Nike Hoop Summit, 4/13 10pm ET ESPN2

[lotusland]

Let’s stop being silly. R.J. will be a 10x All-Star in NBA. He won’t be just another guy. He has excellent shooting mechanics and a very solid midrange game. His long-range game will develop with reps. For those hyperventilating, relax.

I don’t actually care what he does in the NBA as I most likely won’t be watching. Duke needs more shooting for spacing next year. I doubt he’s going to be a good shooter by November if he’s below average for a guard now. I have no doubt he’ll be good but, for the record, I predicted Barrett’s OAD year will be less impactful than Bags. But Bags was ACC POY so I’m not really going too far out on a limb.

[kAzE]

I don’t actually care what he does in the NBA as I most likely won’t be watching. Duke needs more shooting for spacing next year. I doubt he’s going to be a good shooter by November if he’s below average for a guard now. I have no doubt he’ll be good but, for the record, I predicted Barrett’s OAD year will be less impactful than Bags. But Bags was ACC POY so I’m not really going too far out on a limb.

Are we only going by awards for impact? I think RJ has a chance to take us pretty deep in the NCAA tournament. That's where his athleticism and scoring is going to help us improve upon what we did this year. Bagley, as good as he is, is still a big man. Opponents can deny him the ball, and they can harrass him when he's trying to catch the ball. Guards do the ball handling, and guards are the player who decide how successful you are in the NCAA tournament. RJ's also a MUCH better defensive player than Bagley.

I think regardless of what awards RJ wins (and IMO he's as strong a candidate for ACC POY as anyone in the league), I think he's the type of player who can take a team to the Final Four as a freshman.

[dukelifer]

Let’s stop being silly. R.J. will be a 10x All-Star in NBA. He won’t be just another guy. He has excellent shooting mechanics and a very solid midrange game. His long-range game will develop with reps. For those hyperventilating, relax.

So you are projecting him to be an NBA Hall of Famer? Wow. Fellow Canadian and Uber athletic Andrew Wiggins has been in the league for 4 years and has not made a All Star roster. Barrett will learn to shoot at some point- but it will take a ton of work.

[CDu]

Let’s stop being silly. R.J. will be a 10x All-Star in NBA. He won’t be just another guy. He has excellent shooting mechanics and a very solid midrange game. His long-range game will develop with reps. For those hyperventilating, relax.

I am not worried about him being an excellent player for Duke. He will be. But I definitely wouldn’t say he has excellent shooting mechanics. It is - along with being a bit of a high-dribbler - one of his only flaws offensively. Shooting is quite simply not a strength for him at this time.

That can be okay, though. He is a really competitive guy and has great scoring instincts. He is sble to impact the game a ton even without a jumper. But to say he has excellent shooting mechanics at this point is just not accurate.

[Troublemaker]

Cole Zwicker‏Verified account @colezwicker 4h4 hours ago
Measurements for the US team at Hoop Summit

[luvdahops]

Yup. Reddish isn’t Luke Kennard good or even Gary Trent good, but he’s got a very solid shot.

Our other three players are average - at best - at shooting. I don’t think we have any Duvals, but we don’t have any Graysons/Trents either.

Others have mentioned this before, but Reddish reminds me a lot of Grant Hill as an incoming frosh - very athletic, skilled and versatile, but perhaps too unselfish and passive at times. Though I have confidence in K's ability to bring Cam out of his "shell". His shooting form does look solid, even if the jumpers weren't falling in the NHS.

[Billy Dat]

The few times I have watched Barrett, he has that intangible quality of a winner, a guy who wants to be part of the big plays and take the big shots. In his case, I see it as a strong positive. He really leads by example and I think will be a key focus of our offense in the same manner as Bagley, Tatum and Ingram.

I echo other thoughts about Reddish, he does not "jump off the screen" in the same manner as Barrett. The tag of him coasting seems apt, but he also has verbally identified that as a weakness that he wants to work on, so that's good.

Jones looks like a pass first point guard, check that important box.

The Duke Zone has really become a negative when the arena is recruiting and these high school all star games. Fran Fraschilla, who I think deliberately finds subtle ways to tweak Duke, said something like, "With the length, athleticism and defense mentality of these kids, maybe Duke can ditch the zone and get back to playing man-2-man defense next year".

[dukelifer]

The few times I have watched Barrett, he has that intangible quality of a winner, a guy who wants to be part of the big plays and take the big shots. In his case, I see it as a strong positive. He really leads by example and I think will be a key focus of our offense in the same manner as Bagley, Tatum and Ingram.

