DraftExpress: Rocky Mountain Revue Day Three

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Rocky Mountain Revue Day Three

by: Matt Kamalsky

July 24, 2008

The third day of the Rocky Mountain Revue provided one interesting matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the New Jersey Nets. While that game didn’t disappoint, some of the others failed to offer the same high level of play. Fortunately, Gerald Green and George Hillplayed well enough to keep their games interesting, while Mohammad Samad Nikkhah Bahrami played well in a very emotional third quarter.

Last December, Nikkhah lost his brother, a fellow member of the Iranian National Team in a tragic car accident. The Utah Jazz made a very classy gesture at halftime, presenting a Jazz jersey with his name on the back to Nikkhah and his mother followed by a moment of silence in Aidin Nikkhah Bahrami’s memory. It was a very emotional moment for the Iranian National Team, and the fans in Utah responded appropriately.

Game One: Dallas Mavericks 84, San Antonio Spurs 77

Dallas

Reyshawn Terry: 9 Points, 4-4 FG, 1-4 FT, 7 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 2 Steals, 3 Blocks

Terry has played well in almost every game we’ve seen him in this Summer. His performances in Las Vegas last week and Salt Lake City this week show just how much difference a year can make to a young player. Terry was very solid last year, but he’s a completely different kind of forward than he used to be. The former Tar Heel has always been noted for his athleticism, but he never had the ball handling to effectively use it in a half court setting, something that is no longer true. Terry looked very comfortable taking the ball to the rim, and while he’s not a shifty guy that’s going to change directions and sneak to the rim, his slashing ability has come a long way. He didn’t have a great year from three point range playing for Aris Thessaloniki, and if Terry can add a consistent three-point jump shot to his game, it will only augment the progress he’s made as a ball handler. His court vision lets him collect assists at a decent rate on this level, but he’s more of a team player than a playmaker. Defensively, Terry showed the hustle and playmaking that we’ve grown to expect from him. He’s a quality shotblocker for a wing, and made some impressive plays today coming out of nowehere.

-Once again, Gerald Green blew up in the second half. The Spurs let him hit one three, and then Green just started letting it fly from all over the place. It may have taken the young wing a while to get going this summer, but his shooting touch has been nothing short of miraculous considering his extremely poor start.

San Antonio

Ian Mahinmi: 17 Points, 3-11 FG, 11-11 FT, 10 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 1 Steal, 5 Turnovers, 4 Fouls

This was probably Mahinmi’s best performance of the Summer League offensively. Mahinmi didn’t do the best job finishing at the rim, but for the most part, he didn’t have a chance. His quickness allowed him to get good enough position that Dallas had no choice but to send him to the line. The young French power forward made all 11 of his free throw attempts, displaying a nice release. His jump shot has its strong points, but he still needs to be more consistent. In addition to getting to the line at will, the slender power forward did a very good job on the offensive glass, taking advantage of Dallas’s lack of a comparably athletic post player. Today’s game was not all good for Mahinmi though, as he showed his inexperience on a couple of occasions where he lost the ball by making a move into help defenders. His offensive game has come a long way, and the tools are there for him to add value to an NBA team down the road in addition to his athletic presence down low.

-George Hill had another good game, and looked more poised defensively than he did during other contests. His four steals were the result of great ball pressure and anticipation. He’s got very long arms for a defender and could be a very good defender after a year in the Spurs organization.

Game Two: Golden State Warriors 108, New Jersey Nets 84

Golden State

Dion Dowell: 20 Points, 7-11 FG, 3-5 3FG, 3-3 FT, 3 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 2 Blocks, 2 Turnovers

Dowell came up huge today, carrying the load for the Warriors offensively. In game where the pace got out of hand quickly, Dowell didn’t get rattled and had one of the most efficient performances we’ve seen from anyone this summer. The former University of Houston player was deadly from the outside today, showing great fundamentals in catch and shoot situations. He always has his hands and feet ready before he receives a pass, and it makes him a threat at all times. Dowell got a chance to show his athleticism on a couple occasions, including one very impressive alley-oop finish and a nice block. The young forward has good size for a wing, but needs to work on his ball handling ability and passing ability. He’s a very good free throw shooter, and has some intriguing tools. This game was a testament to what Golden State’s quick paced, wide-open offense can do for a player that is known for taking a lot of shots from the outside.

-Richard Hendrix had a good showing today, knocking down a desperation three and doing what he does best: use his size to collect rebounds. Anthony Morrow also played to his strengths, knocking down a handful of outside shots on his way to 23 points.

-Anthony Randolph continues to go to the line whenever he wants to at this level. He got very frustrated today when he stopped getting calls after the first half. He could have easily doubled his 13 free throw attempts if the officials had been looser with their whistles when Golden State took a commanding lead.

