Sundiata Gaines standing on right
I stood up in the middle of the Dime Magazine Office about two years ago and said “Will Bynum should be in the NBA.” I told anyone who I knew in the scouting game that they should take a look at him. “The Thrill,” who’s featured in the upcoming Bounce Edition 20, was the best player in the Piston’s ragged 2009 playoff run. However, Bynum consistently demonstrated the NBA guard skill-set of breaking down defenders, hitting open jumpers, and elevating over bigger players for strong finishes.
There is another Bynum-type talent developing in NYC this summer just waiting for the opportunity to wet his feet in the NBA and make a strong statement. What scout wants to get some dap and advancement? Take my advice and sign the 6-1 Sundiata Gaines. While I hear some of the Euro scouts complaining about his free-throw percentage, about 59% for his college and pro career, I feel he’s worth the risk.
Here’s why it makes sense.
1. Gaines is a powerful finisher with a lightning quick first dribble.
Like Bynum, Gaines creates space off the dribble, is a terror in transition, and goes extremely hard to cup. He is a crafty finisher with the ability to change directions in the air with his body and at the rim with his hands. Defenders come to block his shot and he quickly adjust to get it off, often drawing fouls. Last year in the Italian A League, he got to the line about 5 times a game, but shot only 59% from the line. I noticed his upper body mechanics are fine, I think he just needs to make a slight adjustment at the line with his lower-body positioning to up his percentage into the 70% range. Gaines is developing a strong pick-and-roll game and while he doesn’t penetrate and dish like a Jameer Nelson, he has shown good anticipation and strength like Chauncey Billups in pressure situations. Gaines weighs about 210 pounds.
2. Gaines has a strong outside shot that is developing 3-pt consistency .
With solid mechanics and rotation on his shot, Gaines’ offense will shine and his shot will improve as he becomes more comfortable with his offense recognition. He needs to know where he hits his three’s on the court and find ways to get there. He has the space-making ability to do it. He only shot 35% from three last year in Italy but with better shot and floor recognition he could boost that to close to 40%. He’s a solid 45% shooter from the field.
While he sometimes gets a little out of control with his shot selection, his shot-rhythm and the way he settles his head while shooting (amazingly still) makes him a potentially more consistent jump shooting prospect than Smush Parker, who was often criticized for not having that knockdown open jumper in the clutch. Gaines is an Eastern Conference Guard – a strong floor general with good half-court toughness and, in my opinion, has a higher ceiling than Chicago back-up guard Anthony Roberson. If Roberson is an NBA guard then Gaines should get the same consideration.
3. Gaines can guard.
Gaines has good hands, strong feet, and loves to fight through screens. He challenges shots and is willing to guard 94-feet. He has great defensive anticipation and likes to create turnovers off the steal. With proper motivation, he could develop into a Bruce Bowen-type that dedicates himself to stopping dominating NBA point-guards with his quickness and strength. The closest thing I’ve seen to a defensive specialist at the point guard position is Derek Fisher and Gaines has a similar body-type.
July 9th, 2009 at 7:16 am
Kenny Patt says:
I’m sold. You would make a great agent Sean.
July 9th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Sean Couch says:
Nah Ken, scout, player personnel, but never an agent.
July 9th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Kenny Patt says:
Very thourough scouting report I might add. He’s still pretty young so I think he has a shot. NBDL may be a good idea for him.
July 9th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Trevor Kapp says:
i interviewed yatta for a piece i wrote last year and he told me he had no interest in going overseas and was gonna play in the d league instead but i guess someone made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
July 9th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Sean Couch says:
Trevor –
Italy pays well, but I project if he did the D-league this year he would average about 17 to 19 in the D-League and go for 5 to 7 assists. He would be one of the top guards in the league.
Yatta would look good in a New York Knick uniform as the back-up point guard if Nate is traded.
July 9th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
sure says:
If yatta wasn’t from New York he’d be in the league. NY has a black cloud over it’s head from GM’s, coaches, execs. I hate combo guards and love Yatta Gaines game. Watched him evolve from his Molloy days with Marlon Smith. Has consistently gotten better. Still improving. Is a legimitate starter in the league. It’s funny how players from the league can’t even dominate regular summerball tournaments and are overseas,D-League. It’s doing the game a injustice. If the Knicks were consisted of just NY players we could compete for the playoffs and be way more exciting. I’d have a lineup like PG:Barrett/Show/Cook/N.Brown/Skip/Tinsley
SG:Yatta/S.Burtt/Homicide/L.Stephenson/R.Artest SF:Quinton Hosley/M.Glover/SFX/L.O PF:Harrington and he’s peaked. I don’t know any bigs. You could take a good percentage of the players in the league and switch places with top talent that is abroad. It would be a a much needed upgrade. I’m sure of it. That’s why it hurts to be a Knicks fan and watch these bums misrepresent your city. NYC is a basketball breeding haven. We produce nothing but stars. We can’t go off Sebastian Telfair and those who fail. At the end of Sebastin’s career aside from hype he would have done NYC proud. He’s been thriving in Minn and I hope he one day he’s able to compete for a championship. He would have been ideal for that Portland team now. It’s all about timing and being given a chance. Give Mr Gaines a chance and I guarantee he’ll produce. Could have arguable been the best player in the big east had he stayed local. My T-Mobile fav backcourt D.Hill and Yatta Gaines. WOW.
