2022 Draft Watch: First Look at J.D. Davison

May 11^th, 2021

By Alan Lu

Recently, Alabama’s 6-2 incoming freshman point guard, Jerdarrian “J.D.” Davison has been drawing buzz for his strong play at the 2021 Iverson Classic lately.  It was hard to find full game footage of him playing online, but I managed to watch him play for Calhoun against Greenville that took place on December 13^th, 2019, with thanks to YouTube via Ballin Down South Sports Network.  Even though Davison was the only highly touted recruit to play in this game, it was a very tough and competitive match between the two teams, and it was a fast-paced, high scoring affair.

Greenville had managed to lead by 9 late in the fourth quarter, but Davison helped his team Calhoun rally back by going on a 12-0 run to win the game.  J.D. Davison put on a dominant performance to help his team get the win, and put forth a thoroughly impressive showing in the process.  Here are my thoughts on how Davison fared, as well as where he may currently stack up as a prospect for the NBA.

Alabama’s incoming 6-2 freshman point guard, J.D. Davison played very well to help lead Calhoun to a riveting, comeback win over Greenville.  He is a tremendously athletic player that has elite speed and athleticism that allows him to score at will, and he also is a rangy defender that can make some impressive, high-flying blocks and steals.  He struggled a bit with his three-point shot and committed plenty of turnovers, but he generally played a strong, all-around game to help lead his team to get the victory.

Davison did a fantastic job of scoring in transition.  He would often score on speedy fast break drives, and he has a blindingly fast first step to the hoop.  He can use deft ball-handling moves to score quickly at the rim, and he also drove in to score on a mesmerizing, reverse windmill dunk on the break.  He also threw down an emphatic, two-handed dunk another time.  He can go coast to coast with ease, and he also excelled at drawing fouls upon his defenders to often get to the free throw line. He also excelled at scoring on put backs.  He would run in to score on second chance points off of offensive rebounds, and he also showed a knack for scoring on tip-ins.

Plus, he also is a very good scorer off the dribble.  Davison is a speedy, fleet-footed guard that can consistently get to the lane, and he can use quick dribble moves to score on crafty, switch of hands layups.  He also showed a knack for drawing fouls to get to the free throw line.  Sometimes though, he would take tough, rushed shots in traffic on half-court drives, which would lead to some misses. Also, he showed a knack for pulling up to score effortlessly on mid-range jumpers from inside the arc.  Davison can dribble quickly to his spots, and he would smoothly knock down pull-up, mid-range jumpers.

On the downside, he struggled to knock down three-point shots consistently in this game.  Davison can push the ball very quickly up the floor, and he can make a three off the catch or dribble every once in a while.  However, he tended to miss his threes too often, and he really had trouble getting a feel for his three-point shot from beyond the arc.

Davison displayed adequate playmaking skills in this game.  He can make solid passes off the dribble, as he can throw crisp interior passes to find teammates on the move, and he also can make kick out passes to get the ball to shooters.  He has solid court vision, and he also can throw very long passes, as he was able to throw a very long inbounds pass to set up a score for a teammate on the break late in this match.  On the downside, he has a tendency to over-dribble, as he would sometimes tend to get the ball poked away when heavily pressured, and he also was called for a 5 second violation due to dribbling too long before shooting or passing the ball.  He also seemed to throw a hasty pass that sailed out of bounds, as that could have been a costly mistake for his team late in this contest. Also, Davison did a terrific job of rebounding the basketball.  He would often leap up to haul in boards on both ends of the floor, and he would frequently push the ball quickly up the court to create transition-scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Plus, he also played satisfactory defense in this game.  Davison did a tremendous job of blocking shots.  He swatted two shots impressively early on, and he showed a knack for swatting shots in the post and off of drives due to possessing tremendous leaping ability, timing, and overall athleticism.  He would rotate to swipe balls from opponents to get steals, he also jumped on a loose ball to get another, and he also would play passing lanes to get steals and deflections.  He also showed the ability to defend well out on the perimeter, as he would contest shots off of drives to force misses, and he also used his length to guard an inbounder to indirectly force a passing turnover.  When he was engaged defensively, Davison would play outstanding defense, and he is a rangy defender that can cover a lot of ground and play shutdown defense when he is focused.

