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UConn Summer League 2025

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Amazing in all these years AJX has not been able to discover any offensive game whatsoever. At this point it seems like there is a chronic mental block that he’s just never going to get over. Never really seen anything like it. It’s like the Mackey Sasser yips for basketball. Even in the dunk contest once he missed a couple, shoulders slouched and he looked completely lost. Kid just loses confidence fast and can’t mentally recoup.
 
I might be an AJ apologist but I have no doubt he has a place in the league even with his limitations. In my mind, he is the deluxe version of Gary Payton Jr but he has to be on a team with shooters because he will always be a non shooter while on the floor.
 
AJax shoots 38% from three for his career and shot 39.5% last season. He's got a start taking more shots honestly. I would assume most are corner threes but he's got to be reliable there and he will play for 10+ years.
 
Grizzlies vs. Blazers was fun, especially the 4th quarter. Cam contributed an early floater, a great cut into a layup, and 2 full court passes for free buckets after noticing Bouk fall asleep on defense (part of a 25-5 Memphis run to put it away). Bouknight hit a 3, a fast break layup, and had an assist for another 3, but looked rough down the stretch getting cooked by Jaylen Wells and getting stripped in the backcourt to give up an open dunk

Bouknight took over for a few possessions in the second quarter. Found Yang for an open dunk on a pick&roll, then got the ball off a cut and whipped a BEAUTIFUL pass for an open 3, then just brought the ball up and just took it himself for an iso and1. Overall similar game to his first game - picked his spots for an efficient offensive game but inconsistent energy/focus. Have noticed he starts the game locked in, and then as the game goes on he loses focus defensively and his body language gets worse. Final line 15pts/4ast/2reb/2stl on 4-6 shooting (2-4 3P, 5-5 FT)

Cam also played pretty similarly to previous games. He's so good at finding the right place to be and then making a play out of it. Always moving, always under control. Final line 17/4/4 on 6-15

Newton looked better. First quarter he missed 2 threes right after coming in and had a beautiful pass for a Jesse Edwards layup. In 2Q he had a steal and a nice fast break pass, but defense made a great play to block the layup. Later hit 2 threes in 2 possessions. Pretty quiet 3Q, missed a 3 but had a nice and1. 4Q was mostly when the game was already over but had a few nice passes and hit a 3. Final line 12 points, 3 assists on 4-11 and 3-8 on threes. 1 of the threes and 2 of the twos were end-of-shot clock situations where he had to get a shot up
 
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RayRay19 said:
AJax shoots 38% from three for his career and shot 39.5% last season. He's got a start taking more shots honestly. I would assume most are corner threes but he's got to be reliable there and he will play for 10+ years.
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Not all 38%s are the same. 38% on wide-open corner 3s isn’t great.

But as others have pointed out, it’s not his 3-point shooting that’s the problem as much as his reluctance to shoot or take the ball to the rim. Sometimes you just can’t reach aggressiveness.

As for the poster who referenced Mackey Sasser and said he’d never seen anything like AJ, I’ll see you and raise you Ben Simmons. Who went from an All-NBA player to a guy who won’t try a layup.
 
nomar said:
But as others have pointed out, it’s not his 3-point shooting that’s the problem as much as his reluctance to shoot or take the ball to the rim. Sometimes you just can’t reach aggressiveness.
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I have watched him get an offensive rebound with no one around and throw the ball out to the three point line. It's just automatic at this point. He just doesn't shoot.
 
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Palatine said:
I have watched him get an offensive rebound with no one around and throw the ball out to the three point line. It's just automatic at this point. He just doesn't shoot.
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Per today's Washington Post, "If the Bucks can get Cole Anthony to Milwaukee as planned, they will have 14 of a possible 15 roster spots filled for the 2025-26 season. They could always choose to waive Andre Jackson Jr. and his partially guaranteed contract to open up another spot..."
 
Mazhude said:
Per today's Washington Post, "If the Bucks can get Cole Anthony to Milwaukee as planned, they will have 14 of a possible 15 roster spots filled for the 2025-26 season. They could always choose to waive Andre Jackson Jr. and his partially guaranteed contract to open up another spot..."
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Cole Anthony is a near 100% certainty to sign with the Bucks. He and Memphis agreed to the buyout. (Sigh) It's not looking great to AJax.
 
BuffaloHusky said:
I might be an AJ apologist but I have no doubt he has a place in the league even with his limitations. In my mind, he is the deluxe version of Gary Payton Jr but he has to be on a team with shooters because he will always be a non shooter while on the floor.
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GP2 has slipped some because of all the injuries he's accumulated the past 2-3 seasons but GP2 at his peak is a better basketball player than AJJ. His season in 2022 for the Warriors was peak role player hoops.
 
