While the NBA playoffs rage on, the pre-draft process had its unofficial start as representatives from all 30 NBA teams made their way to Virginia for the 69th annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (“PIT”) this past week.

PIT serves as a chance for 64 college upperclassmen to test athletically and compete in front of scouts from every NBA team in an attempt to showcase why they deserve to be on their radar. The tournament has a storied history of producing NBA talent, even featuring star players such as Jimmy Butler, Scottie Pippen, Tim Hardaway Sr. and Dennis Rodman. Last year’s edition, for example, hosted nine players who went on to see NBA minutes this past season.

After making the trip to Norfolk last week, let me catch you up on what you may have missed, with a focus on those who made their mark above the rest.

Three Standout NBA Hopefuls

Craig Porter Jr. – Wichita State

Per game tournament stats: 9.0 Points, 5.3 Rebounds, 4.3 Assists, 3.3 Steals, 1.3 Blocks, 53/17/67%

*Shooting splits are 2PFG%/3PFG%/FT%*

On the surface, a 6-foot-2-inch guard scoring 9 points a game while shooting 17% from 3-point range isn’t particularly eye-catching. However, a look under the hood reveals one of the most interesting sleeper prospects in the entire draft.

If you ask any coach the best way to earn playing time they’ll almost always answer playing good defense. Craig showcased this constantly at PIT, amassing an absurd 4.6 stocks (steals + blocks) a game while also sticking to his man and recovering around screens at the point of attack. After finishing with the best standing vertical jump among the 61 attendees who participated in the athletic testing (34.5 inches, which would have been 2nd best at last year’s official NBA combine) and 2nd in the 3/4 court sprint, it’s clear that Porter has the athletic tools needed to impact the game defensively. While shot-blocking isn’t usually a priority as a guard defender, it is an area that a lot of the league’s best guard defenders standout in. Since 2008, Porter is one of just six players 6-foot-2-inches or shorter to finish a season with a block percentage above five. Looking at the list of college guards who managed block and steal rates similar to Porter’s you’ll find locksmiths like Gary Payton II, Derrick White, Danny Green, and Matisse Thybulle.

The obvious elephant in the room is on the offensive end where he scored a measly nine points per game with dismal three-point shooting. The low scoring is likely a byproduct of Porter’s PIT team opting to run their offense through other players, forcing him into a different role than he’s used to at Wichita State. With the Shockers, Porter ranked in the 91st percentile for frequency as a PNR ball-handler and 94th in isolation frequency. Don’t get it twisted, though: Porter is far from a ball-hog as evidenced by his 30.3 assist% this past season and 4.3 assists per game here at PIT. Porter dazzled the crowd making advanced reads often using visual manipulation to send defenders the wrong way before completing a myriad of different passes. That ability as a passer and ball-handler combined with his excellent finishing (65% at the rim in the half-court at Wichita State) proves he has many of the required offensive tools needed to succeed at the NBA level.

The clear limiting factor is his three-point shot, but even that has reason for optimism. Despite shooting a mediocre 36.3% from three-point range this season on underwhelming volume (only 5.8 attempts per 100 possessions), some of the underlying shooting indicators are very positive. He attempted 116 mid-range jumpers this past season at an impressive 44.8% FG% while also converting on 44.4% of his 36 floater attempts. However, even with some positive indicators, his 68.5% free throw percentage and hesitancy shooting off the catch with just 12 of such attempts this season doesn’t inspire the most confidence in his outside shooting projection.

Porter’s a somewhat confusing offensive prospect with a lot of both green and red flags. He also has some clear low-hanging fruit like his avoidance of driving baseline out of empty-side PNR’s as well as a heavy bias towards the pass or drive instead of shooting when faced with a closeout. However, it’s hard to ignore the value that high level point of attack defenders can provide at the guard spot in the NBA, especially those who offer some level of on-ball creation upside. When looking at what Porter offers and his likely availability in the late 2nd round or as an undrafted free agent, given his unique skillset it is hard not to get at least somewhat excited about Craig Porter Jr.

Sir’Jabari Rice – Texas

Per game tournament stats: 16.3 Points, 3.7 Rebounds, 3.0 Assists, 0.7 Steals, 0.0 Blocks, 70/45/86%

As a key contributor for a Texas team that was minutes away from a FinalFour appearance, Sir’Jabari Rice came into PIT with the label of a “winning player.” It should then come as no surprise, then, that his team cruised to a tournament championship capped off with Rice winning tournament MVP honors. He was the clear vocal leader for his team and, put simply, the vibes were strong throughout the entire tournament.

On the offensive end, the 6-foot-4.5-inch shooting guard’s game builds off him having the strongest go-to move in the entire tournament. A confident shooter and passer who happens to do both from the same slot makes Rice’s pump-fake a double threat, also serving as a potential pass. To truly understand how dominant this weapon is, you honestly just have to see for yourself. Paired with his phenomenal flexibility and agility, his pump makes Rice an absolute force when attacking a closeout. On top of that, he also does a great job of moving without the ball and quickly passing to keep the offense fluid.

