SB Nation - Kasib Powell

Kasib Powell: Preparing for Trikala

Scott Schroeder — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:58:01 -0000

[Kasib Powell checks in one last time before he heads overseas (Trikala, Greece) to make that money. Last time Powell checked in with us, he was coming off of a good Summer League in Orlando. From everyone at RU, we'd like to wish him luck and hopefully everything works out the way it's supposed to in the long run -- Scott]

As I'm sitting here Sunday morning, I'm making a list of things that I will need this season in Greece: Plenty of DVD's, white tees, Skype, a global phone, and the most important thing - an electronics adapter. People might not realize how important the last thing on my list is, but the adapter is key. I got to learn that quick when I had a mini explosion with my XBox 360 and my brand new hair clippers last time I was overseas!

My decision to go to Europe was a difficult and stressful one that took longer then I wanted, but at the same time it felt like I had to make a decision quick. My options were laid out on the table and I had already turned down two great jobs in Europe. This would have been the third situation that slipped by me, so instead I decided to grab the situation by the horns and embrace it. So I'm headed to Trikala, Greece! I have never been so excited to go to Europe as I am now!! Every overseas team I have played on (except one) has never had any other Americans on the team. This year in Greece though, I will be playing with AJ Abrams from the University of Texas and Tyrrell Biggs from Pittsburgh. Both of those guys are use to winning and the three of us will take that attitude to Greece and win many games in a great league.

My other option was going to training camp with an NBA team. I could have rolled the dice, but honestly, I have rolled the dice too much and it was time to stop rolling and jump on a great team that WANTED me and that was going to GUARANTEE my money. If I was 22 or 23, I would have stuck around and rolled the dice, but at this point in my career, it is a wise move. After I have a great season in Trikala, who knows how much Panathinakos or Olympiakos will offer me with the way they are signing people? Or maybe I have such a great year that my next destination after this year will be with the Phoenix Suns? Besides, if you're a former D-league MVP struggling to get into the league that the NBA has a direct affiliation with, then maybe I needed to go to Europe and try that route.

Many players get into the NBA late after many years in Europe or the minors so I will keep hope alive that I will be a late addition that plays 5 or 6 years in the NBA. I still feel my game is an NBA game but I will be taking my services to Europe. No love lost from any teams in the NBA or the NBA in general. I will still watch games over in Greece and I still am a big fan. There is always next year. I dont leave the country for another week so as I'm getting all my items for this season, I will check in before my departure.

-Sib
Jersey!

Orlando Magic's 2009 Pro Summer League Proves Fruitless, as Top Performers Sign Elsewhere

Ben Q Rock — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 18:00:12 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

Point guard Levance Fields is among the Orlando Magic's summer-league players who have signed elsewhere, leaving the Magic empty-handed.

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It's high time we take a quick look around the world to see where the Orlando Magic's summer-leaguers have wound up. If you recall, Ryan Anderson was the only player on the team with an NBA contract, and the Magic's bevy of open roster spots meant that their summer-league invitees stood a great chance of receiving an invite to training camp. Here's how I assessed each individual performance.

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear as though any of the standouts will return to Orlando, as they've received jobs elsewhere.

Small forward Kasib Powell, who earned second-team all-league honors that week, reached an agreement with a Greek team, per this Greek link.
Big man Richard Hendrix signed with a Spanish team.
Russell Robinson spurned the Magic, who offered him a spot in their training camp, for the opportunity to play with Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, and former Kansas teammate Darnell Jackson in the Cleveland Cavaliers' camp instead.

Jeremy Richardson, the only other NBA-caliber player from the Magic's team, said he expects to sign with the Magic. That was a month ago. Still no word on his chances of reprising his 15th-man role once again, as Orlando is more concerned with filling its third-string point guard vacancy.

And in much less surprising news, Levance Fields, who did not have an exceptional week, signed with Spartak St. Petersburg after not receiving an offer from the Magic.

Indeed, based on these recent signings, it appears as the Magic accomplished two things in summer-league: they provided assistant coach Patrick Ewing with some head-coaching experience, and they served as a showcase for Anderson, who was arguably the best player in the entire camp. Unfortunately for him, the Magic signed power forward Brandon Bass on the last day of camp, a move which appears to have squeezed the 21-year-old Anderson out of the immediate rotation.

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.

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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?

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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.

