses, you could see he could do more.  His ability and his understanding of the game he got from Georgetown will help him a lot, but will it be enough to get to the NBA?  Here is The Case for Hollis Thompson:

Hollis Thompson, Georgetown, Senior, 6’7, 205

12.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 46.4 FG%, 67.9 FT%, 43.0 3FG%

The Good – While Thompson may not have had many chances to show it over the last 3 seasons, he is a more complete offensive threat than he is given credit for.  It starts with his jumper.  He has excellent form and his size allows him to get great looks on the perimeter.  He is able to shoot well off the catch or off the dribble, and he does a good job using screens to get open looks.  He has range out to the NBA 3, and he has improved his ability to get good looks in the mid-range area.  Thompson is a decent ballhandler, able to use both hands well and control the ball under pressure.  He understands spacing on the court, and has good court vision.  If he gets past his defender, he can get to the basket quickly, has good body control and can finish strong with either hand.  On the defensive end, Thompson understands how to position himself well on the ball and does a good job getting low and balanced in front of his man.  He also positions himself well off the ball, giving him the ability to disrupt passing lanes and provide good help defense.  He runs the court well in transition and he has the ability to either take the ball to the basket off the pass, or to spot up for his jumper.

The Bad – Thompson spent so much time on the perimeter in college, he needs to show that he consistently take his man off the dribble, or to use screens to get into the lane.  His first step could be a bit quicker, and because he shoots so well, he should use shot fakes more to get his defender in the air.  While is ballhandling is decent, he needs to work on changing directions quickly and using his dribble more to create room for his jumper.  In general, he needs to be more aggressive when looking to make a play.  While he can rebound well at times, he needs to use his body more in looking to create space, and go strong after the ball instead of waiting for it to come to him.  Defensively, the main thing he needs to continue to improve is his lateral movement.  He could be more consistent with his movement, as well as needing to be quicker to guard the perimeter at the NBA level.  Overall, he needs to needs to keep his energy level high and his effort consistent.

The Verdict – Thompson may be a bit undervalued because the Georgetown offense didn’t allow him to show the full array of his abilities.  But, it is being part of that offense that makes his value as a player higher.  He has a great understanding of spacing and roles on the court, and he has the ability to fill a few different roles for many teams.  He may be the best perimeter shooter of the non-guards in this draft, and near the top of the list overall.  His ability to get to the basket should improve and with more free throw attempts, his consistency should improve as well.  His defense on the perimeter will need to also be consistent for him to gain significant minutes, but if he makes some slight improvements, he should be capable of guarding a couple of positions well.  Overall, he has a great understanding of the game, and combined with his ability to shoot and athleticism, he could be a valuable role player pretty quickly.  He would be a prime candidate for a playoff team looking for some quality offense off the bench, but I still think he will show more if given the chance.  I would establish his draft range to be in the 42-50 range, with the ability to be picked in the lower end of that range (42-46) if he can show to teams that he can be more than just a good shooter and he shows better foot speed and lateral movement.

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The influence of a college coach can be almost as diverse as the coaches themselves.  Whether you liked Kansas State’s Frank Martin, or cringed when you saw him seething on the sideline, it was easy to tell that his players were prepared to do anything for him.  That ability in itself is of great value to basketball players of any level, and nobody exemplified it more on Martin’s team than Jamar Samuels.  When Samuels would step on the court, it would be tough to peg him into any particular role.  He could score around the basket, or hit the occasional jumper.  He could be found guarding some of the best players in the country, crashing the boards on both ends, and you could never question his desire to win.  A lot of what he did for his team wouldn’t show up in a stat sheet.  While Samuels did not get an opportunity to play in Kansas State’s final game of the year in the NCAA Tournament because of a NCAA violation, his career as a player is really just getting started.  I had the opportunity to speak to Samuels, who has been preparing for NBA workouts at IMG in Florida, about his game, Frank Martin’s effect, and much more:

Jamar on his development at Kansas State:

“I learned to play with a lot of passion.  I was always a feisty player, but Coach Martin and the other coaches knew how to bring it to another level.  I also learned to work on my mindset; being ready for everything that could happen.  Physically, I added a lot of needed weight to my frame, probably 45 pounds more than when I first got to college.”

