Darius Bazley | Age: 18.2 | G League?
6-foot-9 | SF
After Bazley decided last spring to skip college basketball and play in the G League this season, there were heightened stakes for him at this event and not many positives to take away from his performance. There is speculation among NBA scouts that this might have been the last competitive action they will see from Bazley until the NBA pre-draft process next spring -- or even the 2019 summer league. If he doesn't feel ready for the G League, he could reconsider his decision and forgo competitive basketball for the year, similar to Mitchell Robinson last season. Either way, it's a situation with widespread implications beyond Bazley, and an important one to watch.
The youngest participant in these 5-on-5 scrimmages, having only turned 18 two months ago, Bazley looked far from capable of holding his own physically with legitimate college players, struggling to put the ball in the basket and making a litany of bad decisions on both ends of the floor that caused scouts to question his feel for the game.
Bazley bit on fakes on defense, gambled excessively in the passing lanes and let stronger players go right through him en route to the basket, even if his mobility, length and instincts do allow him to make plays on occasion. Offensively, he has a difficult time getting low to the ground and creating high percentage shots, rarely making the extra pass and settling for long 2s when his initial move is cut off. Even when Bazley made an effective move, he would often attempt to finish in bizarre fashion, heaving up awkward floaters and step-backs from difficult angles, shying away from contact and almost never getting to the free throw line in turn. His jumper looked unpolished over the course of the weekend, as he shoots the ball with funky mechanics and an inconsistent release point, having an especially difficult time making shots off the dribble.
Bazley's frame has improved since the last time we saw him on the high school all-star circuit. Standing around 6-foot-9 with intriguing length and a theoretical skill-set, Bazley has quite a bit of long-term upside, but he's far from putting it all together.
Once in a while Bazley would block a shot, outquick an opponent to the glass or make a smooth move in the open court that reminded you of why he was such a touted prospect to begin with. It wouldn't be surprising if he was able to do the same in a private workout during the pre-draft setting and convince a team he's worthy of being picked in the first round, but there are some real doubts at this point about what taking a year off of playing competitive basketball would do for his long-term development, if that's what he decides to do.