JCSunsfan
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Same size, same role, AG a lot more athletic I think.
Welcome to the Suns Toumani Camara
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He looks as athletic imo, dude is a dunking machine. Doesn't appear as beefy as AG tho, Gordon looks more muscular
CardsSunsDbacks
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Nah. AG is a freak athlete. It's a huge reason why he went 4th overall and Camara went late in the 2nd round. Camara is a good athlete though.
AZ Native
Living is Easy with Eyes Closed
I'm OK with this. Hopefully he will work out for us.
JCSunsfan
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He's a player with the tools to succeed. That's all you can really ask for in the second round.
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This is a recap from the 2023 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament on Toumani Camara.
By Maxwell Baumbach Apr 18, 2023, No Celings:
1. Toumani Camara, 6’6.75” barefoot, 7’.05” wingspan, Dayton
Size, skill, and defensive versatility are king. Toumani Camara has all three.
He was hyper-productive out of the gate, scoring 27 points on 17 shots in his opening game. The 6’8” power wing was clearly in a different class than his peers athletically. He’s strong, he covers ground well, runs fast in transition, and flies off the floor. Over the course of the three games, he averaged 20 PPG, took 5.3 FT a game and hit 93.8% of them, grabbed 11 RPG, and tallied 1.3 SPG and 1.3 BPG on defense. Simply put, he was all over the court and made his impact felt in every way imaginable. Though he was shaky from three (3-for-18 on the weekend), Camara aggressively hunted his shot and the mechanics looked more seamless than they had previously. I was also impressed by how well Camara handled himself as a decision-maker, averaging 2.7 APG to 1.3 TOV. His passing still showed flashes of creativity as it did this past college season, but there was less unnecessary risk-taking. Playing without a true lead guard and alongside a post-up big man for much of the year at Dayton, Camara looked excellent with reliable set-up men and a more open halfcourt. His game as a roller and cutter should look even better on an NBA floor.
There’s no way around it—he needs to continue to be a more efficient three-point shooter. That said, Camara’s NBA-ready frame and physical tools, paired with his feel and motor may allow him to put together a meaningful career even if he reaches a shade below league average. He’s a firm Top 60 guy for me at this stage.
www.noceilingsnba.com
By Maxwell Baumbach Apr 18, 2023, No Celings:
1. Toumani Camara, 6’6.75” barefoot, 7’.05” wingspan, Dayton
Size, skill, and defensive versatility are king. Toumani Camara has all three.
He was hyper-productive out of the gate, scoring 27 points on 17 shots in his opening game. The 6’8” power wing was clearly in a different class than his peers athletically. He’s strong, he covers ground well, runs fast in transition, and flies off the floor. Over the course of the three games, he averaged 20 PPG, took 5.3 FT a game and hit 93.8% of them, grabbed 11 RPG, and tallied 1.3 SPG and 1.3 BPG on defense. Simply put, he was all over the court and made his impact felt in every way imaginable. Though he was shaky from three (3-for-18 on the weekend), Camara aggressively hunted his shot and the mechanics looked more seamless than they had previously. I was also impressed by how well Camara handled himself as a decision-maker, averaging 2.7 APG to 1.3 TOV. His passing still showed flashes of creativity as it did this past college season, but there was less unnecessary risk-taking. Playing without a true lead guard and alongside a post-up big man for much of the year at Dayton, Camara looked excellent with reliable set-up men and a more open halfcourt. His game as a roller and cutter should look even better on an NBA floor.
There’s no way around it—he needs to continue to be a more efficient three-point shooter. That said, Camara’s NBA-ready frame and physical tools, paired with his feel and motor may allow him to put together a meaningful career even if he reaches a shade below league average. He’s a firm Top 60 guy for me at this stage.
The 2023 Portsmouth Invitational Recap
The 2023 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament is in the books! Maxwell breaks down the players NBA front offices should be monitoring coming out of the event!
www.noceilingsnba.com
CardsSunsDbacks
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So I was looking through his game log for this past season and noticed something pretty interesting. He had a rough start offensively through the first 7 games with a FG% of like 48% and a combined 1 of 15 from 3. The remaining 27 games he shot 55% from the field and 43% from 3. That is a fairly decent sample size albeit, not a huge one.
Also, here is a video from PHNX of them interviewing his coach at Dayton. He said the main thing that he does that should transfer to the league is his defense and he is very versatile on that end. He also essentially said that he plays with a lot of energy and hustle which will usually translate. If the man is able to knock down a decent percentage of threes this year I would not be surprised if he grows into a fairly big role in the rotation. I like that he wasn't being overly boastful about him.
Also, here is a video from PHNX of them interviewing his coach at Dayton. He said the main thing that he does that should transfer to the league is his defense and he is very versatile on that end. He also essentially said that he plays with a lot of energy and hustle which will usually translate. If the man is able to knock down a decent percentage of threes this year I would not be surprised if he grows into a fairly big role in the rotation. I like that he wasn't being overly boastful about him.
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Call me crazy but I really like this pick. This kid has potential to be a role player for us. I don't think he'll ever be a star but I can definitely see him as a second big off the bench that plays 15-20 minutes a night. Like a better shooting Xavier Tillman in Memphis. Low risk, decent reward. I wouldn't call a role player high reward but he has a shot at being one here. He probably would have been a 1st round pick 15 years ago before teams decided to perpetually swing for the fences with all their picks rather than fill holes.
az jam
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I like the fact that he is 23 years old and has been a college starter for 4 years. We don't need a 18-19 year old with lots of potential.
CardsSunsDbacks
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I could see a world where he is the 5th starter by the end of the season. Of course this is if he can learn the defense fully by then and also if he shows that he can make a decent amount of threes. It's not like we need a world beater at that 4 spot, but just someone that can defend multiple positions and make the defense pay for leaving him wide open. If not by the end of this season than maybe sometime next season. Or he could somehow not even make the team, who knows..
Proximo
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He is not as athletic as Gordon. Which is not much of a ding almost nobody is.
I think Gordon is more like 240
That's a JJ pre-req.
Yuma
Suns are my Kryptonite!
I watched that, too. My take is Bridges started for us just being a big switchable defender. There is still a role for that type of player alongside Book, Beal, and KD. If this guy can adjust to the speed of the league, and the mental aspect of the NBA, he could be that next Bridges type of player for us.
JCSunsfan
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If he can be in the mix with Okogie and Craig competing for a job, it would be a wild success. Of course, there is no guarantee we will keep Craig or JO.
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Yuma
Suns are my Kryptonite!
Any idea his contract?
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Doesn't really matter. It'll be a league minimum deal for 2-3 years with a team option probably for each year, like most 2nd round picks. Probably be an Exhibit 10 contract also, which contains the option to convert it to a Two-Way deal. Later 2nd round picks are almost always minimum deals. The first 5 or so 2nd rounders usually can work a slightly bigger deal from their team, like an extra 100k a year but he's a later pick so not an issue.
Yuma
Suns are my Kryptonite!
Saw hin in an interview on PHNX Sports. Reminds me of Bridges. Really nice kid. I think he will be the fan favorite this year.
