Monta's Inferno

A very random collection of very random NBA & basketball posts.

[montas-inferno]

Not gonna have time to watch Summer League games over the weekend. I’ll be back on Monday with more blogs.

Oh, and I’m well aware that the Summer League will finish long before I get through every game. But I watch these games for scouting players, not for the final score. And since shitty sports channels like ESPN only focus on highlights and the top 5 picks from this year’s draft without going to detail at all, I want to provide a more in-depth and deeper look at players and their performance/development.

So, enjoy your weekend and look for my posts next week!

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Summer League notes - Day 6: Grizzlies vs Magic

Memphis Grizzlies

Jaren Jackson Jr. had his worst game so far. 5 points. Only one field goal. Struggled mightily finishing over Mohamed Bamba and Jonathan Isaac. Rebounded and defended well. I don’t overreact to this since everyone else has also struggled against Bamba and Isaac. Has had enough good games on offense already.

Kobi Simmons continued to get to the rim at will. Finished pretty well against the Magic bigs. Got to the free throw line. One of the most improved and consistent performers at Summer League this year.

Jevon Carter ran the point pretty well again. Scored 11 points but wasn’t efficient. Played good defense but struggled to score 1v1 against Isaiah Briscoe. A bit concerned if he can contribute as a scorer at the NBA level. Hasn’t had an efficient shooting night yet.

Deyonta Davis rebounded well but to the surprise of no one, struggled mightily against Bamba’s length.

Orlando Magic

The defensive potential of the Mohamed Bamba-Jonathan Isaac combo is beyond scary. Neither scored much but who cares since they basically shut down the entire Grizzlies roster on defense. No easy baskets at the rim and they both can switch every screen. An absolutely dominant defensive performance from both.

Wes Iwundu scored 10 points but struggled shooting. Good defense but needs to show more on offense. Melvin Frazer Jr., the other first round pick from this year, had a similar game to Iwundu but was more efficient. Magic seem to have a plethora of good defensive players in their roster now. Not sure who can give them points, though.

Byron Mullens did not play much but shot constantly. Was pretty decent at that but he has always been more of a volume scorer than a efficient scorer.

Rodney Purvis played briefly without doing much.

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Summer League notes - Day 6: Jazz vs Knicks

Utah Jazz

Georges Niang had 20 efficient points, which is basically normal at this point for him at Summer League level. Guarded Kevin Knox but his defense, or lack of, was totally exposed by him. Still can’t really guard either 3′s of 4′s, which he would need to do to find a long-term home in the NBA.

Tony Bradley also had 17 efficient points but struggled at times with the length and athleticism of Mitchell Robinson. Needs to grab more than 1 rebound.

Diamond Stone had his best game so far. 14 points. Flashed a few nice moves on offense. Got only 2 rebounds. This meant that the two pure centers that played for Utah in this one grabbed a grand total of 3 rebounds. Yikes.

Naz Mitrou-Lang played but did not stand out. Grayson Allen rested and did not play.

New York Knicks

Kevin Knox was great again. Below average efficiency but flashed his offensive versatility. Too fast for PFs and too big for SFs at this level. Went by Georges Niang at will. Has the raw tools to become a big time scorer at NBA level. Insanely muscular body for a guy who is only 18 years old. While Knicks fans wanted Michael Porter Jr. in the draft, they should be very exited about Knox. Will go through cold streaks in the offense but looks like a superstar in the making. Excellent player and prospect.

Frank Ntilikina showcased some new stuff on offense. Was able to use his size to bully smaller guards on offense. While I imagine that he still would struggle against bigger guards, the fact that he was able to punish smaller ones here was impressive. Good defense too. Again struggled from the perimeter but definitely improved from his first game here.

Mitchell Robinson had a double-double plus 2 blocks. Uses his length and athleticism well. Caused Tony Bradley, a much more physical player, some problems. Showed some nice touch around the rim. Talented but not ready for the NBA strength-wise. Very, very skinny.

After a good performance in game 1, Damyean Dotson struggled here. 3 points, did not shoot much. Did not contribute much.

Troy Williams was again solid, making plays with his insane athleticism on both ends of the floor. Daniel Ochefu and Justin Harper appeared too but neither contributed much.

