Fourth episode of U-16 Pasqua Barocca Tournament scouting reports sent by Australian Danny Mills, assistant coach and director of coaching and youth teams of UPEA Orlandina Basket. In this article he analyzes 6'7'' spanish forward David Iriarte ('95), from DKV Joventut. Here we go.
BODY/ATHLETICISM: Has good height and length for the 3/4 position at the U16 level. Has a slight frame, but wide shoulders that should be able to put muscle on in the next couple of years. Is a decent athlete who has good lateral quickness.
SHOOTING: Iriarte shows good form on his catch and shoot and although he was only 1/6 from 3pt over the 2 games his technique was consistent and he sets his feet quite well for a 16 year old 6’7” kid. His release will need to be quicker once he plays at the next level against better defenders. Has a nice soft touch around the basket and made a couple of right-handed floaters from 6-8ft which were quite smooth.
POSITION OFFENSE: Due to his size and mobility at this level he plays both inside and out and showed great patience with the ball in the post and not rushing his moves. Needs to learn to catch the ball with a lower center of gravity to not be muscled off the block by stronger defenders. Has good quickness for a 3/4 and his length allows him to finish over smaller defenders at this level. Can hit the open 3 off of penetration and spreads the floor that way.
DEFENSE/REBOUNDING: Is active on the glass but because of his slight build if he doesn’t get front position he gets out-muscled for the rebound, and for being as tall and long as he is, he is a below average rebounder. Showed great positioning on defense and like most of the Spanish forwards is very active in the passing lanes getting his hands on a lot of passes. Has ok lateral quickness but plays too high in his defensive stance and this causes him to get beat by penetration against smaller quicker opponents.
MISCELLANEOUS: He reads the game well and has a good feel for where to be on the court in different situations. His biggest asset is his mobility as a 3/4 playing both out on the perimeter and also being able to post up smaller forwards. Possesses good hands and a soft touch around the basket, and because of his length has the potential to be a good offensive rebounder.
OVERALL RATING: 7 – Iriarte’s height and length are his biggest asset at this stage in his career. To be continue to improve he needs to quicken up his catch and shoot, put more muscle on and work on staying lower in both his defensive stance and in the post on offense. Has a lot of potential to become an impact player at the next level and has the ability to play on an LEB or ACB roster in the future.
Photo: D.I.