UConn guys don't play until later tonight but a few solid games from former BE players. Oso Ighodaro 18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks on 8-12. Daniss Jenkins 23 points and 6 assists on 7-10 (3-4 from three). Baylor Scheierman 13 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists 3 steals on 6-15

Not such a good day for Tyler Kolek, 3 points on 1-13 shooting
 
REB1094 said:
UConn guys don't play until later tonight but a few solid games from former BE players. Oso Ighodaro 18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks on 8-12. Daniss Jenkins 23 points and 6 assists on 7-10 (3-4 from three). Baylor Scheierman 13 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists 3 steals on 6-15

Not such a good day for Tyler Kolek, 3 points on 1-13 shooting
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I always liked Daniss Jenkins' game as well as Oso Iguadharo's game as well.
 
nomar said:
Not all 38%s are the same. 38% on wide-open corner 3s isn’t great.

But as others have pointed out, it’s not his 3-point shooting that’s the problem as much as his reluctance to shoot or take the ball to the rim. Sometimes you just can’t reach aggressiveness.

As for the poster who referenced Mackey Sasser and said he’d never seen anything like AJ, I’ll see you and raise you Ben Simmons. Who went from an All-NBA player to a guy who won’t try a layup.
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Good point on Simmons. He definitely qualifies.
 
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Andre started the game off really encouragingly, spent the first possession in the dunkers spot and later got a steal and had a beautiful pass for a 3 (but the guy traveled so basket didn’t count). But I guess the dunker spot was a 1 play thing because he didn’t go back all game

Followed it up with some bad plays..getting lost defensively and bad passes that got tipped or stolen. Did hit a 3 in the first quarter

A little more aggressive in the second half. Missed a 3 pretty badly but cut and got a layup off a teammate’s o-board. Alley oop dunk off a good cut. But then got a steal and missed a wide open layup and later threw an inbound pass from the wing off the top of the backboard (??)

Overall I think he did better than the last game but still not the game he needs to have. 9 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 5 turnovers, 3-5 shooting (1-2 threes)
 
REB1094 said:
Andre started the game off really encouragingly, spent the first possession in the dunkers spot and later got a steal and had a beautiful pass for a 3 (but the guy traveled so basket didn’t count). But I guess the dunker spot was a 1 play thing because he didn’t go back all game

Followed it up with some bad plays..getting lost defensively and bad passes that got tipped or stolen. Did hit a 3 in the first quarter

A little more aggressive in the second half. Missed a 3 pretty badly but cut and got a layup off a teammate’s o-board. Alley oop dunk off a good cut. But then got a steal and missed a wide open layup and later threw an inbound pass from the wing off the top of the backboard (??)

Overall I think he did better than the last game but still not the game he needs to have. 9 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 5 turnovers, 3-5 shooting (1-2 threes)
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Is his stroke any better because on aesthetics alone it’s hard to watch?
 
RuffRuff said:
Is his stroke any better because on aesthetics alone it’s hard to watch?
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His open corner three point shooting is the least of his problems. His biggest problem is he can't shoot a jump shot or even take layups and dunks when it's right there for him. He also plays too fast and it hurts his playmaking.

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superjohn said:
His open corner three point shooting is the least of his problems. His biggest problem is he can't shoot a jump shot or even take layups and dunks when it's right there for him. He also plays too fast and it hurts his playmaking.
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This is spot on. I feel like he could benefit from a stint on the Bucks G League team this upcoming season. This could give him a little freedom to seek out more scoring opportunities, hopefully increasing his confidence.
 
RuffRuff said:
Is his stroke any better because on aesthetics alone it’s hard to watch?
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Not really, looks the same as last year. He gathers the ball with his elbow flaring out at his hip and then tries to tuck it in as he’s rising

The one three he did make actually wasn’t a good shot - heavily contested coming off a handoff. But the shot clock was going down so he didn’t have time to think about it too much. So I’m torn between chalking it up to his form being busted and lack of confidence (probably some mix of both)
 
What's Bouk been up to the last few years? He did look good. Cam always looks good. Yang is really surprising. I think that kid actually can play. How would play alongside Clingan?
 
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REB1094 said:
Not really, looks the same as last year. He gathers the ball with his elbow flaring out at his hip and then tries to tuck it in as he’s rising

The one three he did make actually wasn’t a good shot - heavily contested coming off a handoff. But the shot clock was going down so he didn’t have time to think about it too much. So I’m torn between chalking it up to his form being busted and lack of confidence (probably some mix of both)
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The art of reconstructing shot form would be interesting to learn more about, at the NBA level. A great stroke is simple, so the more complicated one makes it the more it deviates from being effective.

