Scouting Report

Find Scouting Reports on the Various People who participate in the basketball games. I will constantly be updating this page weekly once its set up (so if you want to track your development this would be the place to visit)

Mohsin

Biggest Weakness- Injuries
Biggest Strength-Athleticism
NBA Best Case Comparison-Dwayne Wade
NBA Worst Case Comparison-Tracey Macgrady

Mo is quite frankly put, the best basketball player in our little group. This is more so true ever since Jesus stopped playing. This isn't a huge knock on Jesus, since Jesus has in general been away from the game for quite a long time while Mo has constantly been honing his skill level in the game. Like Jesus Mo's dominance in the game is often considered due to his athleticism, and while it is his biggest strength, the idea is quite a misconception.


Mo's game starts with his ability to handle the ball. It is here where you can also see that his high skill level. Mo can handle the ball very well with either hand. He does an excellent job of keeping his dribble low and quick. It is because of these handles that he is able to put his athleticism to full use. He uses his handles to get within 10 feet of the rim where he can either rise up for a jumpshot or use his tremendous athleticism to pick the ball up and finish close to the rim.

One of the best things about his ability to handle the ball is his confidence in it, he doesnt need to just hold the ball on the 3pt line while considering if he should shoot or drive. He tends to start his dribble right away as a standstill and allows the defense to choose its poison. If the defense sags off of him Mo is more than willing to answer with an uncontested 3pt shot. His form is remarkable considering what it used to be 3 years ago. If the defense plays tight then Mo can utilize his terrific handles and first step to get explode past the first line of defense and most likely a second. Once Mohsin gets within 10 feet of the rim he is almost always going to score or get fouled. Even if he misses his initial shot, his leaping ability is so incredible thats almost akin to him being on a pogo stick. If his first shot within 10 feet doesnt get you, his second or 3rd shot will, and if all else fails (all else being his stamina) he is smart enough to take the offensive rebound and reset the offense. In this light, it is almost impossible to stop Mo with simple single coverage and instead demands a team defensive concept to stop him (slow him down).

His game isnt without flaws however. One of his biggest weaknesses aside from his long injury history, might be his total lack of a midrange game. Mo will either attack from beyond the 3pt line, or from within 10 feet. He will almost never settle for a jumper from 11-17 feet. This isnt because he cannot hit the shot, his form is great and he could easily knock those shots down, this is more because of his attack mentality. When Mo shoots his 3s it is almost always from a standstill dribble or catch and shoot scenario. When he finally moves with the ball it is with the mindset to get as close to the rim as possible, and due to his tremendous athleticism this almost always leads him to being within 10 feet of the rim. This predictable shot selection makes it easy for teams to defend against him to at least limit his success and have him work harder than he would like.

Another major weakness in Mo's game is his questionable decision making. There are times when he shows great poise and vision and there are also times when he develops tunnel visions or makes bad decisions with the ball. The worst part about this is that the reasons behind either scenario is almost random. There is never a consistent basis for why he makes the decisions that he does except that sometimes hes focused in on attacking himself and other times his eyes wander and see a team mate. This however should not be considered as a bad teammate trait from Mo. For players on the same team as him it is important to have both readiness and patience with Mo's play. If a teammate tells Mo about a pass he missed in a prior play, more likely than not the next play he will try to force a pass in the manor of the pass he ended up missing. This often leads to turnovers. Mo plays with a good heart and tries to help his teammates out, however these feelings often end up giving him tunnel vision, except with passes instead of shots.

Defensively is where Mo really lets his athleticism take over. He isnt the smartest of defenders, often yielding lanes or falling for fakes, however his athleticism allows him to recover incredibly quickly. One of the best traits about his defense is his shot blocking. Mo does a good job of not just blocking shots, but blocking them towards his teammates or an open area on the court where he can gain possession of the ball instead of knocking it out of bounds. Mo's best defense is played in transition due to his athletic abilities.

