The Next Wave Camp: Best Forwards and Bigs
Basketball is, and always will be, a big man’s game. The majority of NBA championship rosters in recent memory have been anchored by a dominant player either in the post or on the wing. Aside from the 2015 Golden State…
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Continue ReadingBasketball is, and always will be, a big man’s game. The majority of NBA championship rosters in recent memory have been anchored by a dominant player either in the post or on the wing. Aside from the 2015 Golden State Warriors, since 2011 every NBA champion’s best player has been a big or a forward. The Mavericks had Dirk Nowitzki, the Heat and Cavaliers had LeBron James, the Warriors had Kevin Durant, and the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors had Kawhi Leonard. Despite the fact the guard position is constantly increasing in popularity, forwards and centers are still the difference makers. Here are four frontcourt players who were difference makers at The Next Wave basketball camp presented by The TB5 Reports at The MAC in Lewisville, Texas.
Jordan Walsh – 2022 6’6 Wing/PF (Nike Drive Nation E15) Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy – This guy is a freak of nature on the court. The first thing I saw him do was go between the legs on a dunk during layup lines. From that point on I zeroed in on this kid. Walsh loves to play above the rim. He is always looking to put opposing players on a poster. Additionally, he attacks the glass on both ends and loves to lurk around the basket for put backs on offense.
He is far more than just a freak athlete too. Walsh is a skilled and versatile player on offense. He has solid footwork and touch in the post. He’s also a pretty good rhythm shooter from both mid-range and behind the three-point line. However, my favorite thing about Walsh is his passing ability. He made some spectacular passes out of the post that led to easy baskets for his teammates. This dude has serious superstar potential.
Trae Clayton – 2022 6’4 SF (Nike Drive Nation E15) Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy – Clayton is another versatile player from Nike Drive Nation E15. He can do a little bit of everything on offense. He showed that he can be both the ball handler or screener in pick and roll scenarios. When he is the screener, he rolls hard to the basket and typically is able to convert from inside.
His versatility on offense shows up in his shooting and passing as well. I saw him knock down a couple of threes during the camp. He also threw a nice alley oop pass. All that said, I still think he operates best when he is searching for looks inside because he can do so in a variety of ways. Clayton has a lot of upside. He is just a really solid all-round payer.
Lee DortLee Dort – 2022 6’10 Center (Nike Drive Nation E15) Bethany Christian – Dort is quite the presence down low. There were a couple of other 6’9 or taller players in attendance, but none of them looked like Dort. He already has the build of someone who could compete at the college level. I thought he was going to bring the rim down with him on one of the many standing dunks he converted. I’m not sure what they’re feeding these kids over at Nike Drive Nation, but it seems to be working!
Dort is more than just a big body though. He is a talented player on top of that. He uses his strength to muscle out room to score down low. That won’t work as well once he’s going up against players who are similar to him in size and build, but if it works for him now, why change it? He did however display good touch on some shots close to the basket. Dort is a tremendous rebounder too. He attacks the ball at its highest point in addition to his ability to clean up the glass on offense.
Jourdyn Grandberry – 2022 Wing (Texas Impact Elite) – This kid is going to skyrocket up the 2022 rankings before his high school career is over. There isn’t a lot of information out there on him yet. I even had to ask someone for his name because he wasn’t on my list of players attending the camp. I did not get his height, but I can assure you that he has solid height and length for his age.
Grandberry is a great shooter. He has a really pretty jumper and isn’t afraid to pull up and let it fly in transition. He hit a bunch of threes off the catch in both half-court and transition situations. I was also impressed with how well he understands pacing. In addition to all that, he’s not a greedy player by any means. I saw him make the extra pass on numerous occasions, and that always leads to good things for a team. I also loved his positive attitude and the way he cheered on his teammates on and off the court. That’s something that shouldn’t go unnoticed.