Thoughts on Chris Clemons, Chris Silva, and Kyle Allman Jr. in the Portsmouth Invitational

April 20, 2019

Recently, I took the opportunity to watch Chris Clemons, Chris Silva, and the Portsmouth Partnership face off against the Portsmouth Sports Club on Day 3 of the 2019 Portsmouth Invitational. It started off as a very competitive game, but the Portsmouth Sports Club then played very well to run away with a double-digit victory. It was a defensive battle in which both teams struggled to consistently make shots, but the standout performers appeared to be Chris Clemons, Chris Silva, Kyle Allman, and Garrison Mathews in this game. Here are my thoughts on they fared, as well as how some of the other prospects played on this day.

Campbell’s senior guard, Chris Clemons played very well for the Portsmouth Partnership, as he showed off very good scoring skills, he defended well, and he is a terrific athlete that was able to excel on both ends of the floor in this game. Clemons excelled at knocking down pull-up threes, and he was able to make some from well beyond the arc, as he showed off a lot of range on his shot. He also did a very good job of scoring on speedy drives to the hoop, as he has a great first step off the dribble, he also changes directions well, and he is also a good finisher around the basket. On one play, he used a quick crossover to score on a high-flying dunk off of a drive to the hoop.

He also displayed decent playmaking skills. Clemons can find teammates on the move, as he was able to get the ball to cutters to set up scores for them. He did commit one turnover as he had a ball poked away from him, but generally Clemons did a good job of running the point. Plus, he also rebounded and defended well. Clemons was able to get a handful of rebounds on both ends of the floor. Also, he was able to block a shot off of a drive out of bounds, and he also intercepted a pass to get a steal.

In general, Chris Clemons is a very athletic point guard that can shoot and score early and often to help his team in games. He may need to be more of a facilitator to get his teammates more involved on offense, but he had a very good game in his team’s win over the Portsmouth Sports Club, and Clemons could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the second round of the upcoming draft.

South Carolina’s senior big man, Chris Silva also had a strong showing in his team’s win over the Portsmouth Sports Club, as he primarily excelled as an inside scorer and defender to help get his team the victory. Silva did a very good job of scoring on hustle plays, and he also showed an adequate ability to get scores off the dribble. He scored often on rolls to the rim, and he would tend to catch lob passes to score on scintillating, alley-oop dunks to help his team. He also scored on a turnaround jumper off of a roll early on. He also was able to score on a floater on a drive in transition another time. Silva did take some jumpers, but he had trouble knocking down mid-range jumpers in this contest.

He also was able to get his fair share of boards when he was on the court. Silva also played great defense. He leapt up very high to swat shots off of drives ferociously out of bounds, as he would make solid rotations to do so. He also was able to intercept a pass to get a steal, and he also was able to jump on a loose ball that an opposing ball handler lost to collect another. In summary, Chris Silva is an athletic big man that could project to be a solid rim protector at the next level. He brought forth a strong interior presence to his team, and he could be a solid pick for an NBA team in the second round on draft day.

Cal State Fullerton’s senior guard, Kyle Allman Jr. played very well for the Portsmouth Sports Club, as he scored 22 points and made 5 threes, and he also showed off solid defensive skills in his team’s loss in this game. Allman did a very good job of knocking down open spot-up threes off the catch, as he was able to make several of them from well beyond the arc. He also excelled at scoring on quick drives to the basket, as well as on pull-up long two-pointers off the dribble. Also, he was able to intercept passes to get steals for his team, as Allman played good defense in this game. Overall, Kyle Allman had a solid performance in this contest, and he is an agile combo guard that can shoot and score the basketball to help his team on offense. Right now, he may be a borderline second round candidate. He will likely need to prove to teams that he can effectively run the point, but if so, he could perhaps end up earning a roster spot in the NBA someday.