Overall Mo is a unique desi player, he has tons of athleticism but he also has the high skill level to use that athleticism to excel his game. More than anything though he is greatly driven in his pursuit to win and get better. He often works on his weaknesses and perfects his strengths. The worst part is that despite all his athletic gifts, internally he has some bad bones, and the smallest injuries can force him to miss not just a game but several, and bigger injuries hold a huge ammount of fear. Because of gifts, it would be wise on his part to always let his body fully heal up before continuing playing the game, or else the alternative can lead to a life of no basketball....ever.

Jesus Molinar

Biggest Weakness-Time Away from the Game
Biggest Strength-Experience
NBA Best Case Comparison-Dirk Nowitzki
NBA Worst Case Comparison-Shaun Livingston

Jesus has a completely unique advantage than the rest of us, and it isnt his huge (in desi terms) length (6'4 and those long arms) but his experience of actually playing team ball in high school where he had clear cut talent to be on the varsity team as well as perhaps be the best player on his high school basketball team. While the skills have certainly declined over the years due to the lack of competetive playing, the mind is still there and its often surprising how much that impacts his dominance.

If Jesus continued to play basketball even on at a once a week rate, I would suggest that he was the best player in our little group. However, no matter how high is basketball iq and his skill set is, his body certainly shows lags in performance and he now more than ever relies on his height and whatever is left of his great athleticism (mainly his motor and endurance) as well as his knowledge of the game to get by.

One thing that should be noted, despite jesus being 6'4, a height that to us seems like that of a center (relatively speaking) jesus moves and plays more like a sg/sf, which is hte position he would be playing in high school admidst the trees of true competetive ball. This means Jesus can handle the ball, shoot from the perimeter and finish at the rim with fluidity instead of power. But...he does have power. Playing with friends who were often shorter than him, Jesus has developed a great array of post moves which he can rely on.

Jesus has a very consistent mid-long range jumper, however at his current state he is more of a spot up shooter as opposed to one who can shoot off the dribble. Jesus CAN put the ball on the floor, and unlike Mohsin he isnt always in attack mode when he does. He does a terrific job of seeing the floor and making great passes that are easy to catch and often in a scorers shooting pocket. He does a good job of patiently dribbling the ball looking for the open man while also creeping closer and closer towards the rim. This puts pressure on the defense, if you decide to prevent his creeping by sending a double team he quickly reacts by hitting the open man.

Jesus also is great at moving without the ball, he rarely stands in one spot constantly looks for holes and tries to attack them to make things easier on his teammates.

His games biggest weakness right now might be his rust. He has showed trouble with finishing at the rim on layups and put backs often having to rely more on his physical gifts than perhaps he would like to. Aside from his rust, he also has lost a bit his touch on his handles. While he can still handle the basketball well, the quick moves and crossovers that he once had mastered are a thing of the past, he instead is more likely to play smart and limit his dribble than try to attack off of it.

Ultimately Jesus has the experience that many of us can only dream of having, and within him the skills and abilities are still there, just covered in deep rust. In his current state Mo will probably have more of an impact on a team than Jesus, however if jesus were to able to shake some of his rust off, he is easily the best basketball player most of us will ever have the pleasure of knowing personally.

Nauman

Biggest Weakness-athleticism
Biggest Strength-Clutchness
NBA Best Case Comparison-Magic Johnson
NBA Worst Case Comparison-Andres Nocioni

Nauman might be the 3rd best player in our group, although sometimes it feels unlikely...until you play against him. Its hard for me to decide if it would be him or tahir, since skill wise Tahir has the edge, however, Naumans ability to come through at the most needed moments and his ability to integrate well with whatever team he is on, in my book, makes him far more valuable than Tahir.

As a ball player nauman has adequate skill, although nothing that seemly wows you in practice. He is an okay ball handler, often a lackluster defender (and sometimes an over zealous one) and his shooting can sometimes make you cringe when you see his form and shot selection. However, where nauman truly excels is in the intangibles. If you are a stat head who doesnt believe in intangibles, than you have to meet nauman just to have your world shattered.

