Interior Forces

Here's a group of forwards and guards who have proven early on they can make a big impact around the rim. Whether they are getting downhill, attacking the glass, or using some plus athleticism to attack the ball, these guys have been key paint producers this season.    Harper is a big-time athlete who does a ton of work around the rim. He's averaging 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game and really attacks the ball when it goes up. He's been really efficient shooting the rock at a 69% clip this season from inside the arc, and a lot of his work inside has been leading to more and more free throw attempts. In his last three games, he's had four, six, and then seven attempts at the line.     Wilson is one of two guards on this list who have shown some impressive physicality and used their size and skill to have a big impact around the paint. He got into some early foul trouble against Annie Wright last weekend but it didn't stop him from coming back in to absolutely dominate on the glass and work through some contact inside to convert at the rim. He has a truly impressive physical make-up and was ripping down rebound after rebound last weekend. He has a great second jump and was able to follow up his misses inside to battle for buckets. He also had some great outlets up the court to counter the Gator's full-court pressure.     Armstrong was really impressive in their game against Garfield last Saturday and showed he's on track to be a reliable post presence for West Seattle. What stood out most was his strength and ability to play around bodies. He was pushing guys off the blocks, getting to strong bases with the ball to go up through bodies under the hoop, and made a couple of nice blocks inside. He was constantly battling through multiple guys inside to bring down boards and defend the paint.     McNeal is a fantastic athlete who has added a big presence around the paint for the Crusaders with his ability to fly around. His agility, burst, and aggression inside have made him a big factor rebounding, blocking shots, and getting down the court to finish plays in transition. He pairs really well with their other big man, [player_tooltip player_id='1685489' first='Yeabsera' last='Aklog'], providing great floor coverage and some high-flying impact plays.     Simmons thrives at getting downhill and did a lot of work around at the rim against River Ridge last Friday. He can get to the rim in a number of ways, attacking lanes with big bursts, playing off two to get around defenders in the paint, and running the floor with his eyes on the rim. He mixed in power finishes with some touch shots near the hoop and has also been a big presence on the glass to start the year, averaging 16.8 points and 8.0 rebounds a game, including three games with 10+ rebounds.

Here's a group of forwards and guards who have proven early on they can make a big impact around the rim. Whether they are getting downhill, attacking the glass, or using some plus athleticism to attack the ball, these guys have been key paint producers this season.