Observations on Day 1 of the 2021 G-League Elite Camp

June 21^st, 2021

By Alan Lu

I managed to watch two basketball games that were played on Day 1 of the 2021 G-League Elite Camp.  I decided to review the second game first this time, as I felt that this game had two of the strongest performances of the entire day.  I also managed to watch the first game that took place on this day as well.

The Second Game of the 2021 G-League Elite Camp (Team Three vs. Team Four)

I took the time to watch the second game of the 2021 G-League Elite Camp, with thanks to Twitch via NBA G-League.  Team Three were bolstered by the strong play of Louisville’s senior point guard, Carlik Jones, as he scored 23 points to lead his team to a win over Team Four.  There were many solid performances, but the performances that stood out to me looked to be Carlik Jones, Marcus Carr, A.J. Lawson, and Dawson Garcia.  Here are my thoughts on how they fared, as well as how other notable prospects played in this game. For those that are interested in the box score of this game, here is the link.

Team Three’s Carlik Jones had a terrific showing to help lead his team to a win over Team Four.  He scored 19 of his 23 points in the first half, and he did an exceptional job of scoring the basketball in the first half.  He also displayed solid playmaking skills, and he is a strong, skilled playmaker that looked to be the best player on the floor in the first day of games.

Jones showed a great ability to score off the dribble.  He would consistently score on strong drives in transition, and he also would use change of pace dribbles to score off the dribble.  He also is a subtly agile player that can find ways to get past his opponents, and he would use his agility, strength, and ball-handling prowess to often draw fouls to get to the free throw line.

He also did a good job of knocking down jumpers.  Jones didn’t take many threes, but he was able to pull up to make a deep three-point shot from way out.  He also was adept at scoring on mid-range floaters.  Jones rarely missed, and even though he cooled down a bit in the second half, he shot the ball so well in the first half that it made it almost impossible for his opponents to catch up to his team.

Also, Jones displayed solid playmaking skills in this game.  He excelled at making interior passes to find teammates on the move, and he also was adept at throwing accurate drive and kick passes to set up scoring chances for his teammates.  He played patiently, and he would consistently get his teammates the basketball, even when heavily pressured.  He did throw a catchable interior pass that his teammate dropped out of bounds that led to a team turnover.

Plus, Jones showed a solid ability to rebound the basketball, and he would tend to push the ball up the floor after helping his team to get defensive boards.  He also played adequate defense.  Jones was able to get his hands on a pass to get a steal.  He also contested a corner three to force a miss.  On the downside, his lack of size made it difficult to guard taller players, as an opponent was able to shoot over him to score on a three-point shot late in this contest.

Overall, Carlik Jones played really well to help lead his team to a win over Team Four.  He really helped his draft standing by turning an excellent performance in this game, and he looks to have a very good chance to get an invite to the NBA Draft Combine.

Team Four’s Marcus Carr also played very well in his team’s close loss to Team Three.  He is an athletic, skilled playmaker that can shoot and score the basketball, and he really excelled offensively, especially late in this game to keep it competitive for his team.

Carr shot the ball really well to provide floor spacing for his team on offense.  He especially excelled at scoring on three-pointers, as he would make threes both off the catch and dribble.  He has a lot of range on his shot, and he also made a pull-up three from way out that looked to be considerably beyond NBA range to showcase his strong shooting skills.  Plus, he also is a crafty, agile ball handler that can deftly maneuver around to get his shots off.  Carr used a spin move to score on a mid-range floater, and he also used a crossover move to score on a smooth, step-back jumper from inside the arc.

He also showed a solid ability to score off the dribble.  Not only was he very adept at scoring on pull-up jumpers, but Carr also was able to score on strong drives to the hoop, and he also managed to score on an acrobatic, reverse layup.  Carr is a very good ball handler, and he is a crafty scorer that can make shots from all over the floor.

Also, Carr displayed good playmaking skills in this game.  He would consistently find teammates on the move to set up scoring chances for them, and he would smart passes to find the open man to rack up assists.  There was one paly where he took too long that led his team to commit an eight-second violation, but Carr did a very good job of running the offense, creating shots for himself and his team, and he also made sound decisions in this game.