Naumans Awareness on both ends of the court are incredible, he read double teams, defensive patterns, offensive game plans, and react to them incredibly quickly. He is excellent at making snap judgements in both the half and open court, if a ball is going out of bounds he can quickly make the choice of either saving it, bouncing it off an opponent, or just simply letting it go...ON THE FLY. His passing abilities are pretty great as well especially as an outlet passer.

He struggles a bit more in the half court at passing mainly because it often appears he has to force himself to take his eyes off the rim and look at his opponenets. One his great weaknesses mentally might be his tunnel vision, especially when his team is losing. Naumans drive to win often takes over and has him develop tunnel vision, which can impact team mates who want the ball more negatively, however he often comes through on both ends of these courts when he is in this zone.

His biggest flaw might actually be his lack of athleticism, only because if he had more athleticism or was in greater shape he could truly be as dominant, if not more, than Mo. Still he does a great job of using whatever athletic gifts he has. His handles for instance, while not incredibly handy with a basketball, he can split double teams and get past aggressive defenses by using his great instincts as well as using his body to create separation or power his way through defenders. He does an excellent job of keeping his body between him and his defenders, and when things get tough can utilize his incredible instincts to take a shot or make a pass.

His use of the glass is particularly amazing, whether in heavy traffic, full speed off hte dribble, or standing at the 3point line, he finds ways to use the glass effectively to ensure his shot goes in. this often makes his shots difficult to guard because, as usually the case with him, he makes such decisions and calculations AT THE MOMENT of the shot instead of predetermining it.

Defensively Nauman does a good job of staying with his assignment, but due to a lack of footspeed and athleticism, cant maintain his shadowing. This often leads to him fouling as opposed to allowing the easy layup. He is a very good help defender however, due to his awareness on that end, however it is also on the defensive end where his limited athleticism really presents itself, and it is perhaps due to that reason that he often resorts to the hard foul instead of the steal or block.

As a leader nauman is one of the best, he does a good job of communicating with his team members both on and off the court, creating trust and good chemistry, while he also has the mindset to take over the game whenever it is needed. He finds a way to be both serious about the game, and yet entertaining enough to keep a team loose. It is because of these leadership traits that he is often among the best within our group.

Overall, nauman may not be the best player in our group, but he is probably the best team mate and leader, his mindset might even make him a better leader than jesus mainly because of how he can balance a teams emotion and mindset and get the best out of his team.

Tahir

Biggest Weakness-Defense
Biggest Strength-Verstaile Offensive Game
NBA Best Case Comparison-Paul Pierce
NBA Worst Case Comparison-Mike Dunleavy

In terms of skill, tahir might have more know-how than Mo and rival that of Jesus. Indeed, he has the ability to be in the top 3 of the best basketball players in our little group, and is one of the few people that could go toe to toe with Mo in a 1v1 situation. Basketball, however, is often a team sport.

Tahir can do it all on the offensive end. He can play pick and roll as either the screener or the ball handler, he can dribble with both hands, he can attack and finish at the rim with both hands, he has an almost flawless midrange game, a solid long range game, and can even post up and score in a variety of ways from the paint. He stands at a long 6'0 frame, shoots with a high release, and does a great job of keeping his head up. His moves are often slow and meticulous...purposeful. In some ways he might be the opposite of Nauman in regards to his mental approach to the game.

Where nauman likes to think on the fly, tahir is more apt at having a predetermined plan. He benefits from this due to his wide variety of moves, like a programmers flow chart, he attacks the rim and makes decisions based on predetermined counters to the way the defense reacts. While this works more often than not, this predtermination also makes him a bit predictable in his approach and can help a team plot against him, or a more athletic defender exploit him.

While he can dribble with both hands, he tends to have a high dribble, especially when doing a croosver from his left to his right. He likes to counter this by utilizing half spins and full spin moves to keep his body between the ball and the defender.