Jamar on playing for Frank Martin:

“Coach Martin really stressed work ethic, both on and off the court.  He made you want to play hard for him.  I learned a lot about loyalty and trust from him.  He was a father figure to me, and helped make me into the man I am today.”

Jamar on his strengths as a player: 

“Playing defense and rebounding, especially getting offensive rebounds, are probably my biggest strengths.  My shooting is improving as well.  I have been down at IMG working every day at improving my game as a whole.  No disrespect to anyone, but I can turn some heads when I get an opportunity.”

Jamar on what parts of his game he still wants to improve:

“I want to definitely work on my ballhandling skills.  I will have to play on the wing a lot more, so I will need to be consistent with the skills needed.  I still want to add some strength and also work on my lateral movement on defense.”

Jamar on his role at the next level:

“I would do a good job coming off the bench and giving a team what they need, whether it is rebounding, scoring, or intensity.”

Jamar on playing in the Big 12 shaped his game:

“It definitely made me think.  You can’t back down from anyone or any team.  I was out there guarding some of the best 4’s in the country, and being able to guard guys like Perry Jones, Quincy Acy, showed me what I was capable of doing as a player.”

Jamar on what he wants teams and fans to know about him:

“I am a very hungry player, and I am not going to back down from anything.  If Kobe Bryant is in front of me, I am do everything I can to stop him.  I have a lot to offer a team and with the opportunity, I can show them everything I can do to help them win.”

I want to thank Jamar for his time and I wish him the best of luck as he looks to fulfill his dream of getting to the NBA.  I also want to thank his agents at Above The Rim Management for helping to set up this interview.  Jamar’s college career may not have ended the way he wanted it to, but he is not letting that prevent him from continuing to get better, and to make the most of the opportunities he is given.  While he may have never been the team’s main option at Kansas State, it was impossible to watch a game and not hear his name being mentioned for making one big play or another.  I am positive that basketball fans here have not seen the last of Jamar.

Check back in the coming weeks for more great interviews and scouting reports as we head towards the 2012 NBA Draft.  Follow me on Twitter - @NBADraftBlog – for updates, leave your comments below, or feel free to email me at

The NBA Draft Blog Scouting Report looks at another member of the touted freshman in this year’s group – Florida’s Bradley Beal.  Beal came into college with a reputation as a scorer, especially a shooter, but he showed very quickly that he is capable of so much more.  He has an advanced understanding of the game, he is skilled in many areas, and he is still far from filling his potential.  Some may question whether he may be tall enough to play the 2.  Teams will need to decide that for themselves, but there is no questioning his ability and potential.  Let’s take a look at Bradley Beal’s game, and see how it could translate to the NBA:

Bradley Beal, Florida – Freshman

Guard -  6'3, 207

14.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.2 apg, 44.5% FG, 76.9% FT, 33.9% 3FG

Offense

Perimeter Shooting- Coming into his freshman year, Beal had the reputation as an excellent perimeter shooter, and one of the best in his class.  Though a look at his 1^st season shooting numbers may not show it, Beal is now one of the top shooters entering the NBA Draft.  He has very good form - squaring to the basket, using his legs well for lift, having a high release and good follow-through.  His shot selection is above average, though it improved as he progressed through the year.  He does need to watch a tendency to rush his jumper at times.  He is effective off the catch and off the dribble.  He uses his dribble well to create space for his jumper, though he needs to not use the step-back dribble and shot when it’s not necessary. He also needs to work on moving without the ball, especially coming off of screens to shoot his jumper. He will have to do a better job coming tighter off the screen and move into his shot quickly.  Many times last seasons, he took a wide path around which allowed the defender to disrupt his shot.