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Summer League notes - Day 6: Warriors vs Rockets

Golden State Warriors

I know it’s only Summer League but I have seen the Warriors play here quite a bit and I’m a bit concerned over Jacob Evans III. For a first round pick, he just doesn’t stand out at all. He had 5 inefficient points in this one without doing much else. At least when I look at guys who were drafted after him who also happen to play the same position (Gary Trent Jr., Khyri Thomas, Bruce Brown Jr., Svi Mykhailiuk, Hamidou Diallo just to name a few), he has been painfully average compared to them. At least with those five, I can see why they got drafted, as all of them either have a distinguishable skill or potential based on athleticism. I haven’t seen anything so far that would justify picking Evans III over those guys. Then again, Warriors have a great draft record, so I can’t hate the pick too much. Still, he has a had a very forgettable performance at Summer League so far.

Other players looked quite similar to previous efforts. Check out my previous posts for more in-depth writings on their performances.

Houston Rockets

De’Anthony Melton had a solid game. 17 points, good efficiency. Was very active on defense, 4 steals. While he started at PG, he seems to fit best at SG. Doubtful to get any minutes next year but seems like a guy who could become a two-way shotmaker down the road to play next to James Harden. Needs to become more efficient from three, though.

Vincent Edwards had 3 points in 18 minutes. 1 of 4 from three. Decent on defense but needs to start hitting those threes if he ever wants to get rotation minutes with this Rockets team.

After shining in his first outing, Trevon Duval crashed back to Earth in this one. Only 1 point. 2 assists to 5 turnovers. For all his physical tools, this one showed why Duval went undrafted out of Duke. Out of control on offense and when his shot was not falling, struggled to contribute. Inconsistent effort. Not NBA-ready at all but you can’t teach his athleticism. A year in the G-League could do wonders for him. Worth keeping around but not worthy of rotation minutes.

Isaiah Hartenstein was again crafty on offense. 9 free throws attempted. Draws fouls. Struggled on defense but has shown improvement from last year over these two games.

Zhou Qi only shoots threes but made 2 out of 2 here. Also had 4 blocks. Doesn’t do much else but he fits what Rockets want from their bigs: stretch the floor and defend the rim. Nice performance.

Chinanu Onuaku had 9 points. Pretty efficient. 4 turnovers. He was decent but he has been outshined by both Hartenstein and Qi.

R.J. Hunter was on fire. 24 points, 5 threes at 45% clip. Didn’t contribute elsewhere. Rockets like those shooters so he might have chance with them, though he is still really streaky. Essentially a smaller, less reliable version of Anthony Morrow.

Markel Brown played but did not stand out too much.

Danuel House struggled shooting tonight but still showcased his versatile game on both ends. Good performance overall.

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Summer League notes - Day 6: Mavericks vs Bucks

Dallas Mavericks

Dennis Smith Jr. did a good job running the offense today. Had 7 assists. Has shown some development in that part of his game. Was outstanding on defense. Only had 10 points and wasn’t efficient but that hardly matters after his good rookie campaign. Doesn't belong here.

Jalen Brunson had a poor shooting night. Played SG for most of the night as Smith Jr. manned the point. Decent scorer but his value comes from his playmaking ability as a lead guard, not as an off-ball scorer. Still a decent performance overall.

Ray Splading was again active but he got schooled a few times on defense by Christian Wood. Still showed some interesting things on both ends.

Dorian Finney-Smith had a bit of a bounce-back game. Shot better and was more efficient. Hit 2 threes. Defended well as per usual. If that three point shot ever becomes consistent, he has all the tools you look from a 3 and D role player. Jalen Jones was active on both ends, using his athleticism to make plays. Was out-shined by Finney-Smith, though.

Johnathan Motley had a very efficient 20 points. Not much of a creator on offense but finished well inside. Solid on defense. Has a nice physical profile for a 4. Good performance.

Kyle Collinsworth somehow got 8 rebounds as a non-athletic SG. Still did not stand out much. Jacob Wiley also played, without contributing much.

Milwaukee Bucks

Christian Wood had another double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Showcased his diverse offensive skill set again. He is a match-up nightmare at this level. Struggled a bit finishing at the rim. Good performance overall. Even though he is really skinny, he probably fits best at center, where his skill-set can cause trouble for slow-footed bigs.

D.J. Wilson had another good performance. Shot well from the perimeter. Struggled defending Dorian Finney-Smith and Jalen Jones. Has some interesting tools. Clearly talented but will probably not play much, especially if Jabari Parker comes back.