Also, he was able to leap up aggressively to get a pair of defensive boards.  He also played satisfactory defense in this game.  Carr would jump on loose balls that his teammates would knock away to help his team get steals.  On the other hand, there was one play where he didn’t contest a mid-range floater, which led his team to allow the basket.

Overall, Marcus Carr had a strong showing, and he excelled as a shooter, scorer, and facilitator to help his team in this game.  He is one of the most talented players at this event, and he really helped his draft standing.  He played very well in this game, and he looks to have a very good shot to earn an NBA Draft Combine invite.

Team Three’s A.J. Lawson also played well to help lead his team to a win over Team Four.  He had a strong all-around game and he looked to be one of the best athletes at this event.  He didn’t look to shoot the ball enough at times, but he was very effective in this game, especially in the first quarter.

Lawson shot the ball very well, especially from downtown.  He excelled as a spot-up shooter from beyond the arc, and he also drew three free throws on a spot-up three another time.  He also would draw free throws on speedy drives to the hoop.  Sometimes though, he would take tough, contested shots, which would lead to misses when he wouldn’t be able to get foul calls.

He also passed and handled the ball well.  Lawson would make drive and kick passes to get the ball to open shooters, and he is an agile ball handler that can swiftly create separation between himself and his defender.  He also did a great job of rebounding the basketball.  Lawson was able to get plenty of boards on both ends of the floor, and he would leap up high to get rebounds in this game. 

He also played adequate defense in this game.  Lawson is an active, athletic help defender that can help his team get steals and deflections.  He was able to run in to intercept a pass to get a steal, and he also pounced upon a loose ball that a teammate deflected to help his team get another.  He also rotated to poke a ball out of bounds another time.  On the downside, he can sometimes be prone to lapses defensively.  He overplayed his man out on the perimeter, but he ended up getting beat on a backdoor cut to allow a dunk.  Another time, he stayed in front of his man on a drive, but he didn’t contest a mid-range floater, which led him to allow his opponent to score that time.

Overall, A.J. Lawson is a very athletic swingman that showed off solid all-around skills in this game.  This was a strong showing in which he seemed to put all of his skills together to help his team get the win.  As there were many solid performances from players on this day, it is not certain if he will get a combine invite.  Regardless, Lawson is a talented enough player to warrant consideration late in the second round if he stays in the draft.  He’ll need to be more consistent in games, but he is a very athletic scorer that may have a similar game to former New Jersey Nets’ swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Lawson could end up being a 3 and D type of player in the NBA.

Marquette’s 6-11 freshman forward, Dawson Garcia really opened up eyes of NBA teams and scouts with his strong play in this game, as he excelled as a scorer and rebounder in Team Four’s loss to Team Three.

Garcia in particular had a knack for scoring in the post as well as off of hustle plays.  He would frequently score on rolls to the rim, as he used a pump fake to score once, and he also caught a lob to score on a quick layup while drawing an extra free throw another time.  He also did a great job of scoring on strong put backs, and he also showed good body control to regularly finish plays at the rim.  He also showed solid strength, footwork, and scoring touch to score on a left handed turnaround, jump hook.

He also was able to knock down an open, spot-up three off of a pick and pop play.  Garcia also pivoted to score on a face-up, mid-range jumper.  On the downside, he struggled to make threes consistently, and he didn’t take advantage of getting the space to shoot enough from the outside.

He also displayed fairly average playmaking skills.  Garcia will look to find the open man, and he also was able to make a drive and kick pass to find an open shooter once.  On the downside, he can sometimes be inaccurate with his passes, as he threw a long outlet pass that got intercepted.

He also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball, and Garcia was able to show off some handles by pushing the ball up the floor off of a defensive rebound once.  Defensively though, he seemed to struggle in this game.  On one good play, he was able to break up a lob pass to help his team get a steal.  However, he struggled to defend in the post, as he would regularly get overpowered and beat on spin moves, which would lead his team to commit fouls and allow scores.  Another time, he rotated to commit a foul on a drive, but it led his team to give up a three-point play.

