July 6th, 2005

ABCD Camp Day One: Players K to R

Scouting reports of ABCD Camp participants.

66 - Daye Kaba - Selden, NY - 6’4 - 195 - Magic

Didn’t really get to see much of Kaba today, but he caught my eye with one real nice baseline spin move.

129 - Taylor King (2007) - Huntington Beach, CA - 6’8 - 210 - Hawks

King always puts up solid numbers at the ABCD Camp, but he also seems to shoot the ball every time he’s even slightly open. Today was no different, as he came out very offensive minded. In the limited time I saw, he didn’t really do anything very impressive, and I expect him by now to be a bit more explosive down low. He still doesn’t finish with force, but he does have very long range. He took one three, which was a few feet out behind NBA range. It didn’t go in, but you enjoy his ambition. Still, his team got rocked and he was very inefficient/

170 - Kellen Lee - Denver, CO - 6’11 - 225 - Wizards

Lee is extremely lean and long, perhaps like former Rutgers forward Herve Lamizana. He runs rather quickly for a 6’11 kid, but he does so rather awkwardly, with a highly overextended knee raise. I think Lee forgot to eat his Wheaties this morning, and every morning for the last 15 years, as he desperately needs to add some bulk and strength. It was funny to watch big Franklin Jones (7’0 275) moving Lee around with his big body.

93 - Dwight Lewis - Metairie, LA - 6’6 - 195 - Clippers

This Kansas recruit looks more physically impressive compared to the last time I saw him. Lewis always seems quiet and under control, which probably aren’t the best qualities to have for showing off at the ABCD Camp. Still, he’s already signed with Kansas, so he doesn’t have that much to prove. He seems most comfortable going to the baseline, and needs to work on getting to the basket by going towards the middle. For a player of his stature, you’d also like to see him finish with a bit more force, by going up and dunking just to keep the defense honest. His team showed confidence in him a few times by having him bring the ball up the court, but offensively he wasn’t to sharp (3 for 13 shooting.)

200 - Kevin Love (2007) - Lake Oswego, OR - 6’9 - 250 - Mavs

Love is a real nice player, who was matched up against Greg Oden in the afternoon action. If he was a few inches taller, people would be talking about him being NBA caliber, but as it is, he‘s certainly a prospect for only the best schools. He’s got a real thick body, and did a nice job using his weight to body up against Oden. Love also has a surprisingly effective and clean outside shot. He seemed intent on definitely showing the coaches that he had this added weapon.

85 - Dustin Maguire - Edwardsville, IL - 6’5 - 210 - Sonics

I didn’t really pay much attention to Maguire in the afternoon, but he showed some scoring ability in the evening. He hit a bunch of jumpers, and then capped it off with a baseline jumper at the 1^st quarter buzzer. I left after he hit that shot, but I figure he couldn’t have played any better the rest of the night.

104 - OJ Mayo (2007) - Cincinnati, OH - 6’5 - 210 - 76ers

Mayo is obviously a star, and it’s not worth spending to much time on him. The comparisons to Lebron are a bit unfair, because he’s a different type of player. Physically, he doesn’t wow you nearly the way James did, and he’s not that kind of dominant leaper. He’s more of a pure guard, though 6’5 seemed generous for his height. His outside jumper is more developed than James’ was at this point, and in the afternoon, he managed to 3 threes in a row, including one sweet pull up after the crossover dribble. Besides his shooting touch, his most impressive skill today was his great ball-handling, showing off some great crossovers and stutter step moves.

69 - Jodie Meeks - Norcross, GA - 6’4 - 200 - Lakers

Meeks is a solid wing-guard, who is impressive when he’s cutting and slashing into the lane. Perhaps I wasn’t paying attention, but it looked like he missed the 1^st half of his team’s game in the morning. When he finally came on the court, he was certainly the most talented player of his five, but to be honest, I was still disappointed in what I saw. Later in the evening, he made an indecisive play on the break, getting called for a travel, which shouldn’t be happening for a player of his stature.

44 - Isacc Miles - Kansas City, MO - 6’2 - 185 - Warriors

Miles looked really good getting out in the open floor, showing off strong legs and a willingness to run constantly. He’s also got a nice shot, which will need to continually improve because he lacks impressive size for a player whose more of a 2 than a 1.

191 - Marshall Moses (2007) - Greensboro, NC - 6’6 - 220 - Lakers

For a junior, Moses has a great basketball body. He’s got a real nice base, and his calves are nice and think. Early on, he was guarded by another junior forward Zane Johnson, and Moses was definitely the better player. Despite both being 6’6, Moses appeared obviously stronger and played bigger. The only problem with Moses is that the form on his shot is a bit off, and needs work.

166 - Greg Oden - Indianapolis, IN - 7’0 - 235 - Sonics

Everybody already knows how good Oden is, so there’s little point going into detail. The most obvious comparison in recent years is Dwight Howard, in terms of how he’s simply a man amongst boys.

182 - Adrian Oliver - Modesto, CA - 6’4 - 185 - Suns

Oliver is a solid complimentary player, who looks young, but plays like a veteran. He even got involved on the boards, which was impressive considering his 6’4 frame.

126 - Herb Pope (2007) - Alquippa, PA - 6’8 - 213 - Suns

Pope was extremely impressive. For a 6’8 kid, he’s got an extremely good handle in the open floor, and can do a bit of everything. Many times he was able to get the board on the defensive end, and then push it up the floor by himself to lead the break. He can also shoot the ball from three, and projects to be a big, big time small forward in college.

169 - Hamidu Rahman (2007) - Somerset, NJ - 6’11 - 275 - Magic

Rahman is a big, big boy. The most important thing he needs to work on if he ever plans to become a player is his stamina, because he was obviously huffing and puffing and having trouble getting up and down the court. In the evening, he played a bit better, holding his own on defense, and even making a nice block on junior forward Alexis Wangmene.

175 - Anthony Randolph - Victorville, CA - 6’11 - 185 - Lakers

Despite being 6’11, Randolph doesn’t spend enough side inside. He’s very lean, especially in his legs. Sure, he can jump high, but for a senior, you’d like to see a bit more developed game in the paint. He’s raw in this respect, and needs some more time in the weight room and honing his game.

192 - Nasir Robinson (2008) - Chester, PA - 6’6 - 210 - Warriors

I didn’t get to see too much of Robinson today, but he did make one great hustle play which caught my eye. He dove on the sideline to get a loose ball, going into his bench and knocking over some of his teammates. Good stuff to see from a sophomore. When you take into account he’s already 6’6, I’ll have to focus on him more as the week goes on.

..Continue to Day One: Players S to Z (Sanders, Thomas, Walker, Wallace, and more..)

..Return to Day One: Players A to J (Clark, Conley, Cook, Harris and more..)