Sterling Brown wasn’t as efficient scoring-wise in this one. Still looked very composed and in control on offense. Guarded Dennis Smith Jr. on defense. While he competed, he wasn’t able to provide any meaningful resistance. Still, a solid performance.

Tim Quarterman played 20 minutes without contributing much.

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Summer League notes - Day 6: Trail Blazers vs Hawks

Portland Trail Blazers

Jake Layman was on fire from the perimeter in this one. Had an efficient 23 points. Did not create much for himself. Was active on defense. When his jumper is going in, Layman looks like a rotational wing player. Has only had one good shooting night, though. Let’s see if this carries on to the next one. Very good performance. Reminds me of Chase Budinger.

Both Zach Collins and Caleb Swanigan struggled with Atlanta’s frontcourt in this one. Collins did finish with 5 blocks but his lack of strength was in full display when he played against John Collins. Swanigan again struggled finishing over length. Could get to scoring positions 1v1 but could not finish on most occasions. Decent performances for both but this one showcased their current limitations as players.

Anfernee Simons should not look this good for a 19 year old who did not play last year. Great game for him. Looks like a natural scorer. Everything needs refinement but he just looks so natural at scoring. Also played under control and competes hard on defense. Great performance.

Gary Trent Jr. struggled shooting. Pretty jumper, though. Decent defense. Did not contribute much elsewhere. For a guy who is supposed to be much more NBA-ready than Simons, he has been outplayed by his backcourt compatriot so far in two games.

Wade Baldwin IV had another good game. Did not score as much but had 11 assists. Flirted with a triple-double. The big knock on him has been his playmaking for others but he was outstanding at that tonight. Was all over Trae Young on defense, made him work hard for everything. Has shown great improvement from last year so far in the Summer League.

John Jenkins shot well but did not contribute elsewhere. Georgios Papagiannis and K.J. McDaniels made brief appearance without contributing much. Former Sixer Casper Ware played his first game in this one. Did not stand out much on the court.

Atlanta Hawks

Trae Young only played 9 minutes after suffering a right quad contusion. Was held scoreless. Ran the pick and roll beautifully. Made some nice passes but forced some turnovers too. Struggled against the defensive pressure provided by Wade Baldwin IV.

John Collins struggled shooting a bit but dominated both Zach Collins and Caleb Swanigan with his athleticism and physicality. Showed more proof that he does not belong here.

Omari Spellman continued to struggle shooting but made plays with his activity on both ends.  Alpha Kaba, Antonius Cleveland and Jaylen Morris all played without standing out too much. Tyler Dorsey rested and did not play.

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Summer League notes - Day 6: Hornets vs Heat

Charlotte Hornets

Both Dwayne Bacon and Willy Hernangomez were outstanding. Both had 22 with great efficiency. Hernangomez also had 10 rebounds. Bacon got to the rim constantly. Pro-style finishes. Played good defense. Hernangomez stuck to what he knows best here. While he still can’t stretch the floor, he is a monster at the offensive block at this level. Both are too good to be here.

Miles Bridges had a solid outing. Active and smart off-ball. Didn’t get many chances to create his offense. Pretty good on defense. Finds ways to contribute. Has had two good games but hasn’t stood out like many other lottery picks from this year’s draft.

Devonte’ Graham was again rock-solid. Ran the offense well. Defended Derrick Walton Jr. well. Struggled shooting. Plays like a veteran. Has had a bigger impact on the team’s performance than Bridges has had in these first 2 games.

Arnoldas Kulboka made a brief appearance without contributing much. Mangok Mathiang played 10 minutes, giving more proof that he is not an NBA-caliber center.

Malik Monk suffered a broken thumb in the first game and will not play again in Summer League. Only played one game but he was outstanding in that. Still, after having a disappointing rookie campaign, he could have used this platform to build more confidence. Bad luck.

Miami Heat

Derrick Jones Jr. only played 7 minutes before twisting his ankle badly. In those 7 minutes, though, he was utterly dominant. 3 highlight-reel dunks and 1 three. By all reports, no structural damage on that ankle. Will probably not play again in Summer League. Too good to be here anyways.

Derrick Walton Jr. had another rock-solid performance at the point. Just a very heady player.

Rashad Vaughn had his best game in this one. 16 points, pretty good efficiency. Struggled from three but showcased his passing ability. An underrated part of his game and a thing that he did not possess last year. While he has struggled mightily in his brief NBA career so far, efforts like this will go a long way towards keeping him in the mix. Has shown enough improvement in Summer League for me to not totally label him a bust just yet.

