Thoughts on the First Two Games of the 2022 NTX Combine

May 10^th, 2022

Today, I decided to take the time to watch the first two games of the 2022 NTX Combine. This was an opportunity to watch some of the more unheralded NBA draft prospects compete to try to make it to the NBA and to other leagues around the world. Both of the games were fast-paced, and there were some really strong, standout performances in both of the games I observed.

NC State’s senior swingman, Jericole Hellems gets measured at the 2022 NTX Combine.
(Photo: Rafael Marlowe/NTX Combine)

Thoughts on Game 1 of the 2022 NTX Combine:

I decided to take the time to watch Game 1 of the 2022 NTX Combine that took place between Team 1 and Team 2, with thanks to YouTube via NTX Combine. This was an event where unheralded draft prospects were able to showcase their skills in front of NBA teams and scouts, and some of the players were really able to shine and play well today.

In the first game, Jericole Hellems, David Azore, E.J. Anosike, and Ty Gordon were the standout performers, and Hellems and Azore were able to lead Team 1 to get a narrow victory over Team 2. Here are my thoughts on how Hellems, Azore, and other top performers fared, as well as other various prospects that caught my eye and seemed to make a favorable impression upon me in this match.

Jericole Hellems had a strong showing to help lead Team 1 to get the win in this game. He is a agile, skilled swingman that really excelled as a shooter and scorer, and he consistently played well when he was on the floor.

Hellems shot the ball very well in this game. He showed a solid ability to knock down jumpers to space the floor for his team on offense. Hellems showed a knack for scoring on smooth, spot-up threes from beyond the arc. He also utilized a jab step to make a mid-range jumper from the baseline. He also did a great job of scoring on strong, left-handed drives to the hoop. He also excelled at scoring on tough shots on the break. Plus, he also would use dribble moves to draw fouls upon his defenders to get to the free throw line.

He also showcased fairly average playmaking skills in this game. Hellems is an unselfish player that can pass and handle the basketball, and he would make the extra pass to find open shooters. Sometimes though, he would throw hard passes that would get dropped by his teammates. Other times, he would mishandle the ball and lose it to commit turnovers.

Also, Hellems would sometimes look to crash the boards to chip in on the glass. Defensively, he looked to be about average. Hellems was able to emphatically block a shot off of a put back due to possessing fairly solid athleticism, timing, and instincts, and he can contest shots vertically when he is in position to do so. However, sometimes he would struggle to stay in front of quicker players when defending opponents off the dribble.

Overall, Jericho Hellems played very well, as he showed off his sharpshooting and scoring prowess to help Team 1 get the victory. He will need to continue to improve as an overall player, but his ability to make shots, score, and defend could enable him to project into a 3 and D type of role in the NBA.

David Azore also played very well to help lead Team 1 to a win over Team 2. He is a strong, athletic combo guard that played well on both ends of the floor, and he showed a knack for shooting and scoring the basketball to help his team throughout this contest.

Azore shot the ball really well in this game. He showed a knack for making threes and mid-range jumpers on offense. He showed a knack for making spot-up threes off the catch, and he also ran off of a ball screen to make a three early on. He also would tend to dribble to his left to score on mid-range floaters. Plus, he also ran off of a ball screen to make a baseline, mid-range jumper off of a pin-down. He did try to drive to the hoop in transition, but missed in traffic that time.

He also showcased adequate playmaking skills. Azore generally threw good passes off the dribble, and he was able to make an array of passes to set up scores for his teammates. Sometimes though, he would be prone to rushing, and he would commit ball-handling turnovers as a result.

He also was able to chip in to help his team get some defensive boards. Azore also played satisfactory defense. He showed a knack for getting steals, as he was able to intercept a pass, poke a ball away, and jump on a loose ball to do so. He also managed to contest a three to force a miss. Sometimes though, he would commit reach-in fouls due to over-aggressiveness. He also got outmuscled on a baseline drive as he ended up committing a blocking foul later on.

Overall, David Azore had a superb showing to help his team get the win in this game. He is an athletic, combo guard that can score the basketball in a variety of ways, and his ability to make shots could enable him to make his way to the NBA someday.

