SB Nation - Brent Petway

Turnover at the Top

Jon L — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:00:44 -0000

Chris Hunter is one of only a few of last season's D-League leaders coming back to the league.

I've made a few oblique references this offseason to all of the D-League three-point shooters who will be playing overseas this year, and it's true that there will be some unfamiliar faces jacking up perimeter shots next month. But it's actually even more remarkable than I thought. Heres is the list of last year's D-League award winners:

MVP - Courtney Sims
Defensive POY - Brent Petway
Impact POY - Eddie Gill
Rookie of the Year - Othyus Jeffers
Coach of the Year - Quin Snyder
Sportsmanship Award - Will Conroy

Notice anything? With the exception of perhaps Sims, all of the players listed above are playing overseas (and RU's Coach of the Year pick, Bryan Gates, is in the NBA now). True, one of them could come back midseason (and be in the running for the Impact award), but those are still some relatively big names missing. It gets even more drastic than that. Here are the All D-League teams:

First: Blake Ahearn, Will Conroy, Erik Daniels, Courtney Sims, Marcus Williams

I expect Williams to join back up with the Toros, and we're still waiting to see what Sims will do, but Ahearn, Conroy and Daniels are all overseas now.

Second: Derrick Byars, Josh Davis, Chris Hunter, Trey Johnson, James White

Hunter's back in Fort Wayne, but Byars - gone; Davis - gone; Johnson - gone; White - gone.

Third: Lance Allred, Ronald Dupree, Eddie Gill, Dontell Jefferson, Cartier Martin

Jefferson is back with Utah but I would expect a call-up for him at some point this season (the defense is too good). Otherwise, they're all in Europe and elsewhere. And while I won't bother listing all of the honorable mentions, by my count less than half of them are with the D-League again this year.

So what's the point of this? Change, and lots of it. Sure it will be disappointing not to see these talented players, but I prefer to see it as a crisi-tunity. With training camps underway and the regular season starting in just two weeks, a lot of players will have a chance to make their mark on the D-League. Some of them we can probably guess - expect Marcus Williams to tear it up again until he gets called up, Garrett Siler should be one of the best big men in the league and Carlos Powell and Anthony Tolliver should both fill up the box scores. But just as likely is that we can't predict right now who's going to make those 2009-2010 All-D-League teams. It could be someone like Amara Sy, who started his career off promisingly in Europe; or Reggie Williams, who was a smart, crafty scorer in college; heck, it could even be Yaroslav Korolev (it probably won't be Yaroslav Korolev).

All this turnover at the top of the league, talent-wise, is both likely a little daunting for the league and a pretty exciting development for D-League watchers. Teams are busy right now sorting out who can play and who can't, then it will be our turn.

Bob MacKinnon Hired as New Stampede Coach

Jon L — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:00:21 -0000

New Idaho Stampede coach Bob MacKinnon, who won the D-League championship last season with Colorado (via www.nba.com)

View full size photo »

The Idaho Stampede hired Bob MacKinnon as their new coach yesterday, replacing Bryan Gates who is now an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings. We briefly looked at MacKinnon's credentials on Saturday, but now that he's been hired a closer look at the work he did last year is probably in order.

If there's one thing the Colorado 14ers did last season, it was run. As the local CBS affiliate's news story notes, the team averaged 120 points a game last year, which is still on the high side even for the uptempo D-League. They relied on a bevy of athletic players including John Lucas, Trey Gilder, Sonny Weems, Dominique Coleman and James Mays as well as dependable veterans like Josh Davis, Eddie Gill and Joe Dabbert, and finished the season first in both pace and offensive rating. Small lineups were not uncommon to see, with Davis at center and Gilder playing power forward alongside three guards. In part this was due to the foul trouble that all three of the centers on Colorado's roster towards the end of the season were foul-prone, but it also made smart use of the team's personnel. The team also had several players leave at various points due either to injury or being called up by the NBA, such as Mays, Cheikh Samb and Sean Williams. As MacKinnon himself noted in this "A Day in the Life" piece, flexibility is a trait he prizes, so he is likely confident in his ability to adapt his style if need be.

Will MacKinnon be able to implement the same style in Idaho? At the risk of asking a question then immediately copping out, I'm not sure. Idaho finished 14th (out of 16 teams) in pace last season, but a few of the players on that roster who may have preferred that pace, such as Nate Jawai or Lance Allred, are no longer around. However, there are some players who may thrive in MacKinnon's offense, such as Coby Karl and Luke Jackson, who won't be back either. Should Mohammed Abukar return, however, I think he'd do well, and he has experience playing at a faster pace from his time in Austin. MacKinnon also will be without the services of lockdown defender Brent Petway, and while Colorado's defense was about average last year (8th in the league), Petway's absence, perhaps in conjunction with MacKinnon's running style, makes it unlikely that the Stampede will repeat as the D-League's best defense.

A few closing comments: one fun aspect of this hire is that the "feud" between MacKinnon and Utah Flash owner Brandt Andersen (which as far as I know may be completely one-sided, which is the best/most hilarious kind of feud) may be kept alive. This also means that Rio Grande Valley is the only D-League team without a head coach in place. Congratulations to MacKinnon on being hired, and to the Idaho Stampede for finding a solid coach for their team.

Ridiculous Transactions 8/1-8/7

Jon L — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 14:00:11 -0000

Kasib Powell will be doing his thing over in Greece next year.

View full size photo »

Time once again for Ridiculous Transactions, wherein we talk about all the signings, trades, and waivers that involve the players we love to talk about - D-Leaguers! (and also some European players and a handful of NBA players). Putting aside the discussion of whether these guys should be playing overseas or not, let's get right to this week's moves.