Ballhandling/Penetration- Beal is a good ballhandler, able to use both hands well, keeping the ball low and guarded, and with a variety of advanced dribbles, such as good crossover and hesitation dribble, at his disposal. Beal has an ability to take his man off the dribble.  He doesn’t have a great first step, but he knows how to get defenders off-balance with his dribble and ball-fakes, and is quick to take advantage.  Once he gets past his defender, he has a good pull-up jumper, or if the help arrives quickly, he has gotten better at finding an open teammate.  He takes long strides to the basket and has the ability to handle contact and get his shot off.  He can finish with either hand, though he still needs to work on the angles he uses to attack the basket to get the best possible shot to finish.  He can do a better job coming tighter off of screens and turning the corner quicker, but he is still effective.  He will need to work on his pick-and-roll skills, especially making the right decision when the screener’s defender hedges.

Rebounding/Passing- Beal does a decent job on the offensive boards, better when you look at his size.  He is quick to react to missed shots, anticipates where misses will go, and goes strong after the ball.  He makes good decisions once he gets the rebound, knowing when he can get a quick second shot off, or when to bring the ball back out.  With the spacing at the NBA level generally being greater, these skills should help continue Beal to be able to contribute on the offensive boards.  Beal is improving as a passer.  He sees the court well, has improved his decision making, and throws passes that are easy for his teammates to make a play off of.  He has also improved his ability to draw help defenders and find the open man off of penetration and screens.  His ability to create should improve as he matures as a player.

Free Throw Shooting – Beal is a good free throw shooter, and should improve.  As with his jumper, his form and release are very good, and when he misses, they aren’t off by much, so repetition should help bring him to a great free throw shooter.  He also does a good job getting to the line, not shying from contact, and knowing how to use shot and ball-fakes to get defenders off their feet.

Defense

Perimeter Defense- Beal is an above-average defender both on and off the ball, and, with some experience and small changes, he has the ability to be a good defender.  On the ball, he positions himself well, gets low and has keeps his feet and arms active. He does need to watch how he balances himself when in his defensive stance, having a tendency to lean forward too much, which in turn leaves him unable to react as quick to changes of direction.  His lateral movement and foot speed improved through the year, but can still be more consistent, and a bit quicker.  He needs to improve how he handles screens, needing to be more effective getting over screens up top, and not losing his man when he is being run through multiple screens.  Off the ball, he also does a very good job positioning himself, able to deny passing lanes when necessary, or in help position for penetration.  He can find himself overplaying a bit often, and he will need to have a better understanding of his man’s strengths at the next level.  Also, his positioning allows him to be in spots from where he can get to missed shots quickly.  He makes a good attempt to close on perimeter shooters, and does fall for ball and shot fakes easily.

Rebounding- Beal is an effective rebounder for his size, using his great court awareness and anticipation to get into good position to make a play for the missed shot.   Once he gets to the spot, he looks to put a body on someone and secures the ball quickly.  Beal also has the ability to grab a rebound and get the transition offense moving with little hesitation.  It is his understanding of what good rebounder do, at any size, that makes him effective on the boards.

Transition

Beal does a very good job in transition, whether he is the one pushing the ball or if he runs one of the wings.  He gets the ball up court quickly, keeps his head up, and generally makes good decisions about taking it to the basket or giving the ball up.  On the wing, he has the ability to set up and knock down the long jumper, or to take the ball off the pass with his dribble to the basket.  Defensively, he is very good at spacing himself against the break and preventing easy passes.

Summary & Intangibles

Athleticism – High

BB IQ – Very High

I don’t care how tall Bradley Beal is, and neither will teams with a smart front office.  Fundamentally skilled, Beal understands when he may be at a height disadvantage and he uses other methods to get the best possible look for his shot, or choosing to take them off the dribble if given the option.  While Beal is an excellent shooter, that is far from all he is capable of.  He can handle the ball, rebound, make good decisions, and push the ball in transition.  His defense needs to continue to be improved, but in most cases, he is looking to make the right decision.  Added to all of this is an understanding of the game extremely advanced for his age.  He should be a very good NBA player, and in a few years, could be a great player.  His draft range falls somewhere in the 2-8 range, but he is likely to go in the Top 5 picks.