-DeMarcus Nelson ran the point surprisingly well, showing very good court vision. Rob Kurz also surprised with his shooting and hustle.

-Jamont Gordon’s first appearance in Salt Lake City was a good one, and while he over-penetrated a few times, he’s a load to keep out of the lane.

New Jersey

Marcus Williams: 14 Points, 6-16 FG, 1-3 3FG, 1-2 FT, 6 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 4 Turnovers

Williams showed well today against his new teammates, doing enough to convince Chris Mullin to pull the trigger on a deal to acquire him. While today was obviously not the only factor in the deal, it show what kind of value the former UCONN guard can have in Golden State’s offense. While Williams didn’t do a great job scoring the ball, he did a tremendous job distributing it. His ability to find teammates was on display all game in the form of a couple impressive full court assists and a few fancy passes in the lane. Williams will force some passes and shots, but he has a nice pull up jumper going right and gets the ball up the floor in a hurry. He’ll be asked to do the latter in Golden State, letting him play to his strengths. This game forced Williams to try to carry the load offensively, something he’s not capable of, but he’s an ideal fit for a Warriors team that has stockpiled athletic wings after losing Baron Davis. The young point guard will have to earn his minutes, but should have no trouble finding his way onto the floor in spot minutes. It will be interesting to see how Golden State manages the minutes of CJ Watson and Williams at their backup point guard spot.

-Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson both struggled today. Neither looked very comfortable with the ball in their hands, but that’s not a surprise since this is their first game since the Orlando Summer League. Their next performance should offer a better impression of how they can play at this level.

-Julius Hodge had a nice performance, but took advantage of Golden State’s big lead to score from easy layups when the game was essentially over. His 20 points looks good nonetheless, and he’s a guy that always takes advantage of his offensive opportunities.

Game Three: Atlanta Hawks 74, D-League Ambassadors 70

Atlanta

-No one player on the Hawks played all that well today, but there were a number of guys who had notable performances.

-Thomas Gardner had a good day shooting the ball, and when he’s not forcing things, he’s incredible efficient. His ability to catch and shoot is a valuable asset in any setting, but he was a little too aggressive in trying to show his three point range.

-Acie Law struggled again today and hasn’t been showing the pull up jump shot that let him be successful here last year. His added weight allows him to take contact better, but its hurt his leaping ability and quickness.

-Luke Jackson got to the line today and showed great court vision, but his shot wasn’t falling. He also missed a free throw late in the game that the Ambassadors in position to tie things up, but came back and hit two more to put the game away.

-Othello Hunter continued his tremendous play, tallying 13 points, but not standing out as much as he did on Day 2.

D-League

Josh Gross: 12 Points, 4-6 FG, 1-1 3FG, 3-5 FT, 4 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 2 Turnovers

Gross is a gifted athlete and a very good shooter, and had a good showing today. He’s got great leaping and had two highlight reel caliber dunks today. He complements his leaping ability with three point range and decent slashing ability. The former UNC-Greensboro standout has tremendous form, but will take a lot of well defended shots. His ball handling ability is solid, but not spectacular and he’s capable of scoring off the dribble in spurts. Defensively, Gross doesn’t show much initiative, and considering his athleticism, could be much more effective if he made a concerted effort.

-Glen McGowan had a productive contest, but takes some questionable shots. He got to the line at a high rate today, essentially compensating for a couple bad misses from the perimeter.

Game Four: I.R. Iran 57, Utah Jazz 82

Iran

Mohammad Samad Nikkhah Bahrami: 23 Points, 10-25 FG, 0-5 3FG, 3-4 FT, 3 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 1 Block, 4 Turnovers

With Hamed Hadadi going down with a hamstring tweak early in the game, Nikkhah had to carry the load for Iran, doing his best to keep the score close. After the halftime ceremony in memory of his brohter, Nikkhah played inspired basketball, knocking down a handful a jumpers and lay ups on his way to 10 points in the third quarter. With his combination of shooting ability, size, and aggressiveness, Nikkhah is probably the second best player on Iran’s roster, and will be a key cog for them in the Olympics.

Utah

-No one played well for the Jazz today. The starters came out flat, and it wasn’t until Hiram Fuller and Ricky Paulding were brought into the game that Utah started to pull away.

-Fuller has shown some nice skills this week, and has an impressive blend of athleticism and scoring ability from the midrange. He’s not an NBA player, but he’s done a lot of good for his stock this week.

-Kevin Lyde rebounded the ball at a high rate today, grabbing 14 rebounds in a little over 12 minutes. He showed a lot of hustle, unlike the rest of Utah’s frontcourt that seemed to be asleep throughout the game.

Feedback for this article may be sent to mwk1441@yahoo.com .

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