Unlike the last Rockets’ Summer League prospect we featured (Campbell University’s Chris Clemons), St. John’s product Shamorie Ponds is far from an unknown in basketball circles. From high school, to college, to the pre-draft process, the Brooklyn native has consistently been a star of the youth basketball hype machine companies such as Ballislife or Hoopmixtape have built.
As one would expect from a New York-raised, YouTube hoop star, there is a lot of flash in Ponds’ game. His isolation game is as aesthetically appealing as it gets. From various hesitation-crossover combinations to half-spins and other pace-manipulating moves, Ponds’ bag is deep.