You’d think with a kid like AJx the first thing they’d do is completely deconstruct his. It feels like a lot of his lack of confidence starts there. Such an amazing athlete, yet can’t get the art of the sport down at all. Like a pitcher that throws 100mph but can’t throw a strike.

Alex is another interesting one as he’s moderately learned to make his awkward form work. But in the long run I get the sense it’ll be ineffective at the next level, it just requires too much time/space to get off.
 
RuffRuff said:
The art of reconstructing shot form would be interesting to learn more about, at the NBA level. A great stroke is simple, so the more complicated one makes it the more it deviates from being effective.
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My good friend was a skill guy for the Hawks for years and I know plenty of others working with high level players.

The basic answer, honestly, is they don't reconstruct a shot very often at all. It's not worth it. Very few players do it successfully. Who's the last few NBA players to truly take their jumper and reinvent it? Building a new jumper is much easier.

College coaches VERY rarely overhaul a shot. We don't at UConn. There's a video out there of Pope saying how he doesn't teach shooting--he recruits it.

Small tweaks to a shot there are tons of drills for. Like Solo this past year... he upgraded his footwork and became a real shooter because of it.

Mostly players are just working on their footwork in the league. Or developing consistency in their form... not building a shot.
 
husky429 said:
My good friend was a skill guy for the Hawks for years and I know plenty of others working with high level players.

The basic answer, honestly, is they don't reconstruct a shot very often at all. It's not worth it. Very few players do it successfully. Who's the last few NBA players to truly take their jumper and reinvent it? Building a new jumper is much easier.

College coaches VERY rarely overhaul a shot. We don't at UConn. There's a video out there of Pope saying how he doesn't teach shooting--he recruits it.

Small tweaks to a shot there are tons of drills for. Like Solo this past year... he upgraded his footwork and became a real shooter because of it.

Mostly players are just working on their footwork in the league. Or developing consistency in their form... not building a shot.
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Good stuff - thanks for sharing.
 
No Liam today. They put him on the injury report with Achilles Tendinopathy. Could just be a rest day but if there’s something there, I imagine they might shut him down for summer league.
 
Gurleyman said:
No Liam today. They put him on the injury report with Achilles Tendinopathy. Could just be a rest day but if there’s something there, I imagine they might shut him down for summer league.
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Wonder if at all related to the sprain - sprained my ankle badly a long time ago and I remember a lot of lingering pain in Achilles.
 
Slowly catching up to the games I missed. Just watched Utah vs the Warriors. Adama was pretty invisible offensively other than a couple minutes to start the second quarter. He got a rebound and took it COAST TO COAST for a fast break layup. Then next possession brute forced his way to an offensive rebound and hit Filipowski for an open dunk

He was guarding the younger Mobley brother so spent most of his time guarding the perimeter. Actually looked pretty solid, but not sure how much of that is because Mobley isn’t good offensively vs. Adama is good defensively lol

16 minutes, 2 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
 
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REB1094 said:
Slowly catching up to the games I missed. Just watched Utah vs the Warriors. Adama was pretty invisible offensively other than a couple minutes to start the second quarter. He got a rebound and took it COAST TO COAST for a fast break layup. Then next possession brute forced his way to an offensive rebound and hit Filipowski for an open dunk

He was guarding the younger Mobley brother so spent most of his time guarding the perimeter. Actually looked pretty solid, but not sure how much of that is because Mobley isn’t good offensively vs. Adama is good defensively lol

16 minutes, 2 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists
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His defensive has been solid, especially on the perimeter which shouldn't be a surprise because he was solid defensively on the perimeter at UConn. I saw the game against the Warriors. He is pretty good at finding cutters into lane, for example like the aforementioned pass to Filipowski for the dunk.

The only way Sanogo is going to score in Summer League is off of offensive rebounds or broken plays because the other guys don't pass the ball to the post.

He will get passes at the 3 pt line, but he always looks to pass and then set the ball screen. I would like him to face up and shoot the 3 if his man is playing off of him.
 
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husky429 said:
I'm convinced he could've been an Olympic level long jumper with some practice.
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Wasn’t he a good football player also??? That’s what I was referring to.
 
Horatio said:
Wasn’t he a good football player also??? That’s what I was referring to.
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One time I opened a pack of baseball cards and got a Dodgers prospect named Andre Jackson and my brain took a couple of seconds to process it was a different Andre Jackson.
Hopefully just a weird coincidence that baseball Andre Jackson's career only lasted 3 years. :eek:
 
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