Wrote about Maliar’s performance in-depth for the Second Team article, but to revisit why he got the nod it all stemmed with his IQ as a decision maker. Maliar isn’t a point guard, but he makes sound reads and decisions on his catches around the perimeter. Whether it’s quickly getting off it with an extra pass, pulling the trigger when his defender hesitates to closeout or attacking gaps with the intention of forcing help to free up others, there was an attractive simplicity to what he brought. It took a game or two for his team to form some cohesion, but Maliar eventually ended the day strong on a very strong note.

I was really pleased with the play of Maliar and in an environment when the flow of games can get tricky as quick shots become the norm, there was a calmness to Maliar whenver he got the ball. He made quick decisions off the catch to either attack or keep it moving, made good reads as a passer on paint touches if he couldn’t use his soft-touch floater and made his defender pay for any hesitation on closeouts from three. He brings a sturdy frame that he used to wall penetrating guards defensively, cleared space out around the rim with box outs and maintained width while filling the lanes in transition. Maliar was productive, efficient and showed good processing skills on plays that translate to winning basketball.

Dmytro showed a lot of potential as a consistent and efficient 3&D threat. Quick catch-and-shoot trigger that was very accurate during the day. He spotted up well along the perimeter and defended well on the other side of the ball. Had a lot of plays making a stop on the ball to halt potential transition baskets from the defense.