LeBron James Skills Academy - Camp Recap

July 9, 2009

Joel Steiner and Josh Cochran

A look at the top college and high school prospects following the conclusion of the LeBron James Skills Academy:

Akron, Ohio - The format of the Lebron James Skills Academy gave us the opportunity to evaluate a player's skill set from observing basic passing and shooting drills, competitive position drills and full-court scrimmaging. The following evaluations highlight the camp's most impressive college players and those considered at the top of many early NBA team's mock draft boards.

Cole AldrichCole Aldrich: Measuring in at 6 feet 11 inches with a 7 foot 6 inch wingspan, Aldrich has the size and strength needed for a prototypical post player. Around the basket he is comfortable finishing with both hands and creates space with his wide shoulders for easy finishes. His jump shot is not typical with a release almost behind his head that is extremely difficult to block. His shooting mechanics may be consistent but his shot can not be considered reliable outside of 10 feet. At the camp, Larry Sanders obviously gave him problems with his shot blocking ability and quickness. Aldrich needs to play a physical style to be effective defensively and players with good quickness can give him problems. The camp's scrimmages were played at a faster pace, which rendered Aldrich less effective as he does not run the floor extremely well.

Al-Farouq Aminu: As featured in our previous recaps, Aminu stood out as one of the best prospects attending this camp. His size and athleticism make him a prototypical NBA small forward. He showed his versatility by attacking the rim off the dribble and stroking several perimeter shots. Aminu also created additional scoring opportunities by crashing the offensive glass. The uptempo pace of the camp's scrimmages played to the Wake Forest Sophomore's favor as he ran the floor extremely well and finished in transition. Aminu used his lateral quickness and length to standout on the defensive end. Areas for improvement are consistency from the outside and physical strength. He's still a few months shy of his 19th birthday, so there's reason to believe that he has plenty of untapped potential.

Jordan Crawford: Crawford created serious buzz on Monday with the dunk heard (but not seen) around the world. He can be explosive going to the rim, but at times finds himself in the air with no plan, forcing a wild shot. Crawford is a raw product with inconsistent jump shot mechanics. He showed a bit of rust from not playing competitive basketball in a year since transferring from Indiana to Xavier. However, Crawford is a hard-nosed, aggressive player that looks to score and is active on the defensive end. Now if only someone (Nike) will give this guy the credit he deserves and RELEASE THE TAPE!

Ryan Miller's Response to Nike's LeBron James Skills Academy Video Statement

Devin Ebanks: Many, including NBADraft.net, consider Ebanks as a potential 2010 Lottery pick. We saw two sides of the West Virginia forward at this camp. At times, Ebanks flashed his scoring ability by connecting on several three-point attempts and running the floor for transition baskets. However, he disappeared for long stretches in Monday evening's workout and forced some poor decisions on a few occasions Tuesday evening. That being said, he's a good athlete with quick feet. He has the size to be an NBA small forward with the quickness to defend shooting guards, similar to Trevor Ariza.

Jerome Jordan: We were a bit disappointed in the overall performance of Jerome Jordan. Although he is entering his Senior season at Tulsa, Jordan is still very unpolished due to his late introduction to the game of basketball. His 7-foot, 245-pound frame automatically qualifies him as a legitimate NBA prospect. Jordan used this size to rebound well and convert several put-backs. However, he exhibited poor footwork and stone hands during instructional drills. He also was slow to run the floor, allowing his man to find easy scoring opportunities in transition. Jordan needs to improve his low post moves and mid-range shot before he's ready to become a solid contributor at the next level.

Kalin Lucas: Lucas is a true point guard with good quickness and excellent ball handling. He can run the pick and roll to get open shots for his teammates and will pick opportune times to hit the open jumper or drive to the basket. Although he connected on 39% of his three-point attempts last season, Lucas lacks consistent form on his outside shot. With a rash of smaller point guards now playing in the league, Lucas's quickness on the defensive end may be valued. However, his size will be a problem versus bigger guards.

