The Nike Basketball Academy concluded this past weekend in Los Angeles, featuring 26 of the top prospects in college basketball and 35 elite high school players. The players conducted two workouts per day, with an all-star showcase game of high school players held on the fourth day.
Morning sessions centered around drill work and skill development under the tutelage of former NBA players and assistant coaches such as Rasheed Wallace and Gary Payton. In the evening, both the high schoolers and college counselors played in competitive 5-on-5 games, which were heavily attended by NBA scouts and decision makers, including a handful of GMs. Throughout the weekend, NBA players such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Paul George jumped into drills and scrimmages.
Here are the most notable performances from the college group that featured Bol Bol, Daniel Gafford, Eric Paschall, Darius Bazley and at least 20 players in our yet-to-be-released top 100 rankings,
Eric Paschall | Sr. | Villanova
6-foot-7½ | PF
Paschall put together a dominant three days, proving he's a legitimate first-round prospect in the process.
He isn't the tallest big, but he has long arms and a ripped 260-pound frame, with coordination and explosive athleticism. He threw down a dozen or more impressive in-game dunks while shooting the ball exceptionally well, even off the dribble. Paschall teamed up naturally with Durant on the second day, quickly developing great chemistry and proceeding to wreck everything in sight alongside the NBA Finals MVP. If you squinted hard enough, it wasn't hard to envision Paschall playing a similar role to Draymond Green. He brings the same tough approach to his game.
Paschall was a huge mismatch for opposing big men, as he has no hesitation on his jumper, creates powerfully on a straight line, brings a nice feel and loves taking contact around the basket. He talks non stop on defense and showed no issues switching onto guards or using his body in the post. Plus, he's a terrific rebounder who plays every possession with tremendous purpose.
Some scouts questioned the mechanics of his jump shot, as he tends to hover in the air and shoot the ball on the way down, but you couldn't argue with the results here, as he seemingly hit well over half of his 3s and did so on a huge number of attempts. It will be interesting to see how Paschall's shooting holds up as a senior, as he was absolutely blistering for Villanova in the last 25 games of the season, shooting 35-of-76 (46 percent) after starting the year just 1-of-25 in the first 13 games.
Paschall will have a lot more offensive responsibility this season, something that has the potential to overextend his shot-creation prowess at times, as he's much better operating within the flow of an offense than he is making decisions with the ball. Some scouts in attendance seemed to have a difficult time getting past how "small" Paschall is, but it's tough to argue his fit in the modern NBA with his versatility and toughness.
Darius Bazley | Age: 18.2 | G League?
6-foot-9 | SF
After Bazley decided last spring to skip college basketball and play in the G League this season, there were heightened stakes for him at this event and not many positives to take away from his performance. There is speculation among NBA scouts that this might have been the last competitive action they will see from Bazley until the NBA pre-draft process next spring -- or even the 2019 summer league. If he doesn't feel ready for the G League, he could reconsider his decision and forgo competitive basketball for the year, similar to Mitchell Robinson last season. Either way, it's a situation with widespread implications beyond Bazley, and an important one to watch.
The youngest participant in these 5-on-5 scrimmages, having only turned 18 two months ago, Bazley looked far from capable of holding his own physically with legitimate college players, struggling to put the ball in the basket and making a litany of bad decisions on both ends of the floor that caused scouts to question his feel for the game.
Bazley bit on fakes on defense, gambled excessively in the passing lanes and let stronger players go right through him en route to the basket, even if his mobility, length and instincts do allow him to make plays on occasion. Offensively, he has a difficult time getting low to the ground and creating high percentage shots, rarely making the extra pass and settling for long 2s when his initial move is cut off. Even when Bazley made an effective move, he would often attempt to finish in bizarre fashion, heaving up awkward floaters and step-backs from difficult angles, shying away from contact and almost never getting to the free throw line in turn. His jumper looked unpolished over the course of the weekend, as he shoots the ball with funky mechanics and an inconsistent release point, having an especially difficult time making shots off the dribble.
Bazley's frame has improved since the last time we saw him on the high school all-star circuit. Standing around 6-foot-9 with intriguing length and a theoretical skill-set, Bazley has quite a bit of long-term upside, but he's far from putting it all together.
