Mayhem in the Plex: Sharpshooters

<p><em>Mayhem in the Plex </em>had a plethora of elite shooters in the gym this past weekend in Fort Worth, with nearly every game I watched having a few players displaying some serious deep-range shooting skills. From catch-and-shoot shooters to pull-up artists and highly efficient scoring point guards, here are four of the best sharpshooters that caught my eye this past weekend. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_1187859" align="aligncenter" width="225"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/thumbnail-2.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1187859 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/thumbnail-2-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a> SG Enrique Salmon (Photo by: Shane Scholwinski)[/caption] <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Enrique Salmon | 5’11" SG | EP Matrix 2023 (2023)</strong></span></p> <ul> <li>The top shooter of the tournament from beyond the arc in the games I watched was EP Matrix’s shooting guard Enrique Salmon, who has a pure shot from deep-range and made it look easy nailing three-pointers. Salmon went 8-of-11 from three in the game I watched, including going 5-of-5 in the first half, and showed to be a terrific knock-down artist from the wings. He was laser-focused in the matchup and defenders caught on quickly that he is a big-time threat as a shooter from deep, and yet he was still able to knock down 3 threes in the second half from the corners even with extra attention on him from defenders. Salmon is a three-point specialist who has a lot of potential as an outside shooter. </li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Jake MacDonald | 6’0" SG | DFW Magic 2023 (2023)</strong></span></p> <ul> <li>MacDonald showed really impressive shooting ability from deep-range, both as a pull-up shooter and on the move, knocking down 6 threes and scoring 18 points in the matchup I watched. MacDonald plays with a ton of confidence shooting the rock, has a quick trigger and high arcing shot, and is a big-time offensive weapon as a catch-and-shoot shooting guard who moves well without the ball and can create his own shot. He has some serious range and wasn’t afraid to pull the trigger from NBA range, and he hit shots with defenders in his face. </li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_1188997" align="aligncenter" width="225"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/thumbnail-8.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1188997 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/thumbnail-8-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a> PG [player_tooltip player_id="1027631" first="Kaden" last="Smart"] (Photo by: Shane Scholwinski)[/caption] <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1027631" first="Kaden" last="Smart"] | 6’0" PG | Drive Nation Austin 2022 Black (2022)</strong></span></p> <ul> <li>Smart was one of the top deep-range shooters in Texas during his junior season (102 threes made), and he displayed his three-point shooting prowess in the game I watched nailing several threes from different spots on the court. Smart plays with great awareness and is in catch-and-shoot mode each time he is in the half-court, with all of his makes being swishes and hardly moving the net. Smart has great touch on his shot, and he can swing the momentum of a game in a hurry when he catches fire from beyond the arc. </li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1162238" first="Nate" last="Beitel"] | 6’5" SG | Team Buddy Buckets KS 2022 (2022)</strong></span></p> <ul> <li>Another pure shooter who nailed shots from his spots and did a great job of moving without the ball, Beitel hit clutch three-pointers very late in the game in Buddy Buckets KS’s win over Mississippi United 2022. Beitel swished 2 threes from the top of the key and got great lift on his shot and has good shooting technique. His length and lift allow him to shoot over taller wings and guards, and he did a good job with his decision-making on when to pull the trigger on shots from deep. Beitel’s shot gives him high upside as a scorer anywhere in the halfcourt but particularly as a weapon from three-point range. </li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p>