One of his best offensive attributes is his ability to gain seperation and keep a consistent form on all his shots. Whether it be by a subtle elbow or forearm shove, a step back or a spin move tahir can often find ways to get his shot off.

His game actually resembles a bit of bully ball, often trying to figure out ways to get a smaller, shorter defender on him so he can utilize his length and strength advantage adequately.

As a defender tahir is all kinds of lacking, despite having great length and strength. He simply doesnt have the mindset to do the nitty gritty on either end of the court. He will often choose to be the last line of defense, which in more cases than not is a feeble block attempt that when failed becomes a foul. He also tends to be overphysical with his defense, which then leads to him being out of position and getting beat by a drive or a pass.


Tahir has great court vision and does a good job of decision making, but often his passes are more designed for himself, in that they are sometimes higher than normal, or come at a speed that less experienced players would never be able to catch.

Overall, as a one on one player Tahir is certainly near the top, put tahir around players who are willing to do the grit work and commit to defense and you obtain a very powerful weapon on the basketball court.

Naveel

Biggest Weakness-Ball handling
Biggest Strength-Shooting
NBA Best Case Comparison-Raja Bell
NBA Worse Case Comparison-Keith Bogans


Naveel has spent the last 5 years ever evolving his abilities as a basketball player. He went from being just a fiery defender, and has turned into a player who can play both ends of the court and a strong desire to win.

One of his biggest prides is his ability to shoot the ball. When he first started off, his offensive game was limited to jumpshots within the 3pt line and almost always off of catches and releases instead of dribbling into his shot. He then expanded his range to beyond the 3pt line, however still being limited in his ability to put the ball down. He then added the ability to attack the rim off the dribble yet developed serious tunnel vision. Now his offensive abilities have grown closer to an overall game at each facet of the offensive side of the ball.

In his current state naveel is perfectly fine with standing beyond the 3pt line and doing what he does best, shooting the ball. His form has become more consistent, which helps him because when he does miss a shot he is quickly able to figure out what he did wrong. He also has gotten better of creating his own shot off the dribble. While in his current state he is still limited in how far he can go towards his left, going to his right he can either go into a step back jumper, a pullup, or take the ball straight at the rim.

While he still has a bit of tunnel vision, he has gotten far better at passing the ball while dribbling. He isnt a point guard, and the way he handles and passes the ball clearly illustrate that, however he has a high basketball iq, and always had the ability to see the right passes and moves from the outside and is slowly developing that ability within the game.

One of Naveels biggest prides is his ability to affect the game away from the ball. Whether it be playing his fiery defense, rebounding, or finding passes and plays for his team mates, he does a great job of playing all out at all times.
As a defender naveel is physical and persistance. He takes every crossover against him as a personal insult but never resorts to simply fouling. He has great timing and does a good job of coming from the weakside to offer a steal or a block.

As a rebounder, naveel is surprisingly good. While he lacks the size and strength often associated with good rebounders, he likes to come out of nowhere and swoop up or fight for loose balls. With no problems of throwing his body into harm.

Naveels biggest weakness lies in his ability to handle the ball while keeping his head up. While he has the iq to be a great play maker for others, he often keeps his body and eyes fixated on the ball and the rim and nothing else. This also means he is susceptible to being stripped or blocked from a weak side defender, or simply missing an easy shot opportunity.

Overall Naveel is a solid option as a 2 guard mainly because of his abilities to play well without dominating the ball, however it is to be noted that his game also resounds with his emotions. Having a looser and focused Naveel will provide far more production than an angry or disturbed one.

UPDATE

Naveel's shooting has gotten a lot better. His form has gotten pretty intuitive for him, open shots are going to be money. His ability to finish has also refined quite a bit. Ball handling still spotty.

Sharim B.

biggest weakness-Long range shooting
Biggest Strength-Basketball I.Q.
NBA Best Case Comparison-Aaron Afflalo
NBA Worst Case Comparison-Flip Murray

Sharim bs is a terrific wing player, whose ability to control his dribble and see the court allows for high efficiency shots and key plays.

