CP3 Rising Stars: Size That Made an Impact

Six 2030 frontcourt prospects who showed that size is only the beginning   At a camp like CP3 Rising Stars, it's easy to look at a young player and immediately start talking about height.   For me, that's only the starting point.   I want to know what the size actually does for you. Can you rebound? Protect the rim? Defend away from the basket? Finish through contact? Stretch the floor? Pass? Move your feet?   Those details are what made these six stand out to me.    Jayden Nunez is a player I've already had multiple opportunities to watch, and CP3 gave me another look at what he's developing.   My notes were simple:   Good positional size. Rebounding. Spot-up shooter   But I don't want the conversation around Jayden to stop there.   One of the things that caught my attention during the weekend was seeing more of his ability to stretch the floor with his shooting and passing.   If you're a young big who can rebound and use his size, that gives you a foundation. If the shooting continues to develop to the point where defenders have to leave the paint to guard you, everything else becomes more valuable.   The passing adds another layer. Now you're not just thinking about Jayden as somebody who finishes plays. You're thinking about what he can do when the defense reacts to him.   Boog's Take: The first thing you see with Jayden is the size. I'm looking at what he's doing with it, and the shooting and passing are the parts that make me want to keep watching.     Daniel Harris stood out to me on the defensive side.   My note was:   Good help-side defense. Can also help as a rim protector.   That's important because defensive impact isn't always about being the guy guarding the ball.   Knowing when to rotate, being in the right spot and having the length or timing to challenge at the rim can completely change a possession.   That's the part I liked from Daniel.   Boog's Take   “The help-side stuff is what I want to see more of. Being able to affect a possession without even guarding the ball is a real skill.”   If that defensive awareness continues developing, he can become a valuable piece on that end.     My note on Freddy Bopanzi was simple:   Positional size. Good rebound positioning.   That might not be the flashiest evaluation, but it's something I value.   Rebounding isn't always about being the biggest guy on the floor. It's about understanding where the shot is coming from, finding your body and getting yourself into position before the ball comes off.   Freddy showed that awareness.   Boog's Take: You don't have to chase every rebound when you understand how to put yourself in the right spot. That's a foundation that can continue to translate as the competition gets bigger and more physical.     Daniel Okam gave me a combination that caught my attention early: good size with the ability to utilize the mid-range.   That's an important piece for a young frontcourt player.   When you have the physical tools to operate around the basket but can also step away and make shots in the mid-range, it forces the defense to make a decision. You can't automatically load everything toward the paint.   For me, the mid-range ability is the piece that makes Daniel's physical profile more interesting. It gives him another way to create offense and keeps defenders from simply playing him around the basket.   Boog's Take: The size gets your attention, but the ability to step out and make you guard him is what makes me want to keep watching.     Gaiten gave me one of the more complete physical notes of the weekend:   Strong frame. Positional size. Good explosion at the rim. Can extend the floor. Hedge defender.   That's a lot of different pieces.   The strength and size give him a foundation around the basket, while the explosion gives him another dimension as a finisher. Being able to extend the floor makes the offensive projection even more interesting.   Then there's the defensive piece.   If he can continue showing that mobility when he's asked to hedge and defend actions away from the paint, that becomes another part of his value.   Boog's Take: Gaiten has the kind of physical foundation where I'm asking how many different things he can eventually do with it. That's the question moving forward.     Justin Seals gave me a very simple note:   Strong finisher.   But finishing through contact is something worth paying attention to with young frontcourt players.   It's one thing to score when the lane is clean. It's another thing to finish when there's a defender attached to you, help is coming and the possession gets physical.   That's where strength starts becoming an actual basketball advantage. Justin showed that ability, and it's a part of his game I'll be watching closely as the competition gets tougher.   Boog's Take: I'm watching how that strength translates as the competition gets bigger. Being able to finish through contact is something you can build a lot of offense around.

Six 2030 frontcourt prospects who showed that size is only the beginning