Recap: DeShawn Sims at Portsmouth Invitational

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It was by all accounts a successful weekend for DeShawn Sims at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. The Portsmouth isn’t the most glamorous event but it is a chance for fringe players like Sims to prove their worth in front of NBA scouts.

Production wise, Sims did the job: he averaged 18 points (4th) and 7.7 rebounds (7th) per game while shooting 52% from the field (16th).

Of course these events aren’t always about stats and production, they are about how players look and who is impressed with their game. Sims managed to impress most of the media there, most called him the most consistent player at the tournament. I put together a sampling of what some major NBA scouting websites had to say about Sims’ performance which you can find after the jump.

The Hoops Report named Sims to their first team:

Sims was the most consistent player at Portsmouth. He scored at least 16 points and grabbed at least seven rebounds in each of his three games. He is a very versatile big man with the ability to score in the post or step out and shoot 3-pointers.

Draft Express after the first day (one of Sims’ weaker performances):

DeShawn Sims had a rough game to start things off, putting up solid numbers with 16 points on 8-for-17 shooting to go along with 9 rebounds, but his team got crushed 90-56, with the game being out of reach within five minutes of tip off. Sims did most of his damage finishing with athleticism in transition, while he struggled in the halfcourt, settling for tough fade-away jumpers from mid to long range, and not doing must damage in the post. He did a good job hitting his spot-up shots from 15-to-20 feet, but clearly needs to improve on his shot selection, as he’s way too inaccurate with some of the shots he frequently relies on.

NBADraft.net:

After a solid showing in his first game, Sims was able to put in an even more impressive performance the second time around. Displaying his touch from the midrange and outside, he hit a number of open and contested jumpers all the way out to the three point line.  He has a very good looking stroke and is comfortable pulling the trigger with his feet set.  On a few occasions he was able to take his defender down to the block and use his quickness to get to the basket for finishes.  He showed a nice mini jump hook going to his weak hand.  At this point he still hasn’t shown enough ability to play either of the forward positions full time, as he is a bit undersized and weak to play inside and his perimeter game is too limited to allow him to play on the wing, but he will have two more chances to prove himself further.

The Rookie Wall named him to their first team as well:

DeShawn Sims was a force all week.  Unlike the other players on our team , he didn’t have a single poor performance.  He scored 16 or more in each of his three games, and had at least seven rebounds in each as well.

He lacks a little bit of strength to play inside at an NBA level, but his face up game is simple and effective.  He reminds of us Paul Millsap a little bit, and a team that takes him in the second round may have a similar steal on their hands.

For the losing team the story was once again DeShawn Sims.  The power forward out of Michigan scored 21 points and hauled in seven rebounds.  The week was great for Sims as he showed his ability to score in the post and facing the basket.  We are higher on him than others, and think he should be drafted in the late second round, and may even go ahead of his former Wolverine teammate Manny Harris.