#60 - Sam Merrill - Utah State

[DanoMac]

NGL, getting eldest son on "Home Improvement" vibes from the lad.

Horst needs to find our demonic era Randy Taylor

[emunney]

1st half

• They are guarding each other to start.
• Dort switches off with the ball screen, Cheatham pieces Merrill's shot from the left wing.
• Dort goes glass in transition over the top of Merrill. Good effort by Merill backpedaling, staying perfectly vertical, but not a particularly difficult finish for Dort.
• Merrill gets tight around a screen and scores a glasser of an OOB play.
• Merrill gets stuck on a screen and Dort cruises through for a layup.
• Dort cheats too far off Merrill in the corner, Merrill drills the C&S 3.
• Looks like they've taken Merrill off Dort. Dort loses the handle. Merrill misses a transition 3 from above the left break off the back rim.
• Merrill misses a ~10 foot pull up from the left baseline to the right. (Dort is out of the game) Shooting foul on Merrill in transition going the other way.
• Merrill hits a nice looking jumper off the dribble near the right elbow coming right to left from the right baseline. Dort got clobbered by a screen. Merrill is excellent off ball screens, no difference here. Really gets tight, perfect pace.
• Merrill back on Dort now. Dort goes right through him for an and-1. Could have been a charge. Very close. Merrill looked like he was toast but got back in front.
• Dort tip dunk in transition.
• Dort runs Merrill off the line and Merrill misses a floater.
• Merrill back off Dort now. Dort hits a 3 from the top.
• Dort misses a layup. Merrill still off ball.
• Dort badly misses a 3 at the end of the half. Merrill sitting.

2nd half

• Dort stuck on another high screen and Merrill cruises in for an easy one.
• Dort comes right back down and gets to the rim to draw a foul. Merrill watching from the weakside corner.
• Dort loses track of Merrill on the weakside wing but gets back in time for Merrill to drain one in his eye.
• And-1 jumper for Dort on the body foul from Merrill in transition.
• Merrill beats Dort rejecting the screen with a hesitation move but is off balance and misses the layup (tipped in).
• Merrill beats Dort again with a right to left crossover. Merrill’s pull up threat really twisting Dort up. Misses the layup but draws a foul on the big.
• Dort hits another 3 from the top (not on Merrill)
• Tough drive for Dort right down the middle, another and-1.
• Bad perimeter foul sends Merrill to the line (Dort elsewhere), hits the first.
• Dort busts the zone by beating Merrill off the right wing and hitting a shooter on the opposite side from the paint.
• Dort gets past Merrill in transition (off a made FT) and throws down a huge dunk.
• Merrill catches Dort ball watching again and loses him to drain one from the top.
• Another great ball screen use for Merrill as Dort chases over and Merrill gets to the rim for an and-1.
• Merrill draws another foul after Dort switches off on a ball screen.
• Merrill on Dort again. Dort travels off the catch.
• Excellent anticipation by Merrill drawing a charge on Dort. He’s been hunting them. Finally gets one.
• Dort beats Merrill on a crossover and draws a foul on the help.
• Merrill beats Dort clean with an in and out in transition and draws a foul on the help. Possibly a cut dribble. CLEAN move either way. Both Merrill and Dort fouling bigs out left and right. GIFd this one.

• Merrill misses a pretty clean look from the left wing with Dort closing.
• Merrill gets a kick out off an offensive board and misses an off balance 15 foot floater. Uncharacteristically bad shot, looked like he got spooked by a late contest from Dort.
• Dort faceguarding off the inbounds, but then has a bad closeout in the corner and Merrill easily gets by him for a layup. Possibly instructed to run him off the line at all costs.
• Dort runs the shot clock down and gets downhill, Merrill can’t negotiate the screen and Dort fouls Queta out.
• Another high ISO with Merrill on Dort, Dort gets into the paint for a 2 foot runner.
• Dort hits two more FTs after Merrill fouls him coming out of an attempted backcourt trap that Dort just accelerated past.
• Foul and chase time.

[Fotis St]

1st half....

Man, for real I read every word !!! I loved it and love your passion to share it with us

[Chad34]

https://www.deseret.com/sports/2020/11/19/21573531/sam-merrill-milwaukee-bucks-utah-state-aggies-nba-mountain-west-conference-bountiful-high-school

[ANTETOKOUNBROS]

So did we trade this guy to the Pelicans too or not?

[emunney]

So did we trade this guy to the Pelicans too or not?

No, we got him from the Pelicans.

[Chad34]

So did we trade this guy to the Pelicans too or not?

no, we received the pick from NO

[emunney]

This guy ran a random forest model for the NCAA that has Merrill as the best pro 3pt shooter:

https://theplaygrounder.com/2020/11/18/predicting-nba-three-point-shooting-part-2-random-forests/

My dude Nate Darling just a half a point back. Nwora 12th.