Kasib Powell: Checking In After Summer League

Scott Schroeder — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:17:57 -0000

Kasib doing his thing in Orlando, via www.nba.com

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Kasib Powell, who played well in Orlando is back in Jersey, doing some things for his foundation and checking in with RU. If you have any questions for him, leave a comment and we'll try to get them answered next time he checks in. -- Scott

Hello to everyone!! Since I have been home from the Orlando Summer League I have been putting a lot of time into my camp which starts Aug 3-7. The camp is a skills camp for ages 9-18. The camp will help young players with their fundamentals and also teach them about being a complete athlete - things like nutrition, getting rest, teamwork, hard work, and dedication. I have more information on my website, www.kasibpowell.com

With that being said I can start to elaborate on what happened in Orlando: I will start with letting the readers know that I have been through many summer leagues and that this was the hardest I've been in - by far. Still, it worked out just right because I was in the best shape of my life when I went out to Orlando. Imagine if I wasn't ready, or at least in great shape? I wouldn't have lasted more then two days. Even though I was in great shape, the week before the games was brutal! It did, however, show who had worked out before they got to summer league and who was chillin' and enjoying there off-season a little too much!! During the games I did play well but I'm my hardest critic and I believe that I could have played better. I finished up averaging 15 points, 6 boards and 3 assists. I also shot 49% from the field and 57% from the 3-point line.

I finished up second team all Orlando Summer league. I really wanted 1st team but I couldn't be mad because James Harden was named to the 1st team. Whenever someone is ranked or placed in front of you, (pause) it makes it a lot easier to sleep when you have respect for the other persons game. Out of the 10 people named to 1st and 2nd teams, everyone was a draft pick. 1st team, Russell Westbrook (lottery (4th pick)), Harden (lottery (3rd pick)), Tyler Hansbrough ( lottery (13th pick)), Ryan Anderson (20th pick), Roy Hibbert (18th pick). The 2nd team was J.R. Giddens (1st rd), D.J. White (1st rd) Marreese Speights (1st rd) Nick Fazekas (2nd rd), and nobody else but your boy, undrafted, no contract(!) Kasib Powell. This is why I push to be at the top level. I belong here!

Kasib

(JERSEY)

Vegas Summer League: A Look Forward

Jon L — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:45:08 -0000

Gary Forbes and the D-League Select team did well at Vegas Summer League. Should there be more teams in the future?

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Now that we've assessed who played well in this year's Summer League, both in Orlando and in Vegas, I thought I'd talk about an idea I mentioned in the comments a few days ago: next year, there should be more D-League teams. There were too many D-League guys stuck on the end of Summer League benches or only playing in one or two games for the current system to really benefit them. Assuredly, there were some NBA teams that "got it." Orlando, Denver and the Knick all come to mind as teams that invited players who spent all or part of last year in the D-League and then, and this is important, let them play.

Now, this is not necessarily the fault of the NBA teams. Some of them have several young players or guys who are under contract that they need to figure out what to do with. About half of San Antonio's roster was made up of guys who they've drafted in the last few years, for example. That meant that Squeaky Johnson only appeared in two games, and Erik Dawson didn't play at all. Now, neither of those players are on the short list of likely NBA call-ups, but they still have some talent and weren't able to demonstrate it. There were some guys who didn't play due because they couldn't - David Noel and Patrick Ewing Jr. of the Knicks' team were both sidelined with injury. But Maureece Rice averaged nine minutes in Vegas. Dwayne Jones played a total of nine minutes over only two games. Trent Strickland played in two games. Rod Benson appeared in three games, and after playing a little over 11 minutes in the first he never played more than 3 and a half minutes in the others. Dominique Coleman averaged less than six minutes over three minutes. Et cetera.

My solution? More D-League Select teams. The one team. Even excluding the D-League players who were out with injuries, there are enough guys who did play to form three additional 10-man rosters of players who come from the D-League. You also could establish fewer teams with more than ten players on each roster, as the injuries suffered by Othyus Jeffers, Trey Johnson and meant that this year's D-League Select team found itself shorthanded at times.

Below the jump I discuss the advantages I see for everyone involved.

Advantages for D-League players: More playing time, obviously. Sure guys like Kasib Powell and C.J. Giles got a lot of playing time, but as I noted above, that experience wasn't nearly universal. No one on the D-League Select team averaged less than 15 minutes a game. Having multiple teams means that both the Kasib Powells and the Trent Stricklands will be able to show what they can do. With three or four teams, the D-League also could turn it into an event where 40 or 50 guys are invited to try out, and NBA scouts and coaches are invited to observe them. That would lead to the kind of exposure given to players who attended the D-League's Elite minicamp, but on a wider level.

