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Orlando Summer League: Day Four

Orlando Summer League: Day Four
Jul 13, 2007, 11:21 am
New Jersey Nets 72- Charlotte Bobcats 66

Jared Dudley, 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 assist, 4/11 FG, 8/12 FT

Mike Schmidt

Dudley started the game with a strong first half, but played limited minutes in the second half, and struggled to get back into the flow of the game. During his 15 point first half, the rookie small forward scored a number of different ways. On 2 occasions, they ran pick and rolls for him, and he was able to create space and knock down the mid-range jumper. In addition, Dudley scored 2 basket on put-backs inside, showing the ability to rebound over bigger players in the paint. On one possession, he tapped the ball 3 times to keep it away from Sean Williams, before finishing while drawing a foul. Dudley made a few nice drives to the basket as well, showing excellent body control along with the ability to create foul shots. Despite his struggles from the field in the second half, Dudley has displayed numerous offensive skills throughout the week combined with excellent toughness and passing ability.

Bobby Brown, 16 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 5 turnovers

Mike Schmidt

Brown continued his hot scoring from yesterday, knocking down many jumpers off the dribble today. Early in the game, he made a few jumpers off of high screen and roll plays, followed by a pull-up 20 footer in transition. Athletically, Brown shows great promise at times, and he hung in the air very impressively on a couple of lay-up finishes today. As a point guard, the rookie struggles to create at times, but he has no problem setting up the half court offense and allowing his teammates to execute the play. At Cal State-Fullerton, Brown would often rely on a series of mid-range floaters, and he proved on 2 drives today that this skill remains effective at the NBA level. It would be nice if he could take greater advantage of his athletic ability on a regular basis, and better elevation on his jump shot would also come in handy. Defense is currently the biggest area of weakness for Brown, as he must improve his positioning and nose for the ball. Bobby Brown has the tools to succeed at the NBA level, but it will be important for him to improve defensively as well as become more consistent with his offensive game.

Jermareo Davidson, 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assists, 2/11

Mike Schmidt

Though Davidson was the recipient of a lot of good looks, he failed to convert them today. Still, the rookie center showed an impressive package of skills on the offensive end that give him an advantage over many prospects. The turn-around jumper out of the post has been the most effective weapon for Davidson this week, but he was barely off on all of his looks today with the exception of one. In terms of footwork, he shows some very advanced abilities to make defenders miss thanks to his agility, and this will become a bigger advantage if he learns to play a more physical brand of basketball. On one move, Davidson jabbed right before spinning to the baseline in a very impressive fashion before barely missing on a jumper. This was the first move we’ve seen from Davidson where he actually looked to play a physical style of basketball. It will be very important for Jermareo Davidson to spend time in the weight room over the next few months leading up to the season, but he has all the tools to succeed in the NBA.

Hassan Adams, 16 points, 3 assists, 7 rebounds, 6/9 FG, 0/1 3PFG, 4/6 FT

Matt Williams

Adams played significantly better today than he did yesterday. He showed flashes of offensive potential, but didn’t really stand out in any one aspect of the game. Adams made a few jump shots, including one memorable pull up over the outstretched arms of Ryan Hollins. Clearly, Adams has great elevation, but his consistency still leaves a lot to be desired. He does a good job of knocking down his open looks, but isn’t comfortable in tight situations. One area that Adams’ has shown some flashes of potential in is ball-handling. On one play, he spun off his man at the elbow before taking another dribble and exploding to the hoop for a nifty finger roll. A lot of Adams’ problems could be remedied with increased minutes. He may not ever become a terribly threatening offensive player, but he still has the potential to improve. A little polish would only augment the fact that he is a great athlete and runs the floor extremely well.