E.J. Anosike played very well to help Team 2 in this game. He is a strong, physical combo forward that excelled at making plays in the paint, and he also showed off versatile scoring skills to help his team on offense. Anosike did a good job of scoring in the post. He would make strong moves to score inside, and he also managed to score on a jump hook. Plus, he also showed the knack for drawing fouls upon his defenders to frequently get to the free throw line. On one play though, he took a rushed, fadeaway jumper that wound up missing.

He also shot the ball fairly well. Anosike showed a penchant for banking in pull-up, mid-range jumpers to score off the glass. He also was able to make a smooth, pull-up three early on. However, he had trouble making spot-up threes off the catch in this match. He also looked to score on the move on off-ball motion plays, but he would sometimes be hesitant, and he had trouble scoring against length and athleticism, which would lead him to miss shots around the basket.

As a playmaker, he looked to be fairly average. He is an unselfish player that would make the extra pass to find the open man. However, he threw a bad skip pass that got intercepted once. Another time, a teammate tried to pass him the ball, but the ball went through his legs that led to another turnover.

Also, Anosike was active at crashing the glass, and he was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor. He also defended well. Anosike blocked a shot when defending in the post to a teammate due to possessing solid athleticism, timing, and instincts. He also managed to poke a ball away when defending a drive to help his team get a steal.

Overall, E.J. Anosike had a solid showing in his team’s loss in this contest. He showed off versatile scoring skills, and he looked to be the most effective when operating as a scorer out of the post. He will need to continue to improve his outside shot and show that he can defend a variety of players at higher levels, but his blend of production, motor, and emerging skill set could enable him to potentially earn a roster spot in the NBA someday.

Ty Gordon also had a good showing for Team 2 in this game. Though he had really struggled at the 2022 Portsmouth Invitational a month ago, Gordon put forth a strong performance in the first game of the 2022 NTX Combine, and his athleticism, scoring, and playmaking skills really helped his team remain competitive throughout the match.

Gordon showed a very good ability to score off the dribble. He is a quick, strong guard that has a good first step to the hoop, and he would often get to the rim to regularly score and draw free throws. He also managed to make a smooth, pull-up mid-range jumper from around the right elbow. While he was able to make a pair of threes, one off the catch and another off the dribble, Gordon struggled to consistently knock down his three-point shots in this game. He also attempted to score in the post, but missed on a turnaround jumper.

He also showed off satisfactory playmaking skills. Gordon generally made good decisions with the basketball, and he would find open teammates on the move to set up plenty of scoring chances for them. Sometimes though, he would throw hasty passes that would end up getting intercepted.

Also, Gordon was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor, and he also pushed the pace off of a defensive board once. He also defended well. Gordon successfully drew a charge when defending in the high post. He also managed to contest shot off the dribble to force a miss. He also cut off penetration when defending an opposing ball handler to indirectly force a ball-handling turnover. On the other hand, there was one play where he was called for committing a blocking foul on a drive in transition.

Overall, Ty Gordon played very well, as he played a solid all-around game today. He will need to be a more consistent performer when he is on the court, and he will need to show that he can reliably run the point on a consistent basis, but this game was a major step in the right direction for him. He may need some time to develop his skills and hone his game, but his blend of athleticism, scoring skills, and point guard potential could enable him to make his way onto an NBA roster someday.

North Texas’ 6-6 fifth-year senior swingman, Thomas Bell is a fairly athletic, physical player that rebounded the ball really well. He was active at scoring on hustle plays and in the post. He was able to score on a powerful dunk in transition, and Bell also managed to score on an acrobatic layup off of a cut.

He also rebounded the ball very well, and he also defended fairly well. He was able to jump on loose balls to help his team get steals. Bell also showed some defensive versatility by being able to guard opponents both out on the perimeter as well as in the paint in this game. On the downside, he often struggled to score off the dribble, and he didn’t shoot well from the outside. He had some trouble handling the ball when pressured, and he also tended to commit fouls on jump shooters due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Bell rebounded the ball really well, and he was able to make some solid athletic plays on both ends of the court. He will need to improve his jump shot and be a more a disciplined defender in games, but his athleticism and rebounding ability could at least enable him to carve out a solid playing career in professional basketball.

