Observing Naz Reid, Tremont Waters, and Quinndary Weatherspoon

February 8, 2019

I decided to take the time to watch LSU play against Mississippi State in an SEC basketball game that took place on February 6th, as this featured numerous prospects that could end up being selected by teams for the upcoming NBA draft. It was a riveting match that went back and forth, and it went all the way into overtime due to strong performances from Tremont Waters and Quinndary Weatherspoon, but Nazreon Reid was able to make some clutch shots to help LSU get the win. Here are my thoughts on how various prospects fared, as well as how their games may translate to the NBA.

LSU’s 6-10 freshman big man, Naz Reid showed off versatile scoring skills, as well as a solid all-around game as he was able to knock down key shots down the stretch and lead his team to an overtime victory over Mississippi State. Reid did a very good job of knocking down jumpers to space the floor on offense. He was able to make an open, spot-up three off of a pick and pop play after setting the screen, and he also made a clutch three-pointer from well beyond the arc in overtime to help get his team the win.

Also, he excelled at scoring on hustle plays. Reid would often score on put backs and cuts to the hoop, and he would actively finish plays around the basket. He also managed to throw down a powerful dunk after being left open underneath the basket. Plus, Reid showed off an adequate ability to score on strong drives to the hoop. He was able to use a pump fake to score on a floater, and he also showed a knack for drawing fouls on opposing defenders, but sometimes he would miss shots around the basket, as he can be prone to rushing his shots at times.

He also displayed some low post scoring skills. Reid was able to use a spin move to score on a left-handed jump hook once. However, he had a tendency to miss on jump hooks, and he also missed on a fadeaway jumper another time. In addition, Reid displayed fairly average playmaking skills. He is a good passer out of the post, and he can find cutters to set up scores for his teammates. However, he can struggle to handle the basketball at times as well as with his footwork. He committed a traveling violation after dribbling to pass once, and he also had a ball poked away another time. He also lost the ball on a spin move after posting up to commit another turnover later on.

Reid did a good job of rebounding the basketball. He showed a knack for grabbing offensive boards, and he would provide second chance points to help his team. He also exhibited decent defensive skills. Reid was able to get his hands on a pass to get a steal, and he also blocked a shot. Also, he was able to contest a shot in the post to force a miss, but he also had a tendency to commit fouls in the paint, and one of those fouls led to a three-point play for an opponent.

Overall, Naz Reid had a solid showing in his team’s win over Mississippi State. He excelled as a shooter and scorer when he was on the floor, and he displayed a considerable level of versatility by playing well in many different facets of the game. He is a strong, athletic big man that can get his team buckets in a variety of ways, and he could be a good value pick for a team in the late first to the early second round range of the upcoming draft, as he could end up being a similar player to Washington Wizards’ center, Thomas Bryant in the NBA.

LSU’s sophomore point guard, Tremont Waters played very well in his team’s overtime win over Mississippi State. He played very good defense early on, as he racked up four quick steals in the first half, and he also excelled as a scorer and facilitator on offense. He did run into some foul trouble, but overall he had a solid showing in this game.

Waters really excelled at attacking the basket to garner numerous scores on offense. He did a great job of scoring on quick drives to the hoop, and he is a shifty guard that can split double teams and sneak by defenders to score on crafty layups at the rim. He would tend to score on floaters, and he also can score on reverse layups. Plus, he can draw plenty of fouls upon his opposing defenders. He also did a good job of scoring on fast break drives, as he was able to throw down an emphatic jam in the open court once.

He also was able to knock down a couple of jumpers, but he struggled more to make them on a consistent basis. Waters was able to make pull-up jumpers from the mid-range and from beyond the arc, but he had more trouble in trying to make long two-point shots in this contest. Also, he displayed adequate playmaking skills. He is a smart, creative playmaker that sees the floor well, as he can throw accurate drop off passes off the dribble to get assists, and he also throws solid interior passes to find teammates on the move, but sometimes Waters would over-dribble, which would lead him to get the ball poked away or to lose the basketball, and he also can be inaccurate on his passes, which can lead him to commit turnovers.

Plus, he also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. Waters was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor, and he would help crash the glass to get his team rebounds in this contest. Waters also played good defense. He is a feisty, aggressive defender that has very good hands, quickness, and footwork, and he would often poke balls away to get a plethora of steals. He also was able to get his hands on a pass to force another turnover as he will actively play passing lanes, and he will make it difficult for his opponents to dribble on offense. Also, he would contest threes to force misses. However, he can be too aggressive at times, as he also had a tendency to commit reach-in fouls, which would occasionally lead him to run into foul trouble.

In general, Tremont Waters played very well, and he is an agile playmaker that can score, distribute the basketball, and defend when he is on the court. He may not possess the ideal size to play the point or elite athletic gifts, but he is a smart, skilled player that could end up being a solid pick for a team in the second round, as he could end up being a good role player similar to San Antonio Spurs’ point guard, Patty Mills in the NBA.

Mississippi State’s 6-4 senior guard, Quinndary Weatherspoon put forth a strong performance in his team’s loss to LSU. He really excelled as a shooter and scorer when he was on the court, and was able to get buckets to help his team in a variety of ways. Weatherspoon did a great job of knocking down threes to space the floor for his team. He would tend to make pull-up threes from beyond the arc, and he also made an open spot-up three.