Marcus Williams, 16 points, 1 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 turnovers, 6/15 FG

Matt Williams

The fact of the matter is that anything said about Marcus Williams here needs to be taken with a grain of salt. He doesn’t look invested in the game, and this very well could be the first game action he has seen in quite some time. He did make some good plays, but also showed a lack of focus, tossing a few passes to teammates who were either not in position to receive the ball or hadn’t made any eye contact with him. His body isn’t in ideal shape, but he is still using it extremely efficiently around the rim. Few guards possess the ability to bully bigmen when they drive to the rim, but Williams managed to knock Jermareo Davidson backwards on two occasions. Williams didn’t show great consistency on his jump shot, but will probably show increased range once he rounds back into shape.

Robert Hite, 11 points, 9 rebounds, 2 Steals, 5 turnovers, 3/8 FG, 0/2 3FG, 5/6 FT

Matt Williams

Hite has struggled to get his jump shot to fall, and is showing the inconsistency in his game. However, he has worked very hard on both ends of the floor. He has put a great deal of effort into running the floor, and has come away with some impressive results. On one memorable play, Hite ran down Jared Dudley, who was on his own after a steal, sending him to the line instead of conceding a layup. On another play, he ran the floor hard, before floating into the lane where he received the ball and finished the play with a left handed hook shot. Hite has all the making of a solid player, but would really leave a much better impression if he displayed his impressive shooting ability on a more consistent basis.

Josh Davis, 13 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5/11 FG, 3/5 3FG

Davis has been impressive in each of his games in Orlando, and came away with a very impressive double-double tonight. Davis does a great job of getting open out on the perimeter, and picks and chooses his spots from the inside. He likes to float away to the open spot on the floor when his teammates are working off the dribble, leading to open three-point shots. In contrast, Davis seeks out contact constantly after the shot, trying to get position for offensive rebounds. The same principal holds true for Davis on the defensive end, where he shows the ability to get great position down low. Davis may not have ideal footspeed of athleticism, but he is the type of player that brings a lot to the table with size, shooting ability, and an quality rebounding presence.

Sean Williams, 14 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 4/7 FG, 6/8 FT

Matt Williams

Williams didn’t put up the best number today, but he showed an immense amount of promise on the offensive end. He has a very nice fallaway jumper already turning over his right shoulder, and just needs more game reps to become efficient. The unexpected move that Williams hadn’t shown until today was a very soft turnaround over his left shoulder. Most post players lack the ability to get this shot off consistently, but it could become a very serious threat for Williams who has little trouble elevating over his defender. Williams also made a nice up and under move, which earned him a trip to line. Defensively, Williams had a nice dunk block that was unjustly labeled a foul.




Orlando Magic 88- Chicago Bulls 72

Marcin Gortat, 13 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 assists, 4/7 FG, 5/6 FT

Mike Schmidt

Gortat had another solid showing today, and increased his chances of sticking with the Magic this season. Defensively, Gortat made a number of nice blocks on Aaron Gray throughout the day, showing great recovery instincts along with excellent timing. He has much better athleticism than most European big man, and it comes in handy for him on the defensive end of the floor.

For a player who had no offensive game two years ago, Gortat has made some great progress. He appears comfortable stepping out and hitting the mid-range jumper, something he has done consistently since joining the Magic for summer league. His back to the basket game still needs work, but he can make a few moves after facing up out of the post, and he has much potential to improve in this area.

Over the past two years, Gortat has improved immensely offensively while possessing excellent tools on the defensive end. At the age of 23, he has shown an impressive work ethic along with a few skills that may translate to the NBA. If Gortat continues to improve at the same rate, he could become a very valuable rotation big for the Magic in the future.

J.J. Redick, 13 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 4/15 FG

Mike Schmidt

Redick struggled to find his shot today, but continued to show impressive drive and kick ability off the dribble. While attacking the basket, the second year guard always looks to dish the ball first, but he made two impressive finishes today where he adjusted the ball well enough around the defensive while making the lay-ups. The majority of his missed shots came on looks he would usually make, many of them contested jumpers from the 15-22 foot range. Defense continues to be a struggle for Redick, and added strength would be a valuable asset for him in this area. It’s probably reasonable to expect him to bounce back from a poor shooting performance like this, and he has displayed positive traits in other areas that will help his game this season.

