I’m SO excited to be in LAS VEGAS, BABY! All the people are super nice and I really think this year is going to be a special one! Oh My Gosh, the flight was super-long and I was all cramped in the corner. Additionally, Continental puts the seat recline button on the right hand side when you’re window, so if you lean into the wall to get away from Smelly McGee, you keep accidentally pushing your seat back and spilling the drunk chick behind you’s drink! I LMAO, 4 realz.
The TrueHoop House is great, all of us staying here, it’s just like camp! Only with cheap beer and constant battles over exactly how bad David Kahn is at his job! Zach Harper was super-nice and came to get me from the airport, before I started reminding him of David Kahn’s last sixty days, forcing him into a binge. Then we all had drinks and ate pizza! Best slumber-party, EVAR! I bet this is way better than SBNation’s Summer League house, which is probably just a bunch of their readers standing on each other’s shoulders, forming a makeshift tent. LOL!
I’m super-excited to see my BFF Alonzo Gee today, and really think today is the day that Rhymes-With-Holiday Aminu is going to show people why he’s just as good as his brother. I can’t wait to get to the arena and check out all the “action.” G2G, Kurt Helin is picking me up for breakfast! I think I’ll have waffles and bacon!
Amidst the flurry of perspectives, emotions, and retorts regarding last night’s proceedings, one element was understandably ignored. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are about somehow maneuver the NBA even more comfortably into the palm of their collective hands, and everything else is just foreplay.
Except LeBron James’ decision — while obviously affecting just about every NBA team in myriad ways, as well as Clevelanders, businesses, consumers, fans of every ilk, and various household pets — does have one implication that has yet to be accounted for: He has just made Pat Riley one of the most important figures in USA Basketball.
Players who represent their country in international competition face an ongoing struggle with ownership and management types. It rarely serves the NBA team in any way for them to risk their multi-million dollar investment with little possible gain, and the most disastrous possibilities far outweigh any potentially positive ones. It’s never been a matter of principle, just of responsibility; if Manu Ginobili injures himself (as he has before) playing for Argentina, who is going to compensate the Spurs for their lost season? There is simply no entity in existence that can make things right for San Antonio in such a scenario, which is exactly why owners often hate to see their golden calves put to work elsewhere.
Now, while owners, managers, and coaches can stand in direct opposition to their players’ participation, they can’t exactly stand in the way. If Dirk Nowitzki or Pau Gasol wants to play in the Olympics or the FIBA World Championships or wherever, it’s their right. That doesn’t mean team reps can’t try to persuade the hell out of them, and it doesn’t mean that such methods don’t work. Manu Ginobili is skipping out on the Argentine national team, in part because of his new extension with the Spurs. A number of the typical participants are sitting out due to injury, recovery, or rehab. A few more are staying home after signing with a new team. These are all situations in which players are dissuaded from playing even when they may be physically able to, and that’s exactly the kind of sway Pat Riley now has over three of the most influential players on Team USA.
If Riles was able to convince Wade, James, and Bosh to all sign with the Heat, where they could be surrounded by Mike Miller, second rounders, and vet minimum guys, wouldn’t he have some sway over their futures playing in international competitions? It’s a non-issue for this summer, as all three have already voiced their preference to get settled in after free agency, but if the 2011 FIBA Tournament of the Americas is in play? Or even the 2012 Olympics? Riley could have some serious influence on whether or not three key cogs in the Team USA machine even show up for work. I’m not saying that Riley would or should (okay, he probably should if he’s looking out for his team’s best interests) try to dissuade LeBron, Dwyane, and Chris from participating, just that he could. Maybe. He could try, and Riles trying seems to have some pretty impressive results.
That endgame wouldn’t quite signal the end of Team USA as we know it, but it would set the program back a bit. Part of the allure for players is being able to play alongside the league’s elite, but if those three are too good for the program, Carmelo Anthony would surely follow. Then maybe Dwight Howard, or Chris Paul, or Deron Williams. Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant would be the closest thing Team USA would have to locked-in superstars, but I wouldn’t even write their names in sharpie.
At this point, everything regarding the Miami Heat is about potential. With the regular season still a few months away, all we have is guesswork. Yet it’s important to know who holds the power and, perhaps more importantly, who knows how to wield it. LeBron James clearly has an incredible command over the national consciousness, as he demonstrated on the airwaves last night. But Pat Riley, the architect who defied gravity in somehow putting this team together, now has an absolutely ridiculous amount of influence. Riles may not sow the wind, but he’ll still have the power that comes with operating the sails.