Advantages for the D-League: The D-League Select team generated a lot of positive coverage from newspapers, magazines and websites like TrueHoop. Quite simply, this was a public relations win for the D-League. The Select team was noted to be made up of talented players who were typically playing harder than the others and who beat several teams made up of first-round NBA talent. Hopefully this is what people will think of from now on when they hear "D-League" rather than the 31-year old mailman who played JV basketball in high school and wants to give it one more shot.

Advantages for other players: Fewer roster spots taken up by D-League players means more spots for the Pooh Jeters and Nikoloz Tskitishvilis of the world. While the odds those guys get an NBA contract coming out of Summer League are admittedly slim, more playing time for those types of players means they'll have more chances to show what they can do for European teams as well.

Advantages for the NBA: This one is a little tough to discern, as there may be a point at which the league doesn't really care how many D-League teams there are at Summer League, but ultimately benefits the D-League
benefits the NBA. The fact that the Select team did so well hopefully means more players will see the league as a viable option to get noticed by NBA teams and scouts, and that sponsors will see it as a positive venture as well. That can make Papa Stern happy.

A Look Back at the Orlando Summer League

Jon L — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:00:22 -0000

Kasib Powell, who had a great Summer League.

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Before we get too entrenched in Vegas Summer League stories and stats, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look back at some notable performances from Orlando. I'm going to focus on players who have seen a lot of D-League time as well as some other guys who came into Summer League without a guaranteed spot on an NBA roster (though there are a few second-round picks sprinkled in here). As with the daily breakdowns, the emphasis here is on the positive - there certainly were players who could've done better, but this is about letting you know who played his way onto NBA radars (or should've, anyway), not telling you that Terrence Williams needs to work on his defense. You'll have plenty of time to figure that one once the season starts. Oh, and I'm mainly looking at guys who played a lot. Josh McRoberts, for instance, has a decent rebounding average but he played in only two games. With all that as preface, let's take a look at ten players who did well for themselves down in Orlando.

Kasib Powell (6'7") - Yeah, yeah, he's been contributing to RU, but Powell really did play very well in Orlando. He was the Magic team's second-best player all week behind NBA-er Ryan Anderson, and while his shooting wasn't always there, he ended up shooting 53 percent on threes, and he helped out in plenty of other ways with 23 rebounds in four games, eight assists, a pair of blocks and only three turnovers. The Magic frontcourt gets more crowded seemingly by the day, but Powell would be a nice addition to the Orlando bench.

Richard Hendrix (6'9"F/C) - Hendrix had a great week rebounding-wise, averaging 15 per 48 minutes, and his 29 rebounds came about evenly divided between offense and defense, so he was taking care of business at both ends of the floor. He also shot 56 percent through four games, and had seven blocks. With Marcin Gortat headed to Dallas and Tony Battie gone as part of the Vince Carter trade, Hendrix wouldn't be a bad backup in the middle for the Magic.

D.J. White (6'9" F) - White was the best OKC rebounder on a per-game basis and was a pretty efficient scorer overall, with 54 points on 41 total shots. White had some injury problems when he was with Tulsa last season, but he's talented enough to play for the Thunder this year

Chris Lofton (6'2" G) - I didn't talk about Lofton much on a game-by-game basis, and looking back I have no idea why not. He came into camp with a reputation as a good three-point shooter, and Summer League only emphasized that - he made 60 percent of his threes. He didn't really offer much else, with a combined five rebounds, three assists and three steals in five games, but he also didn't turn the ball over (four total), and he had the best free-throw percentage on Boston's entire roster, a respectable 89 percent. If teams are looking for an outside shooter, Lofton is one of the best prospects coming out of Orlando.

Russell Robinson (6'1" G) - Robinson was running the point for Orlando all week, and he did a pretty good job of it. He didn't shoot the ball particularly well, but he ran the offense and distributed the ball pretty well. About eight assists per 48 minutes, and he also had five total assists, tied for most on the team.