Plus, he also excelled at attacking the basket to garner scores. He did a very good job of scoring on quick, crafty drives to the hoop. Weatherspoon has a solid first step off the dribble, and he can split double teams to score often on layups. He also would tend to draw fouls on his opponents, and he also was able to score off of a cut to the basket. He also displayed decent playmaking skills. Weatherspoon can throw solid drop off passes off the dribble to find open teammates, and he also can find the open man routinely, but he also can be inaccurate with his passes, and he also over-dribbled as he ended up having a ball poked away to commit his share of turnovers.

Also, he played adequate defense. He was able to collect a steal by catching an opponent’s dropped pass, but there was one time where he struggled to defend an opponent on a drive, and ended up fouling his man on a floater. In summary, Quinndary Weatherspoon had a solid showing in his team’s loss to LSU. He is a smart, skilled combo guard that can deftly score the basketball. He could end up being a good find for a team in the second round of the upcoming draft, as he could end up being a similar player to former NBA journeyman guard, Roger Mason at the next level.

Mississippi State’s 6-10 freshman big man, Reggie Perry played well in his team’s loss to LSU. He mainly excelled at scoring on hustle plays, and he also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. In this game, he would often finish plays around the basket to garner scores, and he also managed to throw down a powerful dunk once. Perry also would draw free throws after getting offensive rebounds, and he also would tend to score off of rolls and cuts. Plus, Perry also can draw plenty of fouls from the post or when looking to score off the dribble, but he did have his shot blocked once.

He displayed fairly average playmaking skills. Though he didn’t seem to look to pass too often, Perry can pass out of the post and throw an accurate interior passes to find the open man, and he is a fairly good passer for a player his size. He did commit a couple of turnovers, as he committed an offensive foul after crashing into an opponent off of a drive, and he also had a ball poked away when handling it another time. Perry did a very good job of rebounding the basketball. He would chase down loose balls and fly in to get boards on both ends of the floor, and he possesses good athleticism, motor, and instincts to haul in numerous rebounds.

Defensively, he may have been about average. For the positives, he is an active help defender, as he will play passing lanes and can jump on loose balls to get steals, and he also was able to block a shot. However, he also tended to be late on his rotations, and he also would commit fouls that sometimes lead his opponents to get three-point plays. Overall, Reggie Perry put forth a fairly good performance in his team’s loss, and he is an athletic, high motor big man that will compete on both ends of the floor. Right now, he may be a second round prospect, as he could project to be a rim protector at the next level.

Mississippi State’s 6-10 senior center, Aric Holman had an up and down game, but he had some good moments when he was on the floor. He did a very good job of scoring on hustle plays, as he can score on put backs and cuts, and he also would score on drives to the basket. Holman also passed the ball well and showed good court vision and patience, and he especially can throw solid interior passes as well as pass out of the post or off the dribble.

He also was active in getting offensive boards, and he would play passing lanes and poke balls away to get steals and deflections for his team. However, he struggled to make threes or score out of the post, and Holman also did not grab a single defensive board. He also can be undisciplined on the defensive end, as he would tend to commit fouls, and he also bit on a pump fake that allowed his opponent to score on a drive once.

In general, Aric Holman is an athletic, skilled big man that can help his team in a variety of ways on offense. On the downside, he can be too passive on offense at times, and he will need to be a more consistent rebounder and defender in games. Right now, he is a second round prospect, but he has an intriguing skill set that could perhaps allow him to be both a stretch big and a rim protector at the next level, as he could end up being like a Richaun Holmes type of player in the NBA.

Mississippi State’s 6-0 junior point guard, Lamar Peters showed off strong playmaking skills, but he did not play nearly as well in the other facets of the game. Peters showed good decision making skills as he can run a team, and he excelled at finding teammates on the move and throwing interior passes to set up scores for them. He also would actively contest shots on the defensive end, and he also poked a ball away to get a steal. However, Peters did not make a single shot in this game, and he had trouble knocking down jumpers on offense. He also would be prone to committing reach-in fouls due to over-aggressiveness, and on one play, he committed a foul on a baseline drive that led to a three-point play. Right now, Peters is a borderline second round prospect. He is an athletic, but undersized point guard that can run a team, but he is too inconsistent as a shooter, and he will need to cut down on the number of mistakes he makes defensively. If he makes his way to the NBA, he could end up being a similar player to former Detroit Pistons’ point guard, Will Bynum in the association.

Other Notes:

Mississippi State’s 6-2 sophomore guard, Nick Weatherspoon had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to LSU. He did not shoot the ball well, and he also made some careless mistakes that led him to commit turnovers. On the other hand, he was able to score on a thunderous dunk after running the floor to get the ball in transition, and he also scored on a quick put back after rebounding his own miss. He also defended pretty well, as he was able to swat a shot off of a drive, he also successfully drew a charge, and he also would actively contest shots to force misses in transition.

Overall, Nick Weatherspoon is an athletic combo guard that can score and defend, but he will need to be a more consistent shooter and playmaker, and he will have to show teams that he can effectively run the point to increase his odds to make an NBA team’s roster at that level. Right now, he may be a borderline second round prospect, but if he makes his way there, he could end up being a similar player to Orlando Magic’s Isaiah Briscoe in the league.

LSU’s 6-11 center, Kavell Bigby-Williams played in his team’s overtime win against Mississippi State. He did a great job at scoring on hustle plays and at finishing plays around the basket, and he would often grab rebounds to help his team on the glass. He also would contest shots in the paint, and he also was able to deflect passes on the defensive end. Sometimes though, he would bite on ball fakes, which would lead him to commit fouls, but overall, Bigby-Williams excelled at scoring and rebounding around the basket, and he is an energetic, high-motor big man that could end up being a similar player to former NBA journeyman center, Mikki Moore in the association.