Thursday night at the NBA Top 100 Camp

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – How many teams will be able to offer a more impressive starting backcourt than the “Mavericks” squad put on the John Paul Jones Arena floor Thursday night during the 20^th NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp?

That’s a rhetorical question.

The answer is, of course, “almost certainly none”.

With James Blackmon Jr. (Ft. Wayne, IN, Bishop Luers) and Josh Perkins (who announced recently that he will move from his hometown of Aurora, CO to attend Huntington Prep in West Virginia as a senior) dominating the proceedings, the Mavericks burst out to a 20-point advantage after a quarter and then coast to a 30-something-point victory over the Thunder to conclude the second session on the opening day of game-action at the camp being held on the campus of the University of Virginia.

Blackmon, who seemingly committed to Indiana about seven or eight years ago, may not have missed a jumper – regardless of range or defensive duress – during the beat down.

Perkins, who didn’t arrive at the camp until Thursday afternoon after missing a flight out of Colorado on Wednesday, didn’t jump shoot with quite the frequency – and efficiency – that he did most of the way during the Pangos All-American Camp in Long Beach, CA, a couple of weekends ago.

But – as he also did with regularity in Long Beach – Perkins continuously found open teammates and delivered the basketball to them, often in something approaching spectacular fashion.

The most impressive – and effective – player for the Mavericks, however, was one-half of the North Carolina State-bound Martin twins from Mocksville, NC, 6-foot-5 Caleb Martin.

Martin, who along with the bro Cody, will attend Oak Hill Academy in Virginia as a senior, scored in transition (including after a couple of steals), on jumpers and via quick dribble bursts to the rim.

He was an “active” a player as I watched Thursday at both ends of the action.

This is one loaded club, that’s for sure, with the likes of forwards Brekkott Chapman (Roy, UT), Justin Jackson (Houston), Leron Black (Memphis White Station) and Derrick Jones (a high-freakin’ flying junior-to-be from Philadelphia Archbishop Carroll), as well as guard Shelton Mitchell (Waxaw, NC, Cutherston), in the rotation.

As the margin would suggest, no one really “stood out” for the Thunder although guard Jordan McLaughlin (Etiwanda, CA), swingman Brandone Francis (Arlington, FL, Country Day and Duke-bound Grayson Allen (Jacksonville, FL, Providence) certainly can claim some impressive “moments” (albeit very brief ones).

In the first game I focused on (again, with me planted in a cushioned folding chair with the legs grazing inside the sideline of Court 2), the Spurs held off the 76ers.

Class of 2015 left-handed point guard Jalen Brunson (Linolnshire, IL, Stevenson) impressed a jump – ok, maybe more “set” – shooter as well as playmaker for the Spurs.

And there was another pretty matchup of “bigs” as 6-11 240  Myles Turner (Euless, TX, Trinity) was guarded – at times – be someone even bigger, at 7-2 and 275, in Isaac Haas (Hokes Bluff, AL).

Turner probably blocked or severely altered of a half-dozen shots – including one by Haas.