Isaac Bonds

School: EE Smith                                                                                                                                         

AAU: Fayetteville Elite

Height: 5’9

Position: Guard

The first time we got see Isaac play was years ago during a tournament on the campus of Fayetteville State University, it was a local event and Isaac was on a team with a high amount of talented 2018 and 2019 prospects. At this point in his career he was still working to get better but you could see some flashes and moments throughout the game of what could possibly become of him if he continued to work hard. Well over the years he has put in quite a bit of time and work and the results are clear as he has become a bigtime piece of the success of EE Smith High School’s basketball program.

Strengths

  • Demeanor– Many my questions if this is really a strength but when you play the Point Guard position, you have to have a poker face and Isaac has that. Through the many times I’ve seen him play, you can’t look at him and tell if he’s having an off game or not, he has his occasional moment or two of excitement when his team has it going. However overall he does a good job of stay pretty much even keel and that what you need from a floor general.
  • Speed and Athleticism– One thing that you will notice about him as soon as you watch him play is how fast he can get up and down the floor. He’s a perfect fit for an up-tempo style of play, which is the way that many teams at the next level have decided to play the game. He has very good acceleration and is just as fast with the ball in his hands as he is without it. As far as athletic ability, he has put in the work to add to how athletic he is and it clearly shows. He’s getting up above the rim and will throw down an occasional dunk, by the time this season begins I fully expect him to get some in game dunks. He uses his athleticism to also finish through traffic and against bigger opponents when he’s attacking the basket.
  • Defense– This may be the attribute that I appreciate the mist about this young man, he is a willing and very efficient defensive player. He has good lateral quickness and knows how to defend without fouling by using that quickness as well as his quick hands. One way that you can see how productive he was, is by looking at his defensive stats from last season. He was a leader in the state in steals at 2.8 a night, nearly 3 steals a game.
  • Character– Isaac is one of the nicest and respectful kids that you will meet, he takes care of business in the classroom with a GPA of 3.7. We fully expect his transition to the college level in the classroom to be even easier than the transition in the classroom due to how good of a student he is. Last but not least, he allows himself to be coached, he listen and does what he’s told, definitely the type of player that you love to have on your squad.

 

Areas for Improvement

 

  • Off Hand- At this point he has the ability to go to his left but is not as strong with his left hand as he is with his right. For guards at the next level, the ability to attack with both hands is very important, consistent time working on his offhand will help with his.
  • Being Vocal- The job of the PG is to be a coach on the court, as of now Isaac is more of the type of player that leads by actions but will need to be more vocal on the court. Doing things like constantly talking to teammates about where they should be, communicating with the coach constantly, and providing verbal encouragement to the squad.
  • Strength- Adding some more muscle to his body will be key for him, guards at the next level tend to take quite a bit of contact on and off the ball. He’s somewhat slim, but with time and either weights or calisthenics he can add the muscle to his frame.