A.J. Price (6'0" G) - I'm somewhat skeptical that Price will make an NBA roster this year (he was arrested for stealing laptops while at UConn), but if he spends a few years in the D-League he might get a shot. His Orlando performance demonstrated that he may deserve one, as he shot 57 percent on his three-pointers and led the Pacers team in assists, averaging a little under 7 per 48 minutes, which is decent for a guy who's not really a true point guard. He also had only five turnovers all week. The downside to his performance is that he shot only 8-20 on two-pointers and didn't get to the line very much (only three free throws in five games), but the talent is there.

Kevin Rogers (6'9" F) - Rogers had a few disappointing final years at Baylor, but he showed some skill in Orlando, with 43 points on 34 shots and 22 total rebounds in five games, which averages out to about eight and a half per 48 minutes, which is solid. He also led the Boston team with seven total blocks. He may need a year or two of committed development time before he's completely ready, but his performance here intrigues me, and I think a team that doesn't need an immediate contribution would do well to take a look (Houston, I'm looking in your direction).

Josh Duncan (6'9"F) - Duncan may not be all that athletic, but he did a great job scoring this week, making seven of his nine three-pointers and shooting 72.4 percent overall. He also finished with respectable rebounding and free-throw shooting numbers.

Kevin Kruger (6'2" G) - Kevin Kruger didn't finish the week with great shooting percentages, but he did a good job running the point when he was on the court and finished averaging just over eight points per 48 minutes. He didn't get a ton of playing time, but he was solid enough that he might get a preseason look. He still dribbles the ball too much, but that hasn't held other guys back. He also averaged one turnover about every 11 minutes.

Kevin Lyde (6'10" F/C) - Lyde didn't play very many minutes either, but he rebounded the ball really well when he did play - 21 total rebounds in 64 minutes, just under 16 per 48 minutes. He shot under 50 percent on free throws, though. Yikes.

Reviewing Orlando Magic Players' Performance in the 2009 Orlando Pro Summer League

Ben Q Rock — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:00:18 -0000

Another Orlando Pro Summer League is in the books, and the host Orlando Magic finished the week with a 2-3 record. The Magic have several roster spots to fill on the big-league team, and must fill those spots with a limited budget. Undrafted rookies, free-agents, and veterans of international ball--in other words, players who fit the Magic's said limited budget--made their cases for inclusion on the opening-night roster.

After the jump, 3QC breaks down the chances each player has of earning an invitation to training camp.

First, a look at each player's per-game statistics. They're sorted in descending order by total minutes played, in order to show which players got the longest looks from the team.

Pos.	Name	Mins	Pts	Rebs	Asts	Stls	Blks	FG%	3FG%	FT%
PF	Ryan Anderson	31	21.4	9.4	2.0	1.0	1.0	49.3%	41.4%	92.0%
SF	Kasib Powell	34	14.8	5.8	2.0	1.0	0.8	46.0%	52.9%	44.4%
PG	Russell Robinson	22	6.6	1.4	3.6	1.0	0.2	38.5%	28.6%	91.7%
SG	Maurice Ager	19	8.0	1.4	1.4	0.6	0.2	37.5%	28.6%	60.9%
PF/C	Richard Hendrix	23	9.8	7.3	0.8	0.3	1.8	56.0%	100.0%	66.7%
PG	Brian Chase	26	12.7	4.0	2.7	0.3	0.0	55.6%	75.0%	66.7%
SF	Jeremy Richardson	26	12.0	5.7	0.3	1.0	0.0	35.1%	15.4%	88.9%
PF/C	Darian Townes	15	3.6	3.6	0.0	0.0	0.2	34.8%		40.0%
SG	Courtney Fells	18	2.7	2.7	0.7	1.0	0.3	14.3%	22.2%
C	Lance Allred	10	1.4	2.8	0.8	0.0	0.0	27.3%		50.0%
PG	Jeremy Pargo	18	4.0	1.5	1.5	1.5	0.0	33.3%	0.0%
PG	Levance Fields	13	4.5	1.0	2.5	0.5	0.0	36.5%	25.0%	0.0%
C	Stevan Milosevic	8	2.0	1.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	66.7%
PF	C.J. Giles	5	2.0	3.0	0.0	2.0	0.0	50.0%

It's pretty easy to stratify the players from there.

