GymRats Albany: Metro Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>New readers: Use code Proia30</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I drove up to Albany, NY for a high-level GymRats Live event that featured teams from the Northeast that compete on different shoe circuits for a weekend of survive-and-advance basketball. It was great seeing individual and team matchups amongst regional rivals that we normally don't get to see throughout the summer battle it out as each team fought to walk away with a trophy. First, we'll cover the local talent from the NYC Metro area that stood out this weekend. Let's dive in!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2780666"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69f8e477d7cf7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">24p 2r 1a vs Thrill </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-First time that I've gotten a chance to see the shifty guard and he really impressed against a pesky Thrill frontcourt in the championship game after knocking off Middlesex Magic, Team New England, and City Rocks. Ragoo got into his jumper smoothly throughout the game despite double teams and ball pressure, scoring effectively from all 3 levels to push the Lightning out to an early lead that they held for most of the game. Ragoo had several blow-by drives from the wing to the rim, had a double-cross stepback 3 after dropping off his defender, knocked down a pound dribble 3 off a spin move when he saw the double coming, hit shots off the catch because he set his feet well and moved to space pre-catch, scored at the rim, and rose up to hit a long 2 after he got his defender in the air in the middle of the key. His ability to split through tight gaps in the defense and create his own shot quickly without changing his form really wreaked havoc on the opposing defense. In an era where effective shot-creators can be hard to find, he should continue to prove his value on the circuit. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2473576"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69f8e477d7d77"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">12p 4a 4r 2s vs Thrill</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-German had a standout performance the game before this one against City Rocks and continued that momentum as a strong, pesky POA defender. Our scouts loved his ability to get under his matchup to fight over screens and close distance quickly to contest both layups and jumpers without fouling, showing that he can guard both lead guards and wings effectively. German got the offense going in the 2H with a blow-by floater off two feet, ripped a steal then threw a beautiful lob in transition, caught the ball on the low block and scored off a quick spin move over the smaller defender, showed his impact on the glass to grab three offensive rebounds in traffic and knock down both ensuing FTs on 3 different possessions, and rejected the screen to sweep downhill and hit a big floater in the paint. A throw-back, pass-first and defensive-minded lead guard his a difficult slot to fill but German played that role to perfection. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2349988"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69f8e477d7df6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">18p 8a 6r 5s vs Top Shot</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Probably the most well-rounded performance that I've seen from the blue chip guard in a nice quarterfinal win over Top Shot. White ran the offense masterfully in the halfcourt and in transition by threading the needle with several one-handed dimes off the bounce but also by making designed reads within the offense that led to good looks for his team. White scored on a few AND1 trips to the basket, threw several well-placed lobs in transition, back-tapped then ripped his opponent on B2B possessions for 1-handed dunks, and even threw down an alley-oop dunk of his own. His touch in the paint really stood out as a guard that plays with great pace, speeding his matchup up with assertive drives to the rim before changing direction or stopping on a dime to make the right play in the key.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3626497"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69f90a20a0acb"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">13p 7r 2a 5s vs Middlesex Magic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Chase really came to life in the 2H after a slow 1H where he struggled from the field, turning it up at the right time to show some advanced skill with the ball in his hands. Chase started things off with back to back steals that he turned into assists at the other end, picked off a crosscourt skip and raced it to score at the rim, knocked down a corner 3 off the catch, showed no hesitation to take and make a contested 3 late in the game to cut the score to 1, and was real difficult to stay in front of both in the halfcourt and in transition. Loved the burst that he showed changing the level and tempo of his dribble to get to his spots without picking up the ball, often rejecting the screen to use his defender's momentum against them to create an advantage for his team. Intriguing scoring point guard to track in 2029.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2196037"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69f90a20a0b0c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">3p 7r 1a 1b vs Thrill</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Loved Desir's motor and his ability to cover ground defensively for his team as an agile forward prospect that affected shots all over the court with his length. Desir contested shots around the rim, showed good lateral mobility icing ball screens, and closed out several defensive possessions with tough rebounds in traffic. Loved how bought-in he was to that role and the motor that he played with at both ends of the floor as a forward prospect that could make rotations to the rim or 3 point line to contest shots without fouling. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->