James O’Dwyer (@ODwyer1010)
In this series of articles, Let’s Overreact, we take a look at some of the biggest moments in NBA basketball and overreact accordingly, just like most fans. Today, James O’Dwyer discusses the high-flying play of New Orleans’ Jaxon Hayes and Memphis’ Brandon Clarke, and what they could immediately bring to the table when the season begins in October.
Las Vegas Summer League concluded Monday with an exciting championship game, won by the Memphis Grizzlies who defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 95-92. I wasn’t able to watch as many tournament games as I would have liked too, but I made sure to tune in whenever Memphis or New Orleans were playing - and not for Ja Morant or Zion Williamson.
Brandon Clarke
Brandon Clarke. This is a name that you may only have heard in the last week, but the chances are you’ve heard it multiple times, and for good reason. The 6’8 Canadian forward won this year’s Summer League MVP, averaging 14.6/9.8/2 and 1.8bpg on 55% shooting. And it was super exciting basketball.
Clarke was exceptional all tournament long, setting great screens and rolling hard to the bucket, putting maximum pressure on every team’s defence. He was so active around the ring, grabbing every offensive board he could and muscling it back up and in, or kicking out to a shooter. Brandon was also elite at running the lanes in transition if his teammate grabbed the board, forcing defences to make tough last second decisions. His quick hands allowed Clarke to grab any pass or rebound and make the right choice with the ball before he even landed from his jump. Despite it being Clarke’s first NBA basketball experience, he continued to look calm and composed, and delivered in the big moments, like his double-clutch slam that sent the Grizzlies to the final game, and earned himself a spot on the Summer League First Team.
Clarke seems to have the same energy on the boards that Jaren Jackson Jr does (Memphis’ 2018 first round pick), and this can only be a positive sign. Clarke is quick and mobile enough to play the 3, whilst also being explosive and athletic enough to play minutes at the 4, so he will fit nicely next to JJJ and Jonas Valenciunas when the season actually begins. The Grizz will be crashing the boards extremely hard, cleaning up any potential misses that Rookie of the Year candidate Ja Morant might have, and will be giving interior defences nightmares long after the game is over. Clarke also showed his range from deep, shooting 5/9 confidently from behind the arc. Whilst this is an extremely small sample size, shooting was one of the aspects of Clarke’s game that draft scouts questioned, and he is proving doubters wrong early.
Despite his dominant performance through just 6 games, it would be a large overreaction to say Clarke has a shot at winning Rookie of the Year. Not because he’s not talented enough, but simply because there are too many other young players at the Grizzlies that will want the ball in their hands. That being said, I really do think Memphis are building something special, and I predict they will be a force to be reckoned with a few years down the line.
Jaxson Hayes
Obviously I want you to continue to read my analysis and potential hot-takes about how the Pelicans no. 8 pick out of Texas, Jasxon Hayes, played incredible at Summer League, but honestly, actions speak louder than words and you have to watch this rookie play:
Jaxson made the Summer League Second Team and impressed the crowd every chance he got. He averaged 16 points and 7 rebounds through 4 games and was volleyball spiking layup attempts to the moon (goaltending was called a couple of times however) and throwing down every lob that his teammates tossed up. From just watching Hayes play for a few minutes, it's easy to compare him to current rim-runners like Clint Capela, DeAndre Jordan and maybe even Rudy Gobert. However, what I believe sets Jaxson apart currently is his speed, and in the future, it will be his shooting.
Jaxson only attempted one three through his four games, but he drained it, leaving the statistics to show that he shot 100% for tournament. This series is called ‘Lets Overreact’ but I am fairly certain that Jaxson will not make every three he shoots. Probably.
Hayes also only shot 55% from the stripe, which obviously needs improvement but he is not alone in the ‘bigs-that-need-to-work-on-their-freethrows’ category, and I’m sure he will sort this problem out soon. His shooting form looked effortless though, which is becoming increasingly normal for young bigs, as basketball is almost demanding that every player has a jumpshot in this era. Hayes’ shot creating is almost non-existent, which is to be expected for a center, but once he undergoes strength and conditioning training and bulks up, he won’t really need it. Defenders will either get up or get out of the way. It’ll be their funeral.
The Pelicans will be a league pass favourite next season. People will be tuning in to see the absurd Zion dunks, how the young former-Lakers adapt, whether Jrue Holiday can lead a team (he can and will but that’s another article) and now there is another level of excitement after the showcase of talent that Hayes just exhibited. The Western Conference summer arms race just made it tougher than ever before to make the playoffs, so it will be intriguing to see if the young Pelicans can steal one of the eight spots up for grabs, or whether 2019/20 will just be a season for the team to figure out a winning formula that they can build on for the future. Regardless of where New Orleans finish, it is clear with the playmaking and vision of Jrue and Lonzo Ball, and the elite athleticism, speed and power of Zion and Hayes, that the rings and supports should be scared.
Keep up with the Full Court Press team by following us on Twitter!
FCP Hoops:
Joseph Arthur:
Curtis Lo:
James O’Dwyer: