Spring Combine Recapture: Caleb Lawrence

Andrew Force March 30, 2019 @ 12:58 AM

Wilson Central finished their season 10-18 with Caleb Lawrence as a junior point guard. The Wildcats benefited from Lawrence's scoring and creating. His strengths as a player are spatial recognition, outside shooting, and high motor.

Caleb Lawrence 6'1" PG (Wilson Central) -- 2020

PrepHoopsTN Spring Combine All-Star
Standing Reach -- 95" or 7'11"
6'1" 149 pounds
Wingspan -- 6'4"
Vertical -- 22.5"
Hand Length -- 8.5"
Lane Agility -- 12.00, 11.71

Easily a top three catch-and-shoot guy at the PrepHoopsTN Spring Combine Caleb Lawrence showed a comfort away from the ball that most young scorers lack. Lawrence didn't hunt the basketball as much as he hunted ideal, open shooting pockets. When teammate Phil Dotson noticed Caleb was both open and capable they successfully linked up constantly.

Lawrence stands with a faintly slouched body, strong yet unassuming posture, and traipses around the deck like a 20-year YMCA gym mainstay.

Projecting the evolution of his game is rather easy. Lawrence will continue to excel and improve as a shooter. He needs to shoot more effectively off the dribble an can. With this Lawrence will open up his shooting options greatly.

Lawrence can pass and handle well enough to play varsity point guard, though he needs a few individual training sessions to implement elite breakdown dribble moves. His speed burst is only average, so the technique must be special for the moves to be effective.

Lawrence uses his biggest strides to get a little separation as he dribbles. Still, there is room for more head dekes and hip wiggle.

Judging him purely on the day, Caleb Lawrence was the 10th most productive camper. Consider he was one of just five Class of 2020 players, the oldest age bracket, in attendance. Ranking players in the building does not rank their ceiling as a prospect, which an eighth grader who Lawrence blatantly overwhelmed Sunday might someday surpass his greatest ceiling.

For Caleb Lawrence, success revolves around expanding his shot creation, not his already reliable shot effectiveness and his failures will occur when he tries to out-jump defenders. Improving handles is a prerequisite for any college recruitment as the 6-foot-1 guard needs to more fluidly portray the smoothness of point guard.

Shooting prowess and court vision provide an enticing point guard foundation to build upon.