July 9th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
nelson says:
here is the major issue with NBA basketball and the hypocrisy that is david stern. i agree with argument laid out. here is the real issue though as to why guys like yatta and others cant get looks. its the hypocrisy of the NBA and in particular david stern. one one hand, he tells people, you must go to college, they would prefer players to do 3 years, its noble to do 4 years in college, they want guys more mature, ready for the grind of the NBA blah, blah, blah. yet allows and promotes his babies of the league.
he watches his finals of Kobe(NO College) vs Dwight Howard(no college) and rashard lewis, turkoglu also no college become the marquee attractions. in the draft we have tons of underclassman coming in without proving their worth. Ricky Rubio while a decent young player is not going to come in and contribute as much as say a guy who is done with college and has spent 2 years overseas and is dropping numbers and is physically mature. ricky rubio is barely 180 punds, who can he guard. why not give these guys overseas a legit look? they are mature having spent time in a foreign country, they know the game as professionals, they are good team guys,you dont have to worry about them, yet they stay overseas without getting legit looks. while they do get good money in certain places, why cant a team like say the knicks or clippers who struggle with the players they have open the door to a player like yatta or the countless others over the years who flourish in europe but come home again forced to play their way into vet camp.
C’mon david stern, your league is watered down with young potential talent. let the grown men play. dont destroy the game i grew up loving so much. basketball is not only about potential, or athletics, its about the combination of athletics, skill, creativity combining in the ultimate expression of concrete poetry. please dont kill my game david stern, let all of the talent in, not just ricky rubios, demar derozans of the world, give guys like yatta a real supportive chance to show what they can bring to the table as a pros pro. you got teams drafting kids who cant bench press 185 pounds once. you tell me who they are going to hold down in the post. this is a joke, its sad… sorry for the rant.
July 9th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Sean Couch says:
Sure –
While that crew would be a great team at Rucker that could have a chance to beat the Eastern Conference Champion Magic outdoors, they would get destroyed by 30 or more in an arena.
The outdoor dynamic is one that NBA pros should experience at least once in their careers. I know more and more of them really appreciate the skill of outdoor basketball and I watched Ron Artest shoot his highest NBA percentage from 3-pt range last year by becoming a dedicated outdoor shooter. Now the Lakers will benefit from his improvement.
Nelson –
I think David Stern and the NBA have a solid plan in place to develop players. While I feel your argument concerning the two direct high school to pro players in the finals is relevant, the overall numbers of kids declaring early from HS and not making the league was alarming enough for Stern to hike the age.
Also, the majority of high schoolers take three to four years to get to the double-digit scoring range in the NBA. It’s the rule not the exception.
Take a look at the 2005 draft.
The best players of the H.S. group were Monta Ellis, Andrew Bynum, Martell Webster, Louis Williams, and Andray Blatch. Monta went double-figures his second year, Bynum his third year, while it took Williams and Webster three years to become low double-digit scorers.
Danny Granger, who did his 4 years of college, came and in his second year instantly hit 14 ppg and is now an All-Star caliber player.
One pick later Gerald Green, who struggled straight out of HS, is out of the league with all his athleticism.
Granger comes in mature and ready to play against men, while it takes most high schoolers two years or more to get their games right and adjust to the physical play of the league.
In the 2004 draft besides Howard, Telfair has yet to reach double-digits as a scorer, Robert Swift averages 4 ppg, Dorrell Wright averages 5 ppg, and Sean Livingston’s starting over.
On the other hand, the Big 3 – Josh Smith, J.R. Smith, and Al Jefferson are all double figure scorers, with Jefferson looking like an All-Star next year, JR having strong potential to have a Danny Granger-like breakout year, and Josh developing into one of the games premier power forwards.
It’s taken them 5 years to get to a high level of game. Would it have been accelerated if they went to college for a year or two? Maybe.
All three are a year younger than Brandon Roy with great upsides. The key is measuring their desires to continue to improve as players.
My pick for Roy-like improvement is Smith who now has a dedicated “chip” guard in Billups to get him space and encourage him to work hard to improve.
July 9th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
ROBERTO says:
Sure:
Stick to the script.
PG:Barrett/Show/Cook/N.Brown/Skip/Tinsley
SG:Yatta/S.Burtt/Homicide/L.Stephenson/R.Artest SF:Quinton Hosley/M.Glover/SFX/L.O PF:Harrington and he’s peaked. I don’t know any bigs.
This team would get crushed by 50-60 pts by the top teams in Euroleague.
