20 Months ago today

[bleedspeed]

Shabazz Muhammad (#1 Scout, #1 Rivals, #1 ESPN) made quite a statement at the HoopHall Classic, unequivocally showing once again why he's considered the #1 prospect in the 2012 high school class. Muhammad scored 37 points in a win over Dematha Catholic, regarded as one of the best teams in America, shooting 12 of 22 from the field and 12 of 14 from the free throw line.

Muhammad may not be the biggest or most athletic swingman we've seen at the high school level, but his combination of length, scoring instincts, aggressiveness and smarts gives him considerable upside and should allow him to make an instant impact in college next year.

A fairly complete offensive player, Muhammad can put up points in bunches from anywhere on the floor, both in transition or in the half-court. He attacks the rim relentlessly with his solid first step and finishes with authority whenever possible, showing good upper body strength taking hits in the paint and drawing fouls.

If the paint is closed off, Muhammad can pull up off the dribble smoothly with range out to the 3-point line, having the ability to just throw the ball in the basket thanks to his excellent touch.

Also a very effective post-up threat, Muhammad isn't afraid to go into the paint to find touches if the defense is overplaying him on the perimeter. He's a prolific offensive rebounder at the high school level thanks to his long wingspan, strong leaping ability, and the excellent intensity he brings on each possession, allowing him to find plenty of easy points simply by outworking the competition.

Muhammad still has room to grow as a ball-handler in the half-court, particularly with his ability to drive and finish with his right hand. This isn't much of an issue at the very up-tempo high school level, but is something teams could focus on in the future in advanced scouting reports. He isn't known as a great catch and shoot threat with his feet set either, something that we weren't able to see much of in this setting.

Muhammad displayed a very high basketball IQ in Springfield, rarely forcing the issue and willingly passing out of double teams when defenders inevitably collapsed on him. Unlike many players his age, he has no problem playing off the ball and doesn't get discouraged when things don't run through him on every possession, which is a very good trait.

Another thing scouts will like to see is the competitiveness Muhammad shows on the defensive end. He uses his length and strength effectively to stay in front of his matchup and contest shots, looking willing and able to make his presence felt here and on the glass.

While Muhammad may not possess the can't miss superstar upside of former #1 overall recruits such as Dwight Howard or LeBron James, his scoring instincts and physical and mental toughness make him a pretty safe bet to develop into a very good NBA player, along the lines of James Harden, for example. It's tough to rule out significant improvement considering his age and the productivity he's displayed thus far, so its likely too early to put a ceiling on him. We'll have to see what he looks like once he reaches the college ranks to get a better read for his true potential.

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz2bls0tO57
http://www.draftexpress.com

[bleedspeed]

This was the part of the review that I thought was interesting.

Muhammad displayed a very high basketball IQ in Springfield, rarely forcing the issue and willingly passing out of double teams when defenders inevitably collapsed on him. Unlike many players his age, he has no problem playing off the ball and doesn't get discouraged when things don't run through him on every possession, which is a very good trait.

Another thing scouts will like to see is the competitiveness Muhammad shows on the defensive end. He uses his length and strength effectively to stay in front of his matchup and contest shots, looking willing and able to make his presence felt here and on the glass.[indent] [/indent]

[bleedspeed]

Also check out his mock draft history.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Shabazz-Muhammad-6270/mock-draft-history/

[MinnesotaJock [enjin:6589402]]

I think it's a good thing that Shabazz is not going to be looked at to log heavy minutes. I appreciate what I've been hearing about the vets on our team. Theyre reaching out to him and Martin just said he will be his mentor so hopefully that will help him grow to the player he can become.

[longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]]

Thanks for posting this, bleedspeed. I am so up and down on Muhammad, and currently down due to his transgression at the rookie seminar last week on top of his poor showing in Summer League. It's good to see an article that reminds me what a steal Shabazz was at 14. Keep in mind:

1) 20 months ago, Shabazz was talked about in the same way Wiggins is now. Not Lebron James like, but clearly the best high school player in the country and ready to contribute immediately as a freshman. The buzz here in LA when UCLA landed him was enormous.
2) Despite having a point guard who refused to pass to him except as a last resort, Muhammad still ended his freshman year as the highest scoring freshman in the history of the Pac 12. Yes, his scoring efficiency was not great, but I put a lot of that on Larry Drew, who definitely didn't make it easy for Shabazz to score.
3) As his draftexpress profile says, in high school his passing and defense were considered strengths, not weaknesses. That tells me that with the right coaching, these can become strengths again.

Thanks for feeding my Shabazz Muhammad bi-polarity, bleed! I'm back in the "steal of the draft" camp again. I understand that the 2013 Wolves' depth is going to make minutes tough for him to get, but I'm not ready to relegate him to the end of the bench. With Muhammad's talent, work ethic, and drive to be the best, I think Adelman finds a way to get significant contributions from him this year.

That's my position on Shabazz and I'm sticking with it...at least until the next piece of bad news!

[bleedspeed]

I think he needs to get stronger. He should be able to and he will be fine. We can be patient with him and hopefully when Bud and Brewers contracts are up he is able to play bigger minutes here.

[Bruster]

The thing that that confuses me most...... how does one go from "Strengths: Left handed wing with elite level speed, athleticism and skills ... Great scorer who can fill it up in a variety of ways" .... to sub-par athleticism.

[bleedspeed]

You know he aged 2 years in the last year so maybe that is part of it.

[thedoper]

The main point that I derive from this is that you will never hear the "media experts" say we were wrong. Same will be true if he starts succeeding. That never seems to be a story the media wants to cover.

[KiwiMatt]

Bleed that mock history link you posted shows what a steal they guy was at 14. He was bracketed to go 1st overall for nearly two years until January this year when his stocks dramatically decreased.

I think the major contributor to this was the 'Drew game winning shot' incident. I'll admit I didn't see many UCLA games last season, but it does seem that Larry Drew wasn't the pass first PG they needed next to Muhammad. This maybe the really for Baz's after game sulking incident, maybe those two just didn't like each other.

I think with the right mentors on this team Shabbaz will develop in to a legit NBA player. He won't be a superstar and I doubt he'll make an All Star appearance, but he will become a solid two way NBA wing.

The media has been all over this kid like a rash since the start of the year. I'm gonna wait for Muhammad to play a season or two before I judge him. But I am happy to have him on board and he certainly helps our wing depth.