Duncan Robinson continued his hot shooting from three without doing much else. Bam Adebayo rested today and did not play.

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Summer League notes - Day 6: Wizards vs Spurs

Washington Wizards

Troy Brown Jr. had a very good second game. Had an efficient 21 points and 11 rebounds. Has a pretty well-rounded game. Good on defense. Missed his 4 threes but finds ways to score. While clearly quite talented, he remains buried in the depth chart and the addition of Austin Rivers does not help things.

Thomas Bryant also had a very efficient game. 20 points. Bullied Chimezie Metu around. Again flashes some stuff on offense but still looked quite raw. Got his points by being the biggest guy on the floor. Surprisingly mobile for a guy his size. Very good performance and he looks like a good pick-up after the Lakers waived him.

Devin Robinson used his energy and athleticism to make plays on offense. 24 points, great efficiency. Skill-set still looked raw, but guys with his size and athleticism are rare. Aaron Harrison had a scoreless 16-minute outing. Bad performance. Carrick Felix played briefly without contributing much.

Second round pick Issuf Sanon did not play much in his first game. Didn’t contribute much. Only 18 years old, Sanon will be in Europe for the next year or two at least. Currently plays in the Slovenian league. Needs to move to a better league with higher quality competition.

San Antonio Spurs

Most notably, Derrick White suffered a minor injury and played only 7 minutes. Didn’t seem too serious, more of a precaution to sit him. Others played similarly to their previous games. Summaries below.

Lonnie Walker IV wasn’t efficient again but flashed some really intriguing stuff on both ends of the floor. Troy Brown Jr. was drafted before Walker IV but I think Walker IV is the better prospect.

Chimezie Metu was again active and aggressive on offense. Could not guard Thomas Bryant at all, though.

Jaron Blossomgame had an efficient 22 points and 9 rebounds while again looking like a 10-year veteran. Must be in the roster now that Kyle Anderson went to Memphis.

London Perrantes shot really well but remains heavily undersized for a guy who fits best at SG.

Olivier Hanlan started but did not contribute much. For a guy who was drafted in 2015 and who has been a pro for 3 years now, he really should stand out more.

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Summer League notes - Day 6: Timberwolves vs Raptors

Minnesota Timberwolves

Josh Okogie had a similar game to his first one. Again defended well but cannot create offense 1v1 consistently. Again struggled shooting. Every now and there he makes a nice play but they are few and far between. Could already defend at the NBA level but would struggle to provide help on offense to Minnesota’s stars. Remains very intriguing, though. Will hopefully get to play in the G-League. I’m concerned than he will stay on the main roster but not get playing time, as Tom Thibodeau never uses his bench. This would be the worst-case scenario for his rookie year.

Keita Bates-Diop was very good in this one. Had an efficient 24 and 11. Great defense. Active on offense which got him some easy baskets. Hit 3 threes. More NBA-ready than Okogie is. Great performance.

Isaiah Cousins did not stand out as well in this one after his good showing in game 1. Still had a decent outing overall. Charles Cooke used his motor and athleticism again to make plays at both ends of the floor. Had a good outing.

Toronto Raptors

OG Anunoby again struggled shooting but found ways to contribute. Makes the smart play usually. Got out of control a few times when pressured by aggressive defenders. Defense was great as per usual. Solid, if unspectacular, performance.

Malcolm Miller and Alfonzo McKinnie again had pretty similar performances. Stat lines were almost the same, though Miller was more efficient. Good defense from both. Miller might be a bit better skill-wise today but McKinnie has higher ceiling as he is the better athlete.

Malachi Richardson had an efficient 20 points. Hit 4 threes. Tries again on defense but not great there. Showed glimpses of the player that he was touted to be when he was drafted in the first round a few years back. Good performance.

Marquis Teague struggled at PG. Only 4 points with his lacking of scoring ability on full display. Fairly steady at running the team but clearly not NBA-caliber.

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Summer League notes - Day 5: 76ers vs Lakers

Philadelphia 76ers

Furkan Korkmaz crashed back to Earth in his second game. While I obviously did not expect him to score 40 again, I did not expect a 4 point outing either. He was clearly a marked man. Josh Hart was all over him. Korkmaz did show some intriguing playmaking ability but his best asset is still his shot, which is quite streaky. His great first game still outweighs his bad second game.

