Thoughts on Showcase Week

-Shabazz Muhammad had entered the NBA as one of the most vaunted prospects of his draft class. His time at UCLA, where he'd led the Bruins to a Pac-12 title, had shown promise in the form of Muhammad's scoring ability. Unfortunately, his rookie season had displayed very little of that. Some figured the 6'6", 222 lbs forward didn't quite have what it took to prosper in the NBA. Others saw it as a matter of playing time, of which Muhammad was averaging just over a minute or two per game. Widely considered a bust (1.1 ppg, 0.7 rpg), the Wolves' first rounder was sent down to the Iowa Energy. In his D-League stint, Muhammad displayed his long awaited brilliance. In four games, he exploded for averages of 24.5 ppg and 9.8 rpg. Showcase week was perhaps his best showing. Statistically, what Muhammad managed to do-scoring 46 points in a combined 49 minutes-was staggeringly efficient. With that said, what was perhaps more interesting was his relentless approach. Muhammad was running hard, skying for rebounds, and getting physical enough for one commentator to note, "you see the effect that some actual playing time has on him? He looks like he's having a great time." The Wolves certainly saw something in his performance, deciding to call him back up to the NBA.

-Pierre Jackson has been a special player all season. His 29.9 ppg, 5.1 apg, and 3.5 rpg are statistically gawdy. His style is flashy, and very easy to watch. But, Showcase Week reminded us of something else to be considered about the electric PG out of Baylor: beyond the superlatives, Jackson is nearly a complete talent. The Showcase featured a loss to the D-Fenders, a game that nonetheless showed Jackson's more subtle qualifications. He was a rabid defender, getting after the repeatedly possession after possession to the tune of four steals by game's end. Jackson would also dish out eight assists, but showed court vision and patience beyond that. There were several occasions where he'd made the extra pass, leading to either a high percentage shot or to an indirect assist (a "hockey assist", if you will). Jackson earned MVP honors and a spot at top of the D-League's prospects list. Ryan Blake, the D-League's senior director of NBA Scouting Operations, mentioned in a recent video that he was asked by some scouts in attendance, "can Jackson defend bigger guards?" Blakes response? "Will they be able to defend Jackson?"  

-Jarvis Varnado was very impressive in Showcase Week. He profiles as less of a scoring talent and more of a defensive force. That quality, usually understated, was on full display against perhaps the D-League's most intimidating big man, Rudy Gobert. That Varnado sent back seven shots was brilliant enough. But, the Sixers' prospect-playing for the Iowa Energy showed dominance in the low block. At 6'9" and 230 lbs, the main concern with Varnado was his ability to bang with NBA's bigs. He showed very little to be concerned with, putting on a good display of his solid interior defense, and earning himself a shot the big league.