2009 AAUs Day 3

By Joshua Motenko, Head Scout

Las Vegas, Nevada

LBA Sea Wolves vs. Arizona Magic

This game ended up being a giant coming out party Perry Jones, the rising senior from Duncanville, TX. Jones is oozing with potential as a carbon copy of a young Tracy McGrady (he even looks like McGrady), and has committed to Baylor.

Listed at 6’11" he’s more like 6’10," with a 7-2.5 wingspan which for a wing player, is outstanding length. He can shoot from the perimeter but was not consistent in this game. He loves to work from the top of the key and take his man off the dribble, ala Mcgrady, getting into the lane where he can use his size. On one play he beat his man with a crossover, sliced by the helping defender, then elevated for a monstrous tomahawk jam and came down screaming with emotion.

He has a tendency to take on two and three defenders at a time but is great at initiating contact and squaring up for one-handed runners and floaters to finish near the rim, when he’s not throwing down highlight dunks. His length makes him intimidating on defense but he doesn’t give maximum effort on this side of the ball. He will often coast on plays, standing on the three-point line waiting for the ball.

His NBA position is definitely on the wing as his perimeter skills – notably ball handling, lateral foot speed and athleticism – are phenomenal. He had only 13 points in this game but it seemed like over 20 because each basket was emphatic. He is special with the ball in his hands but isn’t all that helpful when that’s not the case.

I was sitting next to University of Louisville head coach Rick Pitino during the game, and asked him who he liked better, Perry Jones or Tony Wroten, and Pitino answered, "Perry is the best pro prospect here [in Vegas]." It’s a tough call, and we’ll have to wait and see how the two perform as the week continues through Sunday.

Seattle Rotary vs. Mac Irvin Fire (IL)

Out of hundreds of AAU teams in Las Vegas this week spread among dozens of gymnasiums, this game was a match-up of two of the best teams. Tony Wroten was guarded by 6’5" shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr., the son of former all star point guard Tim Hardaway. Hardaway Jr. has a solid package of tools (decent athleticism ball handling, defensive abilities and a thin yet strong body), but his shooting ability is really the only thing that would allow us to consider him a pro prospect. He was joined on this Fire team by a host of high flying division one players, including 6’8" forward K.T. Nettles out of Laflore High School, 6’4" G J.R. Reynolds Jr. out of Whitney Young High, 6’8" rising junior small forward Michael Shaw from De La Salle High School, 6’7" forward Jeremy Richmond from Waukegan High, 6’2" guard Reggie Smith from Thornton High, 6’5" junior forward Wayne Blackshear and 5’9" point guard Leron Smith, both from Morgan Park High. The Seattle Rotary had their hands full.

Things were intense as both teams were super athletic and players were trying to dunk and contest everything. Wroten demonstrated his elite-level passing prowess on numerous occasions and drew a lot of contact, elevating over it most of the time. The contest got heated with a near fight early on involving Wroten, who was being provoked and got emotional. This brought Seattle to the top of their game with Wroten leading the way with laser passes to cutters, finding big man Joshua Smith often under the basket. The game was close throughout but Seattle eventually came out with the win.

Highly ranked Joshua Smith had a nice game overall but was plodding and methodical with his post moves, basically giving them away. His footwork and hands are solid, which, besides his size and weight, is what gives him great results at this level. He also has nice touch around the rim, but we are not nearly as high on him as other scouts, citing laziness and toughness as our biggest concerns regarding his NBA potential. There’s no question he’ll succeed in basketball, but whether he becomes the next Kendrick Perkins, the next Eddie Curry, or the next James Lang is yet to be seen.

Team Brandon Bass (LA) vs. Belmont Shore (CA)

The was supposed to be a showcase of
rising senior Tony Mitchell and junior DeAndre Daniels, but Daniels is out of
the tournament with a fractured wrist suffered against Grassroots Canada the first night.

Brandon
Bass premiered Tony Mitchell, a long (7’2 wingspan), active forward who can play inside and
out. Mitchell knows how to post
up on the block but spent more time on the wing.

He can shoot it, and
opened up this game with a three. He connected on a couple throughout
the contest. At times his jump shot looked stiff, but his form is
solid, he just needs to relax when shooting. He also took the ball
strong to the hoop on several occasions.

Mitchell’s biggest strengths
are his NBA level athleticism and versatility. His leaping ability
helped him grab rebounds easily above everyone else on the floor, and
contest shots with intimidation. He can guard multiple positions 2s, 3s
and 4s at the next level (college) but he looks more comfortable
playing on the perimeter.

His NBA position is most likely at small
forward. He’s a coachable kid who plays within himself and the flow of
the offense. However, often times he relies on his athleticism on
defense and ends up out of position. His body has filled out
significantly over the last year, especially in the past 6 months,
which is a good sign for his durability.