Once in a while Bazley would block a shot, outquick an opponent to the glass or make a smooth move in the open court that reminded you of why he was such a touted prospect to begin with. It wouldn't be surprising if he was able to do the same in a private workout during the pre-draft setting and convince a team he's worthy of being picked in the first round, but there are some real doubts at this point about what taking a year off of playing competitive basketball would do for his long-term development, if that's what he decides to do.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker | So. | Virginia Tech
6-foot-5½ | SG
Alexander-Walker entered last season as a sleeper one-and-done prospect but quickly extinguished that talk with an average freshman season in which he was mostly used as a spot-up shooter. He reminded scouts why he was such a highly regarded player here, showcasing all of the versatility he demonstrated in high school while looking stronger, more confident and well-rounded off the dribble.
Alexander-Walker's frame continues to fill out, even if he's still on the leaner side. He shot the ball well over the course of the weekend while mixing in quite a few crafty drives. Alexander-Walker isn't the quickest or most explosive player, but he did a nice job of operating at different speeds, using shot-fakes, change-of-pace dribbles and skillful finishing moves to compensate. He has a strong feel as well as the vision and creativity needed to find teammates off the bounce, given his height as a combo guard who is long enough to even guard some small forwards.
It's important for him to continue to shoot the ball with consistency on the move like he did in L.A. since he doesn't appear to have the burst needed to play on the ball full time. If Alexander-Walker can carry this momentum into the season, he'll put himself in good shape to be considered a legitimate first-round pick in June.
Daniel Gafford | So. | Arkansas
6-foot-10 | C
Gafford had two fairly quiet days of scrimmages and one extremely impressive session playing on the same team as Durant in which he came alive and showed NBA scouts exactly what his role might be in the NBA. Gafford's body has gotten stronger over the summer (now 232 pounds), and while still on the leaner side, he appears to have plenty of room to continue to add strength in time. His athleticism was on full display with his pogo-stick bounce finishing plays and attacking the offensive glass, as well as a very quick first step. He can make a mid-range jumper with nice form and has strong footwork and body control on his spin moves inside the paint to go along with soft touch.
When Gafford is operating at maximum intensity, he looks every bit the part of a lottery pick. However, he doesn't always bring the same motor to every possession, at times just going through the motions and looking comfortable blending in. He doesn't have a consistent means of scoring on his own and can get knocked off balance fairly easily by stronger players, as his body still has a lot of room for growth before he's ready for the NBA.
Rui Hachimura | Jr. | Gonzaga
6-foot-8½ | PF
Hachimura had an up-and-down weekend, looking every bit the part of a lottery pick in drills but having a difficult time translating his talent to the 5-on-5 scrimmages, indicating he's still a work in progress at this stage.
Hachimura's frame has filled out remarkably since arriving at Gonzaga, and he's become significantly more athletic, looking effortless getting off his feet for finishes over the course of the weekend. He shows you flashes of versatility on both ends of the floor, shooting the ball extremely well in drills, covering ground seamlessly defensively, recovering for blocks at the rim and making some impressive drives in the open court. He had a handful of possessions matching up against Durant where he very much looked the part, getting underneath him and using his 7-foot-1½ wingspan to try and force him into difficult shots, as there's no question that he has the potential to be a multipositional defender with his impressive combination of size, strength, length and athleticism.
With that said, Hachimura really struggled to put the ball in the basket over the course of the weekend, as the game still seems to move a little too fast for him at times. He tends to shy away from contact a lot more than you'd hope relative to his tools, missing quite a few layups and rarely getting to the free throw line. His court vision and overall feel for the game leave a lot to be desired still, as he mostly only sees the basket when he catches the ball, driving into brick walls or settling for tough pull-up 2s, rarely making the extra pass along the perimeter or finding the open man on the move. Hachimura's defense is more of a theoretical proposition at this stage, as he tends to get out-toughed by more physical players, letting opponents take rebounds out of his hands and gambling unnecessarily for steals.
It's important to remember that Hachimura hasn't been playing high-level basketball for very long at this stage, essentially redshirting his freshman season and only playing 21 MPG last year. He's likely on a different development curve than most players his age, and it seems that there will continue to be moments of inconsistency as a junior as he figures out how to maximize his talent and be a productive player on both ends of the floor.
Jaylen Hoard | Fr. | Wake Forest
6-foot-8 | PF
Hoard immediately stood out for the work he's done with his frame since we last saw him at April's Nike Hoop Summit, adding 12 pounds in just four months and looking impressive from a physical standpoint. Hoard's size, length and strength allowed him to play both the power forward and center positions with relative ease, which is intriguing at the next level. Once criticized for not showing enough toughness, Hoard has made strikes with his improved body and motor. He showed intriguing flashes as a versatile passer, rebounder and defender.