As for the defensive side of the ball, Rice does a great job playing the ball aggressively while also preventing his man from getting an easy blow-by. Sitting close to the action you could clearly hear him communicating coverages when tasked with a ball screen. He fought through those screens well, recovering to his man quickly. With a long 6-foot-9-inch wingspan, he has the length to disturb shooters at a high level for a guard, and all-in-all provides more than enough value on that end of the floor. Given Rice’s readily apparent skill and his lovable team-first attitude it would be a complete shock to not see him on an NBA roster come next season.

Toumani Camara – Dayton

Per game tournament stats: 20.0 Points, 11.0 Rebounds, 2.7 Assists, 1.3 Steals, 1.3 Blocks, 51/17/94%

While Sir’Jabari Rice won tournament MVP honors, it was clear that the general consensus was in favor of Dayton’s Toumani Camara as the most dominant player in attendance. Despite a lack of team success during the tournament, Camara clearly had an extra athletic gear that the rest of the players simply could not match.

Throughout this past season at Dayton, Camara provided one of the single most valuable things in basketball: consistent rim pressure. That was no different here at PIT where his ability to get to the rim off the dribble at 6-foot-8-inches emphatically stood out. Camara’s known for his explosive leaping ability, highlighted by his 66 dunks in 68 games at Dayton, but his flexibility really stood out here, too. He’s very comfortable getting low and contorting around his defender at the first level to get downhill, an item many struggle with when they first face professional-level talent.

In his first game of the tournament, Camara dropped 27 points including a pair of three point makes which highlighted just how deadly he could be if he can get the shot to fall consistently. He converted on a respectable 36.2% of his three-point attempts this past season, but doing so at a volume of just 4.9 attempts per 100 possessions doesn’t inspire the most confidence in his outside shot being a major factor as competition increases.

In talking to people around the arena, most questioned if Camara would even opt to play in his team’s final game after proving all he needed to in the first two. Fortunately he did play, and while he struggled to score at the same level he did in the first two games, that gave him an opportunity to showcase what he can provide outside of scoring. His 13 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks with zero turnovers displayed that versatility.

On the defensive end, Camara was impactful as a helper, but did concede some blow-bys easier than you’d like. Fortunately, his size and recovery tools, highlighted by his 7-foot wingspan, were more than enough to allow him to recover and erase those mistakes. Overall, Camara’s athleticism and ability to create rim pressure by himself as a forward has landed him firmly on NBA team radars. That makes him our final pick for the highest-likelihood NBA hopefuls.

G-League With Pathways To The NBA

Nathan Mensah – San Diego State

Per game tournament stats: 13.7 Points, 9.7 Rebounds, 1.7 Assists, 0.7 Steals, 2.0 Blocks, 65/0/64%

Sales Systems was one of two tournament finals teams, driven by one consistent, major advantage: elite rim protection. That was almost entirely due to the work of San Diego State’s Nathan Mensah. Measuring in at 6-feet-11-inches with a 7-foot-5.5-inch wingspan Mensah was dominant as a rim deterrent. This trait stood out to such a degree that it very well could be enough to earn him a spot on an NBA roster on its own. However, for him to secure long-term NBA success he’ll likely need some specialty to add to his game on the offensive end. Most NBA centers standout in some way: some shine as a rim runner, others as a facilitator, maybe even as a floor spacer, all of which Mensah currently lacks. Mensah has a solid case for an NBA roster spot day 1, but realistically something has to improve on the offensive end for him to thrive at the NBA level. His passing may just end up as that skill, at nearly two assists per game playing as his team’s big man.

D’Moi Hodge – Missouri

Per game tournament stats: 19.3 Points, 3.7 Rebounds, 1.0 Assists, 1.0 Steals, 1.3 Blocks, 57/50/73%

D’Moi Hodge combines a pair of very appealing skills — versatile shooting and low-risk, mistake free basketball. After turning in a season at Missouri shooting 40% from three on a massive 14.1 attempts per 100 possessions, Hodge was able to reinforce his status as a knockdown shooter at PIT, converting on 50% of his looks from deep. When paired with his impressively mistake-free style of play (becoming just the 13th high-major NCAA player to have a turnover percentage below 8% while maintaining a usage rate over 20% this past season) creates a compelling guard prospect on the offensive end.

That mistake-free style carries over to the defensive end, too, where Hodge rarely messes up a ball screen coverage or finds himself out of position. Despite that relatively safe reputation, he’s still plenty aggressive as an on-ball defender, amassing a phenomenal 5.1 steal% this past season at Missouri. While there’s a lot to like about Hodge’s game already, as he’s certainly earned himself a spot on a G-League roster this upcoming season, his lack of offerings inside the arc on offense will likely need to be improved before he can expect NBA minutes with any regularity.