August 1: L.A. Clippers - waived Mike Taylor; Milwaukee Bucks - requested waivers for Salim Stoudamire, then traded Malik Allen to the Denver Nuggets for Walter Sharpe and Sonny Weems; L.A. Lakers - waived Sun Yue; Boston Celtics - waived Gabe Pruitt

This was a dark day in the NBA. Mike Taylor was waived after Sebastian Telfair was brought in. He's not a perfect player by any stretch, but he's shown he can definitely play. We've already discussed Sun Yue. I didn't really expect Stoudamire to make the team, but it would have been fun. Gabe Pruitt didn't have the best Summer League, and the Celtics have been more interested in signing veterans the last few years than in letting their guys actually develop, so his release isn't all that shocking. All expectations are that the Bucks are going to waive Sonny Weems, because as I understand it his contract is guaranteed after a certain date. Assuming that happens it'll really be too bad, not just because Weems can play in the NBA, but how fun would it be to see him running the floor with Brandon Jennings, Joe Alexander and Amir Johnson? The answer is really, really fun.

August 2: Stanley Burrell - signed with VOO Verviers-Pepinster (Belgium); Oklahoma City Thunder - signed Kevin Ollie

Burrell going to Europe was probably an inevitability. He's a good defender, but doesn't do enough other things well enough to get an NBA call-up, so at this point heading overseas was probably more attractive than hanging around the D-League. Between his and Sqeaky Johnson's leaving and Marcus Williams and Malik Hairston likely making the Spurs roster out of training camp, the Toros are going to look a lot different next year. I'm only mentioning Ollie here because I really, really hope that this is some kind of "assign him to Tulsa where he can play for a year and learn how to be a coach" deal. I believe he's the 15th man on the OKC roster, and they already have something like six guards, so the fact that he might take playing time away from someone like Kyle Weaver or Shaun Livingston is pretty mind-boggling.

August 5: Robert Vaden - signed with Imola (Italy); Brent Petway - signed with Ilysiakos (Greece)

So it's finally official, and Air Georgia is headed for Greece. As I mentioned yesterday I don't think this is the worst idea for his career, but I also do sort-of wonder about all these defensive specialists going overseas. Not because people don't traditionally think of defense when they think of European basketball, but because it would seem that NBA teams would be on the lookout for those types of players during the season. Then again, perhaps someone like Petway can boost his offensive numbers a little bit over there and be more attractive as an all-around player to an NBA squad. Vaden going back to Europe isn't a huge deal, though I do sort-of wonder how serious the Thunder are about having him in their plans. Given that they own their own D-League team and run the pro system there, I would think that at some point they would want to give their prospects as much chance to learn that system as possible.

August 6: Kevin Lyde - signed with Eisbaren Bremerhaven (Germany); Kasib Powell - signed with Trikasa (Greece); Ahmad Nivins - signed with Manresa (Spain); Dakota Wizards - retained Kevin Rice as assistant coach; New Orleans Hornets - hired Robert Pack as an assistant coach

Nivins had flashes of looking really good in Summer League this season, and I wonder if his going over to Spain for a year has to do with the Mavs' new affiliate going "underground" until the 2010-2011 season. If so this makes good sense, in that he was unlikely to get much playing time off the Dallas bench, and this will keep him sharp and in playing shape. Lyde rebounded really well in his limited Summer League action, and while he's been to training camp with the Jazz a few times I don't think it was in the cards this year. 2010 is when the next Sail Bremerhaven is going to be held, which is a big international sailing convention, so that might be fun to check out. Hopefully Kasib Powell will check in with us before he heads to Greece, but as I mentioned yesterday, he's already been a D-League MVP and did really will at Summer League this year, so if he hasn't gotten an NBA offer then spending a year in Greece wouldn't be the worst thing.‎

Pack is a New Orleans native, so this is a nice homecoming for him, but I also hope that his presence and access to the coaching staff and front office there will make the team a little more receptive to the D-League. As far as I know, their only experience with D-League players so far has been that they like Courtney Sims, but haven't signed him. For a team that had as many bench scoring and backup center problems as they did last year, they really should have been looking at places like the D-League for help.

Rice being retained as an assistant with Dakota may seem a little awkward, as he was mentioned as a possible (though maybe not a front-running) candidate for the head position, but he knows the team and the area, brings a measure of continuity post-Ticknor, and he's a good defensive coach. It probably won't be too much longer before he's running his own squad.

August 7: Jared Jordan - signed with Telekom Baskets Bonn (Germany)

Jordan going to Europe means he likely wasn't in the Rockets/Vipers' long-term plans, which may seem surprising for a guy who racked up so many assists in college and the D-League, but he also didn't get a lot of playing time in Summer League, so the writing may have been on the wall there. And, while I know we always say these guys should stay in the US, I wouldn't mind living in Bonn for a year.

UPDATE: Yo, this is Scott. Jon L wrote this before his vacation yesterday. A couple of other big moves happened late Friday night and my social life and monetary situation lacks just enough that I was checking the European basketball transactions so that I could update you all! Without further adieu:

Trent Plaisted signed with Zadar in Croatia - Well, this move probably shouldn't surprise you since he averaged 3.0 points and 2.8 boards in Summer League, but the last ever pick of the Seattle Supersonics (later traded for DJ White) is headed back overseas. He was set to play in Italy last season, but had a season-ending back injury just two games into the season. Apparently Detroit likes him less than Ben Wallace, though I have no idea why they wouldn't rather give a young guy a shot instead of paying the artist formerly known as Big Ben.

TJ Parker signed with Asvel in France - Why should you care? Well, you probably shouldn't because he hasn't even been able to parlay being Tony Parker's younger brother into a Summer League invite. I believe he was also the best player on SLUC Nancy, the team Rod Benson played for before returning to the D-League around Christmas last season.

