YouTube Link to Sunday's Games:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xgbJa1jTPYLoew Ballerz vs Valley Farm
Taj + Compton + Wayne McKinney vs. Newman + Byrd + White + Mensah
What I've noticed thus far:
Taj is better at using pick and rolls to find shots for himself - similar to Boyd last year, without Boyd's great 3 point shooting.
He is not passing successfully out of those pick and rolls however, threw the ball away trying to pass it once or twice maybe - he's methodical in using them to get to his spot on the court, or to the rim - he's looking to shoot.
Taj is better at finding other guys in the fast break, and finding his way to the rim in the fast break.
Taj is all over the place on both sides of the court - rebounds, steals, etc.
He looks quicker and more confident moving the ball up the court, his handles are improved.
I imagine him getting starter minutes, but I'm really not sure what that will look like position-wise.
He would just get easy buckets in the secondary fast break, to the point to where Billy White started picking him up at half court and on inbounds.
White and Taj were playing at a higher intensity then everyone else, and it was noticeable.
Newman is great at driving and kicking the ball, with or without a ball screen - best passer on the team.
Newman is a good rebounder and he picks up steals as well. Taj got by him a couple of times though for sure.
His shooting from 3 isn't great, and he could get better at finishing in the midrange.
Solid at finishing at the rim, and threw multiple lobs to Mensah over both games thus far, as well as perfect passes into the block for White and Mensah.
There was one pass where he threw a little bit too high on a lob to Byrd, but in general very consistent passing the ball, and almost always makes the right read/decision with the ball.
Very steady ball handler, doesn't lose his dribble.
But he can sometimes disappear in games.
Byrd is the same player as last year.
He is trying to do more with the ball in his hands, like take a few dribbles midrange shot, but he doesn't look great doing it.
So I don't see him improving his draft stock thus far, but he is trying to build his game.
Great defender, steals, blocks, good in transition at finishing and passing - the usual.
Pharoah's body looks better.
He made a FT line jumper when the defender sagged, as well as a 15 footer baseline.
Good at finishing with dunks at the rim when cutting or rebounding, but Mensah did get the better of him a few times one on one on the block.
Also had butter fingers once or twice on passes.
However, he did play good defense on Mensah and White.
Refs weren't calling a lot of fouls on either side, which makes it hard to judge if he's moving his feet better then last year.
Also makes it hard to judge his play, there was at least one time where he drove to the rim in the second game where there was a definite foul that wasn't called.
Needs to work on finishing through contact, as fouls don't always get called, but good to see that his midrange shooting looks solid in a small sample.