Jimmy Spencer is a writer for NBA.com. He’s also the newest part of the Paroxysm. Bathe him in your warm, glorious light. Or, if you’re from Cleveland, throw things at him, not me. -Ed.
Dear Dan Gilbert,
Stop. Just stop. You look like a fool.
As you know, your former hero is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier. Judging by your letter, I can’t say that I’m shocked that LeBron James wished to take his business elsewhere.
I get it. You’re bitter. LeBron just cost you and your franchise a ton of money as your team sinks back into forgetfulness.
But stop acting surprised. You were a big part of raising LeBron. If he’s the son of Cleveland, then you are the dad who catered to his ego for years and would have done so for another six years in a heartbeat.
You, Mr. Gilbert, created the monster. Your Cleveland Cavaliers were the biggest benefactors of the national spotlight. Now, you have no right to snivel over how things turned out.
I have no doubt you would have paid for the TV special that you knocked if it meant more money in your pockets.
Free agency is a tough game for the incumbent team and all of this was magnified by the media circus developing around LeBron’s decision years ago. But your letter is petty and drips with a sore loser mind-set.
You write that LeBron acted like a coward? How? What should he have done different, other than stay? His free agency was set to be a media frenzy from the beginning. Rather than announcing his decision through a “source” or letting the Cavs control the media flow, he did it on his own. Does he not have the right? Are you hurt he didn’t DM you on Twitter, first?
The only thing worse are the millions of indifferent NBA fans who are upset with how LeBron “treated” Cleveland. As if they have any clue.
The one-hour special LeBron and company aired on ESPN is a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands of hours dedicated to the topic on TV and radio, in addition to the millions of words written on the topic.
Now you – and much of the world – is shocked that LeBron has an ego and wanted to be in control of the message?
I can understand the rant – within your home or your swanky office – but now you’ve embarrassed yourself and your franchise in front of the world. I’m sure free agents are chomping at the bit to come deal with you now.
Face it. LeBron is gone.
He and his ego are off to Miami for white beaches and better looking women. His dollars and his championships are waiting, too.
All you’re left with is the building that LeBron will sell out for you when he comes wearing a visiting jersey.
Sleep well, Gilbert.
- Jimmy Spencer
Jimmy Spencer can be reached on Twitter @jimmyspencernba
With Joe Johnson receiving a max contract and Darko Milicic taking in $20 million from David Kahn, it seems as though teams are recklessly showering free agents with money this summer. It’s a sellers market; teams are flush with cash and promising the world to their fans.
But what do we mean when we say that a team overpaid for a free agent? Whether you know it or not, our minds gather bundles of basketball information (How good is this player?), transfers that to a dollar amount (What is that product worth?), and compares it to the price tag (Was it a good deal?). The wondrous mind is able to perform this function in a matter of seconds. But let’s try to slow it down and put it on paper.
One approach is to quantify player value on the court and then observe how much that product costs on the market. The market prices stabilize only after several deals have been made and they change from year to year as player as new money enters the market (say, a Prokhorov arrives or salary cap threshold rises) and/or the product line changes. The product line has never been stronger and the suit pockets have never been deeper.
There are several player metrics out there that attempt to quantify player value on a scale of wins: John Hollinger’s Estimated Wins Added (EWA), Dave Berri’s Wins Produced (WP) and Justin Kubatko’s Win Shares (WS).
The player metric I’ll use for these purposes is Kevin Pelton’s Wins Above Replacement (WARP) which applies the same framework in Baseball Prospectus’ WARP to the NBA. To account for player value, I will use the player’s WARP for the 2010 season.
So far, the going rate this summer for one WARP is $2.23 million. This means that in this climate, a 4 WARP player would generally command about a $9 million per annum contract. Of course, this isn’t ironclad and as shown by Chris Duhon and Steve Blake, who both received four-year contracts after contributing sub-replacement level performance last year, this model will bend going forward.
Remember the Drew Gooden contract that people drew all sorts of insta-snark? That measures out to be the best bang for the buck deal of the summer up to this point, along with Boozer’s deal. The years may be long on Gooden but the Bucks got the veteran big man at a steep discount most likely because of his questionable motor and perception that a oft-traded player equals a flawed player. If he continues to produce on the court, Gooden could be a steal at this climate.
