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Dennis Parker, Jr Image.jpg

Dennis Parker, Jr.

John Marshall High School (VA)

Team Loaded (3SSB)

Class

2023

Height

6'7"

Weight

~195 lbs

Position

W

Strong Hand

Right

Level

High-Major

Physical/Athleticism

Offensive Qualities

Shooting

Passing

Dribbling

Defense

IQ

Disposition

March 2022

Statistical Sample for the 2021-22 Season (7 Games)

Dennis Parker, Jr Stats.jpg
Primer: Parker is a talented two-way prospect with a versatile skillset who impacts the game on both ends of the floor
Physical/Athleticism
Physical/Athleticism

  • Prototypical jumbo wing size with a plethora of physical gifts

  • A fluid athlete with smooth, calculated movements

    • Hips lack some fluidity, but not enough to cause concern

  • Excellent length

  • Has solid vertical lift off of one or two feet

  • Springiness seems to vary from game-to-game, where he can look more bouncy in one compared to another

    • There are games when his legs appear heavier than others

  • Possesses functional strength in his upper and lower body

  • Game is predominantly finesse, but is not averse to contact and has the strength and toughness to play through it

  • Lean physical build that includes broad shoulders, suggesting plenty of room for additional muscle mass that won’t affect his athleticism

  • Variable balance

    • Overall, good balance permeates his movements on the court

    • The variation comes on his drives to the rim through traffic, which is when he tends to lack his usually balance due to forward momentum. At times, this forward momentum tips his body forward and diminishes his vertical explosiveness, which, in turn, affects his finishing ability against legitimate rim protection.

      • Note this is a tendency and not overly prevalent

  • Runs with long, smooth strides

    • Adequate speed to get out and go. Runs well in the open court/transition (see more on this in the “Offensive Qualities” below)

  • Good anticipation and timing that shows itself in a variety of ways on both ends

  • Exhibits strong conditioning/endurance

Other Offensive Qualities
Offensive Qualities

  • A legitimate 3-level scorer who has a very balanced scoring mix

    • Attacks the rim off of:

      • Dribble drives

      • Filling the lane or as the ball handler in transition/semi-transition

      • Offensive rebounds

      • Cuts to the basket

  • Mid-range game is purely off of 1 or 2-dribble pull-ups and dribble moves that usually range from 2-to-3 dribbles

  • Approximately 4/5 of his 3-point shots come off of standstill or movement catch and shoot attempts, while the others come off the dribble in some form

  • Also capable of scoring out of the post from either side of the floor, although this is not his preference

  • Although he possesses a growing skillset as a creator/initiator, he functions off the ball more often and with the most comfort

  • Unselfish player who possesses a nice blend of balanced aggression, where he allows the game to come to him but can also move into more of an attack mode

    • A healthy 15 shot attempts per game to go with nearly 5 free throw attempts per game over the 7 games charted. Yet the number of forced shots was on the lower end of the spectrum.

  • Contributes a solid floor game that includes being a willing distributor with growing demonstrated vision (see the "Passing" section below for more)

  • Prefers a free-flowing offensive style, as opposed to being within a heavily structured offensive environment

  • “In the bag” – highly capable of utilizing in one-on-one situations to create space, get to spots, or attack the rim. Will also use in open space, transition-based opportunities.

    • Uses a spin move that he typically uses as a counter

      • Will use the spin in the half court or when attacking in transition/semi-transition

  • Effective right-to-left crossover

  • Hesitation dribble going right or left that he will either use to set up a mid-range jumper or straight-line drive

  • Will add a miniature “hands up” to get the defender off balance or off his feet

  • Hesitation rhythm dribble into the 3PA

  • Step back going left

  • Inside-out, crossover combination

    • Showed this in the half court, as well as in transition/semi-transition

  • Other change of direction dribbles such as between the legs and behind the back that he will use instinctively to his advantage

  • Flashes of an productive jab-step series that allows him to utilize a solid first step going right or left

    • Will greatly benefit from continuing to hone this skillset

  • Possesses the abilities to fill the lane or rebound and push it himself

    • Will fill the lane to score at the rim or can fan out to spot up for 3

      • Sprints the lane with intention

    • His ability to handle it off the board puts additional pressure on defenses to stop ball, opening shooters on the wings and corners

      • Difficult to stop ball with one defender due to his capacity to change directions and finish above the rim with either hand; as well as his abilities to draw contact and/or convert through it.

