NBA Comparison: Allan Ray/Joe Young

Strengths: 6’4 combo guard … Strong frame and handles contact well … Solid athlete and good body control at the rim. Throws down aggressive jams on occasions … Can play on or off the ball … Good mechanics and arc on jump shot. Effective shooting off the catch with good balance and his feet set. Plenty capable of getting hot and scoring from beyond the arc. Shooting range extends to the NBA 3PT line … Unselfish and doesn’t try to do too much with the ball. Solid court vision and passing ability, knows his options with the ball. Averaged 3.7 assists to 2.3 turnovers per game over the Nike EYBL in 2022 … Good commitment and foot speed as a defender. Consistently sits and harasses the ball-handler. Anticipates and gets his hand on passes, defends well off the ball. Averaged 1.2 steals per game over the Nike EYBL in 2022 … Has handled the publicity and having his every move examined under a microscope incredibly well, especially considering how long he’s been in the limelight. Stayed poised while always having a target on his back by opposing teams … Likely not a top option, but potentially a piece/rotational player to a winning team …

Weaknesses: Labeled as a combo guard but lacks as a primary initiator and lacks size to primarily play off the ball … Solid athlete and obviously has great genetics but isn’t top tier explosive … Can improve as a ball-handler. Doesn’t create much in the half-court as he lacks slashing ability and doesn’t break down the defense off the dribble much. Generally, keeps the ball outside the arc. Can improve scoring efficiency and finishing at the rim. Averaged 11.5 points per game on 35.7% FG% over the Nike EYBL in 2022 … Lacks diversity as a scorer. While limited in the half-court to catch and shoot situations, he can improve 3PT shooting consistency. He had a few 50%+ 3PT% games, but he also had his share of off games as well, ultimately shooting 29.7% 3PT% on 5.1 3PT attempts per game over the Nike EYBL in 2022. Can be too content shooting contested deep 3s … Can improve as a free throw shooter. Shot 65.6% FT% over the Nike EYBL in 2022 …

Outlook: USC freshman … Son of LeBron James … Recorded 14 points (5-10 FG, 5-8 3PT) and 4 assists in the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game … Scored 11 points in the 2023 Nike Hoop Summit … 2023 Naismith High School All-American Honorable Mention …

Evan Tomes 10/14/23