Finally had a chance to watch all of the perimeter players (Brown, Newman, Dorsey, Ingram and Jones). There is definitely a wide array of skills on display here. From the lowest rank to the highest.
Dorsey:
Physical - He's listed at 6-4, 180. I wonder if he's not closer to 6-2 as he doesn't seem to be a bigger guard. He's athletic enough, but I wouldn't mark him down as a great athlete.
Positives - He will play PG in college. He's got the handle, quickness and vision to play the position. Loves to pass the ball and puts it on time, on target. He has a knack for getting into the lane and negotiating around contact and through traffic. His jumper is very solid. Understands how to create space for his shot.
Negatives - I can see a ceiling for him. He's a very good player, but I don't think he will be much more than that. That's okay because I think he's a productive player for four years at the collegiate level. He should be a good defender, but probably will struggle with bigger wings if he plays there. Small, quick PGs may also trouble him. He won't be a huge scorer in college.
Overall - if he's a PG, I'm actually much higher on him. As a SG, I am really not that excited. He probably won't be the kind of scorer that you want as a 2. He's definitely not the type of athlete you want there. However, move him to the point and things get much more interesting very quickly. He's an adept passer and if he can handle running the offense and embracing being a PG, he could be a four year starter.
Jones:
Physical - he's a long, slender, athletic guy. He has not put on much muscle, although he's not so slight that a stiff breeze would knock him over. The recruiting services list him at 6-6, 180, which is probably about right. He's left handed.
Positives - He can jump out of the gym. His athleticism is incredible. Either elite or near elite. He is absolutely a D1 athlete. He explodes off the floor when going to the rim and can finish with violence and authority. He does not fear contact or defenders, as he will just jump over them and dunk on heads at will. He has a good ability to take two hard dribbles and explode to the rim. He has a useful crossover and a nifty eurostep. His jumper is okay. His athleticism should allow him to guard just about anybody on the perimeter, and he should be at worse an above average defender, with the tools to be very good.
Negatives - Right now he's more athlete than basketball player. His jumper is a bit fringy, and I wonder if he has a lot of confidence in it, as his release isn't always consistent. On defense he's a bit too eager to block everything, which will get him into foul trouble against older, craftier players. His ball handling is pretty basic. He would have to play with other ball handlers because he isn't the type of guy you want handling out in the middle of the floor.
Overall - He's ranked where he is because he's a super athlete that may turn into a very good basketball player. If he doesn't, he still has value as a defense and athleticism/energy guy, but he may not be much of a scorer in college if he doesn't develop either a handle or a jumper.
Ingram:
Physical - another, long, lean, athletic guy. He's listed at 6-8, 180 and judging from how skinny he looks, I bet that's pretty accurate. His build suggests that he might get bullied by bigger players, but on the perimeter, he can probably hold his own.
Positives - He has a better handle and better shooting stroke than Jones. That said, his calling card is also his athleticism. He's not the athlete that Jones is, but he's an athlete and his size and length - wingspan alert! - should make him a good defender as well. I'm not sure about his quickness, however. His shot and range are good. He shows confidence in his shot out to 20 feet or more. His handle is solid, but his height makes his dribble a bit high. He is a good passer as well. He can finish with either hand. Blocks shots by extending rather than leaping, which should limit fouls.
Negatives - Very lean and could use some strength. I could see smaller guys giving him problems because of his high dribble and bigger guys muscling him up. His shot is good enough to catch and shoot, but that's not optimal value for him. I'd like to see him tighten the handle just a big. His release needs to be a bit quicker, as right now he shoots like a stretch 4, but he isn't big enough to handle the position in college.
Overall - If he can play on the perimeter all the time in college, he's a matchup nightmare. He can handle the rock, pass, shoot and drive. His length will drive guys crazy on defense. If he gets stronger, his ranking could really move up.
Newman:
Physical - Here's where you start to see the differences. They say Newman is just 6-3, 175, but physically he looks bigger and stronger than that. On top of that he can flat out bounce. He's a 6-3 kid that plays every bit of 6-6. Watching his highlights you forget that he's so small.
Positives - In addition to the crazy athleticism, Newman can flat out shoot. Pullups, catch and shoot, off screens, whatever. He can put the ball in the basket. @JayHawkFanToo asked about the lack of true PGs. Newman is another that could be a PG, but he's such a good scorer, I'm not sure you want to ask him to shut down that part of his game. Yeah, he can pass and handle and he's got speed and quickness, but you watch him on offense and it's no wonder his coaches want him shooting. He's just too good a scorer. Also, his speed in the open court is amazing.
Negatives - As clean as his jumper is, he has a little leg kick that makes his shot a little hitchy at times. It is still very slick and the results are there, but he probably needs to clean that up. He also takes too many challenged shots, in part because he can get away with it now. Savvier guards will punish that sort of decision making.
Overall - Newman is an NBA PG, but at the college level, he probably would play off the ball because there aren't many perimeter scorers as gifted as him. What makes him interesting, though is that if he ended up on a team without a PG, I bet he could slide over without much problem.
Brown:
Physical - Lists at 6-7, 220 and he is likely every bit of that. He can be a jet or a tank with his speed and athleticism, either bruising through or just jumping over.
Positives - Where to start. He can shoot, handle, defend. He's athletic. He's strong. His jumpshot is clean as a whistle. He finishes with violence and authority. He can break you down off the dribble or catch and shoot. The only reason he's not the #1 player in the country is because Ben Simmons is unreal (and Simmons is a bit bigger with a similar skillset).
Negatives - The only real negative for him is that he hasn't seen enough consistent competition on his level. At 6-7 with his size, strength and skills, there aren't many high school players that can handle him. He can go 75% and still make 95% of HS players look ridiculous. Motor is a concern because he's so good he doesn't have to compete with HS players.
Overall - Brown is a mix of Wiggins and McLemore. He has McLemore's shooting and Wiggins' athleticism. But he has added to that a ball handling ability that neither of those guys had. Brown is a special player.