On the downside, he would tend to get beat off the dribble much more than he should.  He would tend to leak out too early, as he would do so even when his team did not come away with a defensive rebound, and he would sometimes not hustle back, as his team would allow scores afterwards.  He had a tendency to be lag and be late on his rotations as he would sometimes be unfocused, and he would sometimes not even contest jump shots.  He also would sometimes commit reach-in fouls when defending opposing ball handlers.

In general, J.D. Davison played very well to help lead Calhoun High to a comeback win over Greenville.  He is a tremendously talented player, as he is an extremely athletic point guard that can score, defend, and make plays on both ends of the court.  On the other hand, he will need to improve his three-point shot, and he will need to be a more focused team defender in games.  He has a flair for making impressive plays, and he could be a sleeper candidate to go in the top 5 in the 2022 draft.  Currently, he seems to have a similar game to Sacramento Kings’ point guard, De’Aaron Fox, and Davison could end up being a solid player in the NBA.

Air Force’s 6-6 incoming freshman forward, Dawson Sarblah played very well for Greenville in his team’s loss to Calhoun.  He excelled at scoring and rebounding in the paint, and he also made solid plays to help his team on both ends of the floor. Sarblah excelled at scoring in the post.  He showed a knack for scoring around the basket, as he was able to score on a powerful, two-handed dunk, as well as on a flip layup.  He also managed to score on a quick drop step move, and on a turnaround jump hook.  He didn’t look to make fancy moves in the paint, but he was very effective as a scorer inside the paint.

He also showed a penchant for scoring on quick drives to the hoop.  Sarblah can use either hand to score on aggressive drives, and he also managed to score on a thunderous one-handed dunk once.   

He also generally excelled at scoring on hustle plays.  Sarblah would throw down thunderous jams on drives in transition.  He also scored on a powerful, one-handed tip slam after grabbing an offensive rebound.  He also tried to score on a put back, but missed late in this match.  He also tried to score on a corner three, but he missed on his lone three-point attempt from beyond the arc.

Also, Sarblah displayed decent playmaking skills.  He is an unselfish player that showed a knack for making drive and kick passes to notch assists, and he also can pass out of the post.  On the downside, he would sometimes struggle to handle the ball when pressured, and he had a ball poked away on a drive to commit a turnover.  He also dropped a catchable pass that led to another turnover. Plus, Sarblah did a tremendous job of rebounding the basketball.  He showed a penchant for leaping up to grab a plethora of offensive rebounds, and there was one play where he pushed the ball quickly up the floor after getting a defensive board late in this match.

He also played adequate defense in this game.  Sarblah showed a knack for jumping on loose balls to help his team get steals, and he also managed to swipe a ball away off of a drive to get another steal.  He also contested a three to force a miss.  He also used his length and activity to prevent an opponent from throwing an inbounds pass to force a passing turnover.  On the downside, he would sometimes give shooters too much space, which would lead him to allow them to score on three-pointers.  He also would sometimes struggle to defend opposing ball handlers, which would lead him to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Dawson Sarblah is an athletic, physical forward that plays bigger than his listed size, and he is basically like an undersized power forward in a wing player’s body.  He was tremendously effective for his team in this game, and he is a solid athlete that showed a knack for getting points and rebounds in the paint. At higher levels though, he will need to improve his outside shot, and he will need to extend his shooting range.  He may be an underrated prospect, and he could be a player to watch over time, especially if he can continue to hone his game.  He will need to stay in school, but he is a talented player that with continued development could end up competing for a roster spot in the NBA years down the road.

Snead State Community College’s 6-5 freshman swingman, Jadakiss Anderson played well for Greenville in his team’s loss to Calhoun.  He generally played well on offense, and he is an athletic, skilled swingman that especially excelled at shooting and scoring the basketball. Anderson shot the ball well, especially from downtown.  In particular, he excelled as a spot-up shooter in this game.  He showed a knack for making spot-up threes off the catch, especially from the corners.  He also drew three free throws on a corner three another time.  Anderson also used a quick pump fake move to score on an aggressive, right-handed drive to the hoop.  He also managed to score on a put back after grabbing an offensive rebound.  He missed when trying to score on a post-up play once, and he also missed on a pull-up, mid-range jumper from the baseline.