Overall, Dawson Garcia is a fairly athletic, skilled big man that showed off versatile scoring skills, and he is an energetic player that helped his team score and rebound in the paint.  He will need to be a more consistent player in games.  If he does stay in the draft, he could likely project to go in the mid second round to the undrafted range.  In a favorable scenario, he could project to be a skilled, stretch big similar to former NBA big man, Jon Leuer in the association.

Team Three’s Kofi Cockburn had a solid showing in his team’s win over Team Four.  He especially shined in the first half, and he could have tacked on even more points if he could make his free throws.  The 7-0 tall center showed great size and strength to bully his opponents to score down low, and he also was a force defensively, as he would continually get stops for his team in this game.

Cockburn showed a satisfactory ability to score in the post.  He is a strong, physical presence that can dominate his matchup, and he would his physicality to score in the paint.  He used a spin move to get a strong score off the glass, and he also scored another time around the basket.  Also, Cockburn was able to drive in from the high post to throw down a thunderous dunk.  Sometimes though, he would not always find his shooting touch, and he also took an ambitious, but tough one-legged, fadeaway jumper that missed.

He also generally excelled at scoring on hustle plays.  Cockburn was able to score on a powerful put back dunk, and he also ran in to score on a tip-in.  He showed a knack to draw fouls to get to the free throw line, but he often would miss his free throws once there.  He didn’t really look to take many jumpers from outside of the paint, but the one-legged fadeaway jumper that he missed may indicate that Cockburn still will need to extend his shooting range and continue to work on his jump shot.

He also was a bit turnover prone in this game.  Cockburn was able to throw a sharp pass out of the post to find an open shooter.  He also set a firm screen to help a teammate get an open driving lane.  However, he had a ball poked away when posting up to commit one turnover.  He also threw a hasty pass that got picked off another time.

Cockburn also rebounded and defended well.  He would often block shots off the dribble to his teammates, and he would get his hands on passes to get steals.  He also jumped on a loose ball that a teammate poked away to help his team get another steal.  He also contested a drive and a three-point shot another time to help his team force misses.  He also tried to enthusiastically defend Garcia out on the perimeter, but he ended up committing a foul on a drive that time.

Overall, Kofi Cockburn played well, but it’s still a bit unclear if his game will translate well to the NBA.  On one hand, he is a strong, physical interior presence that can ably score and defend in the post.  On the downside, he doesn’t seem to have much of a face-up game nor a consistent shooting stroke, and he’ll have to show teams that he can defend quicker opponents out on the perimeter, as opponents will use pick and rolls to get a switch to create favorable mismatches for them.  Cockburn is likely a second round prospect if he stays in the draft, and he could project to be a rotational big man in the NBA.

Team Four’s Aamir Simms quietly had a very good game in his team’s loss to Team Three.  He did a very good job of shooting and scoring the basketball, and he generally made sound plays for his team on offense.

Simms did a very good job of scoring in the post.  He was able to score on a crafty, up and under move, as well as on a one-legged, fadeaway jumper due to possessing solid footwork, strength, and shooting touch to do so.  He also drove to his right to score on a sweeping floater.  Plus, he also managed to score off of a backdoor cut as well as in transition.

He also showed a solid jump shot in this game, and Simms was able to make a spot-up three off the catch.  He also is an unselfish player that will look to find the open man, and Simms also set an off-ball screen to help his teammate score on an open jump shot another time.  There was one play though where he threw an inaccurate pass that sailed out of bounds.

Plus, he also did an adequate job of rebounding the basketball.  Simms would also rotate to poke balls away in the post to help his team get steals and deflections.  He would sometimes struggle to guard his man defensively, though.  On one play, he bit on a pump fake and got beat on a drive, which led his teammate to have to rotate to commit the foul.

Overall, Simms is a strong, mobile forward that can shoot and score the basketball.  He played well in this game, and he could project to be a floor spacer at the next level, as he could end up being a rotational big man in the NBA.

