Ups and Downs

According to Gary Washburn via Hoops Hype, “Former Gonzaga and Kansas swingman Micah Downs will be in Celtics camp. He played in Russia last season.

If anyone wades through the following reports on Downs (some from high school, some from college where he apparently switched from Kansas to Gonzaga), you're automatically nominated for the board's new Get a Life award.

According to various scouting reports, which list his age as 24, his class as 2005 (must have been his high school class), his height as 6’ 8” and his weight toothpick (I mean 185-200), here are some quotes and reports about this guy. I have no idea when the scouting reports were compiled, and I take no responsibility for their current accuracy.

My quick take is that he is very athletic (great leaper) but too thin, a marvelous offensive player who doesn't have much of an offensive game, and a great defender who gets pushed around on defense. I read somewhere that he can just touch the rim from a standing position and may be in demand as a measuring stick prior to games.

Sam

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“Long and slender, Downs reminds some observers of a young Mike Dunleavy. Very good stroke beyond the three-point line. Jumps well and moves easy. Long arms -- good shot blocker. One of the elite prospects in the country.” Scout.com

“Downs has the offensive skill to make all the plays as a small forward. He can shoot it and is very good with the ball especially in transition. He does need to gain weight and get tougher as a defender and rebounder. He has a the potential to develop into a NBA type shooting guard.” Yahoo

MICAH DOWNS STATS Reb Pts
Statistics G FG% 3P% FT% Tot. Avg. Asst Bl St Tot. Avg.
2008-2009 34 43.1 38.7 81.3 155 4.6 1.1 0.5 0.9 325 9.6
2007-2008 33 45.8 38.8 76.0 123 3.7 1.4 0.3 0.9 262 7.9
Career 67 44.3 38.7 79.2 278 4.1 1.3 0.4 0.9 587 8.8
Rivals.com

Next

(Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
Now that we are a month removed from the college basketball season, it is time to start focusing on the NBA Draft. In the next few entries I will examine the draft prospects of the three Gonzaga players who have a chance to hear their names called in June: Josh Heytvelt, Jeremy Pargo, and Micah Downs.
Today, we look at Micah Downs.
Downs arrived in Spokane after a much-publicized transfer from Kansas. At the start of the 2005-2006 season Downs was a true freshmen, the #28-ranked recruit in the country, and part of an elite class for KU (and one that would go on to anchor the national championship team of 2008). However, Downs was very unhappy with the situation. After having a few solid outputs early on in the season, Downs slipped away as quickly as he came on.
That January, Downs announced that he had decided to transfer back to his home state of Washington and join the Zags program. There was much speculation about the reason behind not only that move, but the initial commitment to Kansas. Most believe that Downs originally went to KU because of pressure from his father, and that he transferred to GU to be closer to his girlfriend. The decision to transfer was publicly questioned by Jayhawks coach Bill Self, as well as Downs own father.
The attention behind Downs transfer made the expectations of his performance at GU even greater. Though he was expected to become a star of the team, Downs struggled to be anything more than a role player for the Zags.
Downs never broke the 10.0 ppg mark during his time in Spokane, with his best season being his senior year, the 08-09 season, when he averaged 9.1.
His inconsistent on-court play is worrisome enough, but Downs is also plagued by a lack of confidence or fortitude, which usually manifests itself on the court with poor body language and the occasional outburst.
One factor that could be enough to push Downs onto a lot of teams' draft boards is his ability to shoot from outside. Downs finished his college career shooting 39% from beyond the arc. That may be enough for teams to overlook some of the holes in his game.
Downs is also an exceptional defender. While his offensive game never developed into what many thought it would be, Downs made his mark on the GU program with his defense. Quick, athletic, and intuitive, Downs could make an NBA roster as a defensive specialist.
Downs may hear his name called in June by a team that is in need of an athletic defender who can occasionally contribute from beyond the arc. But it is more likely that Downs professional career will begin in the NBDL or overseas.
Bleacher Report

wns 28 22.9 11.3 4.0 8.6 46.3 2.8 5.1 55.6 1.2 3.6 33.0 2.1 2.6 81.9 0.8 2.8 3.6 1.4 0.9 0.4 1.5 2.4


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Priority Sports Workout in Chicago
May 28, 2009
-Relative to expectations, Micah Downs may have impressed us the most out of all the players we watched work out. Downs’ athleticism is very impressive to take in in person, and the ability he showed in terms of creating separation from his defender in the mid-range area really stands out. His terrific length allows him to cover a great deal of ground on his one-dribble pull-up, and he was shooting the ball really well in the drills we took in. He also jumps out of the gym and was responsible for some highlight reel caliber dunks after the workout was over—not a surprise considering his slam-dunk contest credentials. He’s probably going to look really good in most of the places he visits over the next month or so, and in our view, is probably a pretty good guy to roll the dice on somewhere in the second round, as he still has considerable upside.
[Read Full Article]