I echo other thoughts about Reddish, he does not "jump off the screen" in the same manner as Barrett. The tag of him coasting seems apt, but he also has verbally identified that as a weakness that he wants to work on, so that's good.

Jones looks like a pass first point guard, check that important box.

The Duke Zone has really become a negative when the arena is recruiting and these high school all star games. Fran Fraschilla, who I think deliberately finds subtle ways to tweak Duke, said something like, "With the length, athleticism and defense mentality of these kids, maybe Duke can ditch the zone and get back to playing man-2-man defense next year".

I agree that Barrett wants to be great and from all indications will put in the work. Grant got a shot doctor and it helped his game. Barrett needs one to get to the next level.

[lotusland]

Are we only going by awards for impact? I think RJ has a chance to take us pretty deep in the NCAA tournament. That's where his athleticism and scoring is going to help us improve upon what we did this year. Bagley, as good as he is, is still a big man. Opponents can deny him the ball, and they can harrass him when he's trying to catch the ball. Guards do the ball handling, and guards are the player who decide how successful you are in the NCAA tournament. RJ's also a MUCH better defensive player than Bagley.

I think regardless of what awards RJ wins (and IMO he's as strong a candidate for ACC POY as anyone in the league), I think he's the type of player who can take a team to the Final Four as a freshman.

I haven’t seen Barrett play at all. I’m sure he’ll be great. It’s just going to be hard to out perform Bags. Jabari and Jah were awesome by any standard. Tatum, Ingram, Deng, Winslow and Tyus were great too. Barrett could be better than all of them and still fall short of Bagley’s performance. I’m just taking the odds picking Barrett to fall short of Bags.

[CajunDevil]

I am not worried about him being an excellent player for Duke. He will be. But I definitely wouldn’t say he has excellent shooting mechanics. It is - along with being a bit of a high-dribbler - one of his only flaws offensively. Shooting is quite simply not a strength for him at this time.

That can be okay, though. He is a really competitive guy and has great scoring instincts. He is sble to impact the game a ton even without a jumper. But to say he has excellent shooting mechanics at this point is just not accurate.

He was wildly off in Portland, no doubt, and his shot didn't look as good as it did the week before playing for Montverde - when he hit a couple of threes. The impression I get from this board is that his shot is absurdly broken... and that's simply not the case. I do think his mechanics are very solid (excellent may be slightly hyperbolic and perhaps we save that for Redick). High release, elbow is aligned, on balance and square (for most of his 3s I've seen). His mid-range game is quite good. I think he just needs reps on his distance j. Now, whether he will be able to establish a consistent 3 this season... we all hope so. I think he will be mid-30% from 3 by the end of the year.

To an earlier post about being a HOFer. Yes, RJ could be that good. He will be a much better pro than Wiggins, imo, bc of his vastly superior court vision, and innate scoring ability. Barrett's may be a little less athletic than Wiggins, but he is still an elite athlete.

[dukelifer]

He was wildly off in Portland, no doubt, and his shot didn't look as good as it did the week before playing for Montverde - when he hit a couple of threes. The impression I get from this board is that his shot is absurdly broken... and that's simply not the case. I do think his mechanics are very solid (excellent may be slightly hyperbolic and perhaps we save that for Redick). High release, elbow is aligned, on balance and square (for most of his 3s I've seen). His mid-range game is quite good. I think he just needs reps on his distance j. Now, whether he will be able to establish a consistent 3 this season... we all hope so. I think he will be mid-30% from 3 by the end of the year.

To an earlier post about being a HOFer. Yes, RJ could be that good. He will be a much better pro than Wiggins, imo, bc of his vastly superior court vision, and innate scoring ability. Barrett's may be a little less athletic than Wiggins, but he is still an elite athlete.

Wiggins was NBA Rookie of the year and has averaged close to 20ppg over his first 4 years. Even James Harden did not do that. I guess in 5 years we will know what kind of NBA player Barrett will be.

[Kedsy]

Cole Zwicker‏Verified account @colezwicker 4h4 hours ago
Measurements for the US team at Hoop Summit

For those worrying that we won't be long enough to play zone next year, note Cam Reddish's measurements: 6'9 (in shoes), 7'0 wingspan, 8'10 standing reach -- wingspan and standing reach about the same as Marvin Bagley's (although a couple inches shorter).

[proelitedota]

For those worrying that we won't be long enough to play zone next year, note Cam Reddish's measurements: 6'9 (in shoes), 7'0 wingspan, 8'10 standing reach -- wingspan and standing reach about the same as Marvin Bagley's (although a couple inches shorter).