  • Off the ball/away from the ball

    • Effective cutter to the rim, especially off of guard penetration

      • Will benefit from cutting with purpose with greater consistency

  • Naturally moves to the open areas on the floor

    • Good initial spot up location

      • Tends to stay in that initial spot instead of re-locating

  • Has a solid understanding of spacing

  • Is at his absolute best when moving with purpose

  • Finishing

    • Gets well above the rim off of one or two feet

    • Looks to finish with strength/power

      • Does not shy away from contact and will attempt to punch it on you

    • Skilled at drawing contact, and strong enough to absorb and finish through it (or at least get up a quality attempt)

    • Skilled left hand – can take contact and finish with consistency

  • Maintains fixed concentration on the goal

  • Finishes well in the open court

  • Catches the lob

  • Fundamentally sound in all facets of the game

  • Displays timing, anticipation, and athleticism on the offensive boards, where he is productive not only at obtaining extra possessions, but providing second chance points when he decides to crash

  • Rhythm shooter with tremendous upside

  • Very capable and progressing from deep

    • Is at his best as a standstill catch and shooter. Off movement catch and shoot attempts are not far behind.

Shooting
Shooting

  • Developing comfort from 3 off the bounce

  • Growing midrange capabilities off the dribble as he continues to identify his spots on the floor

    • Improving shooter under duress

  • Resourceful set of shot types to rely upon when the situation calls for it

    • Owns a soft floater from the lane

  • Must improve consistency from the free throw line

  • Shot selection is a balanced blend between all 3 levels

    • 30.8% (32 out of 104) shots came from behind the arc

      • Majority of his 3PA are from right along the line

    • Occasionally forces the shot, but typically exhibits sound judgment on shot choices​​

  • Preps well for the shot to support the overall rhythm of the attempt

    • Everything starts with his feet

    • Will shoot off of a 1-2 step or a jump stop

    • Will benefit from quickening the release, starting from the point of catch

  • Smooth mechanics with a very soft touch on the shot

    • Soft touch translates to his shots around the rim, as well

  • Mechanics/form analysis:

    • Shoots a jump shot from midrange and from 3-point distance

      • Elevates well from both

    • Sturdy base to support rhythm and provide the foundation for his strength

      • Smooth shooter’s dip

    • Maintains verticality (straight up and down)

    • Elbow tucked

    • Roughly 1.5 movements at the most

      • Brings the ball to his release point with a slight/subtle transition into the release movement

    • Release is from eye/forehead level

    • Releases it with upward momentum

    • Somewhat inconsistent full extension that improved as the season progressed

      • Improving consistency should translate into better percentages

    • Gets plenty of air on the ball. It’s just a question of being able to shoot it the same way every time.

    • Follows through nicely

  • *The key to improvement is mechanical:

    • Upon the catch, the right foot is slightly forward and turned inwards, along with the right knee, causing the leg to invert (right leg only). This inversion is something we’re seeing more frequently, especially amongst wing players. In this case, it is detrimental in that the inverted base is causing his shoulders to become unleveled, slanting/dipping on a decline leftward. Although it is slightly pronounced, it can have quite the effect on the accuracy of the shot.

Passing
Passing

  • Solid passer who displays good overall vision

  • Sees cutters, far-court shooters, and shooters on the drive and kick

  • Effective drive and kicker

  • A willing passer. Unselfish player who sees the pass and makes it.

    • Willing to make the extra pass

  • A capable passer off the live dribble

    • Keeps his eyes up

    • Court awareness is highlighted in these situations

  • Tends to get careless with passes in the backcourt and on the perimeter

    • Typically accompanied by one-handed passing

  • Puts a nice touch on his delivery, especially on his pitches up the court while pushing it off the glass

    • Leads his teammates to the basket and puts the right amount of air under the ball

  • Knows when it’s necessary to put zip on the pass, and does so appropriately

  • Makes the simple pass

Dribbling
Dribbling

  • Reliable ball handler from the point of attack in the half court and when pushing the ball in transition/semi-transition situations

    • Dribble moves are made with purpose, and are useful for creating space and driving lanes

    • The aim should be to continue to tighten up ball control and getting it lower more consistently, as there is a small tendency to lose the handle

  • As a primary ballhandler who initiates offense, his handle has been shown to be a little loose at times, but still more than capable

  • Uses his dribbles efficiently and rarely overdribbles

  • Prefers to keep the ball in his right hand, especially at the point of attack. However, his dribble moves are generally made right-to-left. Therefore, he is not opposed to attacking going left, and does so with effectiveness.