[Chuck Diesel]

1st half

• They are guarding each other to start.
• Dort switches off with the ball screen, Cheatham pieces Merrill's shot from the left wing.
• Dort goes glass in transition over the top of Merrill. Good effort by Merill backpedaling, staying perfectly vertical, but not a particularly difficult finish for Dort.
• Merrill gets tight around a screen and scores a glasser of an OOB play.
• Merrill gets stuck on a screen and Dort cruises through for a layup.
• Dort cheats too far off Merrill in the corner, Merrill drills the C&S 3.
• Looks like they've taken Merrill off Dort. Dort loses the handle. Merrill misses a transition 3 from above the left break off the back rim.
• Merrill misses a ~10 foot pull up from the left baseline to the right. (Dort is out of the game) Shooting foul on Merrill in transition going the other way.
• Merrill hits a nice looking jumper off the dribble near the right elbow coming right to left from the right baseline. Dort got clobbered by a screen. Merrill is excellent off ball screens, no difference here. Really gets tight, perfect pace.
• Merrill back on Dort now. Dort goes right through him for an and-1. Could have been a charge. Very close. Merrill looked like he was toast but got back in front.
• Dort tip dunk in transition.
• Dort runs Merrill off the line and Merrill misses a floater.
• Merrill back off Dort now. Dort hits a 3 from the top.
• Dort misses a layup. Merrill still off ball.
• Dort badly misses a 3 at the end of the half. Merrill sitting.

2nd half

• Dort stuck on another high screen and Merrill cruises in for an easy one.
• Dort comes right back down and gets to the rim to draw a foul. Merrill watching from the weakside corner.
• Dort loses track of Merrill on the weakside wing but gets back in time for Merrill to drain one in his eye.
• And-1 jumper for Dort on the body foul from Merrill in transition.
• Merrill beats Dort rejecting the screen with a hesitation move but is off balance and misses the layup (tipped in).
• Merrill beats Dort again with a right to left crossover. Merrill’s pull up threat really twisting Dort up. Misses the layup but draws a foul on the big.
• Dort hits another 3 from the top (not on Merrill)
• Tough drive for Dort right down the middle, another and-1.
• Bad perimeter foul sends Merrill to the line (Dort elsewhere), hits the first.
• Dort busts the zone by beating Merrill off the right wing and hitting a shooter on the opposite side from the paint.
• Dort gets past Merrill in transition (off a made FT) and throws down a huge dunk.
• Merrill catches Dort ball watching again and loses him to drain one from the top.
• Another great ball screen use for Merrill as Dort chases over and Merrill gets to the rim for an and-1.
• Merrill draws another foul after Dort switches off on a ball screen.
• Merrill on Dort again. Dort travels off the catch.
• Excellent anticipation by Merrill drawing a charge on Dort. He’s been hunting them. Finally gets one.
• Dort beats Merrill on a crossover and draws a foul on the help.
• Merrill beats Dort clean with an in and out in transition and draws a foul on the help. Possibly a cut dribble. CLEAN move either way. Both Merrill and Dort fouling bigs out left and right. GIFd this one.

• Merrill misses a pretty clean look from the left wing with Dort closing.
• Merrill gets a kick out off an offensive board and misses an off balance 15 foot floater. Uncharacteristically bad shot, looked like he got spooked by a late contest from Dort.
• Dort faceguarding off the inbounds, but then has a bad closeout in the corner and Merrill easily gets by him for a layup. Possibly instructed to run him off the line at all costs.
• Dort runs the shot clock down and gets downhill, Merrill can’t negotiate the screen and Dort fouls Queta out.
• Another high ISO with Merrill on Dort, Dort gets into the paint for a 2 foot runner.
• Dort hits two more FTs after Merrill fouls him coming out of an attempted backcourt trap that Dort just accelerated past.
• Foul and chase time.

Elite. Thanks for this.

[jimmybones]

Polygamist Pete Maravich

I needed this today, thanks Chuck, you're one of my favorite posters.

Wondering if polygamist Pete comes with the magic underpants, could increase the value of this pick.

[AingesBurner]

Why do you guys love USU players so much? Is there a tie there in FO or coaching staff?

[Badgerlander]

Read on Twitter

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[leroyjw10]

I've really enjoyed watching Sam's highlights. Smooth, effortless jumper. I don't know who he guards in the NBA, but he really knows how to score.

[emunney]

Just good Bucks guard named Sam vibes.

Someone should ask Dort if he had a harder time with Harden or Merrill.

[Fotis St]

Sam Merrill has the tools to make a multiyear career if he stays in shape and healthy.
I don't like how the NBA GMs evaluate talent. They are trying to find the next Kawhi or Giannis and drafting players with based on their height/wingspan , regardless how well they know the game and their skill level. I am not saying this is completely wrong, I get that their looking for more potential, BUT jesus alot of really talented players go undrafted cause their wingspan is not 4 inches longer than their height or something.

[AussieBuck]

I'm on this bandwagon, going to be calling him better than Bogdan after his second bucket.

[drone3]

Just chuck Merill in the deep end, start him at SG. He will be fine, and give us much needed shot creation.

Jrue/Merill/Midds/Gianiss/Brook

[Jez2983]

I'm so happy that y'all have convinced me that he is thebestplayerwhoeverplayed.

TY.

[Fotis St]

Just chuck Merill in the deep end, start him at SG. He will be fine, and give us much needed shot creation.

Jrue/Merill/Midds/Gianiss/Brook

Yes, eventually we will need him to start.
Forbes , DDV and Augustin are undersized especially against the guards of the Heat team.
Merrill has good size for SG.
I believe he will be able to stay in front of Herro and Duncan Rob.
I hope Bud gives Sam lots of minutes going forward

[theFireBlanket]

I'm on this bandwagon, going to be calling him better than Bogdan after his second bucket.

Rookie of the year, the next James Harden.