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It’s time to kick off my look at what the various NBA teams need, and possible draft scenarios they may be faced with later this month.  This year, to pair with my thoughts, I have asked various writers and bloggers for the 30 teams to give me their take on what their team could or should do.  Starting off, appropriately, is the New Orleans Hornets, who not only secured the #1 pick in this year’s Draft Lottery, but also have what would have been the Timberwolves pick at #10.  While taking Anthony Davis at #1 is practically a no-brainer, having #10 as well, does open up some options.

2011-2012 Record – 21-45 (5^th in Southwestern Division, Western Conference)

Head Coach – Monty Williams

2-year Draft History  

2011 – Josh Harrelson (2^nd Round, 45^th – Traded to Knicks at Draft for Cash Considerations)

2010 – Cole Aldrich (1^st Round, 11^th – Traded to OKC with Morris Peterson for the Draft Rights to 1^st Round Picks #21 Craig Brackens and #26 Quincy Pondexter)

Returning Players- Emeka Okafor (C), Trevor Ariza (SF), Jarrett Jack (PG), Eric Gordon (SG – Qualifying Offer), Al-Farouq Aminu (SF), Xavier Henry (SG), Gustavo Ayon (PF), Greivis Vasquez (PG), Jason Smith (PF)

Team Needs- Anthony Davis; point guard of future, frontcourt and backcourt depth

Position Needs – PG, SF, PF, C

Picks –  #1 (1^st Round, Pick 1)

#10 (1^st Round, Pick 10)

NBA Draft Blog Analysis

Securing the top pick not only made this an easy pick for New Orleans, but gives them a player in Anthony Davis who will improve a quality defense, but will give the team an attraction to possibly lure more talent to the team in the future.  While the hope is that Davis becomes a long-term offensive threat, New Orleans can let him play an offensive role similar to what he played at Kentucky, a lot of high pick-and-rolls and working the baseline area.

The 10^th pick should give the Hornets plenty of options, and the ability to look at different areas to fill.  The point guard combo of Jack/Vasquez, while serviceable, can certainly be improved upon, especially with Jack in the last year of his contract.  If looking in this direction, the Hornets could have their choice of either Damian Lillard or Kendall Marshall.  Lillard can give them another option as a scorer, and his shooting ability could lead to stretches playing the 2 in smaller lineups.  However, looking long-term, Marshall to me is the player who will be able to get the most out of Davis offensively, in a shorter amount of time.  His ability to push the ball in transition or run a half-court offense can’t be matched in this draft, and I wouldn’t underestimate his ability to score.  Looking at other potential needs and players who fall in that range, I think point guard should be, and will be, where the Hornets go. 

Analysis from Rohan Cruyff – At The Hive

The #1 pick here is obvious, and I really do feel like Anthony Davis fits just as well in New Orleans as he would in a more flashy pairing (Davis/Irving, etc). Before the majority of his team succumbed to injury, Monty Williams had the Hornets playing top 5 defense (by efficiency) during the 2010-2011 season, a major factor in the team''s 8 and 10 game winning streaks within Williams' first two months on the job. It's generally a strong-side force/weak-side help system with many elements of zone sprinkled in, and it's a system that's managed to make even a player like Chris Kaman look relatively decent at defense. Monty's emphasized that side of the ball since day one (going as far as to bench and trade away promising local talent Marcus Thornton for perceived flaws there), which suits Davis' skill set perfectly. Moreover, in Emeka Okafor, New Orleans has a ready-made front court partner for Davis who can initially carry the responsibility of guarding the NBA's stronger and more physical post options, whom I expect Davis to struggle against in his transition to the pros.

The #10 pick is frankly made a lot easier by the #1 pick too; the (presumable) presence of Davis lifts some of the pressure of scoring an impact big with the second pick and opens up a variety of options. This is the last year of Jarrett Jack's contract and backup Greivis Vasquez is definitely more suited to a bench role so New Orleans will certainly study the suitability of Damian Lillard, Kendall Marshall, and possibly Austin Rivers. While I personally wouldn't mind if the team took a shot at a guy like Perry Jones III here, there's a decent case the front court is set - Davis (Gustavo Ayon) - Okafor (Jason Smith). And so, I'd lean towards the low-turnover, high-efficiency, and strong in P&R Lillard.

