Summer league

Blazer50 · Post #41 » by **Blazer50** » Mon Jul 8, 2019 4:14 pm

I was just about to say that on offense he reminds me a lot of Wesley's playing style.

Obviously on defense he's no Wes Matthews.

Wes Matthews Jr was playing his sophomore year at Marquette (where he played for 4 years) at the same age when he was demonstrating his improved defense. Not really a valid comparison to Gary Trent Jr who is now 20 playing in a much tougher conference.

I do wish kids could develop in the NCAA longer - better for both the NCAA and NBA - but you cannot deny them the money and injuries are an issue. It will be interesting to see which game is closer to Trent's actual development - hoping its Game 2.

Shem · Post #42 » by **Shem** » Mon Jul 8, 2019 10:40 pm

Watch on YouTube

zzaj · Post #43 » by **zzaj** » Tue Jul 9, 2019 7:17 am

This was my favorite player in this years draft...he looked like he was about 2 times as good as anybody on either team. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is going to give Zion a run for his money as ROY. New Orleans found their franchise PG with the 17th pick...

Watch on YouTube

;feature=youtu.be

Roy The Natural · Post #44 » by **Roy The Natural** » Tue Jul 9, 2019 7:17 pm

zzaj wrote:This was my favorite player in this years draft...he looked like he was about 2 times as good as anybody on either team. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is going to give Zion a run for his money as ROY. New Orleans found their franchise PG with the 17th pick...

Watch on YouTube
;feature=youtu.be

I wanted him too. But I'll hold my reservations with Summer League play.

Dame Lizard · Post #45 » by **Dame Lizard** » Tue Jul 9, 2019 10:52 pm

Ant having him a superb first half. 21 pts on 7/8, incl. 5/5 from 3Pt land.

zzaj · Post #46 » by **zzaj** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 12:02 am

Simons going down with what looked like an ankle sprain is exactly why the Blazers need another capable backup PG on the roster. If something like this happens to either Lillard or Ant in the regular season, who runs the team from the bench? Hezonja? Gross...

It's a long season and there is way more parity this year. If the Blazers want to do their best to ensure the POs they need to not be giving away games due to injury.

dunlop212 · Post #47 » by **dunlop212** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 12:33 am

Well ... they have used CJ at the one when Lillard has been injured, and made it work. So they could alternate Lillard and CJ with Hood/Baze at the 1-2-3. CJ is not much of a PG, but neither is Simons.

Norm2953 · Post #48 » by **Norm2953** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 12:53 am

How much you want to bet Terry Stotts nearly died when Simons went down?

Sinobas · Post #49 » by **Sinobas** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 1:52 am

Simons is good, Little is garbage, Trent is just a guy that will either be on fire or shoot you out of the game.

Post #50 » by **DeBlazerRiddem** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 2:09 am

Sinobas wrote:Simons is good, Little is garbage, Trent is just a guy that will either be on fire or shoot you out of the game.

Little seems content to play the Mo Harkless role. Would love to see a little more fire and drive from him. Summer league is the place to push your limits and make mistakes, even Hoard was bringing the ball up, driving with it and shooting.

Simons though looked good, totally in control like the game was moving slowly for him. I would probably keep him out the rest of summer league however. And I still believe in having a veteran PG who Simons has to beat out for minutes, that's just the right way for young guys to crack a rotation IMO.

JasonStern · Post #51 » by **JasonStern** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 4:29 am

Sinobas wrote:Little is garbage

BREAKING NEWS!!!

The 19 year old project the Blazers drafted late in a weak draft looks like a project in basically a pickup game despite zero professional development.

DusterBuster · Post #52 » by **DusterBuster** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 4:40 am

People's desire to label players as stars and "garbage" over Summer League games never ceases to amaze me. It's quite literally the dumbest thing one could do when you consider the fact these teams are thrown together a literal week before games are starting to be played. College players literally have not seen a second of actual game time for what... 4ish months before they're expected to go out with a team of total strangers and a totally new offensive/defensive system. And with allllllll these things AND the countless number of examples we have of Summer League success having little to no correlation with actual NBA success..... STILL people want to call players future HOFers or total busts....

Freaking mind boggling.

Wizenheimer · Post #53 » by **Wizenheimer** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 4:49 am

DusterBuster wrote:People's desire to label players as stars and "garbage" over Summer League games never ceases to amaze me. It's quite literally the dumbest thing one could do when you consider the fact these teams are thrown together a literal week before games are starting to be played. College players literally have not seen a second of actual game time for what... 4ish months before they're expected to go out with a team of total strangers and a totally new offensive/defensive system. And with allllllll these things AND the countless number of examples we have of Summer League success having little to no correlation with actual NBA success..... STILL people want to call players future HOFers or total busts....

Freaking mind boggling.

what are you talking about? SL is a great gauge of talent. After all, Batum looked like a lost high school foreign exchange student....check; Aldridge looked below average and slow....check; and Qyntel Woods won 2 straight summer league MVP's....double check!

DusterBuster · Post #54 » by **DusterBuster** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 4:57 am

Wizenheimer wrote:
DusterBuster wrote:People's desire to label players as stars and "garbage" over Summer League games never ceases to amaze me. It's quite literally the dumbest thing one could do when you consider the fact these teams are thrown together a literal week before games are starting to be played. College players literally have not seen a second of actual game time for what... 4ish months before they're expected to go out with a team of total strangers and a totally new offensive/defensive system. And with allllllll these things AND the countless number of examples we have of Summer League success having little to no correlation with actual NBA success..... STILL people want to call players future HOFers or total busts....