Team Four’s Jay Huff also played fairly well for his team in a loss to Team Three, and he also shot the ball very well down the stretch.  Early on, he seemed to struggle to guard Cockburn or out on the perimeter, but he was able to find his footing.

Huff excelled at making spot-up threes off the catch, and he also ran off a ball screen quickly to make a three from well beyond the arc late in this game.  Huff struggled to score inside the arc, but he also managed to score on a put back after grabbing an offensive rebound.  However, on one drive, he used a spin move, but missed on a turnaround jumper.

Also, he generally passed the ball well.  Huff was able to find a cutter, and he also showed that he can make drive and kick passes, as he can find teammates on the move.  On the downside, he threw an inaccurate lead pass out on the break, as it sailed out of bounds once.

Plus, he did a decent job of rebounding the basketball, and he would chase down balls to get boards on both ends of the floor.  Huff also played adequate defense.  He would block and alter shots in the paint to his teammates, and he also contested a shot in the post to force a miss another time.  He also managed to intercept a pass to get a steal.   However, sometimes he would be too aggressive in contesting shots, which would lead him to commit fouls.

Overall, Jay Huff had a decent showing in this game, and he shot the ball very well in the second half.  Right now, he may be a borderline second round candidate, but his size and ability to space the floor combined with his shot blocking prowess could enable him to be an effective backup center in the NBA.

Team Three’s JaQuori McLaughlin also played fairly well.  He excelled as a shooter, as he can knock down threes both off the catch and dribble.  He also can make an assortment of passes to get assists, though he would sometimes commit careless turnovers.  He was active at crashing the glass to help his team get rebounds, and he was an active help defender that would look to get steals and deflections.  On the downside, there was one play where he sagged too far off his man, which allowed his opponent to score on a mid-range floater.

Overall, though McLaughlin didn’t seem to make as many eye-popping plays as his teammates, he shot the ball very well, especially from downtown, and he was able to reliably run the point.  He may lack elite physical tools and he may be a long shot to be drafted, but his basketball IQ and offensive skills could enable him to be an effective backup point guard in the NBA.

Team Three’s R.J. Nembhard had his ups and downs in this game.  He didn’t shoot the ball well, but he really excelled at driving to the hoop to score and get free throws. 

Nembhard was especially effective as a scorer off the dribble.  He was able to drive off of a screen to score on a smooth, floater.  Nembhard also managed to score on an acrobatic, reverse layup.  Plus, he also showed the knack for contorting his body to draw hoards of fouls upon his defenders to often get to the free throw line.

He also played unselfishly.  Nembhard was able to find a roll man to get an assist, and he would make drive and kick passes to set up scoring chances for his teammates.   There was one play where he threw an inaccurate interior pass that sailed out of bounds.  Plus, he also played very good defense.  Nembhard would poke balls away and jump on loose balls to help his team get steals.

Overall, Nembhard is an athletic, energetic swingman that was able to effectively score, pass the basketball, and defend in this game.  He will need to be a more consistent shooter in games.  Still, his ability to score combined with having solid athletic gifts could make him an intriguing option to NBA teams late in the second round, and he could project to be a bench scorer that could provide some defense at the next level.

Team Three’s Juhann Begarin had his ups and downs in his team’s win over Team Four. He didn’t play quite as well as expected, but he played hard, and he showed a better than expected jump shot in this game.

He excelled as a spot-up shooter off the catch, and Begarin was able to score on a pair of threes.  However, he would tend to play too wildly, as he would miss on contested jumpers off the dribble and in the post.

He also displayed adequate playmaking skills.  Begarin can pass and handle the basketball, and he can throw long passes to shooters as well as make drive and kick passes.  Sometimes though, he would play recklessly, which would lead him to commit ball-handling turnovers.

Also, Begarin was able to get a defensive rebound, as he then pushed the ball up the floor.  He is also a very athletic, rangy defender that will play passing lanes.  Begarin would get his hands on passes to help his team get plenty of steals and deflections.

Overall, Begarin did a good job of making threes and defending in this game, but he also struggled to score off the dribble, and he was a bit reckless with the ball on offense.  He will need to play more under control on offense, but Begarin is an interesting player that could project to be a defensive specialist in the NBA.