Surprise, Surprise: Darko Milicic was one of the worst deals so far this off season. The Timberwolves overpaid about $13 million ($2.23 x 0.8 x 4) on the fringe contributor and the signing did little to change David Kahn’s rep as a showrunner.
One shortcoming of this model, as you can see with the cases of Blake and Duhon, is that a straight $/WARP calculation can produce some wonky results off of a poor season. I looked at adjusting the WARP input to reflect an average of the past two seasons but the going rate remained nearly unchanged ($2.23 per win vs. $2.1 per win). With that adjustment, Duhon and Rudy Gay became the summer’s worst deals.
Another assumption that this model makes is that production is constant. Joe Johnson’s contract doesn’t look nearly as bad as it would if we considered his career arc and likely depreciation. It’s the length that’s egregious; a two-year, $20 million is a much better deal than six-years , $120 million.
So is $2.23m/win an inflated price? Compared to last year’s free agency, yes. In fact, teams are paying about a $740,000 premium per win this offseason compared to last summer. Using the same system for last year’s free agency, teams paid $1.49 million for each WARP unit in 2009.
But there’s still plenty of time for the Grand Opening excitement to calm and the price will likely slide a bit. The other capped max contracts have yet to be handed out (Wade, LeBron, and Bosh) and their contracts will actually drive the going rate downward since they’re not paid on the free market. The near $1 million premium may drop down to $500K or $250K by the end of summer.
There’s the main dish – steak, chicken, eggplant, whatever you fancy – and then there’s the “other stuff.” Potatoes are always a good fit, veggies have their place and it wouldn’t hurt to have some type of French bread.
Unless you’re a member of the Warriors front office.
Don Nelson orders a Rib Eye (with eight Coronas) and asks for a side of tri-tip with pot roast as an appetizer.
The night, like the Warriors recent seasons, always ends up in the toilet.
Last season’s dish was the mystifying pairing of nearly identical undersized guards, Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry – two great cuts that simply don’t go together.
Ellis is 6-foot-3, 180 pounds; Curry is 6-foot-3, 185 pounds.
Ellis shot 45 percent from the field last season; Curry shot 46 percent.
Ellis averaged 5.3 assists; Curry dished out 5.9 assists.
The same player, with a slight edge to the younger Curry.
Ellis scored 25.5 points per game and Curry averaged 17.5 points in his rookie season. Clearly an explosive offensive tandem, critics pointed out defense as the obvious snag and the squad didn’t disappoint, allowing a league-worst 112.4 points per game.
Obviously it didn’t work and – made worse by a flow of injuries – the NBA D-League Warriors finished in the cellar.
To be fair, Ellis called it immediately.
“Us together? No,” Ellis said after the Warriors drafted Curry. “Can’t. We just can’t. … Just can’t. … They say you can … but you can’t. I just want to win and you’re not going to win that way.”
Ellis made it clear that he didn’t need a twin in the backcourt and the Warriors made it clear that they would take the best player available in last year’s draft, which according to Rookie of the Year final voting, they did.
Keeping the combo of Ellis and Curry together could work if you surrounded the guards with big, defensive minded forwards and a center. But that’s not what the Warriors have, and to get it, they’d have to give up Ellis, which negates the whole point.
It’s not Ellis’ fault that management decided to clone him. So why has Curry become the golden boy while Ellis’ stock has crashed quicker than a moped in Mississippi?
Because Ellis doesn’t play the game. Curry was raised by his NBA pops and Ellis learned from Stephen Jackson.
Curry is a media darling, smiling and saying all the right things. Ellis is brash, and, as one well-respected national basketball media member once told me, is a “total cancer.”
And since even Nelson must be sick of eating the same tasteless results season after season, it’s obvious that Golden State needs to change the menu.
Early indications on what type of offseason that management will direct are ambiguous at best.
Larry Riley’s drafting of Baylor’s Ekpe Udoh with the No. 6 overall pick could be a sign that the team might have some interest in playing defense. Or, more realistically, the front office was simply looking to stockpile in the Anthony Randolph, Brandan Wright category (more evident since Udoh is already injured and out all of summer league).
If the Warriors truly do want to improve, they’ve got an opportunity this offseason.
Clearing the contract of Corey Maggette for a defensive-minded Charlie Bell and “pay me for one more year” Dan Gadzuric, all while fighting the Golden State instinct to offer retiring Adonal Foyle a seven-year deal, is a great start.
But management can make real strides if rumored offseason moves ever materialize.
(Side note: There is absolutely no way that the Warriors would trade Curry, their biggest marketing weapon. So moving Ellis and the four years remaining on his six-year, $67 million contract seems to be an obvious maneuver.)
