Regardless of his scoring, the best part of having a player like [Dashaun]Wood at the camp is the fact that he almost exclusively looks to make everyone around him better. He was excellent in transition today, making great reads, and showing excellent court vision.
One player to pass the look test over the course of the first evening was the recent Tar Heel graduate [Rey Terry]. Terry showed up to camp looking more toned than ever, and sporting increased polish on his jumper. Throughout the first workout session, he might not have missed a single outside shot. Terry certainly has all the physical tools to play the SF spot in the NBA, and if he can follow through on tonight’s hot start with a couple of good shooting exhibitions, the first round isn’t out of the question.
One of the more intriguing prospects from day one, [Jared] Jordan really stood out in the scrimmage portion of today’s session. He displayed the ability to find the open man from anywhere on the floor, both in transition and in the half court offense, thanks to his fantastic court vision. He threw a great alleyoop lob to Stephane Lasme on one occasion, and did a solid job throughout on the pick and roll. The limitations of his game were just as apparent, however. Jordan will need to prove he can come over his disadvantages physically to really impress NBA scouts. At times he looked a step slow, needing a high ball screen at the top of the key to get the offense in motion.
Daequan Cook seemed apprehensive throughout the drills today, and struggled to get anything working in his favor. Offensively, he struggled to create separation away from opposing defenders who were stronger and more experienced, showing some fairly poor ball-handling skills and a distinct lack of concentration.
Sammy Mejia had a surprisingly nice showing, getting into the paint effectively, showing solid decision making skills, and knocking down his shots at a good rate.
Demetris Nichols didn’t show much at all. He needs plays ran for him and teammates working to get him the ball in a place where he can get his shot off, and without those two things, he’s not all that much to look at.
Mustafa Shakur had an up-and-down showing, taking it strong to the hole but not always staying under control, forcing the issue at times and making some questionable decisions.