Ben Woodside signed with Gravelines-Dunkerque in France - Well, this one hurts me. Since I'm employed by the Dakota Wizards, I've been salivating at the thought of Woodside being a likely allocation player due to his North Dakota State alumni status. However, it apparently wasn't meant to be. Woodside played for the Timberwolves in Vegas, but never really got his chance to shine behind Jonny Flynn. Also, Gravelines-Dunkerque is a cool name for a basketball team.

Robert Dozier signed with Kolossos Rhodes in Greece - Dozier isn't used to losing (Memphis was 137-14 while he was there) so hopefully this Kolossos team is good. I always thought Dozier was the sort of player that would dominate the D-League, but apparently it wasn't meant to be. Dozier was also the final pick in the draft in June, but apparently he didn't impress Miami in whatever they did instead of Summer League. They do retain his rights though, so it's not all bad.

Jeremy Pargo signed Gilboa Galil in Israel - Pargo played for the Pistons this Summer, and played well, averaging 10 points and shooting 50% from the field in three games. Still, the Pistons apparently didn't have room for him and since players like his older brother Jannero are taking all the good jobs, Jeremy apparently felt that overseas was the right route to go. He's another guy that would have been good in the D-League.

Gary Forbes signed with US Gruppo Triboldi in Italy - Forbes had a great Summer League for the D-League Select team averaging almost 18 points per game, but like everyone else that played in the D-League last season and got a Summer League invite, it seems he's headed overseas. I feel like more guys should play in the D-League this season just so they can play on the Select team in Vegas next Summer. Anyway, I follow Gary on Twitter and he explains it like this: crossin dem waters for that extra bread n then b back for the league nxt year. I feel you, Mr. Forbes - wish I could cross dem waters for extra bread!

D-League vs. Europe: Another Look

Jon L — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:00:12 -0000

Othyus Jeffers is playing in Europe this season. Could that be a...good thing?

View full size photo »

Yes, we're talking about playing in the D-League vs. playing in Europe again. But this time I want to look at the phenomenon of all the veteran D-Leaguers (for lack of a better term) who are headed overseas this year rather than sticking it out again in Idaho or Fort Wayne or wherever. A few things prompted this. First, a lot of the D-League's premier players won't be there next year. Some of these we know (Othyus Jeffers, Brent Petway, Kasib Powell - and those last two are official by the way, and I'll have more on them in tomorrow's transactions post), and some of them will be making that decision soon.

For instance, take Blake Ahearn. Ahearn's gotten a call-up or two in his time, but has spent the majority of the past few seasons playing in the D-League, where he's a lights out three-point shooter. Ahearn played for not one but two Summer League teams, New York and the combined Philly/New Jersey squad. Unfortunately, he played pretty poorly in both instances, and is now mulling offers from several European teams in addition to being able to go back to the D-League. On this last point, though, this is what Ahearn thinks:

"I've literally accomplished all I can in the D-League," he said.

And you know what? He's probably right. There are still some holes in his game, to be sure, for instance his defense and the fact that he doesn't really collect enough assists to play a lot of point guard, which is where he's been playing the most and where his physical profile slots him. The D-League is a good place to work on those skills, but Ahearn is 25 at this point, and barring some late-in-life commitment to defense is what he is. He's been a D-League all-star and was named to the All D-League first team this past season. What exactly, would he gain from coming back to the D-League this year? The same could be asked of Kasib Powell, who will be playing in China next year. He was the D-League MVP in 2008 and had a great Summer League this year, but apparently not well enough to get an NBA offer. At 28 years old, Powell likely has an increased number of factors that he has to consider when deciding whether to take low five figures at work his tail off in the D-League for maybe a chance at getting a call up, or head overseas and try again next season.

What I'm trying to get at here is that it's different for players who have been out of college for several years. This isn't a Jeremy Tyler situation or even a Brandon Jennings deal. There's not really anything that these guys can improve on from an individual skill perspective that would make a year or two in the D-League more beneficial than spending that time in Slovenia. Does there come a point in a player's career when the D-League just doesn't make sense anymore?

This may not seem surprising coming from me, but I don't think so, or if there is then it's not a player's mid-late 20s. And even then, older players can play in the D-League, learn how the system works, and move from the court to the bench as an assistant. But I think what we're seeing this season is just a reflection of current NBA economics. There already were a limited number of open roster spots around the league that D-League guys had to compete with older veterans (and washed up guys like Jason Williams, apparently), but this off-season several teams have decided to go with the bare minimum 13 players as a way to save money, meaning there are only a few teams that will have players on their roster who they didn't draft, trade for or have last year. For players like Powell and Jeffers, I would imagine that playing in the D-League this year would be ultimately pretty frustrating, having already shown that they're talented enough and ready for the NBA while having an even slimmer chance than usual of making it while making not very much money.

In some ways, while teams are feeling the crunch, the players we refer to as "D-League guys" may end up benefiting a little bit. While I remain confident that the D-League remains the best route for making the NBA for guys who aren't in the league already, that just doesn't seem like a realistic possibility this year or maybe even next? So why not head to Sweden or Greece or China or Israel for a year or two, earn ten times or more what the D-League pays (assuming you get your paychecks), then come back to the D-League and Summer League and try again when NBA teams are willing to carry that 14th player? There's another point that Ahearn makes in the above article that I think may be relevant here:

"I haven't had a break from basketball in two years," the former Missouri State player said. "So I'm ready for one."

If players are serious about trying to make the NBA, which a lot of the players this article is concerned with are, then they basically have to work hard all the time to make that happen. They can't rest much. A week here, a week there, sure. But between the offseason workouts organized by various teams and the D-League, work done with individual coaches and trainers to improve a player's skills, Summer League and the D-League season (plus any summer basketball camps a player might run or participate in), there's not a lot of time to relax. Playing in Europe or Asia for a year or two without worrying about making an NBA roster will give some of these guys a needed psychic break and let them relax and just enjoy playing basketball, and that's important too. So as much as I'm going to miss watching guys like Jeffers and Powell and Petway and Hendrix on Futurecast or when teams come through Austin, playing overseas this season might be what they need for their careers.

