The 2010 McDonald’s All Star game took place on March 31st. With a break in the (draft) action following the conclusion of the NCAA tournament and early entry period, we’ve had a chance to break down the McDonald’s game a number of times, focusing on every player.
It was an unusually close game throughout. Brandon Knight hit the game winning three (after a lackluster performance) to lift the West to victory. Harrison Barnes (18 pts) and Jared Sullinger (22 pts) were named co-MVPs. In this setting, it’s difficult for players to get in a rhythm, as shots and playing time are extremely sporadic.
2010 McDonald’s AA Game Boxscore
West
Keith Appling 6-2 170 PG/SG Detroit Pershing (MI) Michigan State – 17 min 10 pts, 4-15 fg, 2 ast, 1 to.
Had a disappointing shooting line, hitting just 4-15 from the floor. He does have one of the prettiest shots in the class, but he just kept firing from outside without getting results: (2-for-9 from 3p) which he somehow managed to get off in 17 minutes. Tom Izzo certainly wouldn’t have allowed that to happen. Showed some passing ability and unselfishness with 2 assists to Thompson in the 2nd half. An above average athlete getting up for a nice jam. Despite shooting just 4-15 from the floor, he gave Michigan State fans something to get excited about for the future. Shooting appears to be his forte so learning behind Lucas and Lucous and developing point guard skills in the future will be his ticket.
Harrison Barnes 6-8 209 SF Ames (IA) North Carolina – 22 min, 18 pts, 7-10 fg, 3-3 ft, 5 reb.
Barnes showed off why many consider him the premiere player in the class. His game is both mature and exciting. Got things going early with a nice drive drawing a foul and converting a 12 foot pull up jumper. Rushed a 3 pointer where he faded on the shot and didn’t show great lift or form. Showed good reflexes reacting to a rebound and grabbing the ball showing a burst to get by the pack and lead the break and unselfishness giving the ball up. If anything Barnes can be too unselfish at times. Got back to back dunks on one first half sequence in which T. Jones missed a dunk off a Barnes pass and Harrison made the follow up. Showed off his developing handle with one nice crossover spin dribble and circus shot that dropped late in the first half. Had 15 of his team high 18 in the first half, so likely could have scored a lot more if he wanted to. In the second half had one pretty 3 point shot where he squared up and shot the ball on balance with perfect form, but was not a factor offensively late in the game.
Terrence Jones 6-9 219 SF Jefferson (OR) Undecided – 14 min, 14 pts, 7-11 fg, 0-1 3p, 3 reb.
Extremely efficent in limited time (7-11 fg – 14 pts in 14 min). Showed nice anticipation and closing speed on a steal off an in bounds pass early. An intriguing player due to his size and potential to play on the perimeter. Displayed his ball handling ability crossing over D. Thomas and going in for a nice bucket. Not overly explosive but solid. Very comfortable handling the basketball. Looked impressive driving the ball on another occasion finishing an and1 over Deshawn Thomas. Appears to be more explosive off 2 feet finishing on a McCallum miss. Should continue to get stronger. Appears to have good potential. Impressive taking the ball coast to coast.
Cory Joseph 6-3 180 PG Findlay Prep (NV) Texas – 14 min, 2 pts, 1-6 fg, 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 to.
One of the best shooters in the class. Won the 3 point shooting contest, but wasn’t able to have the same success in the game. Hit a nice pull up jumper early but then went ice cold finishing with just 2 points on 1-6 shooting. He would get a chance to redeem himself as his high school team (along with Tristan Thompson) Findlay Prep went on to win the National HS Championship the following weekend. Made a nice play on the break getting the ball to Richmond for an easy dunk. Despite being cold from the perimeter displays excellent form on his shot.
Brandon Knight 6-3 185 PG Pine Crest (FL) Kentucky – 19 min, 9 pts, 3-11 fg, 1-7 3p, 3 ast, 1 to.
