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heres some more information from draftexpress:
Of the five players evaluated here, Cage might be the most imposing of the bunch. He’s got wide shoulders, a huge build, and an impressive 6-10 wingspan. That benefits him tremendously in the work he does as a free-lance pain-inflictor, constantly looking to mix things up around the basket by fighting extremely hard for his keep.
Cage showed some flashes of being able to do a bit more on occasion as well, though. He hit a spot-up NBA 3-pointer in the scrimmage on one occasion, and made some fantastic passes to open teammates virtually every time he put the ball on the floor. He doesn’t quite stand out in all the things he does unless you really pay attention to him, as he’s a smart, tough role-player who doesn’t need any plays called for him, but still finds a way to make an impact on the game. He played fantastic defense on basically anyone he was asked to guard, using his strength and wingspan to their fullest combined with his excellent lateral quickness.
Cage was a last-second addition to the NBA pre-draft camp, after previously being named a late addition to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. We’ll see how far he can continue to make his run. He might be Thorpe’s favorite pupil here so far. He sees him being able to develop into a James Posey type player in the pros, as he already has one skill NBA teams can rely on off the bench in his defense, and is making strides shooting the ball from behind the arc as well.
Draftexpress on his summer league performance:
Rocky Mountain Revue Day 4
Justin Cage
8 Points, 1 Rebound, 2 Assists, 1 Block, 3 Fouls, 2-3 FG, 4-5 FT
-Cage earns mention here based on the fact that he has shown huge improvements in his perimeter game.
-Cage didn’t get many touches on the perimeter in college, but had some nice drives to the basket along with some nice footwork during this contest.
-Cage gets great elevation on his jumper, but needs to continue honing his shot from deep.
-Cage’s athleticism allows him to be successful even though he is still adapting to a new position, indicating that he has clearly done the work to make this transition a smooth one.
Orlando Summer League: Day Four
Justin Cage, 9 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 3/6 FG, 1/2 3FG, 2/2 FT
Matt Kamalsky
Cage is the type of player that it is really hard not to like. He approaches the game with a great at ude, and works very hard for what he gets on the floor. Cage’s jump shot has improved significantly, and he showed the type of range that will get him noticed in the future. His defense is top notch, and he doesn’t give up any easy buckets. While Cage is still developing some of his other offensive skills, he has already shown the impressive ability to finish around the rim with contact. Cage has looked good throughout the Summer League, and will be interesting to see how Chicago utilizes him in their final game.
Orlando Summer League Day 3
Justin Cage, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 4/5 FG
Mike Schmidt
To this point in the summer league, Cage has been one of the more efficient players on the offensive end of the floor, shooting somewhere in the 70-80% range for the summer. He has a fantastic shot selection, only shooting when he has a good look on the perimeter, and finishes strong inside when the opportunity presents itself. Defense is probably the strongest area of Cage’s game right now, as he has great length combined with good lateral quickness on this end of the floor. The rookie from Xavier also has a good understanding of positioning in this area, and always makes the proper help rotations with good reaction time. Cage has impressed the Bulls by playing exactly how they have asked him to, and he will certainly have a shot to make their opening day roster if he keeps performing at this level.
