2014 Nike Junior Invitational Tournament: Top Prospects

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Lucas Teodoro (1996, 6’9”, PF, Team Brazil, Brazil)

Lucas Teodoro
Teodoro was without any doubt the prospect with the highest upside of the entire competition. Standing 6’9” with a great wingspan and an excellent frame, he’s a terrific athlete and leaper. He could work on his stance in order to reach a better balance, since he’s a little bit lanky while running the floor, but the physical basis is amazing. With his speed combined with the athleticism he’s a terrific weapon in the transition game, when he shows glimpses of his potential finishing above the rim. He has a natural feel for the game and instincts, but he’s still raw from the technical standpoint, especially concerning his ball handling. His shot mechanics are not fluid, but he has soft hands which is a good starting point. He lacks post moves since most of his game is based facing the basket, especially in transition. Defensively he’s really instinctive, with good timing for blocks, which combined with his wingspan makes him an intimidator. A long term prospect with a terrific upside, to be tracked. He closed the tournament in Milan with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Lucas Siewert (1997, 6’7”, PF, Team Brazil, Brazil)

Siewert is a sophomore at Cathedral High School, in Los Angeles, where he’s collecting interesting stats and elevating his status as a legit NCAA prospect. Standing 6’7” he has a good height for the role of stretch forward, combined with a solid body structure even for NCAA standards. He’s a streaky shooter, with fluid and effective mechanics and a consistent shot from three point (50% during Milan event). He’s really effective in the off the ball game, showing great ability to exploit screens and cuts to receive the ball in the proper spot. With his good size and wingspan he’s difficult to be contested, furthermore he shows a solid repertoire, also from midrange with step-back jumpers, pull-up jumpers, catch and shoot. His biggest flaw is his ability to create from the dribble, since he lacks the necessary ball handling skills and explosiveness to create his own shot. Defensively he could struggle against smaller and quicker opponents, but with his size and frame he could easily guard power forwards, at least at junior level. Highly unlikely he’ll evolve as a small forward, even if his game is basically based outside the painted area. He averaged 10.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in Milan tournament.

http://nbadraft.net/2014-nike-junior-in ... -prospects