The First Game of the 2021 G-League Elite Camp (Team One vs. Team Two)

In the first game of the 2021 G-League Elite Camp, it was a fast-paced matchup that featured a lot of missed shots and turnovers, but Team Two was able to rally in the second half to get the win over Team One.  In my opinion, the standout performers looked to be DeVante’ Jones, Chaundee Brown, and Aaron Wiggins.  Here are my thoughts on how they fared, as well as other players that caught my eye in this game. Also, for those that are interested in the box score of this game, you can find it here.

Team Two’s DeVante’ Jones had a strong showing, as he excelled as a scorer and defender to help lead his team to a comeback win over Team One.

He showed a solid ability to score off the dribble, and he especially showed a knack for making dribble-jumpers from the mid-range.  Jones would often score on mid-range floaters, and he also was able to score on a one-legged, fadeaway jumper.  Sometimes he would go in a bit too fast, which led to a few misses.

He also generally excelled as a scorer around the basket.  Jones scored on a quick backdoor cut to the hoop early on.  He also is adept at drawing fouls upon his defenders to get to the free throw line, as he was able to do so in the post and off the dribble.

On the downside, he was fairly turnover prone on offense.  For the positives, Jones is a quick, aggressive guard that can make crafty drive and kick passes to set up scores for his teammates.  On the downside, he would throw hasty passes that would get intercepted.  Other times, he would commit ball-handling turnovers, as he stepped out of bounds, and had a ball poked away another time.

Also, Jones did a very good job of rebounding the basketball.  He would leap up to haul in multiple boards on both ends of the floor, and he was able to come away with a tough offensive board in traffic.

He also played solid defense.  Jones is a high-motor guard that would apply heavy ball pressure to really bother his opponents.  He would poke balls away to get steals, and he also managed to deflect passes to nearly force other turnovers.  He also managed dive on the ground to deflect a pass, as he made a good hustle play that time.  On the downside, he was late to get back and committed a reach-in foul on a baseline drive in transition at the rim once that gave the other team a three-point play.

Overall, DeVante Jones’ played very well, as he had a good first half, and he especially made key plays late in the game to help his team get the win.  He was one of the best players in this game, and he may have a fairly good shot at getting a combine invite based on his strong performance in this match.

Team Two’s Chaundee Brown also played very well, in this game, and he put forth a strong all-around performance as he excelled at making plays on both ends of the floor to help his team get the win over Team One.

Brown showed a knack for scoring on jumpers to provide floor spacing for his team on offense.  He excelled at making open, spot-up threes off the catch, and he also dribbled to his left and pulled up to make a mid-range jump shot off the dribble.  He also would make smart decisions of knowing when to attack the hoop to score.  He drove in from the baseline and maneuvered around two defenders to score powerfully off the glass.  Brown also ran in to score on a tip-in after leaping up to get an offensive rebound.

Plus, he also displayed decent playmaking skills.  Brown is an athletic guard that can make passes off the dribble to notch assists.  He was able to find a cutter to set up a score.  He also lead the break and made a drive and kick pass to get the ball to a corner shooter another time.  He did commit a couple of ball-handling turnovers, as he stepped out once, and had a ball poked away another time, but he generally made good decisions in this game.

Also, Brown did a very good job of rebounding the basketball, and he would haul in numerous boards on both ends of the floor.  He also rotated to block a shot hard off of a roll out of bounds.

Overall, Chaundee Brown is a very athletic, high-motor swingman that played well in all facets of the game.  He really helped himself by having a strong showing, as he consistently played well, especially down the stretch, and he looks to have a good shot at getting a combine invite based on his strong performance in this game.

Team One’s Aaron Wiggins had a solid showing in his team’s loss to Team Two.  He consistently made solid plays to help his team on both ends of the floor.

Wiggins shot the ball well, especially from downtown.  He excelled as a spot-up shooter from beyond the arc, and he would move off the ball to score on three-pointers.  He also used a step-back move to score on a long two-point shot.