Had an off game shooting the ball, particularly from deep (1-7) but showed what he’s shown throughout his high school career, he’s got a killer instinct and steps up in big situations. Knight knocked down the game winning three to avoid overtime with just seconds left on the clock. Has a flair to his game. His play was more impressive than his numbers. Showed excellent vision and passing throughout, though just credited with 2 assists, he got shortchanged. Made a nice half court bounce pass to Doron Lamb early on in game. Played free safety on a full court Elias Harris pass closing on it and then finding Barnes for an easy dunk. Rushed a few shots from outside. Shot selection was not great. Play is a little herky jerky, will need to smooth out his game and learn to switch gears better. But a bigtime talent without question. Had a nice two handed dunk on the break displaying his leaping ability. Had a number of shots rim out. Got a little wild at the end of the game with a key turnover and a wild missed 3 pointer, but came up big when it mattered with the game winner. In the end, Knight isolated on Marshall who attempted to draw a change and flopped. Knight found himself wide open and knocked down a clutch 3 pointer with no time left for the East to respond.
Doron Lamb 6-4 183 SG Oak Hill Academy (VA) Kentucky – 14 min, 12 pts, 6-11 fg, 2 reb.
Quiet scorer. Has a chance despite being an undersized 2-guard. A decent athlete, nothing extraordinary. Got up for one dunk but doesn’t play above the rim. Has a sweet handle and nice shot off the dribble. Very smooth offensive game.
Ray McCallum 6-1 170 PG Detroit Country Day (MI) Detroit – 15 min, 4 pts, 2-7 fg, 3 ast.
Has long been known as a heady floor general but put on a surprising display in the dunk contest with his vertical and creativity landing a number of difficult dunks. Got hung on the rim going up for one dunk off a Knight feed during the game. Redeemed himself soon after with a nice two handed break away dunk. Long arms and explosiveness make up for a lack of height.
Fab Melo 7-0 260 C Sagemont (FL) Syracuse – 19 min, 2 pts (1-3 fg), 4 ast, 4 to, 7 reb, 3blk.
Although next Syracuse Melo had just 2 points on 1-3 shooting he surprisingly led the West team with 4 assists showing good vision and unselfishness for a bigman. Probably should have looked to get more involved offensively, but then again in an All Star game shots aren’t always easy to come by. In 19 minutes of action had 7 boards. Looked fluid running the floor and seems to have dropped some pounds and gotten in better shape. Had a nice block on a Tobias Harris shot early and pinned a Deshawn Thomas dunk attempt. Had a game high 3 blocks. Huge wingspan. Quick reflexes. Despite the lack of offensive output, the loss of considerable weight and added mobility is an exciting development.
Jereme Richmond 6-7 195 SF Waukegan (IL) Illinois – 18 min, 11 pts, 5-7 fg, 3 reb, 2 ast.
Very long and fluid. Reminds of Matt Barnes with his mini mo-hawk and body type. Efficient stat line. Hit a nice 10 foot turn around jumpshot early in the second half, displaying solid form. Slashed to the rim for some easy buckets. Had one impressive drive and dunk as no one picked him up giving him an uncontested run to the basket. Did a good job of not forcing things while attempting to get by opponents offf the dribble. Made a nice rebound showing good hands and anticipation in first half, getting fould and going to the line.
Joshua Smith 6-9 310 C Kentwood (WA) UCLA – 15 min, 10 pts, 4-5 fg, 2-2 ft, 6 reb
Wide body with huge, soft hands. Excellent size and strength. Shows soft touch on his shot. Lacks great intensity and quickness. A solid leaper for his size but not very quick off the floor. Still needs to drop 20-25 lbs, minimum. Should be an impact player in the Pac-ten but will likely require 3-4 years before being ready to consider the NBA.
Tristan Thompson 6-9 235 PF Findlay Prep (NV) Texas – 17 min, 8 pts, 4-7 fg, 5 reb, 3 to
Thompson gets hype as a future lottery pick, but still has a ways to go. He’s an explosive athlete with great agility, but needs to figure out a position (PF) for the next level. His game is still too herky jerky and he gets caught thinking too much with the ball in his hands instead of having any go-to low post moves. Thompson should drop the obsession with facing the basket and being a 3/4 and bulk up and become a pure power forward and concentrate on developing a legitimate post game. His lack of strength was apparent even when he wasn’t going up against "Sully". Got his pocket picked late in the game by Sullinger as he tried to face him up and cross him over.
