Scouting Report: Isaiah Canaan

Height: 6'1''
Weight: 199lbs
Wingspan: 6'4''
BDay: 5/2/1991

Team: Murray State
Class of 2013

Isaiah Canaan has been busy all summer, going from skill camp to skill camp and ending his summer tour at the Adidas Nations. While he received some negative reviews from scouts, just the fact that Canaan is in the position he is should be considered a Cinderella story.

Canaan dealth with hurricane Katrina first hand and ended up lightly recruited, choosing to head north and play for OVC member Murray State. At under 6 feet tall and not exceptionally athletic, Canaan is the type of player who can easily slip through the cracks of the big time schools. Falling to Murray State has turned out to be much more of a blessing than a curse for Canaan however.

For one, Canaan has been able to put the Racers on the map. They were already a competitive school, but with Canaan at the helm they have become a force to be reckon with - outlasting the entire NCAA in consecutive wins to start the season. Canaan's ultra-competitiveness, heart, and determination to prove everyone wrong has been the driving force behind the Racer's success.

Canaan is a point guard, but mainly in terms of bringing the ball up. When the ball is in hands though, make no mistake that he is looking to score. Canaan is an attacker. The defense always has to be aware of him as he can pull up from anywhere on the court or barrel his way into the lane.

The biggest and most translatable attribute of his game is definitely his shooting. He has a super quick shot and more than half of his shot attempts were from behind the arc. His range is unlimited and he is comfortable with shooting off the dribble or in spot up situations.

He does very well in pick and roll situations, something that he will also have a chance to do in the NBA. His confidence and aggressiveness forces you to be ready for a 3-pt attempt around picks, but Canaan also drives to the rim without hesitation. He is very good with both hands and has a good crossover to boot. His strong frame allows him to get into the lane and handle contact, although he still struggles finishing amongst the bigs.

His struggle to finish is a major concern that goes back to his small vertical stature. At only 6 feet and lacking vertical explosion, Canaan needs to find ways to aid his scoring around the rim. Right now he just isn't shifty or crafty enough. He takes too much contact since he can't move his body well enough and sees his shot blocked too many times.

While Canaan thrives in the pick and roll game, it is strictly due to his scoring prowess. The combination of his shooting, driving, and confidence is lethal at this level, but he rarely creates for teammates out of the set. Canaan has acknowledged this summer that he needs to do a better job changing speeds, as he was told by Deron Williams and Chris Paul, and that is certainly part of the problem. More so, though, is his mentality. Canaan has been a scorer all his life and has never been a pass first guy. Even at the Adidas Nations, where he was surrounded by talent, Canaan looked awful in the role of playmaker. He had 3 assists to 19 turnovers and from what I heard, the numbers didn't lie.

Having one of the worst camps out of all college players have put a damper on his first round buzz. It is looking more and more like Canaan is an undersized scorer who will have a real big jump to make if he wants to play point guard. There could be a role for a terrific shooter like Canaan who fights and plays with great confidence. Shooting is valued and when guys like Andrew Goudelock can make it, Canaan can as well.

Athletically, we know he is short. What he does offer is great strength - he has big calves and a strong upper body. He also has a decent wingspan that does help compensate for his height a bit. In terms of speed and quickness, Canaan is nothing special, but with his good ball handling skills, he is able to make quick and speedy moves. His crossover helps him change directions very quick and he doesn't get out of control as much as you would except. Canaan is an average leaper and his lateral quickness is average as well. Defensively, I do think he plays with good intensity and awareness. He can be a best when he wants to, but the lateral quickness does limit his effectiveness. He hasn't faced many big named point guards in college and the fact that he has struggled against good summer competition (many younger than him) is worrisome.

One more thing I should mention is his mid-range game, which has shown signs of being good. His pure scoring instincts are present here, but the lack of changing speeds presents him from consistently getting good looks from this range. At this point, Canaan really doesn't need a great mid-range game, but it will be important in the NBA.