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As we head towards the 2012 NBA Draft, it is time to give some looks at players who may not be locks to be drafted, or are for one reason or another, are not being talked about much, but they may have the skills and intangibles which could translate to a NBA career.  The Case For….takes a look at these players and tries to give a brief outline of what skills they have, what they are missing, and what steps would eventually lead them to the to the NBA.  This edition looks at another senior who showed visible improvement in college, especially in his last 2 seasons, but also had a checkered discipline history, Alabama’s JaMychal Green.  Green, who was First Team All-SEC as a junior, and Second Team as a senior, is a solid defender and shot blocker, but also has shown development in his offensive abilities. He is a physical player, and has above average athleticism.  However, he also was suspended 3 times in his 4 seasons, as recently as February 2012.  Will teams be able to see a more mature Green, or will poor-decision making continue to haunt him?  Here is The Case for JaMychal Green.

JaMychal Green, Alabama, Senior, 6’8, 228

14.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 54.6 FG%, 69.0 FT%

The Good – Over the last 2 seasons, Green has showed a lot of improvement with his offensive skill-set.  In the post, he uses his body well to fight for position and to shield the defender.  He gives the passer a big target and he gets into his move quickly.  I have been impressed with his ability to post up at different areas around the lane, and his ability to score in a variety of ways.  He has developed a good up-and-under move, and his drop step is still improving.  Green has shown a good touch around the basket, learning to shoot the ball instead of pushing it towards the basket.  He has a smooth jump shot with good form, and should be able to hit consistently out to 15 feet, and out to 18 feet if left open.   Green anticipates double-teams well in the post, and has become a very good passer.  He sees the court well and is good at finding cutters and open shooters on the weak side.  On the defensive end, Green is a very good shot blocker, having good timing and making sure to extend straight and avoid fouling.  He positions himself well and uses his body to try and force players away from the basket.  He is a good rebounder on both ends, getting good position and going strong after the ball and keeping it high after he secures it.  On the offensive boards, he goes back up strong after getting the rebound and can muscle through contact.

The Bad – On the offensive end, while Green has improved his post play, he still has to work on making his footwork smoother.  He has shown the ability to take some players to the basket off the dribble, but he hasn’t shown that he can do it consistently.  Also, he needs to do a better job setting and holding his screens, allowing his teammates to come off them better.  Free throw shooting has been an issue, though the problem doesn’t seem to be with his form, but with consistency.  Defensively, he positions himself well on the perimeter, and does a good job getting low and wide, but his lateral movement needs to improve, as well as his reaction time to his man’s moves.  Also, if he is run through screens, he tends to try and force his way through, either forcing a switch or making him have to recover a big distance to his man.  He needs to do a better job understanding the strengths and weaknesses of who he is guarding to know how to play them better.  Also, he was suspended a few times from the team during his career, including a recent 3-game suspension this past February for “conduct detrimental to the team”, though without knowing the specifics, it is tough to determine whether it is something teams may need to watch for.  Teams will need to talk to him and decide for themselves.

The Verdict – One of the things I like about Green is that each season you were able to see the improvements he had made.  From shooting to defending, he made some great strides, especially since he could have relied on just being a good shoot blocker and rebounder.  Though it is hard to say how much better he can become, the player he is now can certainly be an asset to many NBA teams.  If he can start to knock down his jumper from 15-18 feet regularly, while still showing an ability to be a decent post threat, he should be able to work his way into a team’s rotation sooner rather than later.  His shot blocking and rebounding should translate well to the NBA, though he will need to increase his foot speed and agility to defend well at the NBA level.  I think Green’s value falls somewhere in the 2^nd half of the 2^nd round, likely in the 42-50 range, though I think he has some skills which should earn him time rather quickly.  Optimistically, I think whatever issues he had in college are behind him, though teams will get a better idea during interviews.  The draft range is based solely on his play and abilities.

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