Zhaire Smith was the best Sixer in this one. Had an efficient 16 points. Cuts well. A better passed than I thought. Jumper still lacks results but the form is good. Plays hard on defense but lacking fundamentals  Improved greatly from his first game.

Jonah Bolden continued to be all over but not necessarily in a good way. While he hustles a lot, he takes bad shots and was very out of control. Sometimes look really clumsy. Despite his claims that he should be in the NBA roster next year, he should be in the G-League, developing. Has talent but in need of refinement.

Demetrius Jackson was decent at point but did not stand out. Devyn Marble, who played 44 games with the Magic a few year back, also made a brief appearance. Decent SG but not NBA-caliber.

Landry Shamet and Chris McCullough both rested and did not play.

Los Angeles Lakers

Isaac Bonga, a second round pick from this year’s draft, played his first game in the Summer League. Long, mobile and athletic for a combo forward. Insanely raw on both ends. Several years away from being NBA-level. Not sure if he is a 3 or a 4. Still only 18, Bonga should stay in Europe to get playing time and experience against good competition. In severe need of both.

With this having been the 4th Summer League game that I watched from the Lakers and all players played quite similarly to previous games, I’ll sum up the remaining notable players in one sentence each.

Mo Wagner again showcased his diverse offensive game without dispelling concerns about his defense.

Svi Mykhailiuk again shot extremely well and looked like a seasoned veteran out there.

Josh Hart, even though he had 1 bad game against Miami, has shown enough for me to say that he does not belong here.

Alex Caruso again played good defense while showcasing that he should never be allowed to be a PG at the NBA level.

Jeff Ayres again rebounded without doing much else.

Xavier Rathan-Hayes again scored pretty decently, though without really standing out.

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Summer League notes - Day 5: Celtics vs Nuggets

Boston Celtics

I take back what I said about Jabari Bird after his first game. He was outstanding in this one. Had an efficient 24 points. He is a monster athlete, something that he did not get to show in the first game. Had two highlight dunks. I never knew he was this athletic. Made a lot of pro-style finishes inside. Struggled a bit on defense against Malik Beasley, though. If Marcus Smart is not retained, Bird will have a good opportunity to get some of those minutes if he keeps this up. Clearly has NBA talent.

Guerschon Yabusele also had one monster dunk but he had a mixed game overall. Was again good at many things not great at any particular one. Kinda leaves you wanting more when you watch him. Has talent, though.

Semi Ojeleye had an off night shooting and did not contribute much in this one but showed enough last year with the main roster, so I’m not overly concerned.

Kadeem Allen, Jarrod Uthoff and Jarell Eddie all had decent outings but none of them stood out. Robert Williams III did not play after suffering a minor knee injury in his first game.

Denver Nuggets

Malik Beasley had a very good game, even though he was out-shined by Jabari Bird in this one. Very composed on offense again. Shot fairly efficiently. Defended Bird the best, but still was not able to fully stop him. Another good performance.

Monte Morris was aggressive looking for his shots. Was fairly successful at that, decent efficiency. Some pro-style finishes. He was clearly the best PG out there. Like Beasley, Morris too has had two good performances so far in the Summer League.

Vlatko Cancar came back to Earth a bit after his great first game. Still had a good showing, with his IQ and crafty offensive skills on full display. Struggled a bit with the physicality of Guerschon Yabusele.

Petr Cornelie, a second round pick from last year, played his first game here. He is very long, even for a center. Pretty athletic and mobile. Incredibly skinny. Very, very raw on both ends. Years away from making an NBA roster. Scott Machado was OK in decent minutes but did not stand out.

Tyler Lydon and Thomas Welsh both rested and did not play.

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Summer League notes - Day 5: Bulls vs Cavaliers

Chicago Bulls

Lottery pick Wendell Carter Jr. had a very impressive pro debut. 16 and 9. Good efficiency. Showcased some nice touch on offense. Hit 2 threes. Already a great rim protector. 4 blocks, with some of them being highlight-reel material. Can switch the pick and roll and defend guards on the perimeter. Did fall for pump fakes that Ante Zizic gave to him. Seems like the perfect type of player to have next to Lauri Markkanen in the frontcourt. Bulls still need guards and wings but they now have two outstanding young players up front. Terrific performance.

