The Utah Jazz are currently in need of an upgrade at shooting guard. Raja Bell is on the decline and Alec Burks, who the Jazz selected with the 12th overall pick in the Draft, is likely too raw to start for the team at this point. The Jazz have put together a very solid young core, and are just a couple of pieces away from being a major threat in the West.
Mayo could be one of those pieces, and would be a great fit on the Jazz. His shooting ability would complement Devin Harris' tendency to attack the rim, and he would provide the team with a primary scoring option on the wing. The Jazz have a fairly severe logjam at the power forward and center positions, where Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors, Mehmet Okur and Enes Kanter will all compete for playing time next season.
Utah can afford to part with one or two of these players, and could offer Paul Millsap to the Grizzlies in exchange for Mayo and Darrell Arthur. Although bringing in Arthur would not change the number of big men in Utah's frontcourt, Arthur is not quite at Millsap's levels an is more accustomed to limited minutes. The Indiana Pacers were unable to beat the trade deadline in their initial attempt to acquire O.
Mayo from the Memphis Grizzlies. However, they should continue to pursue him as soon as the lockout ends. The Pacers ended last season with Paul George starting at shooting guard. Mayo has seen his scoring average drop from He was not expected to be brought back by the team after shooting MORE: Contract advice for the top 18 free agents. Mayo's season — and, for now, his NBA career — ended on a broken ankle in March.
The Bucks' release said , "Mayo accidentally tripped descending his stairs at home. In terms of handling the ball, he was able to get into the lane at will, and get past multiple defenders. This, coupled with his ability to see the court, and amazingly quick first step allow him to create at any given time throughout the game.
He is very coordinated, and can go right or left at any given time, and can finish with both hands in traffic. On one occasion, Mayo received an alley-oop pass on the break, which he caught around waist level, and scoop-reversed in off the backboard in one motion. On another occasion, it looked like he would lose the ball trying to go right on the fast break, but at the last possible second he gained control and made a layup back over his head with his left hand.
He has the ability to score from feet using a runner or floater, s a shot he can make off balance and in traffic with amazing body control. He also has the ability to use the glass to finish from many different angles. Mayo was wild on a few occasions, trying to force unnecessary behind the back passes in traffic, likely an attempt to please the jam packed sold out crowd that came to watch him play.
He does have quick hands, however, and has shown the potential to be a good defender in the past when the urge strikes him. Mayo was mostly a 2 today, but his teammates deferred to him enough to let him dominate when he chose to. Against Oak Hill, Mayo was forced to play shooting guard to utilize his scoring talents most.
Because of this, we were not able to see the point guard skills that he displayed on the AAU circuit this summer. If you take away the first quarter where Mayo shot from the field and had only six points , he was downright amazing scoring. He showed NBA range on his three point shot as always and an effortless free throw stroke. When Mayo was running the show, he displayed great court vision and always seemed to find the open man.
On the polar opposite side of things, Mayo also had to guard Tywon Lawson from time to time, and did a better job on Lawson then any of his other teammates were able to throughout the game. This was your usual performance from Mayo. His competitive nature and will to win often forces him to take some questionable shots, as he sometimes feels that he needs to score 50 in order for his team to win, probably true in this particular game.
What was very impressive about his performance today however was the fact that he only had one turnover while going up against such an athletic team as Oak Hil. Turnovers had plagued O. After this performance, there is no doubt in my mind that Mayo is the number one junior in the country. Huggins has been close with both Mayo and Walker since they were younger, and since he is not currently a coach at the moment, has been able to recruit the duo without any rules or regulations against him.
I personally have seen him at two North College Hill games I attended this year, so only time will tell if these rumors have any credibility or not.
There were a few questionable shots, a few unnecessary three point attempts, but he still showed devastating quickness, a great handle for a guard his size, and NBA range on his jumpshot.
There might not be a better guard in the country with the ball in his hands in the closing seconds of a game in terms of creating his own shot. What was most impressive however about Mayo was his intense, shutdown defense that he displayed in the second half.
As we have mentioned before, O. Is this still home, or is Cincinnati home? Mayo: This is still home. This is always home. Local Reporter: Do you look forward to coming back to this event every year? Mayo: Yes sir. We try to get two games scheduled here every year to show off my abilities and my team. Local Reporter: Is it hard to focus once the ball goes up in the air?
It was a lot more competitive today. We played a real good Patterson team and we came out with a victory. Local Reporter: Do you realize the schedule that you have over the next few weeks? With going to California and playing in Columbus? Local Reporter: Is it tiring at all? Do you ever get tired of this schedule with the travel? Mayo: Sometimes. You have to rest your body, manage your time, and just take care of business. Local Reporter: Tell me about business, just in general.