July 9th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
nelson says:
sean,
that is why i said look at more euro players because they have developed. thats my argument because i agree that HS players are not the rule, but the exception. the game takes time to develop. i’m only saying that its ok for stern to hype the hell out of the kids when it works but at the same time extend the age and not allow kids to declare by forcing to go the college route. he is saying go, develop, mature but if you are really, really nice, its ok. so the guys that go and develop in college and overseas, get left out. that is my only point. its a confusing message.
July 10th, 2009 at 10:31 am
sure says:
@Couch
Great Post and I hope one day you become player personel or scout would help to revive what we need most.
@nelson
Almost shed a tear. That was heartfelt. Couldn’t have said it better. This great game we once and still have but is moving in the wrong direction. It’s a shame to fans, viewers and kids coming up now. They don’t know what true greatness is because it sheltered and hidden like Lebron’s skills tape. LOL. You can’t make a superstar he’s born. Let them in. Shamgod/Shy Holloway/Gary Saunders/D.Flight/Jamel Thomas/Antifreeze/C.Gadson just a few who could have been still playing or had a chance to shine in the league.
July 10th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Kenny Patt says:
@ Sure
Some of those guys were there and just couldnt cut it. I love all of those guys but if any of the guys you mentioned made any sort of impact on that level, They would be in the L , ala Odom, Artest ,Gordon, even Douby has hung around. I dont see bias there, Artest would have been out of the league if that were the case.
July 10th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
nelson says:
Kenny,
i dont agree. sham and cheyne are great examples of guys who were there and never got a legit shot for a variety of reasons. if you think NBA jobs are not about nepotism, or who you know , then i will inform you that its true. i watched cheyne in summer league a few years back and he looked good. i mean, not to be a starting PG but you cannot tell me that he couldnt be a 3rd PG in the league somewhere. he ran sets effectively, played d, even made some jumpers which is his weakness. there are tons of 3rd PG in the league who are worse and he could play over. same with sham. you telling me that after his stint with the wizards and doing well overseas, he couldnt get a legit look as a 3rd PG with anyone? but when teams like to give spots to guys who arent playing but are good league guys(brevin knight) or tight with the front office or potential future coaches(later eric snow), they are taking up a spot from these guys. i’m not saying every guy from NYC who is talented should be in the L. i’m just saying there is quality overseas and its not all young guys who are 22 and under that we have never heard of. you telling me a team can draft some guy in teh second round from france, congo, russia, serbia etc.. because he is 6′9, weak, can shoot and 22 but wont ever play and cant give someone a legit shot who is producing solid numbers who is homegrown but playing overseas. its not fair is all i’m saying.
if you thinks its not a game being destroyed, how does a former sports reporter get a job as an NBA GM? the guy self admits to never having played basketball yet can make 4 1st round draft picks. danny ainge can make his son a scout for the boston celtics after playing at BYU? there are lots of people in basketball who are there because of their families or who they know, not because they know about the game. basketball decisions are made daily by people who dont know the game which is why its not always fair. sorry for the rant again, just wanted to clear up my position.
July 10th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
sure says:
You go nelson. Man!!!!! I’m brushing your shoulders as we speak. A change is gonna come. Age and factoring people that have no idea about the sport= what we have now. LOL.
July 10th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Kenny Patt says:
Nelson,
Your point is accurate , but this applies to every aspect of life, ie. Jobs, who gets in a club free, fraterneties, gangs, and I can go on for hours. Bottom line is, Take Shammgod, who I first saw play as a 9th grader with a buddy of mine at Lasalle. I predicted then he was a future pro and was proven correct. When he got cut, i wonder how bad he really wanted it in terms of going all out to return to the L. He may have settled (As countless others) on a career overseas and felt it was’nt worth the gamble to forfiet guaranteed $ for a shot in the dark. Politics are forver, everywhere in the world. You have to do something to stand above the rest and never give up. I’m not 100% certain some of these guys exausted their opportunities. A 12th man will always be either White, Foreign (Marketing), a good guy, or super young. Just as if you owned a business you would surely find a spot for a good friend over a stranger, if it’s too close to call on who’s better qualified. Sorry for the long respomse.
July 11th, 2009 at 4:07 am
nelson says:
Kenny,
i do agree with what your saying as it relates to issues like this in the non basketball world but as someone who runs a business, i look for the most qualified person, not my friend nor the most connected person. while in some instances you have to make decisions that might leverage you in the future, i think for basketball purposes, you have to WIN. bottom line and if you arent getting the best player, then really what are you doing? you have to at least leave no stone un turned in searching for talent.
now i know you cant compare the league in the 70’s to what it is now but back then, guys were getting offers and looks based upon who they bustin on the street. would a guy like joe hammond really get the lakers and mitch kupchak to come to the park today and offer a deal if a current day joe existed? probably not, and i ask why not? if a guy can go, you look and see whats what. you bring him in for a real workout and explore it. all i’m saying is give these brothas overseas a shot. the game has changed yes, but talent is talent, and the goal is to put the best 12 man roster you can and the best 5 out there, not potentiall the best 5 or the best 5 in 3 years.
i think sham’s case is also about politics, rumors etc.. i also know sham and can say without a doubt that desire wasnt the issue in terms of returning to the L.