My god he should swap height and wingspan with Zion.

Imagine instead...

Zion: 6'9.5 (in own shoes), 7'0 wingspan, 250 lbs.
Reddish: 6'6.5 (in own shoes), 6'10 wingspan, 205 lbs.
Barret: 6'6.5 (in own shoes), 6'9 wingspan, 208 lbs.

No reason not to play small ball with Zion at 5, and AOC for extended minutes.

[whereinthehellami]

I advise strongly against extrapolating about abilities, roles, and narratives for next year based on three glorified pick-up high school pickup games. In past years our recruits have been a mixed bag in these games. Just last year Gary Trent Jr. was 2-10 from 3PT range in all three games and yet he shot 40% as a freshman this year from distance. Wendell Carter Jr. was a "complementary" player in these games and was a dominant force inside for us. The truth is, these games tell us next to nothing about what these guys will be for Duke.

I know that scouts have dogged Reddish in their reports for his motor, so I'm not dismissing your "junkyard dog" label. But here are several examples of the Cam Reddish I expect will be suiting up for the Devils next year: here, here, and here

It is not an extrapolation based on three glorified pick-up games. I followed his high school season also. His HS team went 20-12, this past year. I can't remember the last time a top 10 RSCI guy was on a HS team that lost more than 10 games.

[godins]

It is not an extrapolation based on three glorified pick-up games. I followed his high school season also. His HS team went 20-12, this past year. I can't remember the last time a top 10 RSCI guy was on a HS team that lost more than 10 games.

Fantastic, I'm glad you've put in the time to keep up with the recruits. Perhaps we can agree there's a lot of armchair scouting on these guys before they've even stepped foot on campus. These narratives crystallize, in some cases (re: Duval, Trevon), by the first exhibition games. There are numerous examples on this thread -- and others across DBR -- of posters drifting into speculative territory about Cam Reddish's motor and effort on the court. Largely driven, I suspect, by the NBA scouting reports available online. Please read this article, folks, from Reddish's coach if you need convincing that Cam Reddish is a top-notch, hard-working individual who will give maximum effort with the Duke jersey on: https://www.si.com/high-school/2018/...ba-seth-berger

Also, the answer to your question is last year. Mitchell Robinson (RSCI 8) led Chalmette High School (LA) to a 25-11 record. (http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools.../schedule.htm)

[Troublemaker]

FYI, Sam Vecenie and Cole Zwicker break down some Hoop Summit players at the end of their latest Game Theory Podcast.

If you have it downloaded, the Hoop Summit stuff starts just after 1 hour, 22 minutes into the pod.

They rave about RJ, fyi.

https://gametheorysam.libsyn.com/nba...ummit-scouting

[CDu]

FYI, Sam Vecenie and Cole Zwicker break down some Hoop Summit players at the end of their latest Game Theory Podcast.

If you have it downloaded, the Hoop Summit stuff starts just after 1 hour, 22 minutes into the pod.

They rave about RJ, fyi.

https://gametheorysam.libsyn.com/nba...ummit-scouting

Thanks for linking. Yeesh, not a very positive review for the incoming class overall.

Key takeaways from a Duke perspective:
- It's a very weak class compared to last year
- Barrett is the best player in the class
- Reddish is probably the most talented player in the class, but has real concerns about his effort/intensity (both guys were very disappointed in him)
- Jones should be a solid college PG, smart player, a lot like Tyus was, but probably not as good a shooter as Tyus
- They said that Collin Sexton might have been the third best player if he were in this class instead of last year's class, and that nobody expect maybe Barrett would compare with Bagley and Ayton. Jaren Jackson Jr was noted as a #1 or #2 if he'd been in this class.

Other takeaways of note:
- Nassir Little was considered a top-2 or top-3 prospect (Williamson got some love as well here) in the class

It seems like getting Reddish dialed in is going to be a real key to this coming season. If he can unlock his motivation, we'll have the two best players in the class. But that appears to be a big if right now.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Thanks for linking. Yeesh, not a very positive review for the incoming class overall.

Key takeaways from a Duke perspective:
- It's a very weak class compared to last year
- Barrett is the best player in the class
- Reddish is probably the most talented player in the class, but has real concerns about his effort/intensity (both guys were very disappointed in him)
- Jones should be a solid college PG, smart player, a lot like Tyus was, but probably not as good a shooter as Tyus
- They said that Collin Sexton might have been the third best player if he were in this class instead of last year's class, and that nobody expect maybe Barrett would compare with Bagley and Ayton. Jaren Jackson Jr was noted as a #1 or #2 if he'd been in this class.