The Sure Thing

Ryan Anderson will make the final roster, and would have regardless of how well he played in camp, because he's the only player here with a guaranteed contract. Orlando wouldn't surrender Courtney Lee to the New Jersey Nets as part of the deal for Vince Carter were Anderson not included. But even if all that weren't the case--if he were scrapping just like everyone else--he would have assured a roster spot with his play this week. He was the best player on the floor most of the time, and displayed some admirable versatility. Catch-and-shoot, pick-and-pop? Sure, that's what he did in New Jersey. But he added some strong drives to the basket, and did some work on the offensive glass. In the regular season, he'll revert to catch-and-shoot/pick-and-pop action, but he's developing an all-around game for the long haul. At 21, he could be in Orlando for quite some time.

The Likely Camp Invitees

Kasib Powell, too, looked like an all-around player. He struggles to finish near the basket, but he's a solid jump-shooter, with a better handle than at least one small forward on Orlando's roster. At 28, he has limited upside, but he's a smart player who works hard. There might be a spot at the end of Orlando's bench for him. Given his play this week, and given his familiarity with the organization--he went to training camp with the Magic in 2006--there's a darn good chance he'll go camping with them again this year.
Russell Robinson's shooting and scoring stats won't impress you, but his ability to run a team might. He turned the ball over 6 times in 109 minutes, coordinated the offense, and made smart plays. Defensively, he pressures the ball well. Coach Stan Van Gundy went out of the way to compliment Robinson after camp, and it appears as though the Magic will use their remaining free-agency dollars to address needs at small forward and at center. Maybe they'll take a flier on Robinson, hoping the 23-year-old can fill-in as their third point guard this year, and maybe develop into a backup down the line.
Richard Hendrix is neither tall nor athletic. That did not stop him from fairly quietly posting impressive numbers at both power positions or Orlando this week. He's not much of a shot creator or jump-shooter--regardless of the made three-pointer, at the end of a quarter, off a designed play-- but as a garbageman, he's efficient. Defensively, he holds his own, and has good-but-not-great instincts as a shot-blocker. The Magic could do worse than to fill their 6th big-man spot with Hendrix.
Jeremy Richardson's week ended due to a sore right foot, so his minutes played and per-game stats skew unfavorably. I thought he played better than his 35.1% shooting would suggest. Don't get hung up on his poor three-point shooting; if there's one thing he's proven in his brief NBA career, it's that he can hit the three-ball, with a career 38.5% mark from beyond the arc. His woeful percentage inside it has held him back, so to see him make almost half of his two-pointers? It's progress. He expects to sign soon, and I'm inclined to take his word for it.

The Possible Camp Invitees

Maurice Ager might have been the most vocal Magic player, in terms of yelling in either exuberance or frustration. He plays hard, and we can't fault him for that. But in 78 NBA games over 3 seasons, he's been just awful. He's a scoring specialist who doesn't score efficiently. So why might he make the Magic's camp roster? It's only someone else's hunch: one media member at RDV this week said Ager and his agent wouldn't have chosen to join Orlando's summer-league team without some sort of "wink/nod" agreement with GM Otis Smith.
Brian Chase elevated himself from "Everyone Else" to "Possible Camp Invitee" status with his play on Friday. On the court for the final 31 minutes after Robinson started, he put on a clinic against the Pacers. 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting, with 1-of-1 from downtown. He's quick, he can finish, and he has a nice handle. What he isn't, however, is a playmaker. But sure, he can make a professional career out of being a scoring guard. Professionally in Europe, in all likelihood.

The Wildcard

Milovan Rakovic didn't play a single minute this week, apparently due to a paperwork/clearance issue. The Magic might want to see how their 2006 second-rounder performs in their own camp, if that paperwork is resolved. The more likely result is that Rakovic will spend another year with Spartak Saint Petersburg, and Orlando will take another look at him next summer.