The next step for Hoard will be to round out his skill-level, as he's still raw with his ball-handling, shooting and overall decision making, struggling to put the ball in the basket efficiently in the half court. His jumper looks stiff when closely contested. Hoard will be in perfect position to work through mistakes and showcase himself on a Wake Forest team that lost quite a bit of firepower, and he may emerge as a sneaky one-and-done prospect if his offensive game comes around more quickly than advertised.
Bol Bol | Fr. | Oregon
7-foot-3 | C
Bol had a positive weekend, easing some of the concerns scouts had about him by improving his body and showing a better approach to the game. Bol's frame is definitely trending in the right direction, as he's now up to 234 pounds after weighing just 222 four months ago. His frame remains thin, but not painfully so like it was in the past.
No one can question Bol's skill level or overall talent. He reminded NBA personnel of that repeatedly with a series of extraordinary finishes around the basket, as well as by attacking closeouts and knocking down 3s effortlessly. He is fluid creating his own shot with slithery footwork and body control, putting tremendous pressure on opposing big men. He covers ground impressively and has a huge radius for blocking shots as well, even if his defensive impact is still inconsistent.
Bol struggles to step outside the paint and frequently gives up deep post position, thinking he'll be able to recover in time to send back shots using outrageous 9-foot-6 standing reach. He's right about that at times, but it can lead to some ugly possessions. (Gafford took advantage of this repeatedly). Bol's conditioning still has a ways to go, but the fact that he played all three days (while others sat out with minor ailments) surprised some of the scouts in a positive way and made people wonder if he might be turning the corner with his approach to the game.
Bol will end up being one of the most divisive prospects in this class, but it was difficult to argue with the results he produced this past weekend.
Jalen McDaniels | So. (RS) | San Diego State
SF/PF | 6-foot-9½
McDaniels had a solid weekend, though there is still quite a bit of debate among scouts about just what type of prospect he is long term and where he might ultimately get drafted. His body looks similar to how it did during the pre-draft process this spring, particularly his skinny legs and narrow shoulders. He seems to have put a good amount of work into his jump shot over the course of the summer, as his stroke is looking more compact these days, and he found a lot more consistency with it, particularly with his feet set. McDaniels' defensive versatility is impressive, considering his height and 7-foot-0½ wingspan, as he covers ground extremely well. He should be able to guard 3s and 4s if his body fills out. He's tougher than he looks on first glance despite his skinny frame, as he's not afraid to throw his body around, crashes the glass purposefully and pushes the ball impressively up the floor off defensive boards.
McDaniels is still a fairly unpolished offensive player, as his jumper is very streaky when rushed or asked to shoot off movement, and his release point will need to be significantly quicker to play on the wing. He's an aggressive player who ends up being fairly mistake prone, as his decision making is a major work in progress. His handle is high and loose, and he struggles to create his own shot in the half court.
Scouts will track McDaniels closely this season to see how his skill level evolves and whether his productivity and efficiency can take another jump. There's a contingent of scouts who really like his energy, versatility and 3-and-D potential. It's tough not to feel like he still has quite a bit of upside, despite being a fairly raw player.
Scouting notes
• Virginia redshirt sophomore De'Andre Hunter came into the camp with much fanfare but struggled quite a bit in the first day of action before electing to shut it down for the second and third days. He didn't appear to be in great shape coming back from his wrist injury, and he had a difficult time getting anything going offensively, forcing up quite a few bad shots.
• USC freshman Kevin Porter was a player who many scouts wanted to evaluate after his outstanding showing at a Nike Hoop Summit scrimmage versus USA Basketball in April, when he more than held his own against many one-and-done prospects. Unfortunately, he tweaked his ankle in the morning drills on the very first day and wasn't seen after that.
• Alabama sophomore Herbert Jones looked terrific physically, raising some eyebrows among scouts with his tremendous frame and intriguing defensive versatility. But he also only played the first day of the camp.
• Washington senior Matisse Thybulle had a strong camp, looking improved physically, shooting the ball well and doing some very impressive things defensively by using his extremely long 7-foot wingspan and terrific instincts getting in the passing lanes and blocking shots. If Thybulle can translate this momentum to his senior season, he will almost certainly hear his name called on draft night.
• Oregon sophomore Kenny Wooten appeared to be en route to a breakout camp with an impressive first day of action in which he looked improved physically and easily the best athlete in the building. Unfortunately, he injured his hand and was forced to sit out the final two days.
• Iowa junior Tyler Cook had some nice moments creating his own shot in the half court and in the open floor, while rising up and finishing impressively around the rim. His improved effort level and versatility defensively bodes well for what might be a breakout junior season, even if his lack of perimeter shooting ability does limit his NBA intrigue to a degree.