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Vegas Summer League: Day Two

Vegas Summer League: Day Two
Jul 08, 2007, 03:07 pm
Game One: Golden State Warriors 110, New Orleans Hornets 102

In what turned out to be an extremely competitive and exciting matchup, the Golden State Warriors were paced by first round pick Marco Belinelli’s 37 points (one off of the Summer League record held by Keith Bogans). In contrast to some of the other games today, this one was competitive from the beginning with a handful of players turning in solid performances.

Golden State

Marco Belinelli
37 Points, 14-20 FG, 5-7 3FG


-Belinelli loves to shoot, and is the type of player who only needs to make a few shots to really get going. He is never gun shy from the perimeter.
-Whether it was coming off of screens, pulling up off of a hesitation dribble, or spotting up from well outside of the three-point arch, Belinelli was absolutely devastating all game long. His game looks almost effortless, and was completely in the zone today
-On the other side of the floor, Belinelli showed active hands, even if he has a tendency to gamble sometimes.
-He also showed a willingness to attack passing lanes, and managed to come up with a few deflections for easy dunks.

Pierre Pierce
21 Points, 7-15 FG, 3 Assists


-Pierce really looked like a gamer today, as the versatility of his offensive game was evident.
-His quickness made it easy for him to get into the lane, and he utilized solid floaters with both hands on a few occasions.
-He still need to work on his outside shot, but spending time in jail hasn’t taken away his skill level.

Kelenna Azuibuke
29 Points, 3-7 3FG, 6 Rebounds


-On any other night, Azuibuke would have made a big splash in the news with his stat line. He has a great body, and looked excellent going to the basket and pulling up off the dribble.
-While he didn’t get as hot as Belinelli, he was knocking down 20 foot jumpers all night.
-The most important thing Azuibuke did tonight was show that he is capable of extending his range to the NBA 3 point line, a skill he didn’t have last summer league.

Josh Powell
4 Points, 7 Rebounds, 4 Turnovers


-Powell didn’t put up the best numbers, but he displayed the level of upside that could very well keep him in the NBA.
-His jump shot looked good in certain situations, but he needs to continue to work on scoring off of his post moves.
-As usual, Powell used his strength to keep his man on his hip when boxing out. His excellent athleticism usually does the rest.

Patrick O’Bryant
3 Points, 10 Rebounds, 6 PF


-O’Bryant may have been somewhat effective on the glass, but he didn’t do enough on the offensive end to garner much praise.
-With Belinelli and Azuibuke handling most of the offense, O’Bryant didn’t have a lot of opportunities. However, his effort level on the offensive glass leaves a lot of be desired. On a few occasions, it seemed like O’Bryant was content with watching the game from the corner. He looked pretty lost for the most part and will have to show a much better focus to have a chance at turning his career around.

New Orleans

Anthony Roberson
22 Points, 8-15 FG, 3 Assists


-Roberson reminded everyone in attendance of his merit as a scorer tonight, knocking down jump shots and using his athleticism to finish his drives around the rim.
-As a point guard, Roberson failed to show the type of court vision and willingness to defer to his teammates that the position requires.
-At this time, Roberson is still an undersized shooting guard with quality athleticism, but not the type of physical tools to be an NBA starter.
-Regardless of his position, Roberson is an extremely talented player who has a legitimate shot at catching on in the NBA.

Julian Wright
10 Points, 5-9 FG, 3 Rebounds


-While his stats may not have been that impressive, the way he put them up definitely was.
-Wright showed a vastly improved jump shot with range out to the NCAA three-point line. He knocked down a number of spot up shots and even his an elbow jumper off the dribble with a hand in his face, even if his ball-handling skills clearly need work.
-He also looked very active and energetic on defense.

Hilton Armstrong
17 Points, 5 Rebounds, 2 Assists


-Armstrong played a great game tonight, and looks to have added some legitimate muscle to his frame.
-His post game appears to have developed significantly, as he used a handful of drop steps and spins to score around the rim.
-The range and consistency on his jump shot have also improved, which is an extremely good sign for a player who is clearly beginning to blossom.
-The best sign from Armstrong probably was the aggressiveness in which he played with. He’s always been known as a somewhat passive player, but today he constantly looked for opportunities to make his presence felt.

Anthony Richardson
13 Points, 2 Rebounds, 4 PF


-Richardson has great athleticism for his size, and runs the floor relentlessly.
-The rest of his game has a ways to go (ball-handling/shooting/feel for the game), but he thrived when the Hornets pushed the ball in transition, throwing down some ferocious dunks.