Lipscomb’s 6-5 senior guard, Garrison Mathews played very well to help the Portsmouth Partnership get the win over the Portsmouth Sports Club. He shot the ball very well, as he excelled at knocking down quick jumpers from all over the floor, and he also excelled at running and dribbling off of screens to score on three-point shots. He also excelled at scoring on hustle plays due to possessing a good motor. Mathews also showed off solid rebounding and defensive skills. He applied good ball pressure on defense, and he was able to get a steal and a deflection to help his team. Overall, Mathews is a skilled, high-motor swingman that can shoot the basketball, and he could potentially end up being a shooting specialist in the NBA.

Other Notes:

Northwestern’s senior forward, Victor Law shot the ball well, as he did a very good job of knocking down spot-up threes to space the floor for his team on offense, and he also was able to score on an aggressive drive to the hoop while getting an extra free throw another time. Plus, he also defended well, as he flew in to swat a mid-range jump shot out of bounds, and he also successfully drew a charge on a put back attempt on a separate play. Overall, Law is an intriguing prospect, as he could potentially make an NBA team’s roster as a 3 and D type of player at the next level.

Charleston’s 6-7 senior forward, Jarrell Brantley also played well, as he excelled as a scorer in helping the Portsmouth Partnership get the win in this game. He did a good job of scoring on hustle plays, and he also showed a decent ability to make threes and score in the post. He had some trouble making mid-range jumpers consistently, and he also committed a charging foul once, but Brantley would look to find the open man to get assists. Right now, Brantley will need to improve his jump shot, but if so, he could perhaps end up being an effective role player in the NBA.

Ole Miss’s senior guard, Terence Davis had an up and down game for the Portsmouth Sports Club, and while he was able to help his team on the glass and on the defensive end, he struggled to consistently make shots in his team’s loss to the Portsmouth Partnership. Davis showed an adequate ability to score on quick, strong drives to the hoop, and he also did a very good job of scoring on put backs off of offensive rebounds. However, he struggled to make jumpers consistently from the field. He also rebounded and defended well, and in this match, Davis was able to poke a ball away, and intercept a lob pass on the break to get steals for his team.

Overall, Terence Davis was expected to be one of the best performers in this tournament, but he his play has been inconsistent in both of the games he has played in thus far. He will need to be a more consistent performer in games, and he will need to show that he can succeed in situations where he gets less touches on offense. Right now, he may be a borderline second round candidate for the upcoming draft, but he may need to be a more reliable shooter in games to increase his odds to make it to the NBA.

Iowa State’s 6-6 senior swingman, Marial Shayok did not play nearly as well in this contest as he did in the prior game. He had a terrific game in the previous match for the Portsmouth Sports Club, but in this contest against the Portsmouth Partnership, he really struggled to make shots, as he did not play nearly as well as he did before. He did show solid playmaking skills, and despite going 1 for 12 from the field on this day, he also racked up 7 assists to show off his solid ability to distribute the basketball.

Shayok really struggled to make shots, as he tended to miss on pull-up, mid-range jumpers, drives, and on spot-up threes, and he also had a couple of his shots blocked off the dribble. He tended to hoist up contested mid-range jumpers that would miss, and he did not attempt enough threes in this game. He was able to make a quick pull-up mid-range jumper from the baseline late in this match, and he also drew free throws when taking it to the rim another time, though he generally struggled to knock down his field goals on this day.

He did show solid playmaking skills. He threw good interior passes, and he made good passes off the dribble to set up scores for his teammates. He can kick balls out to shooters and find teammates on the move, and he showed off adequate court vision. He also played decent defense. Shayok was able to deflect a pass out of bounds, but he also fouled an opposing ball handler another time.

Overall, Marial Shayok is an athletic, skilled swingman that can shoot and pass the basketball, and though he did not shoot the ball well in this particular game, his 37-point performance in the previous match suggests that he may have what it takes to make it to the NBA. He will need to be more consistent in games, but he is a skilled player that could end up being an effective role player at the next level.