Canaan can find a spot in the NBA. This summer has hurt him, but watching tape, I saw one of the best shooters in the country and a guy with a chip on his shoulder. He is a competitor, a winner, and someone who will continue to work hard for your team. He doesn't possess much upside, even if he miraculously gained point guard skills (which would put him in the Jameer Nelson range), but he could be a nice combination of an Andrew Goudelock and Charles Jenkins. Thats a high second round pick type, not a first rounder.

Rookie Report

Thanks to a daily dosage of NBA league pass every night, I've had no trouble keeping tabs with last years draft class. After all, scouting players doesnt end when the graduate to the league. That is only the beginning. It is important to stay current with the NBA game and see how each player translates. After watching, you can reflect on why a certain player exceeded or failed to live up to your expectations for them in the league.

Kyrie Irving hasn't been a game changer, but thats not what should have been expected from him off the bat. He's been a decent court general and shot the ball very well - well enough to be leading all rookies in scoring. He won't be a bust, but it isn't a guarantee that he will be the top player from this class.

For the Cavs though, they might have elected to go with the best combination of selections since they also nabbed Tristan Thompson at #4. Thompson has played with a great deal of energy, cleaning up the glass and blocking shots. His post game is more advanced than many pundits gave him credit for, helping him scored over 8 ppg in just under 20 minutes.  He does need to work on his free throw shooting, especially since his best skill may be at getting to the line. If he does that, he will have a chance to be an all-star. Right now, he is shooting under 50% from the line.

I spent a lot of time covering point guards last year and so far, many of them have proven to be worth the time. Kemba Walker hasn't been given a chance to settle into a role yet, but he has been clutch at times. The question to remains with him about whether he can run a team and also be efficient. So far he hasn't shown either of them. The TJ Ford comparison might turn out to be appropriate.

I was a little down on Norris Cole heading into the season because I wasn't sure about his halfcourt offense, but he has been a steal thus far. It helped that he was drafted by the Heat, getting plenty of chances to run out on the break. Still, Cole has proven to be worthy of some of Mario Chalmers minutes already and looks primed to take over the starter role in time.

Jimmer Fredette is another guy I had a lot of questions about and they all still stand. He has looked like an electric scorer at times, but is shooting a poor percentage at this juncture. His shooting is not what is worrisome, though. We know that will come around. What is a problem is his defense. Nothing I have seen so far this year makes me think he can play good enough defense at this level to be effective. He cant stay in front of anyone and to top it off, he has even done a terrible job of getting back and preventing fast break points. Lucky for him, he's on the Kings and the only guy behind him to take minutes is another rookie, Mr. Irrelevent, Isaiah Thomas.

The decision to cut Pooh Jeter and just role with Thomas was a questionable choice. Thomas can't defend and is a inefficient scorer. Hes struggled when pressed and isn't big enough to get his shot of consistently. He's the sparkplug type, a dime a dozen, and I dont believe he is worthy of a NBA roster spot.

Josh Selby is a project, but he looks like an NBA player when he is on the court. He's got to either become a point guard or learn to be more efficient, preferably both, but the tools are all there. He has flashed the athleticism on a few impressive plays this season. He can shoot the ball and kill you in transition. I think his potential should have placed him in the first round.

I viewed Marshon Brooks as a similar case as Selby, despite him having three more years of college experience. Brooks could definitely score the ball, but there were questions about him being a winning player in college. After being drafted by the Nets, he hasn't been able to show he can fit into a contending team, but he has definitely shown he can score the ball as good as, if not, better than advertised. He's scoring 14ppg on 46% shooting on a team that needs someone to take the shots. So far, you can't complain about how he has been playing. He might be the best scorer in this draft class at the moment and his upside is looking towards Jamal Crawford.

I haven't seen too much of Brandon Knight yet as I can't fathom sitting through an entire Piston game. From what I've observed, he has been streaky, showing flashes of potential while also making rookie mistakes. Hopefully the rest of the guards ineptitude doesn't affect his development because he still has a great upside.