Does this ever get to the point where you sky to the rim pretty easily? Mayo: I just try to go out and compete every night and better myself every time I step out on the floor. Just compete and play the game to compete and hopefully our team will come out with a win. We had a great team effort and we played good this weekend.
Local Reporter: How do guys like you and Billy manage to stay focused? Do you have any preferences? Big city? Small town? Mayo: The decision will be based on me and my family. We will make sure they have a great fan base, a great coach, and a great supporting cast once we arrive there. Local Reporter: Are there any conferences or something? Mayo: Not really. DraftExpress: With you being regarded as the top player in the class of , what exactly is it that keeps you motivated to constantly improve upon your game?
Mayo: YOU. Just keep competing. DraftExpress: Well what areas of your game are you looking to work on the most? Mayo: My explosiveness and quickness.
At the same time, take less shots and shoot a higher percentage. Not force too many bad shots. Just play hard every play. DraftExpress: A lot of people spoke of Cincinnati being one of the favorites for you guys when Bob Huggins was there. Are you guys going to automatically strongly consider whatever school Hugs lands at next? Our decision will be based on our family, and what best fits us. DraftExpress: So what schools fit you best at the moment?
Mayo: Everyone is tough because everyone comes at me hard. I would have to say Bill, my own teammate. Every day in practice, we just push each other. Mayo Interview DraftExpress: There have been a lot of conflicting reports as to what your actual list of prospective schools is. Can you set the record straight and tell me what schools you are considering? I would like to be recruited by everyone and make a good choice for me and my family.
DraftExpress: Now a lot of people have reported that you guys are considering schools such as Cincinnati and West Virginia because of their low distance away from home. Is distance away from home a key factor with you guys? I can adapt to any type of environment. Can you tell me a little bit about how that all came about? He thinks that he wants to come in and be the powerhouse wherever we go. Who do you think your toughest matchup has been thus far? I played against a lot of good kids.
The toughest thing is just trying to win. We have a really good team with a lot of great individual players. The toughest thing is just keeping everyone together. Do you want to tell me a little about that? Mayo: It was a real intense game. It was a long day. I was in the gym all the way from AM up until that game. I did a lot of interviews. Can you tell me a little about what kind of drills you guys go through? Mayo: Just repetition in the gym as far as working on our weaknesses, lifting weights, trying to better our game in any way we can to make it easier for us.
DraftExpress: Well can you give me an example of what your daily routine is like? DraftExpress: laughs Well can you at least tell me a little about how much time you guys spend in the gym each day. It can be 6 hours, 8 hours, however long it takes to get done.
DraftExpress: From my prospective, you seem to play much better with the ball in your hands. Do you have a preference as to playing with the ball in your hands at point or playing the two? What are some of the pros and cons of each in your opinion? Mayo is the definition of a scoring point guard. He possesses the size and skills to play off of the ball if need be, but his strength is definitely having the ball in his hands, looking to score first, then distributing the ball to his teammates.
His size also allows him to be a great rebounder from the point guard position. The rising junior has picture perfect form on his shot, a quick release, and range beyond the NBA three point line. His superior quickness allows him to blow by defenders at will, allowing him to show nice passing skills, often to find an open teammate for a dunk or lay-up. Fans must not blink an eye when watching O.
Defensively, the top junior in the country has all of the tools to be a lockdown defender. His combination of size, strength, and athleticism are everything you are looking for in a point guard and there are times when Mayo decides to show his shut down potential on the defensive end of the floor.
Now while O. At times, Mayo is a pretty bad decision maker. Often when his team is down in the game, it is not uncommon to see him force a contested three pointer or drive into the lane and throw a bullet pass to an unsuspecting teammate. When his team is winning, the Cincinnati prospect is normally totally under control, though. Although O. Another weakness that many seem to feel Mayo has, which I strongly disagree with, is his attitude.
I have spoken with O. Some people just do not understand what it is like to constantly have racial slurs thrown at you every game, as if often the case when he is playing in Cincinnati, and sometimes even here in Vegas. Instead of reacting negativley towards the fans, O.
While he definitley does talk his fair share of trash, there is a constant level of intensity and confidence within the talented guard that is not found in most players today. Simply put, Mayo is a fierce competitor who will give it his all each and every time he steps out on the floor.
Mayo, a 6'5 lb. PG, is regarded by some as the best player in the country, no matter the grade. He doesn't really have any noticeable flaws when observing him in a setting like this. He has a very good handle, can stroke it from NBA three point range, and can create for others. He plays against the top competition in the nation during the summer, as he has been playing at U AAU level since he was in 8th grade. Due to the fact that Ohio does not allow middle school players to play high school basketball, Mayo played varsity basketball at Rose Hill Christian in Kentucky, where he averaged He then transferred to North College Hill and scored Giants extend manager Kapler's deal through ' San Francisco Giants.
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