Picking at starting five from the MJNT minicamp would not be an easy task with the players that attended the camp.
G 2020 6’4 Daishen Nix Trinity International School (NV) – Nix’s vision and passing ability are elite. He showed a great ability to smoothly get into the lane and past defenders to finish around the rim or kick to the open.
G 2020 6’5 Bryce Thompson Booker T. Washington (OK) – Thompson the best scorer at the camp and knocked down the outside shot. Nobody could stay in front of him for long.
F 2021 6’9 Paolo Banchero O’Dea (WA) – The new prototypical four-man. Banchero could ace the basket with a legit jumper mid-range or from behind the three-point line. He also can post to score. He was great on the boards and defensively he showed he could guard multiple positions with his size and athletic ability.
F 2021 6’9 Patrick Baldwin Jr. Hamilton (WI) – A legit threat from beyond the three-point line with good ball-handling abilities. He has the ability to guard and rebound however, he would be a very nice complementary player along side Thompson.
F 2020 6’8 Jalen Johnson Sun Praire (WI)
Johnson displayed touch and skill at the camp. He floated in and out of the lane easily showing good form on his jumper and various ways to finish around the rim. Strong in the lane and on the boards. He and Banchero would be a tough one two punch and could trade spots easily.
First Big Off the Bench – C 2020 7’0 Walker Kessler Woodward Academy (GA) – Kessler was listed as forward and could easily be one. It was his work on the boards and touch in the paint that earned him this spot. He did show that he will step out and take a three. He did a good job on defense getting a couple of block shots. He is big and hard to get around or score over.
6th Man – 2022 6’8 Andre Casey Jr. Tinley Park (IL) – He would be the perfect 6th man to fill in for nearly any spot. His ball handling, quickness and finishing around the tim would allow him to play on the wing. While his motor on the boards combined with his long reach and quickness off the floor he could play in the paint.
