Francisco’s Finest: Adidas Gauntlet LA (Most Productive)
Francisco’s Finest: Adidas Gauntlet LA (Most Productive)
IRVINE, CA—The Adidas Gauntlet (LA Session) was the place to be this weekend as all the elite Adidas sponsored teams (West Coast that is) competed. One of the eye-opening observations taken this weekend was the number of elite 2020 Adidas-affiliated prospects that reside on the West Coast. Led by Evan Mobley the class also consists of Dalen Terry, Jalen Green, Kyree Walker, as well as couple of super sleepers in 6-foot-9 Coleman Hawkins and 6-foot-9 Mitchell Puttkammer Saxen.
Jake Kyman (Santa Margarita) Club Team: Dream Vision
2019, WF, 6-foot-7, 215 pounds
Joel’s Take: Kyman, who will be part of a formidable frontline next season with Max Agbonkpolo and Shengzhe Li, was productive as any prospect at the Adidas Gauntlet. The sharpshooting wing was tickling the twine with his jump shot and his passing has always showed hints of his high IQ for the game. He cuts well without the basketball and is an underrated defender. Improving his overall athletic package (1st step) will improve his game.
Jamon Kemp (Garfield/WA) Club Team: Team Bradley
2019, SG, 6-foot-5, 175 pounds
Joel’s Take: If coaches are looking for a high-flying wing with budding skills, look no further than Kemp. He is a wiry scoring guard with bounce and quickness. His first step is impressive and he can slash his way to the rim. His jump shot is a tad erratic, but he can score effectively in the mid-range area and he has the physical tools to be an elite wing defender.
Shengzhe Li (Santa Margarita) Club Team: Pump N Run 17
2019, C, 6-foot-10, 245 pounds
Joel’s Take: Improvement has been the No. 1 evaluation tidbit of Li. Slowly, but assuredly, he has become more and more productive and he is always in an aggressive mindset. Despite having limited lift, he knows how to carve out space and he can finish with either hand. He needs to improve his ability to finish over length and improve his fundamentals (brings ball down), but he is a warrior.
Jonathan Salazar (St. John Bosco) Club Team: Dream Vision
2019, PF, 6-foot-6, 225 pounds
Joel’s Take: “Beast” is the first description that comes immediately to mind when describing Salazar. Can he be productive at the Pac-12 level? One thing for sure, “he would be a handful in the Mountain West” as one college coach noted. He is a menace to deal with in the paint area due to his strength and moxie. He can face-up his defender and get to the rim and he has shown the ability to knock in a 3-pointer. His ball handling is sloppy at times and he lets his emotions get to him a bit too often, but he is productive to say the least.
Kyree Walker (Glendale/Deer Valley) Club Team: Dream Vision 17U
2020, WF, 6-foot-5, 220 pounds
Joel’s Take: One of the more debatable players in the national Class of 2020 is certainly Walker. Physically he looks maxed out and as a result his upside could be up for discussion. However, you cannot deny his production. He attacks the rim with a vengeance and knows how to finish through contact due to his strength and athleticism. In addition, his passing acumen is highly impressive at times (knows how to snap those two-handed chest passes).
Isaiah Mobley (Rancho Christian) Club Team: Compton Magic Elite
2019, PF, 6-foot-9, 235 pounds
Joel’s Take: The older Mobley doesn’t have the bounce of his younger sibling (Evan), but he is highly skilled and has a knack for playing this game. He can finish with either hand in the paint, knock in elbow jump shots, and can play the point forward position as well. I would like him to advance the ball more in transition (has a tendency to over handle it), but overall he is a skilled 4-man.