Chandler Hutchinson, the other first round pick from this year, had a good debut. Not flashy but was productive. Mainly took good shots and was pretty efficient. Does a little bit of everything. Can also play PF in smaller lineups. Pretty good on defense too. May not have a high ceiling but has the tools to develop into a good role player, maybe even a starter alongside more talented players.

Second year guard Antonio Blakeney is a natural scorer. Had a very efficient 25 points. Very aggressive. Found ways to get to the rim. Feisty. Missed his 4 three point attempts but that mattered little here. At times forced things a bit, 5 turnovers. Still, with Bulls not having many great prospects at both guard positions, Blakeney has a good chance to play more next year, as he is probably their best scorer at those positions, after Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn. Has potential to become an instant offense- type of guy off the bench.

Ryan Arcidiacono might not look like an NBA player but he has got some skills. A true PG. Ran the team beautifully. Good pick and roll player. Great passer. Lack of physical tools will always limit him on defense. Should be kept around as a 3rd string PG. Does not have great potential but very steady and very high basketball IQ.

Shawn Long and Jarnell Stokes, who both have gotten brief looks at the NBA, both played some minutes off the bench. Long is active but he has always been a borderline NBA-talent at best. Stokes is a great rebounder and finisher inside but he is not overly athletic or big for a guy who fits best at center. He is good but not NBA-good. Would be a dominant player in Europe.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Ante Zizic was terrific in this one. 25 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes. Great efficiency. Got a lot of touches at the post and he went to work. Has all the moves and hook shots. Schooled Wendell Carter Jr. at times. Lack of lift got him blocked a few times, though. Again struggled on defense. Has been impressive in his first 2 games, though. Must get more playing time this year.

Collin Sexton finally started to make sense to me. Can use his physicality and speed to get to the rim. Pretty good midrange shooter. Did not make any threes. Has the tools to be great on defense but needs some serious work on his fundamentals. Totally lost Ryan Arcidiacono a few times. Has potential but he is quite raw now. If you want a comparison: Elfrid Payton minus the defense. Has the raw tools to exceed Payton, however.

Okaro White had another decent outing. He was one of the standouts of Summer League a couple of years ago. Has not been as good in this one. John Holland shot poorly but was still much, much better than he was in his abysmal opening game.

Cedi Osman rested and did not play.

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Summer League notes - Day 5: Pistons vs Grizzlies

Detroit Pistons

Henry Ellenson continued to struggle mightily. Needed 21 shots to get 15 points. Awful shot selection. Forces stuff constantly. Was essentially shut down by Jaren Jackson Jr. He has clearly been given a green light to shoot but he is not good enough even at this level to have one. Awful performance.

Khyri Thomas and Bruce Brown had solid outings. Thomas shot well from deep and battled well against Wayne Selden. Brown used his athleticism and activity to find to get to the line. Thomas has a higher floor but Brown has a higher ceiling.

Larry Drew II had a good outing. Never spectacular but always solid, he just got signed by the Pistons. Seems likely to be the 3rd string PG in the regular season.

Memphis Grizzlies

Jaren Jackson Jr. destroyed Henry Ellenson on both ends of the floor. Again, did not shoot a whole lot but showed his versatility on offense. Sometimes forces stuff on offense, though. Great, great talent.

Wayne Selden was again great. 20 efficient points. Doesn’t belong here. Kobi Simmons was not efficient scoring tonight but he might be the fastest player in Summer League. Continued to get to the rim at will.

Ivan Rabb was one point shy of a double-double. Efficient on offense. 2 blocks. Good performance. Deyonta Davis again looked disinterested but was still only one rebound away from a double-double. Also got 2 blocks. Has still been worse overall than Rabb in the Summer League overall.

Jevon Carter struggled shooting again but continued to run the team well.

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Summer League notes - Day 5: Suns vs Kings

Phoenix Suns

Deandre Ayton as a little bit disappointing. This was the first game where he faced an NBA-level frontcourt in Marvin Bagley III and Harry Giles. Seemed to coast a bit. Got pushed around by Giles in the post. That should not happen with his physical tools. Needs to get better at establishing himself in the post. Suns guards did not help him at this, though, as most of the entry passes thrown at him were awful. Defended the post pretty well, even if Giles made some nice shots over him.

Even though he was slightly disappointing, he still finished with 21 and 12 with great efficiency, which speaks volume on how insanely talented he is. Had a better statistical game than either Bagley III or Giles. As soon as he learns how to use his frame better and adjusts to the physicality, he is going to be scary.

