AZ Compass Fall League Week 2: Backcourt Report

I attended the AZ Compass Fall League on September 8 and 10 in Chandler, catching every game on both days. Plenty of impressive individual performances, and a chance to see some guys I'd never watched before. Here's a look at the guards who stood out to me.    Unselfish guard who is always looking to get his teammates involved and make the right read. Plays with real poise in transition, driving into the paint and kicking back out to the top of the key or feeding it inside off his own drive. Runs the offense and directs traffic, but proved he can be a threat at the rim when his team needs points. In the second game he showed more of his driving ability, blowing by with a solid first step and slicing through multiple defenders once he got inside, drawing several and-one calls and finishing through contact. Plus defender too, with multiple steals turned into transition points.     Incredible finisher at the rim. Slices through defenders, spins off his man, and always figures out a way to score whether he is double-teamed or going through contact, drawing multiple and-ones along the way. Has a knack for readjusting his body and the ball to somehow put it in, particularly once he gets downhill into the lane. What makes him dangerous is that he can also pull up from the midrange and hit it from deep, so defenders never know what is coming. Just a pure scorer. Fantastic on-ball defense as well, staying attached and forcing tough looks. Plays under control and converts when he gets there.     Terrific motor. Shows his chops on the glass and especially on the offensive end, flying in and fighting for every board to give his team an extra possession. Fantastic on-ball defender who plays with high intensity, working through screens to stay attached and forcing multiple turnovers. Offensively he can hit the catch-and-shoot three or get to the rim, where his speed and euro step do the work.     One of the more consistent three-point shooters in the Compass fall league. Hits the standard catch-and-shoot look and gets it off the dribble with a pump-fake side-step. When defenders close out hard he makes them pay, driving in for the layup or kicking out once the defense collapses. Underrated passer as well, finding his best looks when driving, with solid vision any time the ball is in his hands.     Finishes at the rim as well as anyone, using quick bursts to blow by and slice through multiple defenders, with good footwork on the euro step and the spin. Finishes through contact for and-ones. Has a ton of bounce, which makes him difficult to stay in front of. Consistently makes the right read when he passes, looking for cutters and teammates opening up inside. Plays with real pace and excels at getting downhill.     Effective three-point shooter who creates his own looks rather than waiting for them. Hits off the catch with a smooth stroke, and uses the pump fake to open up a side-step into the pull-up. Really understands how to get defenders off balance with the shot fake before driving the baseline when it opens up. Has a floater game in the midrange as well. Good on-ball defender, forcing turnovers and making things difficult for opposing guards.     Excellent on-ball defender, consistently going for steals, creating turnovers and forcing tough reads from the opposition. Gets to his spots in time and closes out superbly. Active on the defensive glass as well, fighting for position and contesting in the paint, with shot-blocking ability in transition. Plays with real instinct on that side of the floor, and did a lot of things well defensively that would never show up on a stat sheet.

I attended the AZ Compass Fall League on September 8 and 10 in Chandler, catching every game on both days. Plenty of impressive individual performances, and a chance to see some guys I'd never watched before. Here's a look at the guards who stood out to me.