As a closet Wizards fan, I have also gotten a chance to look at Shelvin Mack. They were comfortable enough to go into the season with him as the backup point. So far, he has looked a little slow and below average athletically. I don't see anything that he brings to the table in the NBA, maybe he turns into a steady ball handler and can backup the point for years to come like Chris Duhon. Theres nothing to get excited about with him, though.

Andrew Goudelock hasn't gotten much burn. He is pretty much what we thought he was. His great shooting got him drafted and can be used in certain situations. The triangle would have been a better fit for him since you'd rather have him spotting up in the corner than running your offense.

Charles Jenkins has been solid in limited minutes for the Warriors. He is shooting a red hot percentage from the long two range, picking up where he left off at Hofstra with a stellar mid-range game. He has been used as a combo guard, sometimes bringing the ball up, but having to defer to Curry and Ellis a lot. It is critical that he gets used to playing off ball. Its something I picked up on that he needs to work on. He's a smart player and hopefully Mark Jackson turns this team in the right direction so they run a more structured offense - something that would benefit Jenkins.

Jenkins teammate, Klay Thompson, has not hesitated to adopt the Warriors mindset of shooting first, thinking later. He started the season off badly, but his jumper is starting to fall. His shot and quick release are picture perfect, making him a threat to go off for 20 point on any given night. He still needs strength in order to finish inside, evident by the fact that his FG% is lower than his 3-pt %. The biggest flaw for Thompson so far is that he's been completely loss on the defensive end. Especially on help defense, he just seems a step behind everyone else. He seemed like a smart player in college, I think he is just a little slow adjusting to the speed of the NBA game.

I dogged Markieff Morris a lot during his college days, but he has surprised me with his adjustment to the pros. His short wingspan hasn't proved to be a problem rebounding the ball and he's been automatic with his jumpshot - all the way out to the 3-pt line. He has shown good strength and athleticism. Definitely looks on his way to be a solid NBA role player, possibly even a quality starter on a good team down the road.

The #2 overall pick, Derrick Williams, has been solid playing about 20 minutes a game for the Wolves. Adelman hasn't been afraid to play him in crunch time and he seems to be developing chemistry on the second unit with Ricky Rubio. As long as Williams is running in transition, which he has no problem doing, he should get a couple of easy buckets a game. The rest of his game is coming along, he's shown nice shot selection so far. He can do a lot of the things Michael Beasley does, just at a much more efficient rate. Dont expect him to take over Beasley's starting spot, though.

Chris Singleton has lived up to the hype of ACC defensive player of the year, displaying great versatility on the defensive end. He's exactly the type of player the Wizards need more of. In the opening game of the season, he was trusted to cover Deron Williams in the 4th quarter. He can guard positions 1-4. His offensive game is based off open jumper and running in transition and he's been doing so effectively. His 3-pt shot has translated to the NBA distance.

I was a big Bismack Biyombo fan heading into the draft, but even I had my doubts in the back of my mind. Seeing him on a actual NBA court for the first time passed the first test of actually making it overseas. Seeing him in action for 5 minutes passed the second test of proving to be more of a threat than Saer Sene. In all honesty, I think he's adjusted fine so far. His athleticism has definitely translated and he is playing with a good amount of energy. Defensively he is already solid, he just needs to work on not fouling. When he gets the ball offensively, its a little shaky, but he somehow manages to due positive things even though its ugly. Right now he's shooting 38% from the line which obviously needs to go up. All in all, Ive liked what Ive seen from him so far. And unlike some African players, he didn't make it obvious he couldn't play at this level from the get-go.

I'll try to get to Jon Leuer, Enes Kanter, Alec Burks, Chandler Parsons, Marcus Morris, Kawhi Leonard, Cory Joseph, Nikola Vucevic, Josh Harrelson, Iman Shumpert, and Trey Thompkins in the next few days.