(Secondary note: Further complicating matters though is the damage the Warriors have done to Ellis’ trade value for the manner the team handled his moped accident and the subsequent posturing that followed.)
Oakland Tribune Warriors beat writer Marcus Thompson II reported that sources told him that Golden State is looking to do a sign-and-trade with the Knicks to obtain David Lee. With Amar’e Stoudamire in place, a pairing with Ellis in New York could rejuvenate Mike D’Antoni’s high-flying offense.
The latest rumor, however, would move Randolph in exchange for Lee, keeping Ellis in place.
Either way, adding Lee definitely gives the Warriors a more well-rounded plate. The move does nothing for the Warriors’ defense – except maybe make it worse – but it does give the Warriors an inside presence and some rebounding.
But Lee is likely going to require somewhere around a max deal, and should a team pay that for a potato? (Or maybe at that point Lee becomes the steak and Curry and Ellis are the potatoes? I’m confused now … and hungry.)
Maintaining the backcourt of Ellis and Curry, while adding Lee, gives the Warriors incredible offensive juice and that might be enough for Nellie to forget about pretending that defense matters. The Nellie experience would parade on.
What is clear, however, is that somehow Golden State is going to need to change its diet.
Jimmy Spencer can be reached at jimmyspencer11@gmail.com or on Twitter @jimmyspencernba
30 years from now, this will be absolute commonplace.
Free Agency decisions will have major motion pictures as a platform for announcement and you’ll be able to vote for which team the player signs with a dedicated button on your Blackberry Explosion. We’ll be able to look back to this week as the first step to the entertainment of sports becoming the business and enterprise that we always knew was fueling said entertainment. It will take the American Idol model that has infiltrated bestowing the honors of All-Star selections, All-Star MVP selection, NBA Dunk Champions and even single votes for MVP and windmill it into our 4D televisions.
LeBron James has gone from making a free agency decision that will move him one step closer to blazing his own trail to championship glory and turned it into a charitable LeBronathon Variety Show. And honestly, I don’t know that you could expect anything else.
Bill Simmons and a reader from LeBron’s home state predicted this in November. “The LeBrachelor” – as Bill Simmons deemed it – is now scheduled to be aired Thursday night at 9 p.m. EST time and should be a ratings bonanza. This is sure to set the critics reeling and the message boards erupting with vitriol. However, was it really something none of us should have expected?
The business of sharing information and breaking news has changed dramatically in the last decade. We no longer wait for the morning paper. We have blogs breaking stories, major media outlets confirming them and all the while everybody already new the stories because a reporter had leaked the same information on Twitter. The next natural progression of this was going to be TV shows dedicated to spilling the beans while either lining the pockets of the athletes and entities involved or unnecessarily setting the stage for a charitable donation that could have easily been made in an anonymous setting or some type of ribbon cutting ceremony.
LeBron James gets his own primetime show to announce a decision of where he wants to make his next $100 million. He’s going to milk this for all it’s worth. And you know what? We’re going to lap it up because it means something if you care about the game of basketball. Basketball personnel building is no longer considered to be a sacred thing. It used to be respected as a behind-the-doors type of masquerade in which only the most cunning pioneers of the front office truly knew what was going on.
And now?
They’re making freaking movies about it. The front office no longer has any say in how the information is concealed. Agents would occasionally play their hand in the local newspapers and force the front office guys to call their bluff. Now, the agents really don’t have much say in regards to what their clients do with their side of the meetings. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are treating the proceedings as a film school project. Their lackies are Tweeting for them as everyone else paces nervously back-and-forth, hoping for their once revered bargaining mystique amongst doesn’t get exposed for petty gerrymandering and job insecurities.
The media no longer has any of the power. Instead of beating national and fellow beat writers to the news, they’re trying to get to it before the players involved announce it. Posses and camps and that one cousin with the lazy eye who needed to work for his night club loan are shaping how the information, business model and player image is being distributed. Agents have no power. Reporters have no true leads. And front offices are left wondering if the research firm they hired put together a good enough presentation and if the Photoshop’d photo of the free agent in their jersey was sharp enough.
I don’t think it mutually exclusive to the LeBrons, Wades, and Stoudemires of the world. Soon, even guys like Matt Barnes and Steve Novak are going to be teasing us with which team they’re about to sign on with through cryptic messages that can only be decoded if Nic Cage and his horrible wig can steal Millard Fillmore’s property deed and cover it in vinegar before sundown.
