Hopson on his way to winning the 2013 Israeli League Dunk Contest
The Cavs are making a playoff push, and they’ve filled out their roster with a 15th guy.
Is Scotty Hopson any good? Decide for yourself after watching him play, but here is my take after watching him this season.
On Monday, it was announced that Cleveland had signed the ex-Anadolu Efes wingman to a 2-year, $3.8 million contract, with a team option for next year. There has been talk that the primary focus of the deal was the $2.5 million team option for next season that can be used as a valuable addition to draft day trades, but let’s not forget there is still a basketball player involved in this deal.
Hopson came to Anadolu Efes after a standout year in Hapoel Eilat, who our team, Maccabi Rishon Lezion, played in the quarterfinals of the Israeli League playoffs. Hopson arrived in Israel after a sub-par season in a very physical Greek League in which it is traditionally tough to succeed as a rookie. Hapoel Eilat scout Idan Avshalom took notice of Hopson’s performance in Greece, and helped bring Hopson to Eilat with the belief that he could flourish under Coach Oded Kattash, a legendary Israeli point guard with a player-friendly coaching style.
As a 6’7” wingman with outstanding leaping ability, Hopson had a breakout year in Israel to the tune of 18.6 PTS, 5.4 REB and 2.8 AS, helping lead Hapoel Eilat to the semifinals in its first season back in the first division in Israel. With a deadly combination of length, talent and athleticism, Hopson was a tough cover for Israeli teams night in and night out, where he thrived in Coach Kattash’s pick-and-roll heavy system.
Against us in the playoffs last year, Hopson came out with a monstrous Game 1, pouring in 34 points in a losing effort as we managed to steal Game 1 on the road in Eilat. As the underdog 6th seed playing against the 3rd seed, we made a decisive move to put former lottery pick, Julian Wright, normally a power forward, on Hopson for the majority of the rest of the series, where JuJu managed to hold Scotty to 11.2 PTS on 37.5 percent 2PT over the final four games of the series. We were able to stretch the series out to the decisive 5th game, but we couldn’t close out in the 4th quarter of Game 5 in one of the toughest places in Israel to get a W.
Hopson’s play in Israel, especially through the final months of the season, and in the summer league with the Miami Heat, caught the eye of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, one of the wealthier European teams. In the early stages of the season, Hopson was playing excellent basketball for his Turkish squad before injuries and personal issues started to creep up.
On January 28th, Hopson put out a suspicious tweet that caused some in the overseas community to feel he was close to changing teams, with Red Star Belgrade thought to be the primary option, although rumors were quickly shot down. However, Hopson continued to not dress for games, and he soon became available for Cleveland, where he will have the rest of the season to audition for playing time next season, either with the Cavs or with another NBA team that may take on his contract.
A drive-first wing, Hopson brings a lot of energy to the floor with his quick first step. While he does a great job building momentum and creating separation driving to his left, Hopson has been inconsistent in his decision-making when teams pack the paint, settling for contested pull-ups, something that is likely to happen far less in the NBA than in the crowded paints of Europe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUuZt8_8sOE&feature=youtu.be
A major advantage for Scotty is his ability to post up smaller guards, where he excels with his preferred baseline spin. While historically his outside shot has not been known to be his strongest weapon, he has vastly improved his ability as a spot-up catch-and-shooter, and this aspect of his game will ultimately be a major determinant as to whether or not he can stick in the league.
In transition is where Hopson does most of his damage, using his intense bursts of speed and pogo stick legs to fire up the crowd on fast breaks. The energy he brings to the court, creating out of fast breaks, back door cuts, and offensive rebounds, can be a difference maker for his teams in the momentum points of the game.
The main area on which Hopson will need to work if he wants to be a full-time NBA shooting guard is his turnovers. He had almost 4 TO per game in Israel last season, and he had 35 TO, compared to 22 AS, during his time in Turkey, numbers he will need to improve significantly to see floor time. Defensively, Hopson has a tendency to lose focus from time to time. However, his length gives him a big advantage, and when he locks in, he can be a very effective and efficient defender.
While the intent of the Hopson signing may seem to be primarily focused on his ability to be included in a potential trade, he is a similar player, in a very similar situation, to Gerald Green upon his return from Europe. At almost 25 years old, Hopson now has three years of high level overseas hoops under his belt, and he is in prime position to make a great leap forward in his career.
Time will tell whether Cavaliers acting GM David Griffin brought Hopson with the intent to keep him or to move him. But one thing is certain, the ball is now in Hopson’s court to prove his worth on the big stage.
(RELATED: 10 Overseas Players Who Can Help NBA Playoff Teams)
AJ Mitnick is an American living in Israel and working as an Assistant Coach for Maccabi Rishon Lezion of the Israeli Basketball Super League. A graduate of IDC Herzliya, Mitnick is in his third season with Maccabi Rishon, where they have made the Israeli League Final Four, and have twice made the Final Four of the Israeli State Cup . Follow him on Twitter.
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