Everyone Else

Lance Allred was a step slower than his contemporaries all week, didn't rebound or defend especially well, and didn't do much besides hit some elbow jumpers. On the plus side, he's the only published author on the Magic's summer roster.
Courtney Fells did not meet a shot attempt he didn't like. 3-of-21 shooting, 2-of-9 from three-point range, no free throw attempts, and as many turnovers as points (8). He sure can jump, though.
Levance Fields played reasonably well in limited minutes--if we're honest, he's a cut above the other players in this section--but Robinson and Chase outperformed him. He'll catch on somewhere overseas and might get another opportunity in the NBA next season.
C.J. Giles appeared in one game, for 5 minutes. Not to be too glib, but that's about all you need to know about his chances of making the team.
Stevan Milosevic is a big guy, and that might be the extent of his positives, in terms of NBA potential. He was involved in arguably the two most embarrassing plays of camp: the Celtics' J.R. Giddens threw down a vicious tomahawk dunk on him on Wednesday. Later in the week, he made an impressive spin around Pacers center Scott Vander Meer, had a wide-open look to the basket... and airballed the layup. He threw the ball straight up in the air. One of the more spectacular misses in summer-league history. I hate to rip the guy, because he tried his best, but his best isn't going to get it done in the NBA.
Jeremy Pargo hardly played this week, and in limited minutes, did not do much to distinguish himself as a better shoot-first point guard prospect than Chase did.
Darian Townes started at center in 3 of the 5 games, but usually gave way to Hendrix in crunch-time situations. Defenders block his shot all too easily, even at the rim, which helps to explain his 34.8% shooting despite hardly taking any jumpers, that I can recall. There's room for a few offensive zeroes in the NBA--think Chuck Hayes--but they have to be able to do something else extremely well. Hayes, for instance, is one of the league's best post defenders despite standing only 6'06". Townes didn't distinguish himself as a rebounder, defender, or shot-blocker.

Okay, that's out of the way.

So, 3QCers, who would you like to see invited to Orlando's training camp in the fall?

Recapping the Orlando Summer League: Day 5

Jon L — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:00:15 -0000

Yesterday was the final day of games for the Orlando Summer League. Some of the players looking to make an NBA roster are now headed for Vegas to play for other teams, while everyone else heads back home and prepares for the preseason. As I mentioned yesterday, I'll take a look back at the Orlando league's games, probably to run on Monday, but there's still the matter of the last three games to recap. Onward!

Boston Celtics 92, Philadelphia/New Jersey Frankensteins 79

Chris Douglas-Roberts got his scoring back on track in this one, scoring 15 points on 9 shots, and he also had four assists and three rebounds, which is good to see from him. Gabe Pruitt has been pretty solid running the point (with a few bumps in the road), and he had 13 points on 8 shots, nine assists and three steals. Jrue Holiday hasn't had the best Summer League, but yesterday he shot 4-8 and threw in four assists and four rebounds. At this point the fewer mentions of Terrence Williams's offense the better, though he had six rebounds, four assists and a block.

Nick Fazekas finally had himself a good game. He's been struggling a little bit to make his mark, but yesterday he scored 22 points on 17 shots and had nine rebounds but only two fouls. Gary Forbes shot the ball very well, going 7-11, and he added three rebounds, two assists and a block, though he also had five fouls in just over 26 minutes. Jason Ellis kept up the good rebounding work with six, but he also had five fouls. Coby Karl continued to contribute in non-shooting areas of the game, with six rebounds and five assists, and he only had one turnover in just under 28 minutes, which is an improvement over the rest of his week.

The other two games after the jump.

Utah Jazz 70, Oklahoma City Thunder 60

Both Russell Westbrook and Kyle Weaver sat this one out, and Shaun Livingston did well in his natural position running the point, with 12 points on 9 shots, four assists and five rebounds. DJ White also got into the game and did very well, shooting 7-10, though he also had four fouls and three turnovers. BJ, excuse me, Byron Mullens had a rough shooting day, missing all seven of his field goals, but he grabbed six rebounds and finished with only two fouls and no turnovers.

Larry Turner hasn't been very impressive this week, but he came through in the middle yesterday with 12 rebounds and three blocks. Andre Ingram was solid all-around, with 11 points on 4-7 shooting, including 3-6 on three-pointers, and he also had four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Kevin Kruger's been pretty solid all week, and yesterday he had 10 points, made half his shots (including half of his three-pointers) and had a game-high five assists. Josh Duncan also had a solid game off the bench, going 4-5 for 12 points, including making both of his three-pointers, and adding four rebounds in a little over 16 minutes.

Indiana Pacers 68, Orlando Magic 54

Ryan Anderson finally had a bad game, at least offensively, shooting 2-11 and picking up six rebounds, though he also had 10 rebounds and two steals. Tyler Hansbrough had a somewhat-similar night, shooting 1-5 with nine rebounds. Roy Hibbert played well, though, with 16 points on 13 shots, 11 rebounds and three blocks, though he also had three turnovers in 20 minutes.

