April 10 - Part II

The second part of our report on the Nike Team Florida/Rams Jamboree will feature the remaining 17U teams as well as a couple of 16U squads. So let's get to it.

The Showtime Ballers continue to work on their chemistry as the players get more familiar with one another. The main holdover from last season, 6'2 WG Dexter Fields of Olympia continued his solid play from a week ago. He's become much more consistent from behind the arc but continues to drive to the hoop for buckets. Pressed into service in the first game of the day for the team at point guard, he did an admirable job of playing the position but he clearly is not yet comfortable there. Fields ability as a passer and creator for his teammates is getting better. Defensively his natural strength helps him to keep opponents off balance and out of the lane and he's pretty quick to errant passes that come into his area.

While others have told us how well Darius Redding has played for the Showtime Ballers in the early part of the season, we had yet to see it until Saturday. High up the charts athletically, the 6'5 wing from Tallahassee Godby did a great job of putting his physical skills to use. He was excellent off the drive, getting high off the court to finish inside in traffic. The one play where he switched the ball from his right hand to his left in mid-air and finishing over Rakeem Buckles was certainly memorable. When he puts his mind to it, Redding can be a stifling wing defender and rebound machine. His jump shot didn't make an appearance in the game we watched, so hopefully we'll get to see that in the near future.

Arriving late in the day to catch Showtime's last two games, 6'0 point guard Chuck Ford of Dr. Phillips was an immediate help to the team. In the final game of the day against a very good Florida Rams 16U squad, Ford put the team on his back and carried them to a narrow victory. While Ford's jumper may not be seen on an instruction video any time soon, it still is consistently accurate from deep. Ford protects the ball and does a good job of creating shots going toward the basket. He has quick change of pace and change of direction moves and is very confident out on the court. Maybe he's not a classic point guard in terms of running an offense or thinking pass first, but no one can argue he isn't very effective with the ball in his hands and makes his team better.

Florida Future only brought seven players to the event but maybe that was a good thing because it gave us longer looks at some players. One of those who stood out was 6'2 combo guard Brett Williams of Oviedo Hagerty. Don't dismiss him because of his slight frame or sometimes slumped shoulders. He's quicker than he looks and plays with a lot of passion and energy. His forte is knocking down jumpers from deep but he also showed an ability to get by defenders on the dribble and create opportunities. Williams can play point if necessary but he has a scorer's mentality. That isn't a bad thing; it is just that his best opportunities at the next level will be at the point because of his size. Hopefully he can show he can play that position over the course of the spring and summer.

It was a good day for Michael Highsmith of Florida Future. The 6'2 wing from Lake Brantley got a lot done on both ends of the court and brought a sense of passion and energy that most players couldn't match. Highsmith was very effective scoring-wise as he hit a three off the catch, knocked down a mid-range bank shot off the dribble and finished creatively inside. He hasn't always been consistent offensively so hopefully his performance was an indication of things to come. He is a good athlete but needs to get stronger and take on a more aggressive attitude at the defensive end.

We must admit that when we saw Kyle Tazioli play for Florida Future at the Showtime event we were less than impressed. The 6'6 BF from Lake Mary Prep proved to be much better in our second time viewing him. No, he's not the quickest, swiftest, or strongest player on the court but he knows his role, sticks to it, and is effective in it. Tazioli had a nice cross-over drive from the high post for a score and an assist after a pass out of the post. He's pretty comfortable shooting jumpers from twelve to fifteen feet but the one three he took was way short. Defensively he gets by on positioning and hard work but he can be out-muscled and/or out-quicked.

Being the son of an NBA player puts a lot of pressure on a kid. Tim Hardaway Jr. seems to be handling it just fine. The 6'4 combo guard plays for the Florida Rams 16U squad and he has really improved over the past year. Not only has he gotten taller, but he has become very comfortable handling the basketball and played point guard the majority of the time on Saturday. Hardaway shot the ball very well, not only from behind the arc but also from mid-range. He threw some really nice passes to teammates for scores and despite a thin frame, drives hard to the hoop and looks for contact. While strength is an issue now, it won't be in the near future as he fills out. We didn't see the "killer cross-over" that his dad made famous. Maybe he's working on his own signature move.

We hadn't seen him before, but we liked what 6'6 Clive Walford brings to the table for the Rams 16U squad. The Belle Glade product is an inside player all the way and he gets a lot done on the backboards. Muscular and athletic, Walford's points come in transition and cleaning up his teammates' missed shots. He moves inside need work and he tends to go a little too fast when on the move with the ball. Still, he's a prospect worth watching as it is hard to teach the physical gifts he has.

Playing up a year, 2011 combo guard Darius Perkins seemed very comfortable playing against guys two to three years older than him. Playing this past season for Miami Pace, Perkins showed some scoring skills that we didn't see with the Spartans. He was excellent at knocking down jumpers from both mid-range and behind the three point line. Perkins also had some nice drives for scores and some assists that show he can play the point when necessary. Arguably the best defensive guard in the class, he has the right attitude and athleticism to create havoc on that end of the court.

Steve Forbes of Team Stat 16U pretty much worked people over inside on Saturday. The 6'8 sophomore is a big body with a soft touch inside and knows how to carve space and use it. Forbes repeatedly forced his way to the basket and scored on soft jumpers and hook shots. When he wasn't respected by his defender at the foul line, he casually knocked in a shot from that area. Forbes is hard to box out because he is so much bigger than most of his opponents at this age level, and gets a fair number of offensive rebounds because of it. He's not fleet and doesn't jump high, but he creates a match-up problem inside on the offensive end. Defensively he takes up space and denies position, but isn't much of a shot blocker.

Unless you watch him for a while, you may not understand the hype around Adam Jones of Team Stat 16U. The 6'6 BF from Orlando Christian Prep is a good rebounder and interior scorer who lets the game come to him instead of trying to force the action. He showed a nice jump hook inside and keeps moving after offensive rebounds after the first contact. Jones is an okay passer and dribbler but it would help for him work on these two areas as well as extending his range at least to the foul line. He'll get stronger in time so now it is a matter of working hard to improve his skills with the basketball.

If I could run my car off of the energy that Justin Jackson brings to the court, I could seriously lower my gas bill. Playing for Team Stat 16U the 6'7 BF from Eau Gallie continues to display unbridled athleticism inside when going after rebounds and shot attempts. He's getting better offensively as his mid-range jumper off the glass was an indication of what he is capable of. Jackson is still best at scoring off lobs, offensive rebounds, and in transition. Defensively, he really gets after it and is quick off of his feet.

Our final installment will future Nike Team Florida 16U, Florida Elite 16U, and Nike Team Florida 15U.