Many of you are going to be pissed and upset at the idea of LeBron holding his own national signing day on ESPN as he prepares to enter his eighth season in the NBA. You’re going to complain about hype, ratings and advertising dollars. I’d advise against that.
Instead, relish this moment and just sit back and enjoy it. This is the start of a new era in breaking news – a new form of journalism in which players hold every bit of power and leave the rest of us waiting with great anticipation.
And when Ira Newble comes out on a tricycle, juggling contracts and the number across the screen asks you to make a donation call, be sure to pick up the phone. LeBron will be waiting for your credit card information so he can tell you he’s not signing with your favorite team.
Team USA will certainly have a bit of a different look in this year’s FIBA World Championships, but perhaps my ramblings here at HP have been approaching the subject from the wrong angle. Though LeBron et al won’t be competing this summer, it’d be foolish for Jerry Colangelo and Coach Krzyzewski to try to replace them. Instead, rather than trying to reassemble the 2008 model using makeshift parts, it’s probably best if Team USA is reimagined for FIBA using different fundamental assumptions.
Don’t let me mislead you: my arrival at this conclusion has plenty to do with the announcement that Kobe Bryant — as well as his fellow Olympians sans Deron and CP — won’t be competing with the national team in Turkey this summer. The Redeem Team is the actualization of the contemporary Team USA model, and to see it so quickly disintegrated due to a variety of off-season circumstances begs for the creation of something new. Most of the gold medalists should be back in action by the 2012 Olympics, but in the interim, Team USA could actually use a bit of a fresh start.
It’s simply a mater of necessity. The center position will function far differently without Dwight Howard or Chris Bosh around. With neither Kobe Bryant nor Dwyane Wade on board, Team USA loses its primary wing defender and resident offensive dynamo. LeBron’s playmaking and defense are gone, and Carmelo’s shooting disappears. These are immense talents that can’t be replaced at all much less easily, and though Team USA will still try to do the same basic things with or without those players (umm, score lots of points and play good defense), they’ll likely have to do them in entirely different ways.
We know Kevin Durant will play, and that’s a gigantic first step. Durant has the potential to absolutely tear up FIBA-style ball just as Anthony and Wade have done before him, and it shouldn’t shock anyone to see KD lead this year’s Championships in scoring. Aside from Kevin, the closest thing we have to player confirmations are Amar’e Stoudemire (who has expressed a clear interest in playing and may claim the starting center job by default) and Chauncey Billups (who Colangelo wants to be a part of the team). Chris Paul and Deron Williams still have yet to RSVP, and they’re game-changers. With both of them, it’s possible that Paul-Williams could actually be the starting backcourt. With just one in the mix, it’s possible we’d see a Deron/Chris-Chauncey backcourt. The pickings at the 2 are a bit odd otherwise (Andre Iguodala, O.J. Mayo, and Eric Gordon are the remaining natural shooting guards on the roster), and in order to maximize the team’s talent and production, Coach K will have to color outside the lines in a few places.
There’s always the option of shifting Durant to the 2, which would allow Team USA to unleash a lineup of lanky, athletic players with the hope of befuddling their opponents with their versatility. The fundamental problem with that plan would be Team USA’s defensive concessions; with Amar’e penciled in at center and Durant at shooting guard (where he played his worst defense last year, per 82games), I’m not sure they can really afford to fill out the lineup with, say, Lamar Odom and Danny Granger. Gerald Wallace (yes, he’s on the Team USA roster) or Andre Iguodala could be a nice defensive addition, but would either’s one-man defensive showing make up for their lack of shooting? Josh Smith isn’t on the official roster, but he was a member of the select team; could he be called upon to make things even more ridiculous?
It’s clear that the center position is only the first of the critical questions facing Team USA this summer, and luckily there are a number of interesting ways to answer them. In addition to running a dual-PG lineup or creating small forward nirvana, Coach K has the potential to turn Team USA into something truly counter-cultural. With weapons like Tyreke Evans, Russell Westbrook, Gerald Wallace, Kevin Love, and LaMarcus Aldridge at his disposal (in addition to the slew of players already mentioned), the current roster presents an opportunity to mold itself into anything but what we’ve seen before. Team USA is definitely changing. It is not dying. Lay down all thought and surrender to the void. It is shining.
You know what the beautiful thing about Summer League is? It’s a rebirth back into basketball. Some might argue that the NBA Draft is the dawn of a new day in the NBA world but I don’t think this truly starts until the first tip off of Summer League.