He also displayed fairly average playmaking skills in this game.  Anderson can pass and handle the basketball, and he showed a knack for throwing crisp, accurate interior passes to set up scoring chances for his teammates.  He can throw entry passes, and he also can make passes off the dribble.  On the downside, he had a ball poked away to lose it when posting up once.  He also dropped a catchable pass that went to an opponent another time. Also, he did a decent job of rebounding the basketball.  Anderson would leap up to get boards on both ends of the floor, and he was able to leap up to get plenty of defensive boards in this game.

On the other hand, he appeared to struggle defensively.  For the positives, he is an active help defender that can defend well when he is focused.  He and a teammate managed to blitz an opposing ball handler, as he then deflected a pass to a teammate to help his team get a steal.  He also caught a pass that was deflected to him to help his team get another steal. However, he would tend to be caught ball watching and he would be late to make plays defensively at times.  On one play, he lost track of a cutter, and he also committed a foul on a put back.  He also would tend to get beat off the dribble in transition, which would lead his team to commit fouls as a result.

Overall, Jadakiss Anderson is an athletic, skilled swingman that can shoot and score the basketball.  He has the talent to play on a mid-to-high major Division 1 college basketball team in the NCAA, but he will need to be a more focused player on both ends of the court.  If he can continue to hone his game over time, he could end up being a 3 and D type of role player in the NBA in the future.

Greenville’s 5-9 high school sophomore point guard, Tyler Mallory also played well for his team in their loss to Calhoun.  He is a talented sharpshooter that handles the ball well, and he excelled as a shooter and scorer in this game. Mallory showed a knack for scoring on three-pointers from beyond the arc.  He used a crossover to make a pull-up three, and he also made a quick, open three off the catch. Plus, he also excelled at scoring on quick, right-handed drives to the hoop.  He also managed to score on a crafty floater.  He also drew free throws on a mid-range floater from the baseline.

He also displayed fairly average at best playmaking skills.  On one good play, Mallory drove quickly up the court to make a drive and kick pass to set up a scoring chance for a teammate.  On the downside, he had some trouble handling the ball when heavily pressured.  There was also one play where he dribbled around too long, as he didn’t shoot or pass the ball in time, and he was called for a 5 second violation as a result.

Also, he played decent defense in this game.  Mallory showed a knack for deflecting passes on the defensive end, and he also successfully drew a charge when defending a drive once.  He also managed to contest a three to force a miss, although he may have gotten away with knocking his opponent down, which would likely be a foul at the higher levels.  On the downside, he struggled to defend quicker opponents off the dribble, which would lead his team to commit fouls and allow scores.

Overall, Tyler Mallory is an agile, skilled playmaker that can shoot, score, and make plays on offense.  He will need to be more decisive with the ball in his hands, and he will have to prove that he can guard taller players in games.  He has the talent to play in Division 1 NCAA college basketball.  He will need time to hone his overall game, but he could be a prospect to watch in the future.

Calhoun’s guards, LaDarren Mason and Trayvon Brown also played well to help their team get the win over Greenville.  Both of the guards excelled as three-point shooters, and both of them excelled at scoring on hustle plays, particularly in transition. Brown did a good job of rebounding the basketball, and both Brown and Mason showed a knack for intercepting passes to get steals.  Both of the guards seemed to be fairly turnover prone, as both of the guards committed ball-handling turnovers, and Brown also threw a couple of passes that got picked off. Mason appeared to be a more disciplined on-ball defender, but Brown tended to get beat too often off the dribble to allow scores, and he also struggled to defend three-point shooters in this game.

Overall, both of them are athletic, undersized combo guards that can shoot and score the basketball.  They will need to show that they can reliably run the point at higher levels and also guard taller players.  Neither Brown nor Mason appear to be serious prospects for the NBA, but both of them played well in the high school game to help their team to defeat Greenville, and they may have the talent to be able to play somewhere in college basketball.