Cavs general manager Koby Altman talks up draft prospect Shamorie Ponds
Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman is a fan of 2018 NBA Draft prospect Shamorie Ponds, a point guard from St. John’s University.
On Saturday, the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted a pre-draft workout that included four draft hopefuls in St. John’s University’s Shamorie Ponds, Auburn University’s Mustapha Heron, Villanova University’s Omari Spellman and the University of Southern California’s (USC’s) De’Anthony Melton.
Of the four prospects, at least one came away with a positive review: Ponds.
Cavs general manager Koby Altman, who still does a heavy amount of scouting for the Cavs despite his promotion from assistant general manager in the offseason, was in attendance and complimented Ponds on his game.
Per Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com:
"“[Altman] said he really likes my game a lot, he really enjoyed watching it,” Ponds added. “There was great energy after the workout.”"
Ponds also spoke with Cavs starting shooting guard J.R. Smith after the workout.
The New York connection between the three is likely at the core of what allowed Ponds to connect with the Cavs following the workout as both Ponds and Altman were born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Smith played for the New York Knicks for nearly three and a half seasons before being traded to the Cavs in 2015. Smith would win Sixth Man of the Year with the Knicks in 2013, the only NBA Award of his career.
Ponds, a player whose game I profiled previously, is a high-octane scoring guard whose natural scoring ability is definitely reminiscent of Irving’s. It’s not that he has a similarly dazzling display of dribbling but the sheer amount of ways he can score and the volume with which he does it.
He averaged 21.6 points per game in his sophomore season, just a year after averaging 17.4 points per game.
Irving averaged 17.5 points per game as a freshman at Duke University.
The ability to score, either through spot-up attempts or off-the-dribble, is one of the most translatable skills when looking at a prospects ability to jump from college to the NBA.
Players with high basketball IQ’s might not have the body. Players with the elite athleticism might be raw on skill. Players who can score in the post may not be able to score against the stronger athletes he’ll face in the NBA.
Ponds is a player who can pour it on defenses with his ability to break down defenses off-the-dribble and score in a plethora of ways.
He has a slight frame that will need more muscle so that he can finish and fight through contact on either end. However, unlike his volume scoring predecessors in Irving and Isaiah Thomas, Ponds has a terrific motor and knack for steals on the defensive end and that serves as sort of an equalizer when looking at his physical disadvantages.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the 13 lottery teams that has a chance to select a high profile draft prospect in the offseason, currently holding the 8th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft thanks to their blockbuster trade of former number one overall pick and 5-time All-Star Kyrie Irving.
With that pick, the Cavs have a number of options:
Do they draft a forward with the capabilities of filling some of the playmaking void that will be left by LeBron James one day, if not in the offseason?
Do they draft a center in order to shore up what’s one of, if not their weakest position?
Do they draft a point guard who can (finally) replace the playmaking void left by Irving?
Do they trade that pick for an All-Star?
Depending on what they do with their first — and as of now, only — pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the fates of players like Ponds will be more clear.
If they trade the pick for a frontcourt All-Star or select a frontcourt player at the top of the draft, trading a player a for a second-round pick (or simply purchasing one) could lead to the selection of Ponds. If not, Ponds would likely have to fall out of the draft completely and a team like the Cavaliers scooped him up for the Summer League.
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