Summer League is special. You know why it’s special? Because guys are fighting for a dream. Yes, that sounds really cliché but it’s true. The NBA is an exclusive club and there isn’t any amount of money you can bribe your way in with or enough rounds in Pacman Jones’ clip to get your way past the velvet rope.
There’s only one way to get into the club. Beat the guy in front of you in the most selfish and selfless way the game will allow. The balance you have to teeter with is unbelievably awkward. You have to show that you’re physically capable of imposing your will so viciously on the man guarding you that people want to pay you money to do so because you’ve also shown you make the guys in the same uniforms as you better in the process.
When Summer League starts, everybody is fighting for something. The NBA Draft is all luck and decision-making that has little to do with the pursuit of a title next season. It’s not until the hardwood squeaks from rubber soles as guys get paid a pittance to show why they belong in the club that this journey begins. It’s the first step towards the quest for the NBA title. It’s the first fight of the season.
And it’s the first step for a lot of rookies and never-heard-of-befores trying to find their place in the league to help themselves, their families and their future organizations get to a dream built upon a common goal – winning a competition.
With that, we’re going to explore those rookies and never-heard-of-befores after each day to give you an update on what they’ve been doing with their summers.
Gordon Hayward didn’t have a great debut but I loved the way he played and what it showed about him. He didn’t force a single thing in this game. He was active defensively and other than a bad beat on the baseline against Derrick Brown (resulted in a dunk), he really didn’t look overmatched. The impressive thing was his poise throughout the game, despite the fact that he wasn’t putting up a lot of points. Most rookies would try to force the issue and prove they belong. He was just confident in making the right play whenever he had to. He even passed up a potential game-tying shot to get Sundiata Gaines a chance at winning the game.
I have to say that for the most part I didn’t like what I saw from Paul George. Early on in the game, he couldn’t dribble well to save his life. He looked uncomfortable dealing with pressure and got very sloppy with the ball. As the game wore on, he hijacked a ton of possessions by dribbling way too much and forcing jumpers that weren’t really there. His redeeming quality for the game was his ability to make free throws but other than that, he was a ball-stopper for much of this game. I don’t doubt that he has the ability to be a nice player in this game but his mentality has to become more team oriented and less about proving he can score.
Lance Stephenson was by far the most impressive rookie of the day. The Pacers tried him out at point guard for a lot of this game and he responded by abusing the smaller defenders he faced and racking up 21 points in the process. There wasn’t much wasted motion with Stephenson in the game. He used the pick-and-roll to get past the first tier of defense before slicing through the lane. He had the step-back jumper working in an utterly impressive way and found a way to impact nearly every second he was on the floor. I’m curious to see if Lance can have the same impact against bigger guards that he can’t bully but from what he showed today, he’s a combo guard with a ton of versatility at Jim O’Brien’s disposal.
He was easily the worst rookie of the day. He proved that jumping into the draft and securing a first round contract was maybe the smartest thing he could ever do with his life. He sold high on his hype and now will be guaranteed at least four years in the NBA. He fumbled passes, had slow post moves with no purpose and played pretty mediocre defense. He even got in a fight with Josh McRoberts and was ejected. All of this took place in just 13 minutes of action.
There wasn’t much to get out of Stanley’s performance Monday except for the fact that he too didn’t try to prove he belonged by forcing up terrible shots and trying to be something he’s not. Robinson didn’t have a great game but he had a very controlled game. He hit the boards well and defended the wing. It’s this kind of decision-making and calm in his game that could earn him some extra minutes this season.
Luke Harangody, Boston Celtics: 27 mins, 23 pts, 4 rebs, 1 blk, 1 to, 5 PFs, 9/13 FG, 4/6 3FG, 1/2 FT, -5
Harangody can’t do much on the court but if you leave him open for a jumper he’s going to bury it. Harangody scored from all over the halfcourt while attempting to be a big body inside. The Thunder dominated the Celtics in the paint during the second half but a lot of that had to do with the perimeter breaking down defensively and putting the Boston big men in a lose-lose situation. Luke’s stroke from outside looks very funky and might even remind some people of the way Omri shoots. But it fell on Monday and allowed him to shed some early labels of being Brian Scalabrine 2.0.