A Look Back at Vegas Summer League: Part 2

Jon L — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:15:07 -0000

Jawad Williams, shown here playing for the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers, played well for Cleveland at Vegas Summer League.

View full size photo »

In the wake of Vegas Summer League being over, and as I did with the Orlando Summer League, I've been taking a look at some noteworthy performances from "non-NBA" players. Part 1 dealt with guys who have been playing in Europe or who otherwise aren't currently under contract anywhere. Today examines the players from the D-League who were in Vegas, either on the D-League Select team or on an NBA squad's roster. Again, I'm only concerned with players who played three or more games, in order to get some semblance of sustained (such as it is) success (this means no Othyus Jeffers or Trey Johnson, who each played very well in two games for the D-League squad). I wanted to limit it to ten guys, but I cheated a bit and threw in an honorable mention category (which makes even less sense since the 10 guys aren't ranked in any way), which we'll look at first.

Honorable Mention: Brent Petway, Romel Beck, Mouhamed Sene, Will Conroy

Petway complemented Raptors rookie DeMar DeRozan fairly well, and while his scoring wasn't very consistent, he showed off his elite shot-blocking ability and averaged 3.6 blocks per 48 minutes, slightly more than he did last season with the Stampede. Beck made 43 percent of his three-pointers and 52.8 percent of his field goals overall, though he didn't contribute much other than scoring. Sene got a ton of blocks compared to his playing time, eight in 35 minutes, but while I didn't expect to see many points from him he didn't get many rebounds, either. Conroy was a solid point guard either starting or coming off the bench, and he made 52.2 percent of his field goals, but his assists were down a little bit from what they were in the D-League on a per-minute basis.

The rest of the players are after the jump.

Richard Hendrix (6'9" F, Denver Nuggets) - Hendrix had perhaps the best overall Summer League out of anyone, playing very well with the Orlando Magic team before repeating that performance in Vegas. He appeared in four games for Denver and started three, though he played the second-fewest minutes on the team. He still managed to shoot 63.2 percent from the field, average 13.4 rebounds per 48 minutes, and most impressively, turn the ball over only once in those four games.

Coleman Collins (6'9" F, D-League Select) - Collins was very solid for the D-League team, and I've said this before but it bears repeating: I don't understand why he didn't play more last season. Collins was one of the leading rebounders on the team and averaged 24 points per 48 minutes, all while picking up only six fouls in five games. He made 51.4 percent of his shots, too.

CJ Giles (6'11" F/C, Denver Nuggets) - Giles rebounded the ball very well for the Nuggets, averaging 15 rebounds per 48 minutes, and he made half of his field goals. He also averaged just over five blocks on a per-minute basis, though he also committed the most fouls on the team.

Kurt Looby (6'10" C, D-League Select) - RU binky Kurt Looby did what he does best, which is block shots and rebound. Looby grabbed as many rebounds as Collins did but in about 40 fewer minutes, and finished averaging 17 rebounds on a per-minute basis. He also blocked nine shots in five games. I keep repeating this, but while the offense isn't there right now, Looby will be ready to take on the NBA very soon.

Coby Karl (6'5" G, Denver Nuggets) - Yeah, yeah, he should've been listed with the "Europe" players rather than the D-Leaguers, but what are you gonna do? Coby Karl had a somewhat shaky Orlando Summer League, but he did very well in Vegas, making 61.5 percent of his field goals and half of his threes, as well as picking up rebounds and assists at decent rates for his position.

David Monds (6'8" F, Los Angeles Lakers) - Monds was a very solid player for the Lakers, though he didn't start any of the games. He led the team in per-minute scoring, shot 60.4 percent from the field and averaged 13.3 rebounds per 48 minutes, and only turned the ball over twice in five games. His free throws could use some work, as he shot 54.5 percent from the line.

Ronald Dupree (6'7" F, Denver Nuggets) - Yes, that Nuggets team was pretty stacked. Dupree was the team's second-leading scorer on a per-minute basis (and came in only .2 points behind Ty Lawson), and he also rebounded the ball fairly well, though he didn't do much beyond those two things.

Malik Hairston (6'6" G, San Antonio Spurs) - Hairston did a good job shooting the ball, shooting 52.8 percent from the field and averaging 21.4 points per 48 minutes. He didn't offer the kind of rebounding that he usually does, though that my be because he was sharing the court with two monster rebounders in DeJuan Blair and Ian Mahinmi.

Jawad Williams (6'9" F, Cleveland Cavaliers) - Williams showed off his scoring and rebounding in Vegas, making half of his three pointers and averaging 28.2 points and 10 rebounds per 48 minutes (that scoring average was best on the team). He's generally a solid defender as well, though Summer League isn't really the place for that.

DeMarcus Nelson (6'4" G, Chicago Bulls) This is also cheating a little bit since the Bulls called Nelson up before the end of last season, but he showed himself to be a pretty good all-around guard in Vegas. He had some off nights, but ended up shooting 48.1 percent from the field and tied for the second-most assists on the team. He finished averaging seven rebounds and 5.5 assists per 48 minutes, though he could stand to cut down on the turnovers a little bit.

Game Thread: Summer Suns vs Vegas Raptors

Phoenix Stan — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 22:28:28 -0000

Suns are about 2 hours away from tipping off their second game against the Raptors summer squad.

No word yet if Dragic will play against two of the better known point guards he might face here: Quincy Douby and Roko Ukic. Earl Clark should play.