Mount St. Mary’s 6-9 senior big man, Nana Opoku is an athletic, high-motor player that was able to finish plays above the rim to score on offense. He was very active at looking to score on off-ball motion plays, and he also scored on a thunderous dunk in traffic after getting the ball in the post midway though this match.

On the downside, he would tend to miss on put backs due to rushing, and he also had trouble connecting on his three-point attempts, as he couldn’t find his shooting touch from the outside. He will need to improve his jump shot and play more under control on offense, but Opoku’s athleticism and motor could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA someday.

California’s 6-4 senior guard, Jordan Shepherd played fairly well for Team 2 in his team’s loss in this game. Though he didn’t seem to make any threes in this game, he played fairly well aside from that. He showed a knack for scoring the basketball on strong drives to the hoop, and he would take on the contact to draw plenty of free throws. He also managed to make a speedy, pull-up, mid-range jumper. On the downside, he had trouble knocking down his outside shots on offense.

He also passed the ball well. He was able to make an assortment of passes due to possessing solid court vision, and he would find open teammates on the move to notch assists. On the downside, Shepherd also lost the ball when handling it to commit a turnover once. Also, he was able to get a couple of defensive boards to help his team on the glass. Shepherd also defended well. He was able to alter a shot in transition to force a miss. He was able to poke a ball away and deflect a pass to nearly get steals, and he also jumped on a loose ball to get a steal once.

Overall, Jordan Shepherd didn’t have a great senior season this year at California, as he didn’t shoot the ball well at all, but he is a fairly athletic combo guard that showed improved playmaking skills in this game, and he also was active as a rebounder and defender when he was on the floor. He will need to improve his outside shot significantly. He is an unlikely bet to be drafted, but his ability to play either backcourt position and make plays on both ends of the floor could enable him to carve out a fairly solid playing career in professional basketball.

Thoughts on Game 2 of the 2022 NTX Combine: Team 4 defeats Team 3

In the second game, it was a frenetic, fast-paced match that was played between Team 3 and Team 4, and I was able to see it with thanks to YouTube via NTX Combine. Team 4 took a commanding lead over Team 3, and while Team 3 made runs to try to keep the game close, Team 4 was able to run away with the victory. In this match, Daeqwon Plowden, Ronaldo Segu, and Jacob Young were the standout performers, and there were several other notable performers that also played well. Here are my thoughts on how Plowden and the other top performers fared in this contest.

Daeqwon Plowden had a strong showing to help lead Team 4 to get the win over Team 3. He is an athletic, strong swingman that showed off versatile scoring skills, and he shot the ball very well in this game.

He showed a terrific ability to score inside the arc. Plowden thrived at scoring on hustle plays. He would run the floor to score on fast breaks, and he also scored on a powerful dunk in transition. He also managed to score on a cut to the hoop. He also showed a solid ability to score off the dribble, and Plowden excelled at going to his right to do so. He also was able to make a fadeaway, mid-range jumper, and he also managed to score on a turnaround, jump hook out of the post.

He also was able to make an open, spot-up three off the catch. He was a little streakier with his three-point shot, but Plowden was able to show that he can knock down threes when he would look to hoist them up. He also was able to throw an accurate pass to a teammate on the break to notch an assist. Plowden would also chase down balls to help his team get some rebounds. He also managed to leap up to intercept a deflected pass to help his team get a steal.

Overall, Daeqwon Plowden played very well in this game. He thrived as a shooter and scorer when he was on the floor, and he is a talented prospect that could project into a 3 and D role in the NBA.

Ronaldo Segu also played very well to help lead Team 4 to get the win in this game. He is an athletic, skilled point guard that had a solid, all-around performance, and he especially thrived at shooting and scoring the basketball to help his team get the victory.