Freaking mind boggling.

what are you talking about? SL is a great gauge of talent. After all, Batum looked like a lost high school foreign exchange student....check; Aldridge looked below average and slow....check; and Qyntel Woods won 2 straight summer league MVP's....double check!

Don't forget 2012 when Dame had to share co-MVP accolades in Vegas with Josh Selby. Lillard, a potential future HOF player, shared the SL MVP with a guy currently playing basketball in the Israeli League.

DusterBuster · Post #55 » by **DusterBuster** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:01 am

My one and only hope/take away form Summer League ever July is to watch a few glorified pickup games and for no one to get hurt.

Wizenheimer · Post #56 » by **Wizenheimer** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:01 am

DeBlazerRiddem wrote:And I still believe in having a veteran PG who Simons has to beat out for minutes, that's just the right way for young guys to crack a rotation IMO.

that's pretty much a standard practice for teams with playoff aspirations

but I wonder: ever since CJ sat on the bench for his first 2 years with Stotts reluctant to play him, and then Olshey went along by trading for Afflalo...

...it kind of seems that for his favorite players, Olshey clears the way for rotation minutes instead of placing competition in front of them. For 4 straight seasons Olshey has 'refused' to add a competent backup PG that might actually compete with CJ for minutes, and so far this off-season, it sure seems the coast is clear for Simons at PG, and frankly, I don't think either he or CJ are PG's in any substantive fashion

and he let Ed Davis walk after trading Vonleh...and now has let Aminu walk. That sure clears the way for lots of minutes for Zach at PF

it may all be coincidence that the two biggest perceived roster weaknesses are at PG (CJ-Simons) and at big man (Collins). Or maybe there are still plans to address those 'flaws'. Portland must sign at least one more player to hit the minimum

or maybe this theory is wack

Roy The Natural · Post #57 » by **Roy The Natural** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:21 am

Wizenheimer wrote:
DeBlazerRiddem wrote:And I still believe in having a veteran PG who Simons has to beat out for minutes, that's just the right way for young guys to crack a rotation IMO.

that's pretty much a standard practice for teams with playoff aspirations

but I wonder: ever since CJ sat on the bench for his first 2 years with Stotts reluctant to play him, and then Olshey went along by trading for Afflalo...

...it kind of seems that for his favorite players, Olshey clears the way for rotation minutes instead of placing competition in front of them. For 4 straight seasons Olshey has 'refused' to add a competent backup PG that might actually compete with CJ for minutes, and so far this off-season, it sure seems the coast is clear for Simons at PG, and frankly, I don't think either he or CJ are PG's in any substantive fashion

and he let Ed Davis walk after trading Vonleh...and now has let Aminu walk. That sure clears the way for lots of minutes for Zach at PF

it may all be coincidence that the two biggest perceived roster weaknesses are at PG (CJ-Simons) and at big man (Collins). Or maybe there are still plans to address those 'flaws'. Portland must sign at least one more player to hit the minimum

or maybe this theory is wack

It might be a play by ear situation. I would love to bring in Livingston for the min though. I think he could float the second unit.

It might be worth watching Hezonja as a backup point on offense. He spent a little time being pretty effective at it in NY. He could basically be Evan Turner on a vet min, though I doubt that would work early in the season before he's used to the offense.

d-train · Post #58 » by **d-train** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:24 am

Wizenheimer wrote:
DeBlazerRiddem wrote:And I still believe in having a veteran PG who Simons has to beat out for minutes, that's just the right way for young guys to crack a rotation IMO.

that's pretty much a standard practice for teams with playoff aspirations

but I wonder: ever since CJ sat on the bench for his first 2 years with Stotts reluctant to play him, and then Olshey went along by trading for Afflalo...

...it kind of seems that for his favorite players, Olshey clears the way for rotation minutes instead of placing competition in front of them. For 4 straight seasons Olshey has 'refused' to add a competent backup PG that might actually compete with CJ for minutes, and so far this off-season, it sure seems the coast is clear for Simons at PG, and frankly, I don't think either he or CJ are PG's in any substantive fashion

and he let Ed Davis walk after trading Vonleh...and now has let Aminu walk. That sure clears the way for lots of minutes for Zach at PF

it may all be coincidence that the two biggest perceived roster weaknesses are at PG (CJ-Simons) and at big man (Collins). Or maybe there are still plans to address those 'flaws'. Portland must sign at least one more player to hit the minimum

or maybe this theory is wack

If we are going to start and finish games with 2 shooting guards, why not back them up with shooting guards? I don't get why it is more of a concern that our backups are not good PG's, than it is that our starters are not good PG's.

Shem · Post #59 » by **Shem** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:48 am

Wizenheimer wrote:
DusterBuster wrote:People's desire to label players as stars and "garbage" over Summer League games never ceases to amaze me. It's quite literally the dumbest thing one could do when you consider the fact these teams are thrown together a literal week before games are starting to be played. College players literally have not seen a second of actual game time for what... 4ish months before they're expected to go out with a team of total strangers and a totally new offensive/defensive system. And with allllllll these things AND the countless number of examples we have of Summer League success having little to no correlation with actual NBA success..... STILL people want to call players future HOFers or total busts....

Freaking mind boggling.

what are you talking about? SL is a great gauge of talent. After all, Batum looked like a lost high school foreign exchange student....check; Aldridge looked below average and slow....check; and Qyntel Woods won 2 straight summer league MVP's....double check!

And didn't Trey Young look like hot garbage last year in Summer League?

Shem · Post #60 » by **Shem** » Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:48 am

Watch on YouTube