The front court match ups will be interesting, with Lopez going against Patrick O'Bryant, who is big and has some NBA experience in Golden State and Boston. He didn't play much in either place, but he at least should be a better test for Robin than the Dallas centers.

In their last game -- a win over the Blazers -- the Raptors started 6'11" 270lb Paul Davis at power forward. He logged 20 minutes in that game. If the Suns start Clark at PF as expected, this will be a very interesting test for him against a guy who's much, much bigger. The other Raptors front court player that will test Clark is the highly athletic Brent Petway. "Air Georgia" is a former D-league dunk contest winner and defensive player of the year. Petway is an experienced player who will certainly test the young Clark.

I don't know yet if Tucker will play in this game, but I hope he does or DeMar DeRozan might go off for 30.

Steve Kerr, David Griffin and Alvin Gentry are up in the stands watching the Bulls/Bucks game which precedes the Suns.

And hey, our own Mike Lisboa just arrived and sat down next to me! Hi Mike!

[Note by Phoenix Stan, 07/15/09 4:42 PM MST ]

I stalked Steve Kerr in the lobby and talked to him for a few minutes about the talks with Nash's agent, Bill Duffy, the progress of Amare's eye, and seeing Earl play today.

This was a little interesting on Amare's eye situation: He said, "Amare's not out of the woods yet. He's got to be disciplined the next few days and follow the doctor's orders and keep his head down."

No news on the Nash front. Nothing's changed, although Bill Duffy is here.

Vegas Summer League Recap: Day 4

Jon L — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:00:18 -0000

We at Ridiculous Upside continue to be confused at how NBA teams keep ignoring Othyus Jeffers.

View full size photo »

Not really much of an intro this week (which I'm sure you're glad about), as I plan to spend some extra time/space on the first game recap (...and you're sad now). So let's get into it.

D-League Select 96, Minnesota Timberwolves 91

That's right, a team of guys who couldn't get Vegas invites beat a team that started first-round picks. Sorry Minnesota, but you just made a fool of yourself in front of T-Bone. (That's my new/stolen catchphrase for when one of these NBA teams lose to the D-Leaguers.) It's hard to pinpoint just a few good performances from this one since so many of the D-League guys played well. Othyus Jeffers scored 20 points on 13 shots and had seven rebounds, and shot 80 percent from the free-throw line. Coleman Collins couldn't find consistent playing time in Fort Wayne last year, but yesterday he showed why he should with 15 points on nine shots, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal. Gary Forbes didn't make much of a mark in Orlando, but here he had 20 points on 16 shots, four rebounds, three steals, two assists and a block in a little over 21 minutes. Curtis Stinson didn't score, but had six rebounds from the point guard position. Walker Russell picked up five assists along with nine points, three rebounds and a block, and Russell and Stinson combined for just four turnovers. Kurt Looby took only two shots and made one, but he also had five rebounds in a little over 14 minutes.

Look, it's one thing to beat the Japanese national team pretty soundly, and it's another thing to outscore some NBA guys 30-10 in a quarter. And not everything went wrong for Minnesota. Jonny Flynn had a better shooting day, 4-9, and he also had 14 assists and generally looked pretty good running an offense. Wayne Ellington had 22 points on 14 shots and made four of his seven three-pointers. Oleksiy Pecherov had 15 points on 11 shots, including shooting 3-4 on three-pointers, and he also grabbed 10 rebounds. Garrett Siler grabbed seven rebounds in 13 minutes. That third quarter was really what did it in this game, though. Minnesota actually outscored the D-League in the first, second and fourth, but once the Select team took the lead they didn't look back. Even if a guy on the D-League team struggled in one area, like Will Frisby's seven fouls or Marcus Hubbard going 0-2, they still made up for it elsewhere - in Frisby's case he shot 4-8 and grabbed five rebounds; Hubbard got three boards in ten minutes. As Ais put it to me, it was the castoffs of the castoffs beating some pretty good NBA talent. Yeah, yeah, it's Summer League, and the Timberwolves also had guys like Adam Parada and Bobby Brown. But don't think that this D-League Select team isn't playing its collective ass off, because they know they have to show all of the NBA teams that they can outperform these draft picks and guys coming back from Europe on a regular basis

The rest of the games are after the jump.

Phoenix Suns 95, Dallas Mavericks 90

Robin Lopez played well (at least one brother did), with 24 points on 10 shots, 16 rebounds and two shots. Rodrique (they're calling him "Roddy" now, which is fine with me so long as it's preceded by "Rowdy") Beaubois was having a pretty good game, 16 points on 11 shots, three assists, two steals and a block, but then he went down with a possible knee injury. Alando Tucker also played decently, with 15 points on 11 shots and five rebounds, though he could do better on his free-throw shooting.

Herbert Hill did well in his limited playing time, shooting 3-4 and grabbing five rebounds in 11 minutes. Zabian Dowdell wasn't really considered to be a "true point guard" coming out of college a few years ago, but he led the Suns team in assists with five, and also had 15 points on eight shots and four rebounds. Carlos Powell didn't get the ringing-est endorsement after his D-League play a few season ago but the talent's there, and he had 13 points on eight shots and four rebounds.

Toronto Raptors 92, Portland Trail Blazers 87

Full disclosure: I'm a "free Jerryd Bayless" guy, and he played pretty well yesterday with 22 points on 17 shots and seven assists, though he also had six turnovers. DeMar DeRozan's been fairly impressive so far, and against Portland he had 15 points and six rebounds, and only one turnover. Quincy Douby played well off the bench with 20 points on 14 shots and a team-high five assists. Dante Cunningham played well for Portland, with 21 points on 17 shots and nine rebounds, four on the offensive end.