  • Also displays reliable ball control in the open court with a growing capability to change directions. Like in the half court, he can continue to tighten things up.

    • Control translates to his speed dribble, too

Defense
Defense

  • Boasts a strong understanding of both individual and team defensive concepts and fundamentals/techniques

  • Takes defense seriously

  • Possesses terrific versatility, which will be covered throughout the rest of this section

    • Versatility is not simply limited to his ability to guard multiple positions. He also uses the combination of size, length, athleticism, and IQ to be effective as an individual and team defender in multiple defensive schemes and strategies.

      • For example, he has proven to be very effective at the top of a 1-2-2 press

        • Strong trapper who uses his length and athleticism to trap, while maintaining the discipline to resist the reaching foul

        • Can also have same effect at the top of a 3-2 zone in the half court

      • Doesn’t limit the use of his length to just his arms. He is active with his legs/feet, too.

  • Motor can vary with the ebbs and flows of the game, and with the quality of his opponents

  • On the ball

    • Good defensive stance

      • Low rear end with knees bent

      • Keeps a relatively wide base, but not too wide that it impacts his ability to push off or open up/drop step accordingly

      • Stays on balance

      • Will interchange between wide arms or having one long arm extended toward the ballhandler

      • Level head that does not protrude forward to misalign his body or affect his balance

    • Plays defense with his feet, pushing off from foot-to-foot to counter his man’s change of direction

      • Strives to stay in front of the ballhandler

    • Capable of defending on the perimeter without fouling

    • Overall defensive versatility includes his ability to defend all perimeter positions on the ball (some with more effectiveness than others – i.e. smaller, quicker guards are more successful on the dribble drive)

  • Off the ball

    • On average, will remain in his defensive stance off the ball much more than his contemporaries

    • Knows how (with proper technique) and when (timing, situation, and personnel) to stunt and recover

    • Terrific help side shot blocker

      • Uses his timing and anticipatory skills here just as often, or more, than he does playing in the passing lanes

      • Usefulness as a help side shot blocker is aided by his positioning off the ball

      • Blocks shots with either hand

  • When engaged, he is can successfully deny and uses the proper technique to do so

    • Opens up according to the opposition’s movement/cuts off ball, angles, and his man’s position on the court (i.e. above/below elbow extended)

  • Maintains good balance between ball and man

  • Typically pays attention to detail, but does have a tendency to allow his man to cut in front of his face, depending on his level of engagement at the time

  • Will have the occasional lapse like helping on the dribble drive too heavily to too close back out on the shooter

  • Knows how to stay vertical at the point of contest

  • Exhibits defensive playmaking, but also shows the discipline to provide a staying defensive presence

  • Makes the effort to get back on defense

  • Closes out well on shooters and contests without fouling

  • Serviceable on the glass

    • Capable of coming away with contested rebounds

IQ
Basketball IQ

  • High basketball IQ and feel span both ends of the court

  • Displays good court sense/awareness

    • Knows where he, his teammates, and his opponents are on the court

  • Understands who he is as a player and plays to his strengths

  • Comprehends personnel and reacts accordingly, such as the time he went to close out as the lone man on a wing shooter while a corner shooter awaited the extra pass. The wing shooter, who received the initial pass, was not the shooter that the corner player was. So instead of closing out on the wing, he closed on the gap and disrupted the wing player’s plan of making the extra pass, causing a travel.

  • Comprehends space and time with and without the ball

  • Growing capability to read defenses

    • Recognizes overloads and oncoming double teams

    • Evolving feel for his defender and the help side defenders

  • Generally makes the right play, but can go through short stints of poor judgment offensively

Dispostion/Presence
Disposition/Presence

  • Mature approach to the game

  • Solid motor – gives consistent overall effort

  • Displays a willingness to hustle back and atone for his mistakes, and doesn’t allow them to affect the next play

  • Even-keeled – body language and facial expression rarely change

  • Higher competition gets his competitive juices flowing

  • Encourages teammates and shows patience with their mistakes

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