Portsmouth Invitational Tournament: All-Second Team
April 16, 2009
The former McDonald’s All-American opened the PIT with a great defensive performance and maintained his intensity for the rest of the week, but only had an inconsistent series of games on the offensive end. Despite his lack of production, few players displayed the upside comparable to that of the former Kansas transfer. Though he has some major weaknesses that severely limit his ability to use his tools, Downs is a player worth keeping an eye on just in case he puts things together.

Most of the interest in Downs stems from his prototypical physical tools. Measuring in at a somewhat dubious 6-9 in shoes, with a 6-9 ½ wingspan, he has great size to play on the wing –an asset that helped him immensely on both ends this week. He couples his size with excellent athleticism, possessing a physical profile that appears tailor-made for the NBA. While he could certainly stand to add some muscle to his slender (197 pound) frame, Downs looks the part of an NBA prospect.

During his time in Spokane, Downs threw down a handful of highlight reel dunks and made his fair share of big plays in transition, but he utilized his athleticism far more effectively than anticipated this week. Though he’s always possessed the ideal tools to be a great defender, he did not always consistently show the dedication necessary to employ them. That wasn’t the case in Portsmouth, as Downs came out on the first day and blocked four shots, created all kind of issues for his man in one-on-one situations, and didn’t take a play off. Though Downs didn’t have another game that was as statistically productive on the defensive end as his first, his intensity didn’t waver. If this is something we can look forward to in the future, Downs has a bright future as a high-level stopper.

Though he showed progress in some areas, Downs struggled in others –specifically, with his perimeter jumper. Mostly known for his catch and shoot ability on the collegiate level, Downs didn’t shoot the ball exceptionally well this week, knocking down just 3 of his 12 attempts from beyond the arc, but displaying the same excellent form he’s possessed since his high school days. Considering that he made 39% of his 3-pointers on the season, on a fairly decent amount of attempts, it’s pretty clear that he can shoot the ball. He didn’t force anything or try to do too much either, which is not a surprise considering how much of a willing role player he was at Gonzaga, with his minuscule usage and turnover rates.

Downs was able to overcome his poor outside shooting by finishing a number of athletic plays at the rim by running the floor hard in transition, taking advantage of a couple of offensive rebounds, and throwing down a couple of alley-oops when his defender helped off him. This is indicative of the way Downs has scored in recent years, doing nearly all of his scoring from beyond the arc and right at the rim. Though he did some good things offensively, his biggest weakness was exposed repeatedly when he tried to get to the rim in half-court settings.

Downs is a poor ball-handler, and at this point, that is one of the few things holding him back from being a very serious threat to make a NBA roster. He appears capable with the ball in the open court, but he can’t seem to maintain control when he puts the ball on the floor in half-court sets. Considering the fact that he has a solid first step, Downs would be well served to spend considerable time honing his ball-handling skills wherever he lands next season. His inability to create shots for himself on the perimeter and the difficulty he has maneuvering to the basket take away from his productivity, efficiency, and makes his mid-range game almost completely inept on the offensive end.

Though his weaknesses were very much evident, this was regardless a great week for Downs, as he gave NBA decision-makers a thorough reminder of how much upside he has. He has a number of great tools, and if he can bring the same intensity he showed on the defensive end at the PIT to practice every day to work on his ball-handling, he should have no trouble getting a look from a NBA team. Considering Downs has already earned himself a high-level look in Europe, it will be interesting to see whether or not he can round out the rest of his game to compliment all the other things he does well.
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NCAA Tournament Performers, 3/31/09- Part One
March 31, 2009
Even though his play couldn’t help Gonzaga survive their Sweet 16 matchup with North Carolina, Micah Downs has strung together an impressive streak of games over the last month. The former McDonald’s All-American, who spent half a season at Kansas before deciding he wanted to transfer closer to home, closed the season playing the best basketball of his career. Possessing an intriguing blend of size, athleticism, and shooting ability, Downs certainly peaked at the right time, playing a key role in Gonzaga’s West Coast Championship run (he was named tournament MVP) and their three NCAA tournament contests. Though he is a borderline case to be drafted this summer, he’s improved his stock and warrants mention here.