Jones was not shy about putting up shots and actually had a very good overall game. His offense was okay but he hit the glass hard and was very active defensively. On a team like this in which Terrence Williams is going to initiate a lot of the offense for himself first, Jones has to be active away from the ball and find lanes to cut through. He moved well on Monday but will likely need to work on that chemistry a little bit more with Williams, who is a very willing passer.
First half of his Summer League career wasn’t exactly a how-to on making your presence felt early. Favors struggled with his movements inside, worked out the rim with his shots and had questionable footwork at best. He got away with a lot of pushing for rebounding position instead of working smarter with his body. However, he showed a nice defense presence for much of the second half, threw down a nice dunk while diving to the basket and owned the boards. He grabbed a couple of key offensive rebounds, which led to points. Favors has to work on fighting for good position early in possessions and being more aggressive as the pick man on pick-and-rolls. But his size and athleticism are definitely on display and he should put together a couple nice games.
Turner also struggled in his summer time debut. He had the unenviable task of being guarded by Terrence Williams who proved he can use his teammates beautifully in defending a scorer/playmaker. Turner isn’t quite quick enough right now to blow past players with an explosive first step so he has to rely on finding angles when he drives. It reminds me a lot of a young Paul Pierce. Eventually he’ll find those angles and get into the paint to cause a little trouble. His jumper looked pretty horrible but we can try to make an excuse and chalk it up to nerves. He did rebound the ball extremely well for a guard and found a way to make a few plays.
Other Notable Things
- James Augustine: Dude wants a job. You know how I can tell? Because he straight outworked everybody on the floor. He was going against a pretty formidable frontline too. Okay, Pape Sow isn’t good at all but Alexis Ajinca is big and Derrick Brown can hover like Marty McFly in the year 2015. But Augustine just continued to bully his way through and put up a lot of points. He finished with 20 points on 9/10 shooting.
- Sundiata Gaines missed a game-winning three? I know it was weird for all of us. We’re used to him ruling the big moment. However, he did have a chance to hit another buzzer-beat from the right side of the floor and just missed the three. Could have been his calling card. Now, he’s a choker and will never be a winner and count the rings.
- Derrick Brown/Gerald Henderson combo: This should be outlawed for Summer League. These guys are clearly too advanced to be here. Derrick Brown was spectacular attacking the basket and playing defense on opposing wing players. He did awkwardly miss a dunk and then try to blame one of the ball boys for it but overall it was a good game. Gerald Henderson was just a smooth scorer. There’s not a player in this summer time exhibition who can guard him. They both had 20 points.
- Sherron Collins: There’s a reason this guy wasn’t drafted and it was on display. He’s not quicker than your lower-tiered NBA point guard. And he’s smaller than just about everybody he’s going to face. If being slower and smaller than NBA players were the criteria for making the league, we’d all be in it, instead of reading the words I’m putting on this computer screen.
- Alexis Ajinca: I saw this guy last year and thought he’d be lucky to ever pick up a basketball again. He was arguably one of the worst players I’d ever seen. A year later, he has a decent jumper, long limbs that help any move toward the basket and he played completely within himself for the most part. He finished with eight points, four boards, three blocks and six fouls. He’s still a project but no longer horrendous.
- Magnum Rolle: He scored 13 points in 18 minutes and showed to be capable of role-playing quite well. Definitely a guy to keep an eye on this week.
- Richard Hendrix: I swear if this guy was two inches taller, he’d be starting in the NBA. He made a lot of positive things happen on the floor and ended up with a +13 in 23 minutes.
- Jeff Adrien: When Rick Kamla wasn’t busy grunting over Adrien’s body, Jeff Adrien was busy bumping guys out of the lane like a human game of Sorry. He notched 13 points and 10 rebounds in 20 minutes. He’s too strong for these kids.
- Donnel Taylor: He’s completely capable of putting up points in a flurry. I fully expect him to drop 25 or more in a game very soon. And it has to be soon too because he’s only here this week.
- Patrick Ewing, Jr: Please stop shooting.
- Oliver Lafayette: He did most of his damage in the first half but ended up with 15 points and five assists. He killed the Thunder until they realized half of their roster is from the actual regular season roster and decided to dominate.
- Ryan Thompson: Jason Thompson’s brother scored 13 points on three shots. He was 9/9 from the line.
- Thunder free throws: 35/43 from the floor. God I love Summer League.
- BJ “Byron” Mullens: His stat line looks great with 24 points on 12 shots, 15 trips to the line and seven rebounds. But I’m afraid of his defensive rating when he actually plays in the regular season consistently because he’s way too slow to guard anybody or rotate properly.
