- I mean at 11 years old, I couldn't dribble like this, so.
I really don't have any words for you
except that's special.
Hey GQ Sports.
This is Victor Oladipo and this is Reel Talent.
[upbeat music]
- Okay. First up we have Yassine Gharram
and he's a Point Guard.
The first clip we're gonna be looking at is his first play.
He does a great job of holding his defender off
to receive the ball.
He catches it. He already has his mind made up
on which direction he's going.
He's going away from the defense.
If he was to get the ball and dribble to the left,
he would be right where number 4 is in black.
So he goes to the open space,
dribbles right to get his defender off him.
And you wanna go where the space is,
you don't wanna go where the crowd is.
It's almost like the opposite of a party.
And he uses the behind-the-back to kind of
stop to slow his defender down.
I think the hardest thing to do as a defender
is to stop and go as the offensive player is playing.
Once he gets the defender off-balance,
he could go left or right here, he chooses to go left.
He sees that the other guy steps up.
I can tell y'all, seen this,
everybody's favorite Point Guard, pass first.
All right. In this clip, he's using the pick and roll.
He does a great job of coming off tight.
You can tell he could shoot the ball
because the defense goes over him.
They're forcing him over the screen
so he won't beat them with a three
because he's obviously capable of doing so.
If you watch him, he uses his eyes to get number 12
to go back to his man.
So if you rewind it and almost pause it,
you can see his eyes look at his teammate.
He saw the scene, he saw the lane and he made a tough,
super, super, tough, strong finish right here.
It's a close game too, that was a big time move.
This is probably one of my favorites, the full court press.
Okay.
When he initially caches it, he doesn't dribble or anything.
If you pause for a second
and you wait to see what the defense do, and then you go,
it would be a better opportunity for you
to get the ball up the floor without turning it over.
He does a between, and then cross,
cross, get them off balance.
And then he Euro steps and finishes.
You get two steps after you pick up the ball.
A Euro step is basically using that first step
to have the defense thinking you're going one way
and then using your second step to go another way.
That entire play, you could tell he was trying to
make them never pick a full again.
When a guy does that, I guarantee you,
they probably didn't pick a full the rest of the game.
In this play, you can tell Yassine is in attack mode.
They cut him off and he's still trying to get to the paint.
When I was growing up, they said, if you get to the paint,
something good is gonna happen majority of the time.
Once he gets to the paint and draws two on him,
can't really shoot it cause he has two guys over him.
He has five in the dropoff, he could throw it back to 22
or he can make this great play like he does
and swings it over and across court.
A lot of coaches don't like guys who pass in the air,
but I don't think that's a problem in basketball anymore.
Just for the simple fact that if you see what it does here,
it actually makes three guys react to him.
Once he does that, he's got a wide open three
for his man number 4.
It's a great number and he knocks it down like us 4's do.
In this play, Yassine does a great job stealing the ball
using his body to try to draw a foul,
which he drew the foul and he made a tough finish.
You can tell he's a smart player.
He won't necessarily try to make an incredible play.
he'll just make the right one,
which is Point Guard material.
Yassine, you have the assets already
to be a great Point Guard.
You know how to pass, you know how to shoot obviously,
you know how to create for others.
Now it's about doing that 100 out of 101 times.
Great clips man. Just keep doing what you're doing.
Hopefully y'all won that game.
I didn't get opportunity to see that,
but their future is definitely bright.
[upbeat music]
Next step we got Chikosi Boardi.
15 years old, Shooting Guard.
The first move we got up is his move on the baseline.
Nice hezzy, oh, tough finish. Only 15 years old too?
And you can tell he's a shooter because of how hard
the defender closes out at him.
So when he closes out at him, he sees the jive
but you can tell he likes the three as he comes back.
But when he comes back, the defender's a lot closer
than he originally was.
So he has to shoot his floater,
he shoots it from outside of the paint,
which is really tough to do.
That's a great shot by Chikosi. He knocks it down,
he swishes it honestly.
Next move, he's at the top of the key,
coming off a pick and roll,
does a great job of using his handles
to create an advantage for himself.
You could tell, he could shoot because
every time he starts dribbling or moving outside the paint
everybody's feet are above the three point line.
At that point, when you got the defenders feet
above the three point line, you gotta blow the doors off.
He decides to just drive it one on three, which you know,
I know that feeling. There's nothing wrong with that.
Really tough finish.
You can tell his body is basically under the basket
And he almost has to fillet it and flip it around.
Some would say, you know, it was a tough shot,
maybe tougher than it needed to be.
But I say all the time, great players make tough shots.
[upbeat music]
Last clip for Chikosi.
He's definitely a shooter.
The next play comes down.
Same spot. Same result.
At the end of the day man, those are big time buckets.
I don't know what the score is,
but I can see the crowd is into it.
His teammates, his coaching staff is into it.
He did a great job of making sure his feet were set
on the shot, holding his follow-through simple mechanics,
simple, basic.
- Anything special you do when you're taking that three?
- Yeah. I just make it. That's my specialty.
And even when I miss, I make them.
Chikosi.
First off, man, you got a lot of talent
for a 15 year old already.
I wish I would've had the same talent
you had at the same age,
but don't let that make you lose your hunger.
Continue to keep getting better,
continue to keep striving for greatness.
Who's to say you can't be joining me in
five, six years or so? Maybe even sooner.
So we got Jonathan Edet, age 22 the Wing, or a 3/ Stretch 4.
So he's like Greek Freak, LeBron.
Those guys play the 3 and the 4.
First clip is my man Jonathan, on a fast break.
They kick it up to him, he's on the wing obviously
because he is a three/ Stretch 4.
He does a great job.
Something that even I need to work on.