Brent Petway's been playing really well for the Raptors, and yesterday he shot 5-7 with four rebounds and a steal. Pooh Jeter has spent the last few years playing overseas but I think he'd be a decent NBA bench guy, and yesterday he had 10 points on six shots and three steals

Los Angeles Clippers 93, Los Angeles Lakers 82

The Clippers beat the Lakers, and I'm sure Lakers fans everywhere are hanging their heads in shame. What's that, it's only Summer League? Still, this never would've happened if the Lakers hadn't cut Luke Schenscher and Daniel Artest. Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon did most of the damage for the Clippers. Griffin looked impressive in his first NBA action with 27 points on 15 shots and 12 rebounds, though he also had five turnovers. Gordon did most of his damage at the free-throw line, and he ended up with 21 points on 11 shots and three steals. DeAndre Jordan finished with some nice numbers as well, making eight of his nine shots and grabbing five rebounds. Adam Morrison continues to pretend like he's an NBA player, with 20 points on 18 shots and six rebounds.

David Monds played very well for the Lakers team, with 16 points on 13 shots and eight rebounds, four each on the offensive and defensive ends, in just over 25 minutes. He also had only two fouls and zero turnovers. Nik Caner-Medley showed something as well, with 12 points on five shots and 11 rebounds. Someone asked in an earlier recap thread about Tony Rochestie, and while he's getting some playing time (18 minutes yesterday), he's not doing a whole lot. He picked up three assists and a steal, but also shot 0-3, two of which were three-pointers.

Golden State Warriors 97, Detroit Pistons 69

The Warriors were all over this one. Anthony Randolph had 21 points on 12 shots and had 10 rebounds and three blocks. Stephen Curry's definitely a shooter (he took 19 yesterday, got 23 points out of it), but I've been fairly impressed with his rebounding so far, and he had seven yesterday along with five steals, four assists and a block. Jonas Jerebko finally had a solid game in all areas, scoring 16 points on nine shots and picking up four rebounds and two steals. Austin Daye had a decent rebounding day with 11, but wasn't great otherwise, needing 14 shots to get 11 points, missing all three of his shots from behind the arc and picking up eight fouls and eight turnovers.

Even though Cartier Martin didn't have a great shooting day (4-10, missed all four of his three-pointers), he got to the line and made 10 of his 12 free throws and grabbed five rebounds. Dwayne Jones played a little under six minutes, which is U-N-A-C-C-E-P-T-A-B-L-E.

Milwaukee Bucks 91, Sacramento Kings 86

Brandon Jennings is undoubtedly talented, and he's been distributing the ball very well so far in Vegas. He had 14 assists yesterday to go along with 13 points and seven steals. Someone asked me on Twitter yesterday (okay, they asked the joint RU account but I answered) what I thought of Tyreke Evans, and my answer was along the lines of "don't like the shooting or turnovers, but those can improve, and love the rebounding." Evans continues to be an excellent rebounder for his position, grabbing nine yesterday along with seven steals, and while the turnovers were still high (seven) he improved his shooting to score 33 points on 17 shots. Joe Alexander also improved his shooting efficiency, scoring 24 points on 13 shots and grabbing seven rebounds. Jon Brockman's a terrific rebounder, and he had 12 boards in just over 22 minutes. Unfortunately, there aren't a ton of D-League guys on either of these teams (or any any of the teams that have been playing this first week in Vegas), but maybe Salim Stoudamire will start getting more playing time and we can talk about him.

Raptors Outlast Blazers for First Vegas Win

RaptorsHQ - Franchise — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:52:04 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

Anthony Parker is now a Cav and Franchise doesn't see many options so far from Summer League who can take his place...

Browse more photos »

In their best game yet, the Toronto Raptors defeated the Portland Trailblazers in Summer League play moving them to 1 and 2 so far. Franchise breaks things down on his final day in Vegas...

Elvis has left the building.

Yes, it's time for me to head back to the T-Dot.

Howland returned on Sunday morning but I wanted to stick around Las Vegas to get a third Summer League game in, and a chance to see some of the other young rookies get their first taste of NBA action so to speak.

That was all accomplished last night as not only did I take in the Raptors' win over the Blazers, but I also got to see a bevy of other future stars, from Blake Griffin to Stephen Curry.

Let's start with the Raptors though shall we?

A 92 to 87 victory gave the Dinos their first win in Las Vegas and frankly, I didn't see this coming. Toronto didn't play that well in their first two matches, and on paper didn't seem to have the talent to match up against the Blazers.

However this was Portland's first Summer League match and it showed.

The club had 19 turnovers in the match, took some questionable shots, especially in transition, and seemed to be getting used to each other. Oh, and it doesn't help when your starting shooting guard (Thomas Gardner of Missouri fame), goes 0 for 8.

The Raptors however got some very solid play in the back-court once again from Quincy Douby and DeMar DeRozan who combined for 35 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Add in some production from Roko Ukic and Brent Petway and Jerryd Bayless' 22 points and seven assists just wasn't enough for the Blazers.

But beyond the box score, was there anything that really stood out last night for me?

Well for starters, Portland has about four guys on their Summer League roster who look like good bets to make an NBA club next year. Dante Cunningham, Jeff Pendergraph, Bobby Jones and of course Bayless all played at a very high level and the former three should find niche roles in the league. I'd love to see Toronto steal away Jones in particular, a hard-nosed gritty player who shared the back-court in college with Brandon Roy. He wouldn't be a top 7 guy for sure, but he'd be an upgrade off the bench over both George and Banks. Cunningham and Pendergraph are second-round picks by Portland from the most recent-draft and look to be keeping the Blazers' cupboard stocked with young talent.

The same can't be said about the Raps unfortunately. Even though they got the W, there's still precious little to be seen from this group outside of DeRozan and Douby, both of whom I expect to be factors in Toronto's top 10 rotation next season. With Anthony Parker now officially a Cav, the Raptors are going to need to find someone who can step in and provide a solid defensive presence at the 2.