Standing 6-7 with a big wingspan, Downs possesses ideal size for a player that play multiple positions. He couples that size with very good speed in the open floor, nice leaping ability, and quick hands. Though he could definitely stand to add plenty of weight to his skinny frame, Downs’s physical profile is definitely a plus considering his position. Those tools, along with his ability to hit shots from the perimeter, have allowed him to be a solid role-player in Spokane from day one.

The best feature of Downs’s offensive repertoire has always been his pure three-point shooting stroke. He possesses great form and a quick release that allows him to be a highly effective catch and shoot player. Though he’s able to hit shots at a very respectable rate with his feet set, Downs looks just as good when he elevates for shots coming off of screens moving full speed –a testament to his tremendous perimeter footwork. While his ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc has become his calling-card (he’s shot 11-27 from distance in March), his perimeter scoring ability has some notable flaws.

Downs struggles when he’s effectively closed out, as he doesn’t tend to jump straight up when he’s shooting with a hand in his face –a habit that hurts his efficiency considerably. According to Synergy Sports Technology’s Quantified Player Report, his PPP drops from 1.41 when he’s left wide open to catch and shoot to a meager .73 when he’s defended.

The difficulties Downs has when he’s well defended have been especially troubling this season. While he shows a nice first step and the ability to consistently create space to get his shot off, he doesn’t prove to be a consistent shooter when he puts the ball on the floor, frequently shortening his release unnecessarily. Downs’s struggles from 2-point range this season stem from the fact that he gets in a rush when there’s a hand in his face, which really hurts his ability to score as efficiently as his shooting form would allow.

Considering his solid first step, Downs seldom attacks the rim off the dribble –preferring to go to his jumper once he finds daylight. His poor ball-handling skills and general one-dimensional nature is a major draw-back, but to his credit, he doesn’t force the issue and sports an incredibly low turnover rate. An effective foul shooter, Downs doesn’t get to the line at a very impressive rate. His frame does hold him back when he ventures inside, especially when he can’t blow past his defender, but he proves more than capable of finding looks around the rim in other ways.

Since he isn’t the focal point of Gonzaga’s offense, Downs finds other ways to help his team. His speed helps him make an impact in transition, and he crashes the glass well for a wing. A sound decision-maker, Downs moves the ball well on the perimeter and does a great job not making mistakes, but he isn’t going to make his teammates better either, as his passing skills are just average. His basketball IQ does not appear to be off the charts..

Downs’s length and quickness give him some defensive upside and allow him to tip some passes and even block an occasional shot, but he shows questionable fundamentals when defending the perimeter. His tendency to lose sight of his man when helping over and the way he consistently lunges at shooters significantly diminishes his ability to use his tools when his man doesn’t have the ball. Downs looks a bit better when he’s forced to defend his man one-on-one, showing decent lateral quickness and staying active, managing to keep his man out of the lane with some consistency. Downs’s lack of physical strength is apparent when he’s defending the ball, as he has a hard time preventing stockier guards from getting into the lane once they clear his shoulder. It remains to be seen whether he can effectively guard his position in the NBA, which is a major sticking point.

Given the fact that Downs hasn’t been incredibly productive on the college level as a designated role-player, he needs to have a strong showing at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament to improve his stock. He’s certainly a talented player, but his lack of bulk, lock down defensive ability, and the fact that he his clearest weaknesses coincide with his biggest strengths present concerns. His solid three-point shooting and athleticism will make him a player to keep an eye on, but considering his limitations, Downs has a lot of work to do still moving forward.

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz2741UnnKa

Looks like we got too much down time...bring on training camp and Darco

Dboss

Cannon fodder. If the Celts are inviting players like this to camp I gotta believe it's just to create a climate of competition for Joseph.

bob


.

Can't expect the top 10-12 to go head to head with each other the entire camp. Having a few extra bodies is good plus it might give one of these kids without a chance...................... a chance at least to get a sniff and who knows in a year or so maybe we get a diamond in the rough.

beat

Gyso,

The preseason limit per team is apparently 20 players according to this excerpt from an article about the Heat:

“With 13 players currently under contract, two below the regular-season limit and seven below the NBA's preseason limit, several issues remain unresolved, even with Heat President Pat Riley previously stating a desire to round out his roster by the end of the upcoming Labor Day weekend.”

(I’m not referencing the entire Heat article as I nearly vomited just posting this portion.)

If the Celtics were to be able to stash as many as five players with interesting potential in Maine, I'd be hopeful that at least some of them could be part of a nucleus for the future and—buttressed by all the time they'd have spent together developing their own brand of chemistry—and/or future trades.

Sam