Jackson Vroman
14 Points, 5 Rebounds, 1 Assist


-Vroman has developed noticeably since leaving the NBA for Spain.
-He is much more adept at putting the ball on the floor, and now possesses a savvy floor game.
-Vroman hit the glass vey hard in his time on the floor, and played excellent defense.
-He’s the consummate hustler who might find his way back to the league for a team looking for an energy guy.

Game Two: Detroit Pistons 91, Philadelphia 76ers 89 (OT)

In what turned out to be a pretty dramatic game, the 76ers and the Pistons battled to a standstill in regulation. With time winding down in overtime Detroit found themselves down by one point until Sammy Mejia hit a three pointer with under one second remaining to seal the victory.

Detroit

Arron Afflalo
14 Points, 5-13 FG, 2 Assists


-Afflalo was aggressive with the ball on night long, and tried be assertive both with his shot selection and dribble drives.
-In trying to get to the rim, Afflalo showed much better dribbling ability then he showed as a collegiate.

Rodney Stuckey
14 Points, 4 Rebounds, 3 Assists


-Stuckey played a brutally efficient game, playing minutes at both guard spots.
-His jump shot looked great, and he only missed on shot from outside of the mid range.
-As a point guard, Stuckey may have been too aggressive defensively, but he showed a lot of poise running Detroit’s offense.
-When given the opportunity, Stuckey also showed off his excellent ball-handling skills.
-It will be interesting to see how he looks when Maxiell gets tired of dominating and he can really let loose.

Sammy Mejia
12 Points, 2 Rebounds, Game Winning Shot


-Mejia was solid but not spectacular, scoring with his typical craftiness getting in the lane.
-He hit a turnaround rainbow turnaround jumper early in the game that got the crowd’s attention before ending the game with a corner three to beat the buzzer.

Jason Maxiell
22 Points, 7-10 FG, 3 Rebounds


-This very easily could have been a 30-point outing for Maxiell.
-He got a large portion of his points from the midrange, and has really honed his jump shot. His footwork also looked improved around the basket. He’s obviously a superior athlete still.
-Maxiell would have put up even better numbers, but he saw a lot of resistance at the rim. He was stripped a few times, and had a difficult time finishing with the large amount of contact he was drawing.
-Regardless, Maxiell looked a few levels above anyone else on the floor, and clearly is ready to step into a bigger role for Detroit next season.

Cheick Samb
6 Points, 7 Rebounds, 1 Block


-Samb was very active today, using his outrageous length to pursue rebounds and shots alike. He seems to have pretty good timing.
-He displayed a right handed hook shot that appeared to be released above the top of the square. While it didn’t fall, it was impressive to see just how much separation Samb can achieve when by using his height.

Philadelphia

Louis Williams
32 Points, 17-17 FT, 6 Turnovers


-Williams had a very similar game to the one he had yesterday, putting on a show offensively while struggling to run the point at an NBA caliber level.
-A little patience would go a long way towards making Williams a better point guard, as his only mistakes come when he is overaggressive in attacking defensive pressure.
-Still, when he puts his mind to it, Williams can score with the best of them at this level. His jumper is smooth and he’s nearly impossible for defenders to stay in front of thanks to his lightning quick first step.

Rodney Carney
12 Points, 3-13 FG, 3 Assists


-For the second game in a row, Carney had a hard time converting baskets when putting the ball on the floor.
-He didn’t have better luck with his spot up jump shot which may become a theme. His mechanics are solid, but he needs to clean up his footwork.

Thaddeus Young
11 Points, 3 Rebounds, 1 Assist


-Young looked good running the floor tonight, but didn’t look as good pulling up off the dribble. His ball-handling skills need a lot of work, especially his right hand.
-On the defensive end, Young showed active hands, and sparked a few fast breaks with scrappy defense.

Louis Amundson
7 Points, 5 Rebounds, 11 Minutes


-After starting out the game with his typical hustle and gritty defense, Amundson’s night was cut short when he went down with an injury. He was walking without assistance after the game, so he shouldn’t miss much action if he misses any at all. When he was in the game, though, it wasn’t hard to tell that he’s one of the best power forwards here.

Jason Smith
7 Points, 3-6 FG, 8 Rebounds


-Smith has really struggled to separate himself from the pack, but did get the chance to show the potential the made him a first round pick.
-On one sequence, Smith tipped a Detroit miss to a teammate before beating everyone down the floor for a big two-handed slam.
-Smith will need to work on the mechanics of his jumper if he wants to see the immediate playing time many expect him to see. His release point hasn’t looked entirely consistent through his first two games, as he seems to be pulling the string a bit. In warm-ups he looked fine, so he might just be nervous.
-Regardless, Smith is not a player Sixer fans should expect anything immediate from.

