Prospect Spotlight: Josh Warren (2019)
Woodhaven guard Josh Warren is one of the best two way players in the state.
The 5-foot-9 guard averaged 22 points, 7 assists and 4 steals per game last season. He led Woodhaven in just about every statistical category as a junior and should improve his numbers as a senior.
Warren is one of the best scorers in the Detroit area. He did just about everything he could to secure another Downriver League Title for Warriors this past season. At times, he can get a little shot happy, but, for the most part, he is very smart with the ball and gets everyone on the court involved.
One would think that his height would hurt him on the court, but it actually helps him in a lot of ways. He’s very shifty and has a quick first step that allows him to blow by defenders. Getting shots over taller defenders can be a problem at times, but he’s really good at adjusting around the rim and finishing in traffic.
“The strengths of my game are being able to get out in transition and putting a lot of pressure on the defense,” Warren said. “Another strength of mine is the lost art of the mid-range.”
Defensively, Warren is a fantastic on ball defender. He makes life very difficult for ball handlers, because he is a thief that comes away with a ton of steals. One little slip up and Warren is getting an easy fast break layup on the other end.
Warren really likes to model his game after Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas and you can see a little bit of both in his game. Warren is great at breaking down his defenders like Irving and is very shifty and good at getting his shot off over taller defenders like Thomas.
“With me being the competitor that I am, the only thing you can do is use it for motivation,” Warren said about being underrated. “I believe God has a plan for me and everything will happen in his time, so all I can do is control the things I can and just continue to get better every day.”
Warren doesn’t have any offers, but he has received a lot of interest from some Division I mid majors. He would like to find a program that will help him develop his game and care for him as a person.
His scoring ability will get a lot of teams interested, but his team first mentality and ability to clamp down on the defensive end set him apart from a lot of other players around the country.
” What sets me apart from other players in the country is my work ethic and never getting comfortable. I always have a desire to get better.”