When he's about to go finish for a layup,
he keeps the ball high, the shoulder and above.
He doesn't bring it down
because the smaller defenders could swipe at it.
So he does a great job of keeping it high
and finishing it high.
Next clip for Jonathan.
His guard does a great job of getting his defender
on his heels and making Jonathan's man react
and try to help as his feet set.
And shoots it with confidence. Swishes it.
That's a big-time shot Jonathan.
All right, we got another clip of him driving and kicking.
He definitely went right by his guy
and instead of forcing a layup,
he did a great job of finding his teammate in the corner
and just making the right, simple play.
Sometimes the simple is the best play.
When you make those plays guys wanna play with you anymore.
The next clip, he catches it at the top of the key
well he catches it accidentally at the top of the key,
I don't think his teammate meant to pass it to him.
I believe he was about to come and set a pick
for his teammate
or maybe pop a roll to the open space,
which is towards the baseline.
Instead, he comes, he accidentally gets the ball.
he goes exactly where he was about to go in the first place.
I bet you, if he was sitting there, he would be like,
"Yeah, that's what I was about to do."
And then at that point he just works on his Euro step.
You saw it from the scene in an earlier clip,
now you see it from Jonathan.
Basketball is a lot of about awareness.
Even though he didn't necessarily
get to where he wanted to go,
the way he initially thought he was going to get there,
he was still able to because he didn't panic.
Jonathan,
continue to keep being that smart savvy player that you are,
that I can see that you are on the screen.
Continue to find a way to use that wide frame
like you have been doing.
Stay hungry, man. That's the key man.
Just stay hungry. Don't be satisfied.
[upbeat music]
Alexander Colman, 18 years old, Small Forward, 6'2", 160.
First clip.
Oh, tough finish.
Looked like you could have dunked that one.
Just used his athleticism to go over the gap.
What I really liked about this is that
he kind of took off from a little further
than probably people are taught it.
It doesn't give the defense a chance to set up
because he's taken off from so far.
Okay, fake to the tray, throw the three up after.
Made a great shot, remember to hold your follow-through.
You can tell you're a really good player
cause even the other coach would have been mad at you
for not passing it to 32.
But you did a great job of faking it
and getting the defense off balance
and then getting to the shot that you know you can make.
You had the defender guessing.
Next clip, great rebound.
You are definitely versatile son.
Great job, way to get to your spot. Great finish.
Way to get your body under control.
It's tough when you're one on four sometimes.
But you did a great job of getting yourself under control,
and finishing a tough layup.
He has the ability to take over a game.
Not everyone has that ability.
To whom much is given much is required.
When the pressure is on he's responsible.
Some big-time clips right there, Alex.
Don't be afraid to trust your teammates too,
cause at the end of the day,
they're going to make your job even easier
than it already is.
But talent wise, ability wise, you got it.
Inside out, shoot threes, layups, offensive rebounds,
you got the talent.
Just keep working hard.
everything else take care of itself.
Last but not least, Austen Eisenberg. Point Center.
First clip.
Oh. My man is center on, between his leg behind his back.
I mean, at 11 years old, I couldn't dribble like this, so.
I really don't have any words for you,
except that's special.
I would have drove left here too,
because number 8's guy, your teammate, can't help.
So all the space is going left.
He did a great job, just ended up with the cross between
to get to the open space and then into your spot
to finish right off the glass.
And you made the other team called a timeout.
That means you must've been scoring a lot.
Next play, Point Center, who's a center
who dribbles up the floor.
Way to bring the ball up.
Oh, in and out cross, floater. Tough.
How you like that right to left crossover? I see it. Okay.
I don't know how to explain the floater
from the free throw line.
I mean, I do it, but I mean,
I didn't do it when I was 11 years old, so
that's really, really impressive to shoot a shot like that.
Even you were excited that you made it.
Look at the reaction after he made it.
And it was to beat the buzzer.
You're excited. Your teammates are excited.
The fans are excited. That's a big time play.
Next play, you're dribbling up the floor again.
Oh wow. You guys were in the Horns play.
Horns play, you guys have two screeners
at the top of the key
and you can go off the screen either right or left.
Pretty sure that's what your coach drew up.
Instead, you call the play
and when the defender's not looking,
you pull up for three.
That's VO mentality, for sure.
That's Mamba mentality, whatever you want to call it,
but to call a play and then run your own,
that's pretty impressive.
I'm a fan of yours Austen, definitely.
Last play from my man, Austen. My Point Center.
Number 8 sets a great screen for him. Oh man.
You can tell you do a great job.
You must work out with cones when you work out.
You work on your handle, getting through cones
staying low, getting to the cone, making a move
getting to the next cone, making a move
getting to the cone with a treat dribble,
race at the cone, cross.
You gotta great handle.
And you do a third dribble. Who the hell comes?
You do a great job of ripping through the defense,
and finishing strong.
That's a big time play for 11. Goodness gracious.
And the coach ain't gonna say anything
if you make it, so.
Way to make the shots, son.
Oh, wow Austen.
You have an amazing ability already at a young age.
I remember when I was 11 years old,
they used to call me Tasmanian devil
cause I would just run as hard as I can all over the place,
but I didn't really have the talent
that you have with the ball.
Imagine you have this ability
and you worked as hard as I did, how did you can be.
Man, it's going to be a scary sight when you turn 18.
Goodness.
This age of athletes, with these young kids now,
it's hard for them not to be advanced
because of what they're exposed to.
It's incredible to see them be able to do what they do.
At the end of the day
this young generation has the talent already.
They just got to make sure
they don't lose the work ethic.
Ight GQ. That's Reel Talent.
This is a Victor Oladipo.
Film session was crazy, but I'm out.
Peace and love.
[ball bouncing loudly]