Herbert Hill
11 Points, 5 Rebounds, 1 Block


-Hill had a better game than he did yesterday.
-He was constantly active, and is the type of intelligent post player than doesn’t make a lot of mistakes out on the floor.
-His hands are terrific, and he’s very reliable around the basket with his assortment of post moves.

Game Three: Cleveland Cavaliers , San Antonio Spurs

In the Summer League edition of the NBA Championship, neither the Cavaliers nor the Spurs had a great offensive outing. In fact, only a handful of players had noteworthy performances on the whole.

Cleveland

Darius Rice
19 Points, 3-6 3FG, 5 Rebounds


-Rice differentiated himself from the rest of the players on the floor early and often this game as he was essentially the only players able to score on a consistent basis.
-Blessed with deadly range, Rice took advantage of numerous open opportunities from the outside.
-He also appears to have added some versatility to his offensive game, as he made a couple of shots off the dribble and from the post.

Shannon Brown
18 Points, 4-14 FG, 9-10 FT


-Brown was extremely assertive from the opening tip, and looked to create his own offense whenever he could.
-His jump shot looked good and was extremely consistent, but his shots just weren’t always falling.
-He played most of the game at point guard, but still doesn’t have the court vision to make his teammates better.

Dijon Thompson
9 Points, 9 Rebounds, 2 Assists


-Thompson showed a great deal of versatility, handling the ball in transition and finding his teammates for easy baskets.
-He also showed a willingness to mix it up down low, and went boxed out well.

San Antonio

James White
12 Points, 2 Rebounds, 1 Block


-White looked solid once again.
-He used his athleticism to get to the rim on numerous occasions, blowing by even Cleveland’s quickest defenders.
-While his shots around the basket weren’t falling too consistently, he did manage to knock in a three-pointer with a hand in his face.

Jackie Butler
7 Points, 5 Rebounds 7 PF


-Jackie Butler once again struggled to finish at the rim, and doesn’t appear to have the explosiveness to dunk the ball when he normally would.
-Defensively, he wasn’t moving his feet well again, and it appears that improved conditioning would do him a lot of good.

Game Four: Sacramento Kings 73, Team China 47

This game got out of hand fast, as Yi Jianlian failed to push his team past an inspired offensive performance by Spencer Hawes. Without any other go to players, Yi’s struggles spelt disaster for China.

Sacramento

Pooh Jeter
7 Points, 3 Rebounds, 4 Assists


-Jeter utilized his quickness to create opportunities for himself and his teammates.
-He wasn’t overly aggressive after an early flurry of shots, and ran the point efficiently throughout the game.

Francisco Garcia
20 Points, 6-18 FG, 6 Rebounds


-This game was really a tale of two halves for Garcia as he couldn’t get anything to drop until late in the second quarter.
-Once Garcia began to find his range, the rest of his game began to blossom as well. He hit Justin Williams with a couple of nifty no-look passes for easy dunks, and looked a lot more comfortable taking his man off the dribble.
-When Pooh Jeter was out of the game, Garcia effectively handled duty at the point, but didn’t spread the ball around as well as he could have. He also made some bad passes when pressured.

Justin Williams
17 Points, 11 Rebounds, 1 Block


-Williams was the beneficiary of a number of passes by Francisco Garcia, Spencer Hawes, and Pooh Jeter.
-In typical fashion, Williams dunked everything in sight and punished the rim whenever the opportunity presented itself.
-On the other side of the ball, Williams went after any and every shot that came his way. He only managed to block one shot, but challenged numerous others.

Spencer Hawes
19 Points, 7 Rebounds, 1 Assist


-Hawes was simply dominant all game long. He used his deep repertoire of moved to score at will over both Wang ZhiZhi and Yi Jianlian.
-He showed especially deft touch on his jump shot out to the NCAA three-point line, and it seems like he may be capable of extending his range in the future.
-Defensively, Hawes used his size to contest shots and actively pursued rebounds outside of his area.

Team China

Yi Jianlian
9 Points, 7 Rebounds, 2 Assists


-Yi struggled mightily today, as his shot simply wasn’t falling. He still managed to put up a decent point total, but failed to impress throughout the game.
-He consistently shied away from contact, and didn’t make it to the line as frequently as he should have. He will need to become more adept at scoring close to the basket if he wants to be effective immediately.

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