Scouting Report: Melo Trimble
Melo Trimble is a name that is in my notes for a while now. One of the best scorers outside the international competitions in Europe and his playing style translates to so many level.
BACKGROUND INFO
Position: G
Height: 191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Date of Birth: 2/2/1995
Nationality: American
Previous clubs:
2017–18 Iowa Wolves
2018–19 Cairns Taipans
2019 Piratas de Quebradilas
2019–20 Melbourne United
Played three years in college for Maryland Terrapins. He was the top scorer of his team in all three years averaging 16.2 points as a Freshman, 14.8 as a Sophmore and 16.8 as a Junior. Also got many awards in those years and representet the USA National team in the Pan American Games in 2015. After his junior season he entered the 2017 NBA Draft but went undrafted. Played one season in G League and after that two seasons in Australian NBL and the summer between those two seasons in Puerto Rico playing for Piratas de Quebradilas. Signed for Estudiantes last year in March but because of the coronavirus situations hasn’t played a game for them but he stayed in Spain and is playing for Fuenlabrada this season.
VIDEO REPORT:
OFFENSE
Shooting: Has a smooth transition from his dribble into the shooting motion and can take shots even from deep range. His release is also smooth and has a good shooting arc so there is not much to complain about his shooting motion. Good in spot up and off the dribble situations, where he can create some space for his shot especially in pick & roll situations where he uses the screens wisely.
Slashing: Melo is not just a scorer from distance but also has something to offer closer to the rim. Very dangerous as a slasher and can beat the defense and get to the rim pretty easily. He doesn’t have the athleticism to go for many dunks or above the rim finishes but showing some nice touch on those runners. His driving angles are sharp and has a great ability to initiate the contact and draw some fouls on those finishes. Can attack and finish with both hands and this makes him very unpredictable in offense since he can score in so many different ways.
Transition: I see some reserves in his transition game. I’m not saying that he is a bad player in transition but he has the quickness and speed to be a player that is really hard to stop on open court and should be more aggressive on some occasions and look for those easy points. Melo also has the confidence to take shots from distance in early offense so defense should not leave him with too much space. I think he has the potential to offer more in transition and score a little more points on open court.
Passing: In Fuenlabrada he is playing a lot together with another playmaker and Melo’s role is more scoring oriented so his passing game was a little harder to evaluate but from the tape that I’ve seen he has some decent court vision and passing game. Mostly looking for the easiest pass — to the closest player or to the roller in pick & roll situations. The delivery of those passes is solid and they usually come at the right time but there were some possessions with some bad passess too.
Anyway, he can offer much more as a scorer but can dish some assists here and there and should not be underestimated in the playmaking role.
DEFENSE
Perimeter defense: Melo is not just a great offensive player but also has something to offer on the defensive end. He can play good and aggressive defense, slides his feet well and can put some pressure on the ball handler. Has a strong body and good balance so he can hold his position in the defensive stance. Because of his scoring ability sometimes underrated as a defender but in my opinion he is not a liability in defense and knows how to defend on perimeter.
Pick & roll defense: His pick & roll defense on the other hand needs a little more work on the details. He gets stuck on the screens sometimes and could maneuver around the screen better and also capable of making better reads. Overall a solid pick & roll defender and I’m maybe a little nitpicking here and looking too much at the details but the basics are firm and he is not one of those players that cannot defend anything in pick & rolls.
Steals: Usually you don’t see the best scorers of the competition also being one of the best in steals per game but Melo is one those exceptions. With 1.5 steals per game he is one of the best in the ACB. He has quick hands and good instincts for steals. Really sneaky and can surprise players from behind and take the ball out of their hands. Also showing some good anticipation for interceptions or deflections.
SUMMARY
Melo Trimble is one of the best scorers outside the international competitions in Europe. You can give him the ball and he will probably make something happen and create some points.
Can make shots from distance, get to the rim or at the end of the day even find an open team mate. Also not a liability on the defensive end and showing some good defensive effort.
I think it is just a question of time when Melo will finish at the highest level because in my opinion, he belongs in the group of best guards in Europe.