G-League Ready

Tevian Jones – Southern Utah

Per game tournament stats: 18.7 Points, 2.3 Rebounds, 0.7 Assists, 0.7 Steals, 0.0 Blocks, 79/50/100%

Grabbing the highest scoring single game of the tournament is one way to make sure you standout, and that’s exactly what Southern Utah’s Tevian Jones did with 36 points in his second game at PIT. The 6-foot-7-inch forward converted on 50% of his threes throughout the tournament, a skill he’s developed immensely during his time in college. We were also treated to flashes of his ball-handling ability, something he showed this past season as the ball-handler in three pick and rolls per game.

That being said, Jones’ stay at PIT failed to showcase his ability to contribute to the game in ways other than scoring. This past season, his 0.3% block rate, 1.6% steal rate and 7.2% assist percentage all fell short of inspiring confidence in his other traits. Jones clearly earned a spot in the G-League, but he’ll need to become a more well-rounded contributor while he’s there if he wants to get NBA looks.

Umoja Gibson – DePaul

Per game tournament stats: 11.3 Points, 3.0 Rebounds, 6.0 Assists, 1.0 Steals, 0.0 Blocks, 38/53/0%

Umoja Gibson’s first two games resulted in a somewhat underwhelming 8 points and 11 assists, and it felt incredibly unlucky. Gibson was doing everything right, always in the right spots, taking good shots and setting up his teammates well. He looked the part of the perfect game manager point guard. Which made it all the more exciting when he popped-off for 26 points and 7 assists in his team’s final game of the tournament. Umoja clearly has a great understanding of both his job within the team as the point guard and how to execute it. With that said, the level of skill required for a guard who measured in a hair under 6-foot-1-inch is disproportionately high compared to the rest of the league, and it’s unfortunately not clear if Umoja is there yet. Regardless, he’ll be running the offense of one professional team or another come next season.

Hunter Tyson – Clemson

Per game tournament stats: 12.0 Points, 4.5 Rebounds, 1.0 Assists, 1.0 Steals, 0.0 Blocks, 33/50/100%

*Sustained an injury 9 minutes into second game (missed 3rd entirely)*

Draining five threes in the opening game of the tournament, it felt like Hunter Tyson may never miss. Unfortunately his tournament was cut short with an injury in the first half of his second game, serving as an abrupt ending. Despite this, Hunter was able to showcase his high motor and ability to knockdown shots off movement and around screens. Shooters who can knock down difficult shots are valuable, especially those who stand as tall as Tyson at 6-feet-7-inches. That being said, he did seem a step slow at times on defense. On top of that, he didn’t seem comfortable getting downhill to attack closeouts, often giving up that advantage and opportunity to find shots at the rim. While Tyson’s sample size was small, his shotmaking certainly stood out and will undoubtedly earn himself a spot on a G-League roster.

Ed Croswell – Providence

Per game tournament stats: 17.0 Points, 8.3 Rebounds, 1.3 Assists, 0.3 Steals, 0.3 Blocks, 59/20/71%

Ed Croswell has an incredibly strong frame at 6-foot-8-inches and 247 pounds with a lengthy 7-foot-2-inch wingspan. He was a dominant interior force and was in the upper echelon of athletes at the event. He showed a clear knowledge of his responsibilities within the team, often cutting from the dunker spot, offering a great target for point guard Umoja Gibson. On the defensive end, it felt as if he didn’t miss his assignment the entire tournament. However, in today’s NBA spacing the floor is a necessity to survive, and Croswell attempted a mere five jump shots total during his 949 minutes for Providence this past season. With that in mind, Croswell is certainly bound for the G-League and has a lot of NBA upside if that shot ever does come around.

David Singleton III – UCLA

Per game tournament stats: 8.0 Points, 6.5 Rebounds, 0.5 Assists, 0.5 Steals, 0.0 Blocks, 50/31/0%

Standing 6-foot-5-inches, David Singleton is your prototypical modern three-and-D wing. Despite his shots not falling at PIT, he converted on 42.4% of his three-point attempts this past season at a good volume of 9.8 attempts per 100 possessions. In 164 appearances at UCLA over the past five seasons, Singleton started only one-fourth of games. However, UCLA had a better net rating in 4 of his 5 seasons with the Bruins. Singleton stood out as someone who thrived in his role, switching along the perimeter on defense, spacing the floor and keeping the ball moving on offense, and playing with a high level of intensity overall. While he not be on NBA radars year one, he certainly earned a spot in the G-League with his showcase at PIT.

The post The Pre-Draft Process Kicks Off: Analyzing the 2023 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament appeared first on Swish Theory.