James Augustine, 11 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist, 5/10 FG

Mike Schmidt

Augustine struggled to convert from his face-up game, though he made a number of nice plays inside throughout the day. Many of his points came on garbage baskets inside, including a tip-in and a put-back dunk on offensive rebounds. When it came to creating offensive, Augustine was able to get a few nice looks from the block, but struggled to finish. It would be nice to see the second year big man play more aggressively, and his touch could improve on the offensive end of the floor.

Thabo Sefolosha, 13 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block, 4/16 FG, 4/4 FT

Matt Williams

Sefolosha played a tremendous all around game today, as is indicated by his statline. He was efficient in almost every aspect of the game, and is the type of consummate pro who makes the players around him better. Unfortunately, Sefolosha was forced to run the point for most of this game, forcing him into offensive situations that he hasn’t had a lot of time to practice. His field goal percentage wasn’t ideal, but he did a fine job considering these weren’t the shots he normally takes when playing off the ball. It appeared that Sefolosha was forcing things on a couple of occasions, but that was much more the result of the setting than the player. Sefolosha lets the game come to him for most part, and knocked down some nice pull ups from the midrange. He was also victimized by some no-calls and could have easily scored a handful more points from the line.


Aaron Gray, 13 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steals, 2/10 FG, 8/8 FT

Matt Williams

Gray didn’t have easiest time today on the offensive end, battling both Marcin Gortat and James Augustine for position. Though Gray didn’t get the chance to show a lot of post moves, he did a great job of getting to the line. The Bulls will need Gray to shoot free throws effectively, considering that the rest of their frontcourt struggles with that facet of the game. They will also need to Gray to knock down spot up jumpers from the midrange, which he shown the ability to do on a number of occasions. Gray will need to become a bit more dynamic down low to have an immediate impact offensively, but has the bulk and raw skills to become a quality mid-to-short range scorer in the foreseeable future. Defensively, Gray continues to do well against similarly sized players, but will need to be more aggressive when going up against faster, more finesse oriented post players.

JamesOn Curry, 10 points, 4 assists, 4/10 FG, 1/3 3FG

Matt Williams

Curry was far from impressive today, as he was taken off of point guard duty in favor of Thabo Sefolosha. At this point, Curry doesn’t have the quickness and athleticism necessary to be an NBA shooting guard, and his point guard skills are very much a work in progress. In order for Curry to be successful, he needs to improve his jump shot to the point that he can be considered a pure shooter. It will be very hardfor him to stick by any other means.

Justin Cage, 9 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 3/6 FG, 1/2 3FG, 2/2 FT

Matt Williams

Cage is the type of player that it is really hard not to like. He approaches the game with a great attitude, 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.

Miami Heat 78- Indiana Pacers 66

Shawne Williams, 19 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 6/13 FG

Mike Schmidt

Williams had his best showing of the summer league today, playing the 4 slot against a Pacers team lacking quality size. The second year prospect started the game scoring on pick and pop chances, where his ability to knock down the spot-up jumper is best used. In addition, Williams started to post up against the opposing big man, with good success. Since he can finish well inside, it eliminated the need for him to handle the ball which allowed him to cut down on turnovers. Williams made a number of nice adjustments near the hoop, and had no problem getting to the line with good success. Defensively, he showed improved anticipation, collecting 2 steals while holding his position pretty well. He must learn to better utilize his body both as a perimeter and post defender, but he has made great strides in this area since his time at Memphis. It was a solid overall showing for Williams, though he is still probably at least a year from being ready to contribute on a winning team.