Josh Jackson continued to shoot a lot, without much results. Defended Justin Jackson very well. Had a monster block on Bagley III. Two games into the Summer League, Jackson has not shown any meaningful improvements so far. Dragan Bender struggled mightily. 0 points in 24 minutes. Was overwhelmed athletically by the Kings frontcourt. Cannot contribute elsewhere if his shot is not falling.

Mikal Bridges had a good showing, even if his stats don’t jump out. Great activity. Good defense. Shot with confidence. Hasn’t driven a lot. Davon Reed also had a good game. Plays quite similarly to Bridges, though he is smaller. Both of these guys will benefit greatly from having Trevor Ariza around next year. They both have potential to become similar 3 and D studs.

Shaquille Harrison was aggressive driving but struggled finishing. Still had a decent performance. Elie Okobo did not score tonight, but showed some nice flashes of his playmaking ability.

Alec Peters shot the three well but did not do much else. George King played briefly without contributing much. Jack Cooley made a brief appearance too. He is a fan favorite in the same way that Brian Scalabrine was.

Sacramento Kings

I haven’t highlighted this part of Marvin Bagley III enough in my previous blogs: he plays extremely hard. Insane activity and energy. Still takes way too many jumpers. Played good defense on Deandre Ayton. A really good performance by Bagley III here. Even though he was statistically worse than Ayton, he had a better game in this one in my humble opinion.

Harry Giles had his best game so far in the Summer League. Went at Ayton all night on both ends. Continued to show flashes on offense. Scored some nice moves over Ayton. Defended him well. He is not the athlete that Willie Cauley-Stein is but he is already much better on offense. Great performance.

Frank Mason ran the point again and he continued to struggle at that. Justin Jackson had an off night shooting the ball but has already showcased his talent in previous games. Was able to get pretty good looks, even though Josh Jackson defended him well overall.

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Summer League notes - Day 5: Thunder vs Nets

Oklahoma City Thunder

Daniel Hamilton continued to impress. Again flirted with a triple-double. Essentially played point guard. Point forward skill-set. Struggled shooting but got to the rim and found open teammates consistently. Not a great athlete but plays good positional defense. Even though he is a SF, he guarded Semaj Christon, a PG, most of the night. Was good at that. Has been very good in his 2 games so far. He is essentially a poor man’s Kyle Anderson. Has improved greatly over last year. A lock for a roster spot now.

Hamidou Diallo had 19 points and 8 rebounds in only 21 minutes. Shot really well from all over. Massively improved his play on offense from game 1. Was a lot better today than Terrence Ferguson, who again struggled shooting but contributed pretty well elsewhere. Thunder have two really good young prospects at the SG position in Diallo and Ferguson. Interesting to see what the SG rotation is gonna look like between them and Alex Abrines.

Dakari Johnson continued to bang inside and use his soft touch to finish. Even had 5 assists, showcasing some passing ability from the high post. Struggles against athletic centers, though. Good performance.

P.J. Dozier had a solid outing at the point. Devon Hall shot well today, has 3 and D potential. After shooting well in the first one, Kevin Hervey struggled shooting in this one. Still, both seem like decent pick-ups late in the second round.

Rashawn Thomas was really active. Good athlete for a PF, Thomas made a lot of plays with his energy and effort. 11 rebounds. Not overly skilled in 1v1 situations but he would never be a creator at the NBA level anyways. Going undrafted in 2017, Thomas has been impressive so far in the Summer League. Will get a training camp invite somewhere. Has some NBA-talent.

Brooklyn Nets

Semaj Christon was bad in this one. 0 points and 2 assists in 19 minutes. Struggled with the length of Daniel Hamilton. There is a reason why Christon did not play in the NBA last year and it was on full display tonight, unfortunately. If he is not scoring, doesn’t provide much in terms of on-court value.

Shawn Dawson came back to Earth after his good first game. Only shot twice in 17 minutes. Like Christon, if he is not scoring, struggles to contribute in a meaningful way.

Both James Webb III and Milton Doyle had solid outings, but neither stood out.

[montas-inferno]

Summer League notes - Day 5: Knicks vs Hawks

New York Knicks

Kevin Knox was fun to watch. 22 points, 8 rebounds. Insane length and athleticism for a combo forward. Played with a lot of intensity, hustled all over. Ran the floor hard which resulted into a few monster dunk. An early candidate for the Slam Dunk Contest next year. Shot selection was poor when playing 5v5. Three point shot was off. Very basic handle. Competes on defense but got lost on occasion. Defended John Collins for most of the night. Was not able to provide much resistance. Fits best as a small ball 4 at the moment. Very high ceiling and a very good pro debut.