-The O'Bryant experiment should be laid to rest asap. With his size and length he should be dominating in these settings and he's not even close to doing so. He's got almost nothing in terms of a low-post game, is a horrific shot-blocker, and is most effective when trailing the play to pull up for long-range jumpers - not exactly what Toronto needs from a back-up big. Right now he only seems to be taking up a valuable roster spot.

-Roko still shows flashes, but I think everyone is well-served by having him become the third-string point guard off the bench next season. He's still very tough to stop off the bounce, and has great vision when drawing in defenders on the way to the rim, but his shot doesn't seem to have advanced at all and he still takes unnecessary gambles defensively. In fact watching him up close in Summer League, it's a little tough to imagine how any of Toronto's brain-trust felt that he was a good option to back-up Jose last year.

-Brent Petway is an incredible athlete...but that's about where things end. He's provided numerous highlight reel plays, as you can see in the warm-up video below, but the rest of his basketball skills just aren't at the NBA level. If Toronto is looking for a freak athlete who can occasionally come off the bench for an energy boost, I'd rather they looked at someone like Deron Washington who's currently playing for the Pistons.

Raptors Summer League Warm-Up

-And finally, Smush Parker. Smush didn't see the light of day in last night's win and with the Jack offer now official, I'd say that puts a nail in his coffin in terms of playing for the Dinos next season. I'd still say he's an upgrade over Roko, but Ukic obviously has the greater upside so Mr. Parker will probably be plying his trade somewhere else come next fall.

Other than those four, there isn't much else to discuss. Demetris Nichols, who started last night and who I expected to be one of Toronto's top options, has been essentially invisible, and others like David Doblas (who at one point last night started yelling obscenities at the refs due to his perceived lack of calls) haven't shown they'd even belong in the D League.

That means we'll all have to wait and see where BC turns to fill out the roster.

Talking with Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski last night post-game, it sounds like there's still a good deal of moving and shaking to go on in the league so Colangelo may be best served to wait now for a bit to see who falls through the cracks.

FRANCHISE

Summer League Play Isn't Entirely Horrible

DexterFishmore — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:16:51 -0000

Because I live a rich and fulfilling life, I spent Monday afternoon watching YouTube highlights of NBA summer-league play. This isn't recommended for anyone with actual responsibilities, ambitions or even just errands to run. It's time-wasting distilled to its Platonic ideal. To give you something to watch instead of the home-run derby or the Tour de France, though, here are ten minutes' worth of "action" between the Lakers' and Raps' farm teams. I AM AN AMERICAN HERO.

This is actually a bit more compelling than I'd expected. There are players we've heard of, real offensive sets and spectators that might not have been paid to be there. But don't kid yourself: this is nothing but a cheap, temporary fix for the hoops addict who's way beyond help. Not that I'm one to judge.

Thrill to my commentary after the jump!

0:19 - You know how youth rec leagues name their teams after NBA franchises, like kiddy versions of the "Celtics" and "Rockets," even though they probably haven't properly licensed the intellectual property? And they give the kids crummy mesh uniforms manufactured by 10-cents-an-hour Burmese sweatshop labor? That's what summer-league uniforms look like.

0:38 - Is that David Aldridge on the color commentary? His career might be going sideways. Of course, I'd happily call summer-league games for $20 in chips and buffet comps from Excalibur. It's like traveling in a time machine to Arthurian England! If Arthurian England had Wheel of Fortune-themed slots and was overrun by Wisconsin tourists wearing Brett Favre jerseys.

0:55 - Aldridge becomes the 20,000th commentator to compare Adam Morrison to JJ Redick. This is still better than the Tour de France, but the gap is closing.

1:27 - Smush Parker, ladies and gentlemen! He will haunt Lakerdom for all eternity.

1:36 - Morrison hits a runner to put the "Lakers" up one. I actually clapped for a second before remembering this isn't real basketball.

1:46 - Smush again! He will have his revenge.

1:53 - Brent Petway, seen swatting away a jump hook, is well liked by our friends at Ridiculous Upside and, I'm told, won the D League's dunk contest in 2008. Similarly, I used to have a nerf hoop in my office that I dunked on when I was supposed to be listening to conference calls.

2:32 - DeMar Derozan gets whistled for a charge. My stathead friends generally think he's going to bust in the Association, but I think he might work out OK. He needs to either eat more or get on an HGH cycle.

3:00 - Fast break finish by Ben McCauley, who had a monster game (24 points and 15 ribs) in this one. He's a tweener out of North Carolina State and doesn't look half-bad, to be honest. He will never play for the real-world Lakers, however, so you have permission to resume not caring about him.

3:25 - If you're wondering about the difference in quality between the summer league and the actual NBA, please note that Adam Morrison is a devastating scorer in this game.

3:54 - Petway gets blocked on a dunk attempt. Jordan Crawford is unimpressed.

4:15 - But Petway redeems himself with the colossal basline flush! Chinemelu Elonu gets posterized, and the Nigerian version of Nike demands confiscation of the video.

4:42 - Holy crap... the "Lakers" are actually running the Triangle. I am legitimately surprised and impressed. It's really not a simple scheme to learn, and considering these guys have spent about 12 minutes together....

5:05 - I enjoy just making shit up, so here goes.... Morrison will be the summer league MVP. If not this year, then eventually.

5:32 - Sweet oop finish by Derozan. In regular league action, I suspect someone would have destroyed him with a Flagrant Two rather than allow that to happen.

6:04 - Morrison uncorks a brilliant 60 foot lob to someone named Tony Gaffney. I'm beginning to think this video was doctored.

6:26 - Taylor Rochestie puts the Lakers up one! My wife just scolded me for cheering too loudly hahaha just kidding. I am single and deeply antisocial.