- Serge Ibaka scare: He banged knees with Semih Erden and crumpled to the floor. He had to be helped off the floor and it looked bad for a few minutes. Luckily, he walked it off on the sideline and appears to be just fine.
- Eric Maynor: Within two years, he’s going to be the best backup point guard in the NBA and it won’t be close.
- Brian Zoubek: Some were outraged that this guy didn’t get drafted despite the fact that he’s not very good and can’t move with NBA bodies. I know he’s a great rebounder but he’s still not very good. He grabbed three rebounds in 13 minutes. Not bad but not “this guy HAS to be in the NBA” either.
- Terrence Williams: Put. On. A. Show.
- Trent Plaisted: He’s 6’11” and didn’t grab a single rebound in 24 minutes, despite the fact that he played inside. That’s hard to do.
- Marreese Speights: This guy is destined to get paid from a contract year and then never contribute once after that. He was 1/11.
- Jrue Holiday: Stop playing the rest of the summer. You proved you’re above this. 23 points, eight assists, 8/13 shooting.
- Jodie Meeks: Please try to score more. I love watching you with the ball. 18 points like it was nothing.
- Cedric Simmons: Believe it or not, Cedric Simmons was really good in this game. He had a couple of active dunks. Eight points and four boards in nearly 16 minutes of work.
Okay, that’s enough for now. The rest of these probably won’t be nearly as long. I’m just excited to have some basketball back.
You want to know the best thing about Geoff Petrie?
He doesn’t make the same mistakes everyone else adores making. A year ago, he sat and watched as Tyreke Evans, at 6-6 with incredible length and explosiveness, drifted on down the board and fell in his lap at the fourth overall pick. This year, he cocked his head to the side as team after team passed on arguably the most efficient offensive force in college basketball, an absolute beast of a man, based on character issues despite the lack of an arrest or significant off-court incident. Let’s be clear on this. Xavier Henry and Cole Aldrich were more heavily involved in an event (the KU basketball versus football cross-campus rendition of West Side Story that got swept under the rug) off-court than Demarcus Cousins was. Boogie’s a big kid that needs to mature. And he will with age. Petrie knew that, and now has one of the most promising young combinations in the NBA.
Thunder and lightning. Elevation and Devastation. Rock and Roll.
Evans’ speed, elusiveness in traffic, and sheer athleticism is going to draw defenders. His height and underrated passing ability will do the rest. Cousins can clean up. It sounds like such a simple ability, to finish a dump-off pass, but so many rookies ruin those possessions to hair-pulling results. Cousins, though? He understands that basket. That sounds like a ridiculous statement, but it’s true. Some guys just instinctively know where the basket is and can translate physical actions into putting the little round thing into that basket. Basically, take the opposite of Hasheem Thabeet’s knowledge and abilities thereof.
That pick and roll? Try guarding it. You can flash the big on the switch and then recover, but Evans is tall enough to zip line the roll pass and fast enough to get by. Force Evans to the basket and then work to force a tough floater? You’ve just surrendered the weak side, which means Cousins is cleaning up the miss. How about the post? If Cousins can navigate even the simplest of cut passes? You’ve got a monster in the high block, flipping the ball to a speed demon ripping towards the rim. On defense, the two can contain and muscle and it will feel like you’re getting beaten by giant leather bat wings and having barrels thrown at you by Donkey Kong at the same time.
There will be mistakes. Defensively, offensively. Cousins will blame Evans for plays. Evans will defend himself. But if they can get past those moments, learn, and move on? Cousins is the Blaster to Evans’ Master, the Hammer to Evans’ Sickle. While other teams opted for the safe play, the traditional route, the weaker option, Petrie took the shot and now has a 1-2 punch to mix with his other weapons, and neither can drink yet.
The personalities will be interesting. Evans is quiet and unobtrusive, not the demanding leader that is typically modeled thereof. But maybe that’s just it. Evans the Rod, Cousins the Candy. One for fun, one for work. Both with the ability to strike fear in the hearts of their opponents, and both with a lot to develop.
Develop.
Oklahoma has set a dangerous precedent. Don’t interrupt. Don’t interfere. Don’t destroy the chemistry. Let it brew, simmer, and become something entirely new. Now Petrie has that idea in principle. All he has to do is commit to it. And it may not be as easy as it was with Durant, Green, and Westbrook. But the payoff could be similar. And if you commit to it, and don’t ruin it with pride and urgency, you can find your have something that’s not only powerful, but yours.
