Team Melo v New World Scrimmage: 17U Notes

As May approaches, grassroots teams are finding any way to sharpen up their chemistry before heading out to their respective circuit events and eventually, the live period that takes place on May 15-17. On Sunday, [program_tooltip program_id='2076999' first='Team' last='Melo'] and New World met at Calvert Hall to hold a scrimmage for 15s, 16s and 17s.   Starting with the 17s group, I break down some prospects that stood out:    Taylor took the floor looking like he was out to prove a point. There was a sense of intent that he brought to violently snagging rebounds above the rim and finishing strong with two hands on the offensive end that just brought more of a ferocity than anyone else on the floor. This isn't to say that Taylor never brings this type of edge, but it fueled him to dominate this scrimmage in the paint and if its a sign for what's to come on a consistent basis, there are going to be a slew of college programs vying for his services. While the majority of his impact took place inside, the 6-foot-5 forward also took the time to show off a cleaner, more confident release from three as he buried one in a drive-and-kick scenario from the right wing. If he wasn't finishing the job himself, Taylor was bullying his way to the rim off a couple bounces and forcing the defense to collapse before zipping passes to teammates spotting up. Really good showing from Taylor, who could easily find himself back in the top-10 in the next rankings update.     Playing up on 17s, Smith-Bey looked very comfortable as a primary option for this New World group. Looking at his build and makeup, you'd never thing he was "playing up" because he fits in from a physicality standpoint, but the flashes of improved ability playing off the bounce that we saw to end the high school season is making its transition into this environment. Despite being a top option, Smith-Bey's low maintenance approach offensively always shines bright. He doesn't chase after the ball and you won't find him on the perimeter screaming the player's name as they drive. Instead, he reads the defense effectively and uses his high-level instincts to make timely backdoor cuts or dives to the rim and put himself in position for clean looks. He was efficient with his dribbles playing off the catch and on multiple possessions, made the defender pay for shooting the gap with quick 1-to-2 dribble mid range pulls that looked extremely fluid.     Condon is really becoming an offensive hub and although he and Taylor don't offer the elite size that they'll face in EYBL play, there won't be many 6'10"-7'0" bigs that can chase them around the floor. Condon has now turned himself into not just a guy that you need to respect from three, but a guy that you need to meet on the catch. In transition when a rim run wasn't available, Condon faded to corners and knocked down three's off the catch. He playing out of pick-and-pops and if he wasn't letting it fly, he'd act as an offensive hub for high-lows to Taylor, quickly swinging to the opposite wing and head hunting a defender to screen or putting it on the deck and using his bullish frame to get where he wanted. Hardhat style forward who has adopted plenty of translatable skills that you need as a toolsy stretch forward.     Graves may have changed his location for the high school season, but his mindset has remained. Getting buckets is what Graves does best and he was in his flow for spurts throughout this showing as a guard with sound positional size that attacked the rim with aggression and finished through harm. He has some twitch to tap into when he gets downhill that allows for crafty finishes and used his end-to-end speed to put pressure on the rim in transition. This New World group is still getting to learn each other's strengths and weaknesses. The point guard position will play a big role in their success puzzle, but one thing that is for certain is Graves' scoring capabilities at the combo guard spot.     Somewhat of a slow start for Jones in the first quarter of this matchup was quickly put to rest with a productive three quarters to help steer Melo to a win. Jones is one of those naturally gifted scorers that forces his defender to be paranoid anytime the ball is in his hands. Where his game has really grown over the last six months is his ability to play at different speeds. The defender has to stay attached at all costs given his ability to score it off the bounce, but his ability to accel with twitch makes him a nightmare in ball screens, DHO's or in transition as he can gain an advantage and then maintain elite body control on the deceleration while finishing at tough angles. The other wrinkle of his game that should shine this summer is his court vision. Jones is no stranger to whipping cross court passes off the live dribble to weak side shooters in their shooting pockets.     Ross is one of the new faces to this New World group, but should have a great opportunity to carve out a meaningful role in a hurry. He wasted no time in making his presence known off the bench as he came in and buried a deep three from the top of the key. He carried much of the primary ball handing duties in the half court and if he embraces this aspect, it could pay dividends for both Ross and his team in the long term. He knocked down another three off the bounce in the second half well beyond the line, reassuring his long-range shooting prowess.     Tchoubfong is looking to provide an extra jolt and bring further versatility to the wing/frontcourt rotation for Melo and he did just that on Sunday. He mucked up things defensively for New World given his swtichability and showed a willingness to hunt down rebounds out of his area with purpose. Offensively he did a good job of keeping things simple and attacking in straight-line fashion where he welcomed and absorbed contact well. The outside shot is still a work in progress, but when he catches it in rhythm and with space, he's liable to convert like he did on one occasion in this scrimmage.     Ashe is another prospect on this New World team that has the opportunity to grab bulk minutes if he embraces being a true point guard. He played with much more controlled and effective pace to his game than I saw last prior to the high school season. If he continues to show how to play in this change-of-pace sort of attack, the burst that he has off his back foot will allow him to find driving lanes routinely as he did early here in this scrimmage. Slowing the game down mentally is also going to allow for him to showcase his vision, which he's shown plenty of in the past when he's equipped with a lob-catching forward or big.

As May approaches, grassroots teams are finding any way to sharpen up their chemistry before heading out to their respective circuit events and eventually, the live period that takes place on May 15-17. On Sunday, Team Melo and New World met at Calvert Hall to hold a scrimmage for 15s, 16s and 17s.