Patric Young 6-8 232 PF Providence (FL) Florida – 15 min, 7 pts, 3-4 fg, 9 reb
Gets the award for most creative hairstyle with a number of swirls and the number 21 etched into his hair. Has a great demeanor for a post player showing natural aggressiveness. He appeared to have an issue that he needed to work out with the rim during the dunk contest. Played effectively despite the lack of touches.
East
Reggie Bullock 6-5 190 SG Kingston (NC) North Carolina – 17 min, 6 pts, 3-6 fg, 6 reb
6 reb.
“The sheriff” scored one basket on a nice floater in the lane. Good length, agility and coordination. Made one catch and lay in on the break look effortless. Shows a good shooting form. Excellent basketball body, with long wingspan, good agility. Had an impressive follow dunk. Nearly hit a shot from his back after he gathered a rebound and fell to the floor.
Tobias Harris 6-8 210 SF Hollow Hills (NY) Tennessee – 12 min, 13 pts, 6-7 fg, 4 reb, 2 ast, 3 to
Not overly explosive but extremely skilled and offensive minded. Scored a quick 6 out of the first 8 for the East squad, all on dunks and cheapies around the rim. Went out with a stress fracture in his foot, requiring a boot and a 6 week recovery for him. Despite missing the second half due to injury, tied for 2nd on the team in scoring with 13 in just 12 minutes. A prolific scorer, who appears to be able to score in a variety of ways. Has an excellent feel for the game with strong fundamentals. Was 6 of 7 from the floor but did have 3 turnovers to 2 assists. Kissed the sky on one three pointer with amazing arc. Made one impressive tip, controlling the ball with one hand. Long arms and a strong dunker off of two feet. Has worked extremely hard on his body and will need to continue to do so.
Kyle Irving 6-2 172 PG St. Patrick (NJ) Duke – 18 min, 13 pts, 5-8 fg, 2 ast, 3 to
Had a nice match up with Knight. Struggled some with turnovers (3), leading Bullock too far on one pass early on. Knocked down a 3 early showing the ability to get his shot off quickly. Shows an excellent shot off the dribble. Smart player. Good anticipation defensively. Wowed the crowd late in the first half with a steal and a behind the back ball fake, lay in. A strong athlete, but not overly explosive or athletic. Made a breathtaking drive running Knight off a screen and then made a step back jumper showing tremendous quickness and offensive skill. Lack of explosiveness apparent on one breakaway dunk that came up short.
Joe Jackson 6-0 160 PG White Station (TN) Memphis – 12 min, 2 pts, 0-1 fg, 2-2 ft, 2 ast
Struggled to get anything going in the dunk contest. His great leaping ability was not apparent in the game or the dunk contest. Lack of size/strength is likely to keep him in college for four years. Good news for Josh Pastner as a number of his recruits appear to be 3-4 year guys. Displays good point guard skills and leadership. Has lightning quickness. Long arms and good free throw shooter. Long term potential limited by his size.
Perry Jones 6-11 230 SF/PF Duncanville (TX) Baylor – 15 min, 6 pts, 3-4 fg
Without question the player with the most upside of anyone in this class. Reminds of a stronger Anthony Randolph due his tremendous versatility and potential. Jones struggled to get on track early on and he still struggles with consistency. Knocked down a nice 17 foot jumper from the top of the key. Had two extremely impressive dunks late in the game, one in which he hammered a 2 handed dunk through the lane and another a one handed flush on the break off a Marshall feed which cut the lead to 2, with just over a minute left. Had a monster block on a Selby drive in 2nd half, spiking the ball off the glass, but got called for goal tending. A likely one and done top ten pick but must continue to work hard and continue developing his game. He’s a long ways off from being the night in night out dominant talent he shows the potential of becoming.
Jelan Kendrick 6-7 186 SF Wheeler (GA) Memphis – 11 min, 5 pts, 2-3 fg, 3 to
Did not get into the game until around the 7 mark of the first half but got things going quickly with a made 3 pointer. Lack of production mostly due to lack of opportunity. (11 min, 3 shots). Not a showstopping athlete but shows nice versatility and agility for a 6-7 wing player. Enters Memphis along with a tremendous recruiting class.