Plus, he also showed a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble.  Wiggins managed to score on a floater on a drive in transition while also drawing an extra free throw.  He also ran in to score on a powerful dunk on the break another time.  Sometimes though, he would take tough, contested shots though that would lead to misses.

He also displayed adequate playmaking skills.  Wiggins can make passes off the dribble to get assists, but sometimes he would throw hasty passes that would get intercepted.

Also, he was able to leap up to get a few defensive rebounds in this game.  Wiggins also played decent defense in this game.  He would jump passes to get steals.  On the downside, he committed a reach-in foul when defending in the post another time due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Aaron Wiggins quietly had a good game, as he played smart, efficient basketball to help his team on both ends of the floor.  He made solid plays on both ends of the floor, and he looked to be one of the best performers in the first match of the day.

Team One’s Scotty Pippen Jr. had a decent showing in his team’s loss to Team Two.  He showed off versatile scoring skills and generally defended well, but he was inconsistent in scoring off the dribble at times, and he also was quite turnover prone in this game.

Pippen showed a solid ability to knock down jumpers in this game.  He would score on open, spot-up threes off the catch, and he also dribbled in to score on a mid-range floater.  He also showed the ability to move off the ball, as he managed to score on a quick, backdoor cut.  He’s not tall or exceptionally quick, so he would sometimes struggle to score against taller defenders.  Sometimes, he would miss too often on pull-up jumpers, and he would sometimes get his shots blocked by taller players.

He displayed fairly average playmaking skills.  Pippen can make drive and kick passes to notch assists, and he would find teammates on the move to set up scoring chances for them.  Too often though, he would throw hasty passes that would get intercepted.  He also had a ball poked away that led to another turnover.

Also, Pippen would chase down balls to haul in boards on both ends of the floor, and he was able to push the ball quickly up the floor off of a defensive board once.  He also played satisfactory defense.  He was able to jump a pass to get a steal, and he also would poke balls away to get steals and deflections.  He also contested a three to force a miss.  However, he would tend to be too aggressive defensively, as he would bite on pump fakes and tend to reach in too much, which would lead him to commit touch fouls as a result.

Overall, Scotty Pippen Jr. was able to knock down jumpers and he provided tough, aggressive defense, as he was able to get his opponents to turn the ball over.  However, he was quite turnover prone, and he will need to be a more disciplined defender.  If he stays in the draft, he could be a candidate that could end up going late in the second round, as he could project to be a backup point guard that can provide some shooting and scoring in the NBA.

Team One’s Mac McClung had a decent showing in this game, as he especially played well in the first half, and he also had the highlight of the game,  He is a very athletic combo guard that competes relentlessly on both ends of the floor, and he was aggressive as a scorer and defender when he was on the court.

McClung generally excelled at scoring on hustle plays.  He especially excelled at scoring in transition.  He ran the floor hard to get the ball on the break, and he drove the baseline to score on an acrobatic, switch of hands layup while getting the extra free throw.  He also ran the floor to score in transition another time.  Later on, he made a quick cut to the hoop, and he caught a lob pass to score on a jaw-dropping, high-flying, alley-oop dunk that looked to be the best play of this contest.

On the downside, he struggled to knock down outside shots.  McClung was able to dribble to his left to score on a floater from the mid-range.  However, he often struggled to make mid-range jumpers, especially off the dribble.  He also attempted a corner three, but overshot it that time and missed.

He also displayed satisfactory playmaking skills.  McClung generally passed and handled the ball well, even if he didn’t get an assist, but he also didn’t turn the ball over.  He was able to make a drive and kick pass to find an open shooter.  He also would throw lob passes to get the ball to the roll men.  However, he did throw one pass to a roll man that led his teammate right into an opponent early on, that later led to a turnover for his teammate.