Segu did a good job of scoring off the dribble. He is a speedy point guard that has a quick first step to the hoop, and he can swiftly get to the hoop to regularly score the basketball. He was able to finish plays using either hand. He also managed to score on a tough, fadeaway jumper in traffic. Plus, he also showed a knack for making pull-up jumpers, and he also shot the three-ball well. On the downside, sometimes he would rush his shots, which would lead to some misses, and he also missed on a fadeaway jumper out of the post another time.

He also showcased adequate playmaking skills. Segu is an unselfish player that can throw a variety of passes off the dribble to rack up assists, and he also threw accurate lob passes to set up scores for his teammates around the basket. On the downside, sometimes he would try to be too fancy with his passes, which would go astray, and sometimes his passes would tend to either go out of bounds or get intercepted.

Also, Segu was able to help his team crash the glass to get some rebounds, and he was able to push the ball up the court off of a defensive board. He also defended very well. Segu blocked a shot in the post to a teammate. He also ran in to intercept a pass to get a steal. Plus, he also successfully drew a charge when defending in the post another time.

Overall, Ronaldo Segu had a strong showing, as he played very well on both sides of the ball. He is a score-first point guard that consistently made plays in this game. He will need to trust his outside shot more and take better care of the basketball. If he can continue to develop his skills and hone his game, he could project well into a backup point guard role in the NBA.

Jacob Young had a solid showing for Team 3 in his team’s loss in this game. He is a speedy combo guard that was able to get any shot he wanted, and he thrived as a shooter and scorer when he was on the floor. Young did a good job of scoring off the dribble. He has a good first step to the hoop, and he would regularly score at the rim. He was able to finish plays using either hand, and he showed good balance, body control, and foot speed to do so. Young was able to score on a reverse layup, and he also managed to score on an up and under move. Sometimes though, he would get too predictable, as he would tend to favor going to his left, but his defenders were able to contest some of those shots to force misses.

He was also able to knock down pull-up jumpers, both from the three-point land and from mid-range. However, he had trouble consistently knocking down his mid-range jump shots, and he would tend to miss on pull-up jumpers from the mid-range. He didn’t seem to look to pass the ball very often, but Young showed off perhaps adequate playmaking skills. He was able to throw some solid passes off the dribble to find open teammates. On the other hand, sometimes he would dribble around too much as he can tend to be a ball-stopper on offense, and it led his team to commit a shot clock violation once.

Also, Young was able to crash the glass to help his team get boards on both sides of the ball, and he also pushed the pace off of a defensive board once. He also would get his hands on passes to help his team get steals.

Overall, Jacob Young looked to have played the best amongst the players that were on Team 3. He will still need to work on his shot selection and court vision, but he definitely showed that he can swiftly make plays on both ends of the floor. He played well overall, and his athleticism and scoring skills could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA.

Malik Williams had a solid showing to help Team 4 get the win in this game. He is a skilled big man that showed off intriguing floor spacing capabilities that could enable him to play in the NBA someday. He shot the three-ball very well in this game. Williams showed a knack for making smooth, spot-up threes off the catch, and he was able to make his three-point shots with ease. He also did a decent job of scoring in the post, and he was able to score on a fadeaway jumper.

However, he also missed on a baseline mid-range jumper, and he also had his shot blocked off the dribble another time. He also played adequate defense. Williams was able to contest a mid-range jumper to force a miss. He also committed a foul on a drive after rotating to try to contest the shot another time.

Overall, Malik Williams is an agile, skilled big man that excelled as a three-point shooter from beyond the arc. He was able to make a spot-up three in transition, and he also used a pump fake prior to making a corner three later on. He has adapted his game well after suffering injuries during his collegiate career. While he may no longer be the elite athlete that he used to be, he’s worked hard on his outside shot, and his ability to knock down jumpers could enable him to make his way to the NBA.

Southern Utah’s fifth-year senior point guard, John Knight III also played well for Team 4. He is a very athletic, powerful guard that thrived at attacking the hoop to score the basketball, and he turned in a solid all-around performance in this game.