I'm sure by this point you all think I keep mentioning him because he's been contributing to this site, but Kasib Powell's been playing really well all week. He didn't have a great shooting day yesterday overall, needing 14 shots to score 12 points, but he made two of his three three-point shots, and he's versatile enough to contribute even when his shot isn't falling and grabbed eight rebounds. Richard Hendrix had a solid game off the bench, with 10 points on 7 shots, five rebounds and four blocks. Trey Johnson had an okay day shooting-wise, but he didn't do much else and also picked up four fouls in 22 minutes. Scott Vander Meer may be headed to Fort Wayne this season, and while he's been relatively quiet all week he had a decent game yesterday with six rebounds and three blocks, though he also shot 2-7.

Orlando Pro Summer League: Indiana Pacers 68, Orlando Magic 54

Ben Q Rock — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:00:17 -0000

In a game that perhaps epitomized the very definition of "summer league," the Orlando Magic fell to the Indiana Pacers, 68-54, to close out the 2009 Orlando Pro Summer League. The teams combined to shoot 34% from the field, with many players dragging after logging so many minutes. Orlando's Ryan Anderson, for instance, breezed through the first 4 days of the week, but came up short on every jumper he took today and finished a woeful 2-of-11 from the field. Reserve point guard Brian Chase (16 points, 7-of-11 from the field) and reserve forward/center Richard Hendrix (10 points on 4-of-7 shooting) were the only two Magic players to tally more points than field goal attempts. Just horrid to watch, and there isn't a heckuva lot to take away from this one.

The day wasn't a total waste, though. Anderson and Kasib Powell contributed despite their poor shooting performances, with 10 and 8 rebounds, respectively. Pacers center Roy Hibbert put together another fine game, with 16 points, 11 boards, and 3 blocked shots. Lance Allred pulled down 7 rebounds in just over 8 minutes, an impressive rate.

More on Anderson, about whose performance most Magic fans are interested, as he's the only player on the team with a guaranteed deal for this season: not everything he tossed at the basket today was garbage. He didn't get lazy and crank jumpers, if that's what his stat line might have led you to believe. Twice, he showed what may be his pet move: catching the ball on the right wing, sizing up the defender in a triple-threat position, driving left (with his left hand) into the paint, spinning right toward the baseline, then finally putting up a baby hook off the glass. Decent move, and he managed to shake Tyler Hansbrough twice with it, if memory serves.

The best Magic player on the floor was Brian Chase, who had played sparingly (just under 37 minutes in two games) before today. He might be the quickest player on the summer-league squad, and had no trouble getting by his defender and into the lane. Once there, he was able to get his floater off over the Pacers' defense--not an easy task, given the size of Hibbert (7'02") and backup Scott Vander Meer (7'00"). He executed a filthy spin-move around his defender on one transition possession, drawing oohs and ahhs from the crowd which, I should note, is composed only of team officials and media members.

Hendrix, too, played well. 4 blocked shots from the undersized (6'09") big man, whose chances of making the final team might be jeopardized by today's signing of free-agent power forward Brandon Bass to a 4-year deal. I had Hendrix pegged all wrong. Coming into camp, I assumed he was of the athletic/undersized type, like Bass or Jason Maxiell. Turns out he's not terribly athletic. But he does have good instincts for the ball, either coming off the rim for a board or out of an opponent's hand for the shot-block. He showcased a bit of his offensive repertoire today with a follow dunk, a lefty hook, and even a three-pointer coming out of a timeout.

Russell Robinson, who finished third on the team in total minutes played, didn't close out camp with a strong case for his inclusion on the final roster. He continued to look for his shot, as he did yesterday, which is a change-of-pace from what he did in the first 3 days. He's still looking for that shot, having missed all 4 of his attempts in the first 8 minutes before giving way to Chase for the rest of the game. I'm willing to chalk it up as an off-day... but with 4 missed field goals and 2 turnovers in that brief time-span? Not encouraging.

Finally, we'll look at Kasib Powell, who led the Magic in minutes per game this week. I discussed Powell with Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily, and we concluded that although he's a good player, he's not great at any one thing; in other words, he's not a specialist, and specialists are what teams usually round out their benches with. Still, Powell looked like an NBA rotation player, with per-game averages of 14.8 points, 5.8 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal. He also shot fairly well, going 46% from the field and 52.9% from three-point range. It was good enough for him to make the All-Summer League Second Team.

We'll go more in-depth on every Magic summer-leaguer's performance sometime later this weekend. For now, the main takeaway is this: Ryan Anderson is not a scrub, and the Magic probably have some legitimate training-camp invitees on their summer roster, despite the team's 2-3 record.