He also was able to chase down balls to get rebounds on both ends of the floor.  McClung also played adequate defense in this game.  He would get his hands on passes to get steals.  He also hustled back to block a mid-range jumper and directed it forcefully to a teammate.  He also successfully drew a charge due to good positioning, and he also contested a three to force a miss.  On the other hand, he can sometimes gamble too much defensively, and he also can struggle to guard his man at times.  He would sometimes get beat off the dribble to allow scores.  He also kept trying to reach in as he would miss on steal attempts, and it led him to be out of position and late to close out, which led him to allow his man to score on a mid-range shot.

Overall, Mac McClung is a very athletic combo guard that made some solid plays to help his team on both ends of the floor.  He excelled at attacking the basket, and he also made some solid hustle plays defensively.  On the other hand, he didn’t shoot the ball very well from the outside, and he also struggled at times defensively.  He’ll need to be a more consistent shooter and show that he can reliably run the point.  On the bright side, he still played very well at times, and he looked to be arguably be the best athlete in this game, with Chaundee Brown not far behind.  McClung is far from being a lock to be drafted, but his scoring skills and athleticism could enable him to project into a microwave type of scorer role in the NBA if he ends up making his way to the association.

Team Two’s Ja’Vonte Smart had his ups and downs, but he played very well in the first half, as he especially excelled as a scorer in that time frame.  He showed off versatile scoring skills, but he was inconsistent as a shooter in this game.  He is adept at scoring in transition, and he is an agile guard that can finish plays using either hand, and he used a hesitation move to score on a floater high off the glass.  He also made a quick three from way out.  However, he tended to miss on floaters too often, especially from the mid-range, and he struggled to knock down jumpers consistently in this game.

As a playmaker, he looked to be fairly average.  He was able to throw an accurate lob pass to a roll man to notch an assist.  However, he also threw a hasty pass that got intercepted another time. Smart was able to get a couple of defensive rebounds in this game.  Defensively, he looked to be about average.  He would jump on loose balls that his teammates would deflect to help his team get steals.  On the other hand, he rotated to commit a foul on a roll, but that allowed a score and an extrafree throw.  He also got beat on a backdoor cut another time, and while his opponent missed, the other team later scored on a tip dunk moments later.

Overall, Ja’Vonte Smart is an athletic, combo guard that can score and make some plays defensively, but he will need to be a more consistent player on both ends of the floor.  He will need to show that he can knock down outside shots reliably, and that he can also guard upper-echelon players on the defensive end.  Right now, he may be a long shot to be drafted, but his athleticism and scoring ability could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA next season.

Team Two’s Haowen Guo had a decent showing in his team’s win over Team One.  He was especially effective in the first quarter, and he is an athletic, point forward that can throw his body around to frequently get to the free throw line as a scorer off the dribble.

Guo showed a solid ability to score off the dribble.  He is a very aggressive, offensively skilled player that played assertively, and he is a foul-drawing expert that would will his way to either the free throw line or the hoop.  Guo would crossovers and spin moves to score and draw free throws, and he would use a combination of his aggressiveness, timing, and body control to frequently draw fouls upon his defenders.  He is a quick scorer that can finish plays using either hand, and he especially would take advantage of slower-footed opponents off the dribble. 

He was much less effective as a shooter from the outside.  His opponents were able to adapt later on to force Guo to take spot-up threes, and Guo was unable to connect on any of his three-pointers.  His form looked good, but a couple of times it seemed as if his threes would rattle in and out, as he would shoot it a bit too hard.

As a playmaker, he looked to be about average at best.  Guo was able to throw a sharp, crosscourt pass out of the post to find an open shooter to showcase some of his passing skills.  He also would frequently push the ball up the court off of defensive rebounds to create transition-scoring opportunities for his team.  On the downside, when driving to the hoop, he threw a hasty pass that got intercepted.  He also did sometimes show the habit of trying to use his arm to push off, which led him to commit an offensive foul and a turnover once.

On the downside, Guo seemed to struggle defensively.  He was active as a defender, but he had a tendency to over-rotate.  He would over-help in the paint, which would cause him to be late to get out to shooters and to give them too much space, as he would allow them to score on three-point shots.  Another time, he got outmuscled on a drive, which led him to commit a foul and allow the score.