CJ Leslie 6-8 190 SF Word of God (NC) Undecided – 17 min, 7 pts, 3-6 fg, 9 reb, 2 blk,
Easily one of the best athletes in the class. A raw, physical specimen with great length and athleticism. If his skill level ever can catch up to his athletic gifts, watch out. Right now doesn’t appear to have a great understanding of the game. His skill level still has a long ways to go. Shows solid form on his shot from the line. Ball handling shows some promise but gets a little too fancy and out of control with it. Makes most of his plays purely with his athleticism. Scored nearly all of his points within 2 feet of the basket. Made his first basket on a put back slam off a Selby miss. Sent a Richmond shot flying out of bounds and ignited another break with a spectacular block of an Applling shot.
Kendall Marshall 6-3 170 PF Bishop O’Connell (VA) North Carolina – 14 min, 2 pts, 0-2 fg, 5 ast, 2 to
Facially looks eerily similar to another former Tar Heel Jason Capel. Lack of speed and athleticism was apparent from his first play as he slowed down on a breakaway allowing Tristan Thompson to catch up and block his shot (luckily got a foul out of it). Had 5 assists showing why many consider him the best passer in the entire class. Also makes good decisions rarely turning the ball over. Marshall is a likely 4 year guy and a superior passer, but still must work to become a complete player as his offensive game has a lot of room for improvement.
Jayvaughn Pinkston 6-6 235 PF Bishop Loughlin (NY) Villanova – 16 min, 4pts, 2-8 fg, 0-2 3p, 2 reb
Appears to be a 4 year type of college player with less NBA potential than many of his McD’s counterparts. A 6-6 forward with a lot of strength. Got tied up on his first touch as P. Young was able to tie him up on help defense. Finished just 2-8 from the floor with 4 pts. Has the body of a truck but actually shows some ball skills with the ability to go behind his back as well as pass the ball. A good athlete but needs to drop around 20-25lbs.
Josh Selby 6-3 183 PG Lake Clifton (MD) Kansas – 22 min, 13 pts, 6-10 fg, 3 ast, 3 to
Easily one of the most explosive guards in the class. The dunk contest winner scored his first basket in spectacular fashion off a drive and dunk from the lane. Puts a lot of pressure on the opposition with his aggressive drives to the rim. Plays more like a shooting guard. Has not shown much in the way of vision or passing ability. Makes some ill-advised passes going for the wow factor, granted it is an all star game. Decision making needs work. A talented player but needs to reign his game in to a degree. Needs to become better in the team game. Appears very focused on isolating and creating for himself. Fed Sullinger for a nice ally oop dunk in second half.
Jared Sullinger 6-9 265 PF Northland (OH) Ohio State – 19 min, 22 pts, 7-11 fg, 2-3 3p, 6-6 ft, 7 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl
“Big Smooth” had a game high 22 points sharing MVP honors with Barnes. Was absolutely on fire shooting the ball. Displayed his excellent range knocking down 2-3 from behind the arc. Finished 7-11 overall from the floor, 6-6 from the line. Amazing considering he was in the hospital earlier in the day due to dehydration related to food poisoning. Displayed shot blocking ability getting a block on McCallum on the break and then a foul call on Barnes which may have been clean. Appears closer to 6-8, but it could be just due to his girth. Kevin Love is a legit 6-9 despite appearing shorter. Very nimble and has good speed in the open floor for a player with as much bulk as he has. Could stand to drop 15-20 pounds and it would surely add quickness to his game. Showed that he knows how to use his body well to create space. Great feel for the game. Solid fundamentals. Good form on his shot. Has the willingness to play physical and demeanor you look for in a post player.
DeShaun Thomas 6-7 221 SF Bishop Luers (IN) Ohio State – 22 min, 11 pts, 5-14 fg, 0-5 3p, 7 reb, 3 ast, 1 to
Really struggled to get on track missing his first handful of shots. The left hander shows solid form on his shot. Got more assertive in the second half, but struggled in general shooting the ball, had 2 air balls. Not a stand out athlete, but solid. Appears a little anchored to the floor, lacks great foot speed. Long arms. Flushed a key ally oop to tie the game at 104 off a Selby feed late. Was rated as highly as top 5 early in his high school career but appears to be one of those guys that peaked at 15-16 years of age.