Knight did a good job of scoring off the dribble. He showed a knack for going to his left to score, as he would use hesitation moves to get past his man, and he also was able to throw down thunderous dunks to finish plays above the rim. On the downside, he had trouble making shots from further out. Knight missed on a fadeaway jumper when posting up. He also missed on a pull-up, mid-range jumper another time, and he didn’t really look to take threes in this contest.

He also showed off solid playmaking skills. Knight is an unselfish player that showed that he can throw long, accurate passes to set up scores for his teammates. He can find his teammates on the move, and he also can make drive and kick passes to find open shooters. However, sometimes he would rush his moves, and he appeared to throw a pass off of a drive that resulted in a turnover.

Also, Knight was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor to help his team get rebounds, and he also pushed the ball up the court afterwards. He also played satisfactory defense. He would run in to intercept passes to get steals. On the downside, he also was called for committing a reach-in foul when defending an opposing ball handler due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, John Knight is a very athletic point guard that thrived at attacking the hoop to make plays on both ends of the floor. He will need to improve his jump shot. He may need to develop his skills and continue to hone his game, but his athleticism and scoring skills could enable him to make his way to the NBA someday.

St. John’s 6-9 senior forward, Aaron Wheeler is an athletic, skilled combo forward that played fairly well for Team 4 in this game. Though he was inconsistent at knocking down shots overall, he played well in the second half, and he had a stretch run where he was able to knock down multiple threes in a row.

Wheeler shot the ball well, especially from beyond the arc. He would run off ball screens to make quick threes off of pin-downs, and Wheeler excelled at making movement threes. He also pulled up to knock down a three off the dribble later on. He also was able to knock down a smooth, pull-up mid-range jumper. However, he struggled to consistently score on mid-range jumpers, and he also had trouble scoring off the dribble when he would look to go all the way to the rim to score.

He also showed off satisfactory playmaking skills. Wheeler is an unselfish player that would swing the ball to shooters to notch assists, and he also threw a long outlet pass to set up a score for a teammate on the break. On another play though, he was called for a push off when driving to the hoop to both commit an offensive foul and a turnover that time.

He also would haul in defensive rebounds to help his team get boards in this game. Wheeler also defended well. He did a good job of blocking and contesting shots in the paint to help get stops for his team.

Overall, Aaron Wheeler is an athletic combo forward that shot the ball fairly well, and he also made good passes and defended well when he was on the court. He struggled more to knock down shots inside the arc, and he had trouble scoring consistently in one-on-one situations. He will need to be a more consistent player in games, but this game was a step in the right direction for him, and he is an athletic, versatile forward that may have the skills to make it to the NBA someday.

Wyoming’s senior swingman, Drake Jeffries had a decent showing for Team 3 in this game. He did a good job of knocking down spot-up threes off the catch, and he especially showed a knack for making corner threes. He also ran off the ball to make a movement corner three midway through this match. Unfortunately, he didn’t really stand out in other areas, but Jeffries’ ability to knock down spot-up threes could enable him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA someday.

Overall, it was interesting to watch both of the games that were played today. There were plenty of solid performances from numerous players that participated in both of the games. After giving it some thought, here are my picks for the 3 Stars on Day 1 of the 2022 NTX NBA Combine.

The 3 Stars on Day 1 of the 2022 NTX Combine:

Jericole Hellems impressed with me with his consistently stellar shooting and scoring skills, and he was extremely efficient at knocking down shots in this game, and he also was able to block a shot to showcase his defensive skills. Daeqwon Plowden also did a very good job of shooting and scoring the basketball, and he is an athletic swingman that consistently played well in the second game. David Azore was able to consistently shoot and score the basketball throughout the first game, he made clutch shots, and he also defended well.

Others in consideration were Ronaldo Segu, E.J. Anosike, and Ty Gordon, as they also played well, but to me, Hellems, Plowden, and Azore looked to have played the best in my opinion in the first two games of the 2022 NTX Combine. For more information about this combine, you can visit their website at ntxcombine.com. Anyways, it was fun to watch these games, and there will be a couple of more games to watch and review tomorrow. Thanks for reading.