Observations on Marcus Derrickson and Jessie Govan

May 23, 2018

Georgetown’s 6-7 junior forward, Marcus Derrickson and 6-10 junior center Jessie Govan are both early entrants in this year’s NBA draft, so I wanted to take a look at their skills. Therefore, I took the time to watch a couple of prospects from Georgetown play in a February 3rd game against Xavier, with thanks to YouTube via College Sports. Here are my thoughts on how they fared on this day, as well as their games may translate into the NBA.

Marcus Derrickson is a tough, physical combo forward that can score the basketball in a variety of ways, as he can score in the post, knock down threes, and also score on hustle plays. He also is an unselfish player that will move the basketball and set good screens on offense, and he also is a very good rebounder that will collect numerous boards for his team.

He showed off good low post scoring skills in this game. Derrickson has the strength, shooting touch, and balance to get numerous buckets and free throws when he decides to post up on the block. On one play, he used a ball fake to knock down a face-up jumper from the post, and he also backed his man down to score on a jump hook. He also managed to score on a reverse flip shot another time, and he would also frequently draw fouls upon the opposition. But sometimes, he would miss on contested fadeaways or turnaround jumpers, as he would struggle more when he would not look to aggressive score around the basket.

Derrickson also excelled at knocking down jumpers to space the floor for his team. He was able to make a spot-up three off of a pick and pop play, and he also made a deep three late in overtime. Derrickson can make plenty of threes off the catch, and his ability to stretch the defenses could potentially allow him to be a small ball power forward at the next level.

He also was able to run in to get an offensive rebound in order to score on a quick put back due to possessing a very good motor to do so. He also managed to draw free throws on a strong put back in traffic another time. He did attempt a long two after using a jab step, but he ended up missing that time. Also, Derrickson looked to score on a drive in traffic after using a quick ball fake, but he also missed the shot on that occasion.

Also, he displayed fairly good playmaking skills. Derrickson is an unselfish player that will look to move the basketball, and he can throw sharp interior passes and also pass out of the post to set up scoring chances for his teammates. Also, he will set good screens for his team, as he can get his teammates open shots. However, he also can be a bit turnover prone as he can be a bit reckless at times on offense. After running to leap up to get an offensive board, he was called for a traveling violation late in this contest. On a separate play, he committed an offensive foul as he knocked down an opponent shortly after getting a defensive board. Also, sometimes he may struggle to protect the basketball, as he ended up getting tied up by opponents to almost commit turnovers on other occasions.

Plus, he also did a great job of rebounding the basketball. Derrickson is an energetic, high motor player that would frequently crash the glass to collect boards on both ends of the floor, as he would chase down balls to get them for his team. But sometimes, he can be too aggressive in pursuit of rebounds, as he ended up fouling an opponent by knocking him down after grabbing a tough defensive board late in the game. On a separate play, he was unable to come away with defensive rebound after contesting a shot, and he bit on a pump fake to commit a foul on an opponent’s put back.

He also played decent defense. Derrickson was defending a pass and he then managed to take the ball away to get a steal for his team. He also managed to block a shot when defending in the post, as he did not bite on an overhead ball fake that time. Plus, Derrickson can quickly hedge onto an opposing ball handler and get back to his man. Another time, he rotated to defend a drive to cut off penetration, which prompted his opponent to throw a pass that sailed out of bounds. Also, he will close out hard to force opponents to miss three-point shots.

But sometimes, he can be too aggressive on the defensive end, which can lead him or his team to commit fouls. He switched aggressively onto a three-point shooter once, but he ended up fouling him as he landed on his opponent, causing his team to give up three free throws on the play. He also was called for holding an opponent off of a cut to commit a foul. Another time, he got beat on a cut after a teammate allowed an offensive rebound, which led his teammate to commit a foul. Other times, he may not always contest shots in a timely manner, which can lead his team to allow scores.

In general, Marcus Derrickson is a talented basketball player that can score in a variety of ways, and he also can defend out on the perimeter as well as in the post to get stops for his team. His mobility, size, and skill set could allow him to play multiple positions. He has declared to be in the 2018 NBA Draft, but as there is a lot of competition for spots, it’s possible that he may end up going undrafted. Even so, if he can continue to make strides as an overall player, he could end up being an effective role player in the NBA in the mold of an Anthony Tolliver type in the league.

Georgetown’s 6-10 junior Jessie Govan also had a fairly good showing in this game. He showed off solid low post scoring skills and he can also score on off-ball motion plays. In addition, he also passed the ball well, and he was active as a rebounder on both ends of the floor. He showed a good ability to score in the low post against Xavier. Govan would go up strong to score off the glass, and he also managed to throw down a powerful dunk another time. Plus, he also can score on jump hooks, and he also can get deep position when setting up on the block.

Plus, he also excelled at scoring on hustle plays. Govan would run the floor to get numerous scores in transition, and he also was able to score on a jump hook on the break. He also managed to score on a quick cut by making a left-handed layup, and he also rolled to get the ball prior to scoring on a jump hook. In addition, he also will actively go get offensive rebounds, as he can score and draw free throws on put backs.

However, he struggled to knock down jumpers when he was on the floor. He was unable to connect on any of his mid-range jumpers, and he also missed a three-point shot after attempting to make one off of a pick and pop play. It’s an encouraging sign that Govan will look to take jump shots, but he will need to work on making them more on a consistent basis.

Also, Govan displayed fairly good playmaking skills. He is a skilled passer that plays unselfishly and he can pass out of the post to hit cutters in order to notch assists, as he possesses good court vision. But sometimes he may tend to set moving screens. For the most part, he was able to get away with doing so, but there was one occasion where he set a moving screen and pushed an opponent down, which led him to fouling out. Also, he ended up telegraphing an interior pass as he tried to get the ball to a cutter, but it ended up being tipped and intercepted by a defender.

He also did a good job of rebounding the basketball. He would run in to get offensive boards, and he also would leap up to get defensive rebounds. Plus, he would also tip balls to teammates to help his team come away with additional boards. But sometimes, he would not be able to get boards in his area, and on one paly, he ended up fouling an opponent on a put back attempt after missing out on a defensive rebound earlier on that play.

On the other hand, he will likely need to improve his defense. For the positives, Govan can hold his ground when defending in the post, and he can contest and alter shots to force some misses. He also can make timely rotations, as he was able to help successfully defend against drives, and he also managed to deflect a pass out of bounds. Also, he will look to actively contest jumpers to force misses.

However, despite having good size and strength to play center, Govan strangely struggled to defend in the post for most of this game, especially when he would be matched up against Kerem Kanter. He would give up too much space or get backed down, and he would sometimes be late to contest shots, which would lead him to allow scores. Other times, he would use his hands too much, as he would be called for committing fouls down low.

He also would sag too far off his man when defending out on the perimeter, which would cause his team to allow three-point baskets. Other times, he would not rotate or contest shots in time when defending drives. Also, he also would get beat down the court, which would lead to transition scoring opportunities for the opposition.

In summary, Jessie Govan is a tough, mobile center that can score in the post as well as on hustle plays, and he also is a fairly good passer and rebounder for a player his size. But he will need to improve his jump shot and position defense. If he stays in the NBA draft, he could perhaps end up going late in the second round if he ends up impressing teams in workouts. If he returns to Georgetown, he can build upon his junior season, as a strong senior year could give him a stronger case to be drafted.