Frank Ntilikina got the honor of guarding Trae Young for the most of the night. Has all the tools to be a great defender but not a consistent defensive stopper. At times made life very difficult for Young but also lost him many times. Offense remains very raw. Basic handle for a PG. Can’t stretch the floor and or create 1v1. Will have to show improvements in that end, otherwise he will continue to be an offensive liability at the NBA. Defenders don’t really respect him even at this level. Still very young, though.

Second round pick Mitchell Robinson also had a good pro debut. Almost got a double-double. Also had 4 blocks. Great activity. Is very skinny but has great length and athleticism. Looked very good for a guy that did not play anywhere last year. First round talent. He is very raw on offense and defense lacks polish but makes plays with activity alone. Good performance.

Damyean Dotson looked very mature. Shot pretty well and defends. Fits the mold of a modern 3 and D player, should get more playing time next year if he keeps playing like this.

Troy Williams is essentially a much lesser version of Knox. Has great physical tools that he uses to make plays. Raw skill-wise. His athleticism and activity should find him a home somewhere in the NBA, though. Still only 23. Daniel Ochefu was on the Wizards roster last year and while he was solid in limited minutes, lacks any real upside and doesn’t really fit in the modern NBA as a center. Justin Harper, who was drafted in the second round of 2011 and who has 22 NBA games under his belt, also made an appearance but did not contribute much. Decent, but not NBA-caliber.

Atlanta Hawks

Trae Young had easily his best game so far. 21 points and 11 assists. Still did not shoot efficiently but it this was his best shooting night so far. 3 threes. Shot selection remains pretty poor. Has the best handle and passing ability of any player in the Summer League and I don’t think it’s even that close. Great pick and roll player. Again competed on defense. Did struggle at times against the defense of Frank Ntilikina. Still, had a very good performance. Has had 1 good game and 3 bad ones so far, though. Let’s see if he can keep this up in the next one.

John Collins was dominant. 30 points. Was overwhelming physically. Even hit 4 threes, which was something new. Will be pretty scary if that shot ever becomes consistent. Too good to be here.

Tyler Dorsey also had a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Was a bit of a black hole on offense. Bad efficiency in this one but over his 4 games so far he has shown improvement from last year. Omari Spellman had his usual game of hustling all over and missing most of his shots.

[montas-inferno]

Summer League notes - Day 5: Heat vs Pelicans

Miami Heat

Bam Adebayo had his worst game statistically. Miami guards kept throwing him lobs at the rim but most of the passes were horrible. Did not handle the ball much today. Still has shown enough in his first 4 games.

Duncan Robinson continued his hot shooting from three but also showcased his athleticism with a dunk in traffic. Has now had 4 good games in Summer League. Has shown enough to warrant a two-way contract somewhere.

Rashad Vaughn scored pretty efficiently. Tried making plays for others but not a natural at that. Average defender at best.

Derrick Jones Jr. and Derrick Walton Jr. did not play in this one. Miami struggled mightily on offense without them. Both have shown enough here already.

New Orleans Pelicans

Cheick Diallo had another solid outing. Again finished well inside, rebounded and defended. Still tried out his jumper and post moves on offense, without much success. Took care of the ball and did not foul as much, two things that he struggled with in the first game. Good performance.

Tony Carr again did not force things. Shot efficiently, did a bit of everything. Tries on defense but not there yet. Has had two solid if unspectacular games now. Has a limited ceiling but definitely has some NBA talent.

Cliff Alexander put up 15 points while shooting perfectly from the floor. Hanged around the rim for easy finishes. Had a good performance, but needs to show more on defense. Chasson Randle scored efficiently in his 12 minutes but did not stand out much.

Special shoutout to undrafted rookie SG Trevon Bluiett. Has been on fire the first two games. Has scored combined 50 points in those games. Jumper has been automatic, great efficiency shooting. Has already basically guaranteed himself a training camp invite. Has been the most consistent offensive option for the Pelicans so far.

Frank Jackson will not play in the Summer League after badly spraining his ankle in game one. Really could have used these minutes here. Very unfortunate. In that short time that he was on the court, he looked very good.