DraftExpress: Rocky Mountain Revue Day One

Rocky Mountain Revue Day One

by: Matt Kamalsky

July 19, 2008

The first day of the Rocky Mountain Revue started with one of the best games we’ve seen thus far. Gerald Green was one of the top performers finding himself in a shootout with Luke Jackson and Jeremy Richardson. The second game offered little excitement, and was riddled with players in foul trouble.

Game One: Atlanta Hawks 89, Dallas Mavericks 74

Atlanta

Jeremy Richardson: 21 Points, 8-14 FG, 1-3 3FG, 4-4 FT, 4 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 2 Turnovers

Richardson came up huge today for Atlanta, looking like an NBA caliber scorer. He came out on fire, knocking down a couple of twenty-plus foot jumpers off of screens; showing the ability to move without the ball and get himself open. Throughout the game he showed the ability to hit catch and shoot jumpers and put points on the board from the perimeter. Richardson has tremendous form, and is capable of shooting off balance. The elevation he gets on his release makes him very difficult to defend when closing him out. The young swingman displayed great range, and even did a nice job getting to the line when he put the ball on the floor. He still needs to work on his ball handling and defense, but he’s made strides in both. Richardson did a nice job moving the ball today, and was active on the glass as well. This was one of the most impressive performances we’ve seen in this year’s Summer League. Worth noting is the fact that Richardson wasn’t even 100%, as he’s been hampered lately by a bum ankle.

Luke Jackson: 20 Points, 7-9 FG, 5-7 3FG, 1-1 FT, 5 Rebounds, 4 Assists, 2 Steals, 1 Block

Jackson had easily the most efficient performance we’ve seen from beyond three point range this summer. His jump shot was lights out today, and he did a great job of getting open on the perimeter. Jackson has a consistent and compact release, letting him knock down catch and shoot jumpers before the defense can close him out. Despite his tremendous shooting, it may have been Jackson’s passing and rebounding that were most impressive. He was very focused today, showing good poise and court vision with the ball in his hands. The young forward only forced one shot, with the shot clock expiring, and was patient with his dribble, letting his teammates get open rather than trying to reset the offense. Jackson’s defense was solid in stretches, but he had a very hard time closing out Gerald Green effectively. He did show nice anticipation by getting a deflection in help side, and his defense on Green was really the only flaw in his performance today. Jackson could do a lot of good for himself if he continues to shoot this well.

-Othello Hunter provided the highlight of the day, getting a huge block from the weakside, bringing the ball up the floor, and throwing down a give and go alley oop from way above the rim. Hunter looked good today overall, playing within himself and not forcing anything.

-Kevin Pinkney had a good outing, using his athleticism and length on both ends. He’s a capable shot blocker, and finished with three rejections today. A year overseas has done wonders for his awareness on both ends.

Dallas

Gerald Green: 20 Points, 8-17 FG, 2-6 3FG, 2-3 FT, 1 Rebound, 2 Assists, 1 Steal

Green came through with a simply spectacular shooting performance today. He found himself matched up against Luke Jackson in the third quarter, and while Jackson actually played decent defense, Green simply couldn’t miss. No one was closing Green out hard, and he was able to use his leaping ability to get his shot off whenever he wanted. His release point seemed to vary at times, but it didn’t matter. Even when Jackson had a hand almost on his face, Green wasn’t fazed. He was draining pull ups off of crossovers and catch and shoot jumpers from NBA range routinely. While this is just another example of how good Green can be as a scorer, he’s still looking for a long-term home. His age and potential should be enough to get him a job, especially if he keeps this up.

-Reyshawn Terry and Aaron Miles have both shown well in most of Dallas’s games. The two have clearly grown since leaving their respective elite college programs and have made strides in the past year. Terry has improved his ball handling ability by leaps and bounds, and Miles is much more effective as a scorer than he once was.

-Shan Foster had 11 points today, but needs to turn in a few great performances to compensate for his struggles in Las Vegas

Game Two: San Antonio Spurs 82, Utah Jazz 57

San Antonio

George Hill: 21 Points, 6-14 FG, 1-4 3FG, 8-8 FT, 4 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 3 Steals, 3 Turnovers

The former IUPUI star looked better today than any of his games in Las Vegas. He was able to take advantage of Utah’s lack of experience in this setting by being aggressive and playing hard. Hill showed a nice first step, and had little trouble using his athleticism advantage to get to the rim. The young guard had no trouble getting to the line against Utah’ foul prone front line, and showed no hesitation to take contact. Hill’s jump shot wasn’t falling today, but that didn’t slow him down in the least. The one three he did make was off of a quick pull back move that he hit despite getting fouled. He did a decent job setting the table for his teammates, but got a little too happy with his dribble at times. Defensively, he took advantage of Kevin Kruger’s rusty ballhandling, stripping him on a couple occasions. Hill had a big game today, but he’ll need to prove he can do that same against players that have seen Summer League action.

-Anthony Tolliver and Devin Green continue to supply a veteran scoring presence for the Spurs, and while neither is a major impact guy, they’ve been consistent all Summer League long.

-Ian Mahinmi didn’t do a good job on the glass today, showing his inexperience and letting himself get boxed out too often. He showed some flashes, but this wasn’t one of his better games. That came as something of a surprise considering the match ups he was faced with. He’s probably still too inconsistent from game to game to be relied on too heavily by the Spurs next season.

Utah

Morris Almond: 17 Points, 4-12 FG, 0-1 3FG, 9-9 FT, 2 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 1 Steal, 1 Block, 1 Turnover

Almond was one of the few bright spots for the Jazz today, showing some nice improvement from last season. The former Rice star was very aggressive taking the ball to the basket today, a nice change of pace from last year when he preferred to settle for jumpers on the perimeter. He did a very nice job working off the ball, running hard off of cuts to get open. The young guard’s ball handling ability is coming around, but he still has a lot to work on. He did show great body control when he got to the rim, seeking out contact and even finishing an and-one with a pretty left handed finger roll with defender draped over him. Almond had a nice game on both ends, but he’s someone that we’ll evaluate more thoroughly as the week progresses.

-Kyrylo Fesenko had a very poor contest along with Kosta Koufos, and while they had a ton of fouls called on them, they both need to bounce back with a strong performance against a less seasoned Summer League team. Fesenko’s lack of hustle and focus was especially concerning.

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

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