Larry Sanders: If you read our first two scrimmage recaps, it's obvious that we were impressed by Larry Sanders. The VCU product has the size, length and quickness to defend multiple positions. It was well known that Sanders is a force on the defensive end, but he showed an ability to contribute offensively as well. The 6'10" power forward scored a bevy of baskets off of pick-and-rolls, weakside cuts and transition opportunities. He still has a limited offensive repertoire and needs to improve his post-up and mid-range capabilities. Sanders comparisons range between Sean Williams and Marcus Camby.

Kyle Singler: Singler is the most finished offensive product at the camp. He has great technique, consistency and range in his three point shot. Inside he will use a little jump hook and likes to use the back board not allowing the defense to block his shot. Singler is an average defender with modest athleticism, but his size, strength and smarts allow him to rebound better than most would think.

Willie Warren: The Oklahoma guard is a scorer and he showcased this ability throughout the three-day skills academy. Warren connected on a high-percentage of spot-up, perimeter attempts during the camp. He also used his quickness, strength and athleticism when slashing to the rim, often finishing through contact. Warren has astounding leaping ability and he threw down a slew of high flying dunks in transition. Despite his offensive performance, the 6'4" guard was not especially impressive on the defensive end of the floor and he may have difficulty matching up with larger shooting guards. One of the main questions about Warren is his ability to be an NBA point guard. He played mostly off the ball during this camp, but he did run the point on occasion Monday evening versus team LeBron. His size, athleticism and skill set compare to the #4 pick of the 2008 NBA draft, Russell Westbrook.

In addition to college player evaluations the following is a breakdown of high school players that were impressive during the three-day camp:

Best Rebounder: Jared Sullinger is a physical player who uses his size, strength and great positioning to rebound the basketball. In addition to being a devastating rebounder, he is a smart player who has a knack for getting great position on the block that allows for easy conversions. Sullinger is a good athlete, but not an explosive leaper.

Best Shooter: Trevor Cooney could have been the shooting instructor at the camp. He has great shooting technique that is consistent no matter the situation. Cooney has the ability to swing a game in a hurry with his 3-point shot. Though his long-term NBA prospects are a question, he has the makeup of an excellent college player.

Best Point Guard: Phil Pressey is a pure point with the ability to control a game. He is a past first point guard but has the ability to make open shots when needed. Development of his shot and improving his quickness defensively will be the keys to his future.

Best Scorer: Deshaun Thomas has the ability to score in a variety of ways. Put a smaller guy on him and he uses his 6 foot 7 inch height and 221 lbs to muscle them at the hoop for easy baskets. He runs the open floor well and has no problem knocking down 3's.

Best Player: Harrison Barnes can do about anything he wants on the court. We saw him directing an offense from the point, a post up game, a player that can run floor and a devastating offensive rebounder. Barnes has a knack for being around the ball all the time and something good is going to happen. He's a very smooth player that doesn't force anything. Camp instructor and ESPN analyst, Fran Fraschilla, commented on Barnes skill level by saying, "he would be the model of what we're trying to develop as a player in this high school class." Barnes will be able to take his game to the next level by making jump shots consistently and extending his range.

Best Match-Up: The highlight of the high school games was the Barnes v. Thomas matchup. Both players turned the intensity dial up a notch. Barnes and Thomas were relentless when rebounding against each other, which Barnes got the better of with some excellent offensive rebounds and put-backs. Thomas, not be out done showed Barnes his ability to knock down a contested three in the corner. Both of these players should have instant impact at the college level.

Class of 2011 Players You Should Know: Marquis Teague, Austin Rivers, Trevor Cooney, Michael Gilchrist, Meyers Leonard, Johnny O'Bryant and Myck Kabango. We look forward to seeing how these players develop over the next 12 months as they will garner plenty of attention from the premiere college programs.