Stephen Graham, 17 points, 6/14 FG, 0/5 3PFG

Mike Schmidt

Graham struggled with his outside shot again today, but played solid defense and had a few nice slashing moves to the basket as well. The journeyman small forward has improved his mid-range jumper to the point where he can knock down the 15 footer off the dribble, but his mechanics are poor from long range, and his release point is inconsistent as well. Graham seemed to struggle today in getting to the basket, but he used his body to finish creatively near the basket. A lot of NBA people remain intrigued about Stephen Graham, but he will need to continue to work on his perimeter shot to have a chance at success.

Andre Owens, 11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 3/11 FG

Mike Schmidt

Owens struggled to run the team today, and spent much of the shot-clock dominating the ball. He did make a number of nice slashing moves inside, and he knows how to draw contact as good as anybody at this summer league. From the perimeter, Owens hasn’t been able to shoot well in the past, and he didn’t even try to attempt a three pointer today despite his unusual accuracy in this area over the past week. To best help his chances at making the NBA, Andre Owens needs to learn to run a team better, and continue to work on his jumper from long range. He brings a nice slashing ability to the table, but this may be negated by other areas of weakness.

Marcus Slaughter, 14 points, 9 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 1 Steal, 4/8 FG, 6/7 FT

Matt Williams

Slaughter played very well once again today, and used his year overseas to learn how to play to his strengths. He rebounded the ball extremely well today, and has the potential to be a high-level NBA rebounder off the bench for Miami. He isn’t afraid to go get the ball outside of his area, and doesn’t give up on a play until he has secured possession. Unlike many other big men, Slaughter ran the floor extremely well today, and finished a number of breaks with layups. He has also made a living on the offensive glass with tip ins. It would be safe to say that Slaughter knows his limitations, and works to use his skills to their greatest potential on the floor.

Chris Quinn, 14 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 3 steal, 2/7 FG, 2/3 3FG, 8/9 FT

Matt Williams

Quinn looked for his shot significantly more today, and came away with mixed results. While he was very efficient on the offensive end, connecting on two three-pointers and getting to the line on many of his other shots, he didn’t run the point as well as he could have. Quinn has the tendency to bring the ball up the floor slowly, and often runs too much of the shot clock down before initiating the offense. A simple adjustment would make Quinn significantly more effective as a point guard, as he uses too much time and exerts too much energy getting the ball up the floor. Defensively, Quinn was a nuisance on the perimeter, and got his hands on a couple of bad passes.

Daequan Cook, 21 points, 3 rebounds, 3 Assists, 3 Steals, 6 Turnovers, 8/16 FG, 2/3 3FG, 8/9 FT

Cook came up big for his team today, and showed the potential to be a great offensive player down the road. Cook has tremendous elevation and form, which really stands out in a workout setting. However, he has struggled to pick and choose his spots, and had forced numerous shots up over defenders until today. During this game, Cook looked almost automatic when wide open, and finished on a number of midrange shots off the dribble. As Cook develops a sense of when to attack and when not to, he will have his struggles. He showed today how good of a player he can be when he makes good decisions on the offensive end. In contrast, Cook did make a few mistakes today handling the ball. He was stripped in the lane on a couple of occasions, and had a hard time passing out of traps. As time goes on, Cook will only get better, as most of his improvement will come from adjustments to his on-court mentality.

James Lang, 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3/4 FG, 4/4 FT

Matt Williams

Lang gets mention here for playing a quietly efficient game on both ends of the floor. Lang doesn’t appear to be in the best shape, and is appears to be limiting his effectiveness. His hands aren’t ideal, but he still manages to finish well around the rim. The two things that Lang needs to improve in the near future are his post moves and his conditioning. Lang gets called for traveling violations too frequently, and needs to dedicate more time to polishing that part of his game. In the same respect, a little work on his body could go a long way towards him becoming a legitimate NBA prospect again. Fortunately for Lang, he is still young enough to make both of these adjustments before his window of opportunity closes.

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