Other takeaways of note:
- Nassir Little was considered a top-2 or top-3 prospect (Williamson got some love as well here) in the class

It seems like getting Reddish dialed in is going to be a real key to this coming season. If he can unlock his motivation, we'll have the two best players in the class. But that appears to be a big if right now.

I don't think Coach K will turn Reddish into a really good defensive player in 1 year. I don't think Coach K will turn Reddish into the ultimate glue guy in just one year. I don't think Reddish will unlock all of his potential in just 1 year.

I do, however, think Coach K will motivate the hell out of Reddish and we'll see a completely different Reddish on the offensive end. I mean, Ingram had the same issue. Unlike most on this board, I don't think Coach K is the best coach at every aspect of basketball coaching. However, when it comes to motivating your players, there are few - if any - who are better. This is why the Reddish-Duke connection made so much sense ~10 months ago.

I think Reddish will be an amazing player who is a weird blend between distributor, shooter, and teammate. I'm not sure there is a player who can compare Reddish to at this point.

[COYS]

I don't think Coach K will turn Reddish into a really good defensive player in 1 year. I don't think Coach K will turn Reddish into the ultimate glue guy in just one year. I don't think Reddish will unlock all of his potential in just 1 year.

I do, however, think Coach K will motivate the hell out of Reddish and we'll see a completely different Reddish on the offensive end. I mean, Ingram had the same issue. Unlike most on this board, I don't think Coach K is the best coach at every aspect of basketball coaching. However, when it comes to motivating your players, there are few - if any - who are better. This is why the Reddish-Duke connection made so much sense ~10 months ago.

I think Reddish will be an amazing player who is a weird blend between distributor, shooter, and teammate. I'm not sure there is a player who can compare Reddish to at this point.

In a strange way, the fact that Reddish doesn't always need to be "The Man," might end up being a bit of a good thing in terms of defining roles for next year's team. Don't get me wrong, he will obviously need to raise his level of intensity (and given his own quotes, it's obvious that HE wants to raise his intensity level), but it seems like Cam is a guy who would be comfortable as a supporting player, which isn't a bad thing in and of itself, especially since it seems that RJ is going to demand a lot of the ball. Aside from outside shooting, chemistry is my biggest concern for next year if only because Tre, RJ, and Cam all can handle the ball on the perimeter and make plays. However, the pieces fit a lot better if Cam is comfortable being a play-maker for others and an opportunistic scorer rather than a ball-dominant scorer. Again, I'm not trying to relegate him to role-player status before the season begins. But on a team with a point guard, a ball-dominant scorer like RJ (I don't mean that as a negative), and a talented forward like Zion, it would not be a bad thing if Cam thrives as an unselfish play-maker who can knock down an open shot and use his athleticism to grab boards . . . and who also happens to have the talent to take over a game if the need arises.

[flyingdutchdevil]

In a strange way, the fact that Reddish doesn't always need to be "The Man," might end up being a bit of a good thing in terms of defining roles for next year's team. Don't get me wrong, he will obviously need to raise his level of intensity (and given his own quotes, it's obvious that HE wants to raise his intensity level), but it seems like Cam is a guy who would be comfortable as a supporting player, which isn't a bad thing in and of itself, especially since it seems that RJ is going to demand a lot of the ball. Aside from outside shooting, chemistry is my biggest concern for next year if only because Tre, RJ, and Cam all can handle the ball on the perimeter and make plays. However, the pieces fit a lot better if Cam is comfortable being a play-maker for others and an opportunistic scorer rather than a ball-dominant scorer. Again, I'm not trying to relegate him to role-player status before the season begins. But on a team with a point guard, a ball-dominant scorer like RJ (I don't mean that as a negative), and a talented forward like Zion, it would not be a bad thing if Cam thrives as an unselfish play-maker who can knock down an open shot and use his athleticism to grab boards . . . and who also happens to have the talent to take over a game if the need arises.

I'm with you. We don't need 5 alpha dogs on the floor at once (something that may have happened a little with this year's team). Tre could be support but may actually end up like his brother (an alpha dog in the last 3-4 weeks of the season). Cam could play the weird 3-and-A role (shot 3s and assist). Bolden will likely be support as well. Zion could be alpha #2.

But it's safe to say that RJ is the biggest alpha dog on the team. Anyone who doesn't realize that is crazy.