adidas Nation in Vegas

LAS VEGAS- The adidas Nation workout was the highlight of the day on Saturday. Some high level players were on the court but none were as impressive as 2011 wing prospect LeBryan Nash.

No one was keeping stats but there is no doubt that Nash was far and away the high scorer during the scrimmage portion of the practice. He was dialed in from beyond the line, and his midrange game was unguardable. Nash has a high-level physique, bouncy athleticism, and a one-on-one game that looks like Lance Stephenson at his best.

Dominique Ferguson is maturing into a highly-skilled four man. His three-point shot was true throughout workout, and he is putting on positive weight. He was the top rebounder during the scrimmage.

adidas Nations Workout

We had a chance to watch the afternoon workout and scrimmage. The top performer of the day was Tristan Thompson. He was the hardest worker and most impressive player during the drills. He’s becoming more explosive as his body gains strength. One of the moves and dunks he made was so strong that camp paused to appreciate his efforts. He’s using both hands inside and making it look easy.

Tony Wroten has a gift: he can be a high level passer. There’s a tint of O.J. Mayo to his game when he gets it going for other guys. His vision and ability to deliver the basketball sometimes get dwarfed by his talent level.

Uncommitted forward Dominique Ferguson surprised with his jump shot. Frankly, his range and touch that far from the hoop caught us a little off guard. Blending that talent with his work inside (he was mainly on the perimeter at this event) is the next step for this elite talent.

Ben Constable

I received my invite to the 2007 adidas Nations camp in New Orleans, in July 2007. It was immediately clear that it was going to be a unique and amazing experience, especially for a young basketball trying to make it to the NCAA level from a minor basketball country. What an opportunity!

And it proved to be just that. From the second we arrived we were immersed in an environment that talked the language of basketball. We were surrounded by a wealth of basketball experience and knowledge, primed to improve us both as people and as players. The only thing required from us was the desire and determination to learn. We were divided into six different teams, based on the continent we were from, and set a training schedule by coaches from all over the world. We would train with our continent team in the morning and then would be split into groups with a mixture of players from all teams to complete a skills circuit after lunch, before finally competing against the other continent teams at night. It was a situation where we were set to learn and succeed. Everything was taken care of for us. Food, accommodation, transport and even translators to bridge the language gap between players. All we had to do to get what we wanted out of it was put the work in.

However, the agenda was not just to make us better basketball players on the court. The camp also had numerous events implemented to open our eyes to issues both within our sport and society, and inform us on how we are/will become involved in those issues in the future. We were talked to by a member of the media on what it takes to be a great player, and how many a good player has been tripped up in the past. We were spoken to by a NBA team president on the importance of character and realising that there is more to life than just basketball. And probably the most memorable of all was the input of the Peace Players organisation, which showed us how our sport could be used as a tool to improve our society. Their altruistic organisation arranged a basketball clinic for us players to run in the horrifically damaged part of New Orleans. Throughout the clinic we gave something back to the community, by merely using basketball as a way to allow the children, whose lives had been damaged by Hurricane Katrina, to have a bit of fun. It was almost ironic that in the prestige of the whole camp, many of us learnt and grew more from this one event that cost nothing and was not about us as the players.

It was hard to believe how much we had done in just a week long camp. From becoming better players to giving back to a stricken community, it was an experience never to be forgotten. Advice I would give to a player invited to attend the camp; Relish every second of it, and appreciate being one of the few presented with this incredible opportunity. There will be no ordinary moments.