CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The first session of games of the 20th NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp is history.
And if what took place on Thursday morning was an indication, Thursday night’s action – and what is in store for the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena on Friday and Saturday – should be special, indeed.
Where to begin?
Let’s go to Court 2, where I watched the “Grizzlies” take on the “Heat”.
Each had one of the more high profile point guard, Arizona-bound Parker Jackson-Cartwright (Los Angeles Loyola) and future Florida Gator Chris Chioza (Memphis White State).
PJC – a top 12 selection, by the camp players, here a year ago – probably had a slight edge on counterpart in the first half (each five-player “unit” plays a quarter before the next one comes on), using his craftiness to score via nifty drives or kick to teammates for solid shots.
Chioza, probably a couple of inches taller (at about 5-foot-11) and 15 or so pounds (160ish) heavier than PCJ, deserved the nod in the second half, largely because he got into a nice scoring rhythm via some jumpers from relatively deep range and some crisp pull-ups from mid range.
But the Grizzlies pulled the game out in “overtime”, which is played in a “sudden-win” format – the first team to scores wins the contest.
Each team missed a couple of quality jump shots.
As it turned out, the Grizzlies had the ball last and won it as 6-11, 280-poundish Elbert Robinson, a left hander from Garland, TX, Lakeview Centennial, banked in a 3-pointer from out top.
Robinson’s most impressive work – not surprisingly – came much closer to the iron.
He showed off solid footwork on the low blocks, scoring via some penetration passes from PJC, as well as by way of shots over either shoulder.
He also made a nice pass from the left block over his right shoulder into the corner for a jumper by Jalen Lindsey (Franklin, TN, Christ Presbyterian but apparent bound for Huntington, WV, Prep for his senior season).
Among other quality performances turned in during that were those by 6-5 junior-to-be Charles Matthews (Chicago St. Rita) and 6-7 UNLV commitment Dwayne Morgan (Baltimore St. Frances) of the Heat and forwards Craig Victor (New Orleans St. Augustine) and Victor Law (Chicago St. Rita) of the Grizzlies.
In the final set of the morning (the first had three games, the second had two – via 10 teams in the camp), the game I zeroed in on featured the Hawks and the Spurs, also on Court 2.
The Hawks got a steady game out of their starting point guard, Cal-bound Ahmaad Rorie (Tacoma, WA, Lincoln), who is an exceptional jump shooter but did a commendable job of distributing to his teammates.
And the hottest of those teammates was George (Trey) Kell, a 6-3 senior-to-be from San Diego, CA, St. Augustine.
There wasn’t a better jump shooter on display in the two games I focused on – he hit his first five jumpers, three of those from behind the arc. He also penetrated and fed teammates for some quality shots, as well.
Also impressive for the Hawks were forwards Isaac Copeland (Raleigh, NC, Miller School) and Keita Bates-Diop (Bloomington, IL, University) and swingman Theo Pinson (Greensboro, NC, Wesleyan Christian).
Each of the three has committed to a high-profile program: Copeland (Georgetown), Bates-Diop (Ohio State) and Pinson (North Carolina).
Two other players committed to OSU, 6-5 Jae-Sean Tate (Canal Winchester, OH, Central) and 6-3 DeAngelo Russell (Montverde, FL, Montverde Academy), had their moments for the Spurs.
The most intriguing performer for the Spurs, though, was 6-5 Josh Langford (Huntsville, AL, Madison Academy) – who just wrapped up his freshman year a few days ago.
Based on my first in-person look at him Thursday, it wouldn’t surprise me much at all if, say, five years from now he has proven to be the best scorer to come out of this entire camp.
During breaks on Court 2 in the second set of games, I did steal some glances to my left and Court 1, where the Celtics were playing the 76ers.
The big attraction there: 6-9 junior-to-be Cheick Diallo (Centerreach, NY, Our Savior ) of the Celtics doing battle with 6-11 Myles Turner (Euless, TX, Trinity) of 76ers.
Some pundits have suggested that Turner – who wears size 21 boats, eh, shoes – could leave this camp Sunday morning ranked not only as the No. 1 center prospect in the Class of 2014 but also the best overall prospect in the class, as well.
And that could prove the case – there is a lot to like about Turner, as a prospect and a person (by all accounts, he’s an endearing, focused and hard-working young man, on the court and in the classroom).
But – at least when I was watching – Diallo, who is from Mali, wasn’t timid at all against Texan.
There might not be a quicker player to the rim – and ball – than Diallo.
How many teams will be able to offer a more impressive starting backcourt than the “Mavericks” squad put on the John Paul Jones Arena floor Thursday night during the 20th NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp?
That’s a rhetorical question.
The answer is, of course, “almost certainly none”.
With James Blackmon Jr. (Ft. Wayne, IN, Bishop Luers) and Josh Perkins (who announced recently that he will move from his hometown of Aurora, CO to attend Huntington Prep in West Virginia as a senior) dominating the proceedings, the Mavericks burst out to a 20-point advantage after a quarter and then coast to a 30-something-point victory over the Thunder to conclude the second session on the opening day of game-action at the camp being held on the campus of the University of Virginia.
Blackmon, who seemingly committed to Indiana about seven or eight years ago, may not have missed a jumper – regardless of range or defensive duress – during the beat down.
Perkins, who didn’t arrive at the camp until Thursday afternoon after missing a flight out of Colorado on Wednesday, didn’t jump shoot with quite the frequency – and efficiency – that he did most of the way during the Pangos All-American Camp in Long Beach, CA, a couple of weekends ago.
But – as he also did with regularity in Long Beach – Perkins continuously found open teammates and delivered the basketball to them, often in something approaching spectacular fashion.
The most impressive – and effective – player for the Mavericks, however, was one-half of the North Carolina State-bound Martin twins from Mocksville, NC, 6-foot-5 Caleb Martin.
Martin, who along with the bro Cody, will attend Oak Hill Academy in Virginia as a senior, scored in transition (including after a couple of steals), on jumpers and via quick dribble bursts to the rim.
He was an “active” a player as I watched Thursday at both ends of the action.
This is one loaded club, that’s for sure, with the likes of forwards Brekkott Chapman (Roy, UT), Justin Jackson (Houston), Leron Black (Memphis White Station) and Derrick Jones (a high-freakin’ flying junior-to-be from Philadelphia Archbishop Carroll), as well as guard Shelton Mitchell (Waxaw, NC, Cutherston), in the rotation.
As the margin would suggest, no one really “stood out” for the Thunder although guard Jordan McLaughlin (Etiwanda, CA), swingman Brandone Francis (Arlington, FL, Country Day and Duke-bound Grayson Allen (Jacksonville, FL, Providence) certainly can claim some impressive “moments” (albeit very brief ones).
In the first game I focused on (again, with me planted in a cushioned folding chair with the legs grazing inside the sideline of Court 2), the Spurs held off the 76ers.
Class of 2015 left-handed point guard Jalen Brunson (Linolnshire, IL, Stevenson) impressed a jump – ok, maybe more “set” – shooter as well as playmaker for the Spurs.
And there was another pretty matchup of “bigs” as 6-11 240 Myles Turner (Euless, TX, Trinity) was guarded – at times – be someone even bigger, at 7-2 and 275, in Isaac Haas (Hokes Bluff, AL).
Turner probably blocked or severely altered of a half-dozen shots – including one by Haas.