His ability to handle the ball is one of my favorite things about his game, he is slow and methodical with just a hint of flash in the way he handles the ball. He utilizes various hesitation and iso dribbles, to lull defenders to sleep all while keeping his eyes up and the ball secure. He is a heady player who doesnt force the issue from the defense, instead taking whatever the defense gives him.

His offensive attack is built on what the defense supplies him, often being able to make up his mind while dribbling, which for most of us is not an easy task. He can put the ball on the floor and attack the middle without any preconceived ideas of whether he wants to shoot or pass. Once the defense reacts he chooses his spots properly. If the defense plays him for the drive he has no problem pulling up for a short range leaner. If the defense plays him with a single defender tight, he has no problem of going straight to the cup. If an offensive player becomes open, he finds the pass. All in all he is a very efficient wing player.

Defensively Sharim b. is just as smart as he is on offense. He has good anticipation and timing, and while not the tallest player, he has a decivingly long reach and explosive jumping ability. He can be used in either man or zone situations equally well.

The one area I had pegged as a weakness, has actually already developed quite a bit. I dont know if it was rust, or perhaps just his own lack of assertion, or perhaps it is recently developed. but I felt that his jumpshooting ability was virtually non existent. However in my last two encounters with him (the first being at the start of september, and the second being at the end of september) he has shown great consistent form in shooting the mid to short range jumper, especially off the dribble. He has however also shown to shy away from the longer ranged shots, which given his efficient searching gamestyle, would make sense if it was a weakness (he shies away from the shot because he believes it is his weakest part of his game and that a better shot can be had if he puts the ball on the floor)

His most impressive feature is his ability to attack the defense WITHOUT the ball. He constantly moves, sets screens, catches the ball and calmly reacts to the defense afterwards knowing when to start a dribble and when to simply pass and keep moving.

The only thing i regret to find is his ability to handle the ball in the open court. This makes me think, that despite his great iq, vision, and ball handling, he prefers to play the wingman as opposed as the point guard. Honestly, with his style of play there is nothing wrong with this as he plays like an ideal wing for indecisive pgs.

Niyaab B.

biggest weakness-Rust?
Biggest Strength-Basketball Experience
NBA Best Case Comparison-Brandon Roy (pre injury)
NBA Worst Case Comparison-Brandon Roy (post injuries)

Its hard to gauge his abilities at the moment. I hope that I will be able to get more time learning his game when he plays without restrictions. He definetly has a very solid shooting touch that hasnt left him since High School. The way he shoots is evidence of him being a guy who spent much of his teenage years refining and perfecting the ability to shoot a jumpshot, to the point that he can shoot with his normal form without even jumping (knowing exactly how to adjust the bounce from his knees to simulate the jump for his jumpshot). As a passer he likes to be deceptive yet safe. He has fairly big hands and likes to at times do ball fakes with palms. He prefers the direct pass.

Off the ball he likes to use his quickness and balance to simulate going one way as he stretches himself to go the other way. He does a good job of seeing the court at all times. His ability to finish at the rim on a layup is hard to gauge at this point, however, if he gets a chance to get a layup, he knows how to use the glass and make every single one.

He has a good feel for the glass in general.

Shonnie

biggest weakness-General shooting
Biggest Strength-Motor
NBA Best Case Comparison- Kawahi Leonard
NBA Worst Case Comparison- Nocioni without the jumper

I didnt get a good look at Shanni during the games. I did see that he had an incredible motor, and was pretty intense the whole time he was playing which is ironic since he has a pretty kind hearted and friendly nature. He showed good ability to make cuts and finish around the rim, and being a football player he has good hands and a strong build. He is not someone you ever have to ask to play hard, he plays hard all the time. His jumpshot is iffy, but not non-existent. He can hit shots if left wide open. defensively he likes to play his man tight and devotes himself to that end of the court. His motor and high energy make him a pest at both ends of the court.