Overall, Haowen Guo is an athletic, energetic swingman that primarily excelled as a slasher to score the basketball, and he was very adept at getting to the free throw line.  What was especially impressive was his ability to do so against both strong and quick wing defenders alike, and Guo had this knack to find ways to get fouled in order to get to the free throw line.

On the downside, the main weakness of his game seems to be his jump shot or lack thereof.  He didn’t shoot the ball well in China’s top professional league, the CBA, but he also tended to gamble too much defensively, as he struggled to guard shooters.  Guo is a talented, project player that might not be ready to play in the NBA right now, but he could be a very interesting prospect, as he could use a season in the G-League to hone his game and to continue to get acclimated to American basketball.  He sort of reminds me of former NBA journeyman, Marquis Daniels. Over time, if he continues to hone his game and progress as an overall player, Haowen Guo could end up being an effective role player in the NBA.

Team Two’s Duane Washington Jr. had his ups and downs in his team’s win over Team One.  He struggled to make shots consistently, but he especially excelled as a scorer and facilitator on offense in the third quarter, and he also was able to make some solid plays defensively.

Washington was very streaky as a shooter, but he was able to run off of a ball screen to make a deep three, and he also showed that he can use either hand to score off the dribble.  On the downside, sometimes he would look to score too much, which would lead to some questionable shots.  He also would sometimes play too fast and out of control, which would lead to bad passes, and it also led him to commit a charging foul.

He also played decent defense in this game.  Washington was able to poke a ball away and intercept a pass to help his team get steals, and he would also help his team jump on loose balls off of deflected passes other times.  On the downside, he would sometimes get caught ball watching, as he would lose track of opponents on cuts to allow scores.  Overall, Washington played very well in the third quarter, and he helped himself here by helping his team rally back to win this game.

first day of games ✅ #EliteCamp pic.twitter.com/gWX58uqvuq

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) June 21, 2021

Final Thoughts on Day 1 of the G-League Elite Camp:

There were many strong performances, especially from the second game.  It was a really close competition, but I decided to pick three players that played very well, but I also wanted to have a player represented from the first game as well to balance things out.

The Three Stars on Day 1 of the G-League Elite Camp:
1. Carlik Jones, Team Three
2. Marcus Carr, Team Four
3. DeVante’ Jones, Team Two

Carlik Jones was tremendous, and he consistently excelled by making shot after shot.  He did a great job of shooting and scoring the basketball, and he would make smart aggressive plays to score and also help set up scores for others.  He was absolutely unstoppable in the first half, and he led his team to get the win in the second game.

Marcus Carr also had a strong showing, as he really turned it up in the second half, and he showed that he is an athletic, skilled playmaker that can really put up points in a hurry.  He shot the ball really well, and he made difficult shots effortlessly.  I’d be confident that if five players were to end up going to the NBA Draft Combine, Jones and Carr are going to get invites for sure.

It was a tough call to pick which player played the best between DeVante’ Jones or Chaundee Brown in the first game between Team Two and Team One.  Brown played solid, two-way basketball the whole way, but Jones really excelled as the initiator and shot creator in the offense, as he continually would score on strong drives to the basket, and he also played very good defense.  I gave the slight edge to Jones, also because the NBA G-League picked him to be in their top 5 of their game performers on the first day.

My other picks to get the two other invites would probably go to A.J. Lawson and Dawson Garcia, and in this scenario, they would join Carlik Jones, Marcus Carr, and DeVante’ Jones theoretically to get combine invites.  Lawson’s strong all-around play combined with having very good athleticism would make him a solid candidate to be invited to the NBA Draft Combine.  Marquete’s Dawson Garcia is also another solid candidate, as he consistently made high-motor plays, and he showed off versatile scoring skills to help his team in the second game of Day 1.  Chaundee Brown would be another solid option to score a combine invite, although I felt like the second game was much better played than the first game, so he might be on the borderline if he were to receive an invite or not, but I would support the NBA’s decision if they were to hand it to him.

Those are my assessments of the first two games on Day 1 of the 2021 NBA G-League Camp.  It was really interesting to see who would fare well, and there were plenty of strong performances on this day.  Thank you for reading.