6:48 - Look at that ball movement! This is a very credible version of the Triangle we're seeing.

7:08 - Someone named "Monds" scores for the Lakers. I have no intention of figuring out who he is.

8:05 - Aron Baynes is in the game. The boxscore indicates that he committed five personal fouls in less than nine minutes played. Somewhere, Andrew Bynum nods approvingly.

8:23 - Raptor plans will be pleased to learn that Derozan can't guard Morrison one-on-one.

8:52 - Smush is back on the court! Just in time to throw it away on a key late possession. That seems so unlike him.

9:18 - Morrison blocks Derozan. This video has absolutely been doctored.

9:33 - The mysterious "Monds" hits a key jumper after a travel that isn't called. The refs really want to get to the blackjack tables before the minimum bets get raised.

9:46 - McCauley FTW with 15 seconds left! Suck it, Canada!

In conclusion, if I were in Vegas I would absolutely gamble on these games. The end.

Vegas Summer League Recap: Day 2

Jon L — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:00:15 -0000

One thing you should know about me, readers, is that I'll never lie to you. So first be aware that I haven't shelled out the $15 for watching these games online, because paying money to watch Summer League games via internet stream is dumb, and as such I'm relying on box scores and accounts of others to write the Vegas recaps. The second thing is that I didn't start writing this particular recap until about 2 AM because I was out at a concert starring my new favorite live band. So I apologize if this isn't as in-depth as it could be. Of course, for me "in-depth" mostly means "long," so you'll probably be happy with it.

Houston Rockets 98, Dallas Mavericks 95

Joey Dorsey continued to show why he may be ready to step into the Rockets lineup next year, with 13 points on 8 shots, 15 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He had seven fouls, though, and only shot 3-7 on his free-throws, which isn't great. Maarty Leunen had another good game as well, making five of his six field goals and adding five rebounds and three assists. Rodrigue Beaubois showed a dramatic improvement in his second Summer League game, with a much more efficient 34 points on 21 shots, including 7-12 on three-pointers, and he had eight assists, five rebounds and only two turnovers. Now he just needs to work on his fouling (he had nine). Chase Budinger had a pretty good game off the bench, shooting 9-10 for 25 points in 22 and a half minutes. Jersey retirement ceremony, here we come!

Luke Jackson didn't have a great shooting day, 3-11, but he did a good job of getting to the line and made all eight of his free throws. Herbert Hill played less than seven minutes, but he made them count with 4-5 shooting, though he didn't contribute much else. Will Conroy had a good day running the point for Houston, with 12 points on six shots and team-highs in assists and steals with four and two, respectively, all in 18 minutes.

The rest of the day's action after the jump.

Detroit Pistons 91, Toronto Raptors 87

DeMar DeRozan has been the talk of Vegas so far (or maybe I just follow a lot of Raptors fans on Twitter), and while he's been an exciting scorer, he hasn't been all that efficient doing it. He had four rebounds and a block, though, to go with his 9-20 shooting. Quincy Douby also had a good game (and a more efficient one), with 21 points on 13 shots, five rebounds, three assists and a block. Austin Daye had a big game, and played 40 minutes (which, even if he's a rookie and you're trying to see what he can give you, is still way too much for Summer League; save some for Will Bynum!). In those 40 minutes he had 19 points on 14 shots and eight rebounds. Deron Washington played well, uh, as well, with 13 points on 11 shots and six rebounds, though he also only shot 33 percent on his free throws.

Brent Petway didn't showcase his shot-blocking as much yesterday, but he shot the ball much better than the first game, going 3-4. Patrick O'Bryant (remember him) still doesn't shoot the ball particularly well, but he 10 rebounds and two blocks (though he also had six fouls and five turnovers). Andre Owens had a game-high nine assists off the bench with only one turnover, though he missed both of his field goals.

Golden State Warriors 98, Sacramento Kings 95

An overtime game! In Summer League! Feel the excitement! Anthony Randolph again showed why he's drawn comparisons to Lamar Odom, with 24 points on 13 shots, 11 rebounds, five blocks, two assists and two steals. He also had six turnovers, but Warriors fans have to love the rest of it. On the other side, Kings fans have to like what they're seeing from Tyreke Evans, as he had 25 points on 19 shots, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals. Evans also had too many turnovers, though, with five. Stephen Curry had a pretty terrible shooting day, 3-8 from three and 8-22 overall, but he made up for it by getting to the line and making 10 of his 11 free-throws. He also had six rebounds and three assists. In just a few days Jon Brockman has shown himself to be a very solid rebounder, and yesterday he had seven in just over nine minutes.

Cartier Martin had a big scoring day, with 25 points on 15 shots, including shooting 60 percent on his three-pointers and making 10 of his 11 free throws. Marcus Landry also shot the ball well, with 14 points on eight shots. Seven of those shots were three-pointers, and he made four of them. Other than Martin there weren't too many D-League guys in this game, and those who were didn't play much (and they didn't play all that well besides).

Los Angeles Lakers 88, Cleveland Cavaliers 82

You know who had another good game? Adam Morrison. 22 points on 16 shots, including 4-6 on three-pointers, four rebounds and three assists. Ben McCauley also was solid again, with 10 points on six shots and seven rebounds. Chinemelu Elonu was a Lakers draft pick out of Texas A&M who a lot of people thought needed at least another season in college, but he shot 4-6 yesterday and had five rebounds and two blocks.

David Monds had a good game, making all of his five field goals and grabbing four rebounds in about 15 and a half minutes. Jawad Williams also played well, with 14 points on 10 shots, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, and best of all he only had one turnover and no fouls in 20 and a half minutes. If Williams doesn't get any playing time with the Cavaliers this season, he should maybe start looking elsewhere.