NBA Comparison: Tracy McGrady

Strengths: 6'8 Aussie small forward with a versatile skill set ... High level athlete with a smoothness to his game ... Has a chance to be special ... Just turned 16 and already playing at an high level for high school age ... Lefty shooter with feathery touch and excellent release ... Grew up around the game, and shows a feel for the game that cannot be learned on the fly ... Adept at creating shots for himself and can spot up or pull up off the dribble ... Very good at creating offense for himself or others ... Has a tremendous basketball body with a big frame, wide shoulders, enormous hands and long arms ... Strong family background has made him a hard working kid with a strong work ethic ... High level vision and passing skills. His passing ability is rare for a forward ... Already 6'8 and his growth plates are still open. Could end up in the 6'10 range when all is said and done ... Great first step and knows how to use ball fakes to get his man off balance ... Shows the competitiveness to raise his level of play in clutch situations and when he's challenged ... Solid defender. Gets a low base. Good lateral speed. Stays in front of his man. Doesn't gamble ... Great maturity/composure. Rarely rushes things and gets out of control. ... Has avoided being coddled by the AAU scene ... His game is very advanced/complete for such a young player, doesn't have any glaring weaknesses ...

Weaknesses: He's such an advanced player for his age, any defiencies are really nit picking at this point ... Plays almost too unselfish at times. Not a prolific scorer, yet. Should look to become more aggressive at creating shots for himself ... Needs to mature physically, but has a great body already and will only continue to get stronger. Just a baby at 16 so plenty of time for his body to get stronger ... Will need to be able to block out the hype and stay focused ... Can become better at moving without the ball. Learning to set his man up off of screnes and staying active ...

Notes: Plans to play college ball after high school, and possibly come over to the US for his senior year ... Broke onto the scene with a strong performance at the 2012 Pangos Camp gaining national attention in the US ... Has proven himself against the best high school players on numerous occaisions ... Grew up around basketball. Father, Dave Simmons, played in the NBL ... Has know countryman Dante Exum since he was 7 years old ...

Aran Smith 8/10/2012

August 12, 2012

August 7, 2012

September 12, 2011