Scouting Report: Charles Jenkins

I took more of a "scout form" style of writing for this report on Charles Jenkins. Jenkins was one of the leading scorers in the country coming out of Hofstra. He is a 6'3 guard who is viewed as a late first to mid-second round pick.

"Great midrange game, always in control. Steady player. Solid ball handling ability. Shows a good crossover to help get open. Not great at dribbling through traffic, but uses size and strength well to protect the ball. More than just a straight line driver, he has shown impressive drives snaking through traffic. Unselfish and good decision maker. Most of his assists were to 3-pt shooters, Hofstra was the best 3-pt shooting team in CAA. Not a PG, but plays with a high IQ. Can play spot duty at PG due to BBIQ. Ran some point at Hofstra while getting experience playing off ball too. Good passer. Doesn’t always see the entire court due to his style of play. Likes to turn his back to defenders to prevent ball from getting stolen and overpower them. Not much of a post game, however he likes to back down defenders until he gets into the paint where he is nearly automatic. Strength and touch make him a good finisher at the college level. Not that explosive at the rim, though. Will have adjustments to make at the NBA level since he relies too much on strength in college. Strength helps hide an average first step at the moment. Quick release on shot with range back to NBA 3-pt line. Smooth shooter who can shoot from anywhere. Makes it look easy shooting off the dribble. Can get his own shot fairly easy, but passes up too many shots to get teammates involved. Excellent character and leadership. Very good kid who grew up from a tough background in NYC. Hardworker. Has improved his game each year, especially his ball handling. Has had his share of clutch moments during his career. Stayed positive during multiple coaching and style changes. Played 37 minutes per game showing great conditioning. Good actively defensively, especially considering his minutes and offensive role. Gets low and displays good lateral quickness. Seems to have good awareness on defense and plays great help defense. Knows when to double team. Effort wont be a problem defensively at the next level. His size will prevent him from being a great defender, but he’ll be ok. Played a lot of zone in college and didn’t mix it up to much on the glass. Solid wingspan, although he is definitely undersized at 6’3 for a 2 guard. Built like a NFL RB. Finding a role will be tough for him, he doesn’t have the 6^th man scorer’s mentality of the bench, but if he develops his PG skills his versatility will be welcomed."

Bottom Line: Jenkins will have to adjust to a new style, where he won't be able to constantly use his strength to aide his scoring. In college, he used his strength to carve out space in order to get into the paint. It helped hide his average first step and ball handling, but it won't work the same way at the next level. The fact that his athleticism doesn't translate well in terms of getting to the rim at the NBA level is concerning, since his game in college was based upon getting into the painted area.

He will most likely never start, but he it would help him stick around if he improved his point guard play. He racked up assists in college, but it was mainly due to the amount of defensive attention he drew. As a very unselfish player, of course he was going to find open teammates for easy dimes. For a point guard prospect, he dribbles with his head down and back to the basket way to much. His bullish style is part of his game, but it doesnt help his future as a point guard.

As I said, he most likely will never start. Nor does he have to mindset of a scoring guard off the bench. He will need to find a niche, most likely as a do-it-all combo guard off the bench. His best shot is carving out a role as a poor man's James Harden, providing solid play off the bench without hurting the team on either side off the ball. Harden has better size and explosiveness, but they do play in a similar fashion.

Perhaps the player that reminds me of Jenkins the most, especially when looking for a great low/mid-major college scorer that actually isn't a chucker, is Trey Johnson. Johnson has been one of the best players in the D-League for years and has earned a few NBA cameos. The only thing preventing him from getting a contract now is age. Seeing that Charles Jenkins had a more successful college career (Johnson was a late-bloomer who didnt start playing until his sophomore year), he has a better shot of being drafted and ending up in a good situation. For these fringe players, all it takes is a good situation to change fates. Trey Johnson could have easily been an NBA player if scouts had caught onto him earlier.