Summer League '12 GT #2 Vs Cavs

[HornetJail]

Last game, we scored 121 points.

Tonight we shot 30% from the field.

Huh. Figures.

Also if Byron Mullens goes 0-7 from three again, I'm going over to Las Vegas just to tell him to stop.

[Liver_Pooty]

Huh

I edited the bold for him, FIFY = Fixed it for you.

Lol oh, sorry. Still getting used to these abbreviations.

[amcoolio]

Last game, we scored 121 points.

Tonight we shot 30% from the field.

Huh. Figures.

Also if Byron Mullens goes 0-7 from three again, I'm going over to Las Vegas just to tell him to stop.

Its obvious he has the green light to launch as many as possible to see if he can become a Ryan Anderson type player. I doubt he does this in actual NBA games, unless he starts hitting them consistently. I mean, what else is he there for, hes a 4 year vet already

[Diop]

I remember an article about Dunlap how he criticised players for taking long 2's, because of its efficiency, saying they should take a step back and take the 3.

I think that's why we are seeing so many 3's from him. He only shot 50 3's for all of last season, he preferred the long 2. If it could extend his range to hit it successfully, then it would become quite a weapon.

And to echo everyone else, its the Summer League, its the time to play with different ideas and try stuff out.

[amcoolio]

Kemba is a solid FT shooter. He needs to learn to draw fouls and get to the line more. It would really help those 2/8 games.

[JMAC3]

Well what a let down after the first game. Hated that MKG did not play. Nobody really had a good game from either side though as is evident from scoreboard.

However I loved how our guys fought back and hung around and then we were able to steal it at the end. That is something we need to be able to do if we want to be a winning basketball team. Watching the game I had a feeling Kemba would come up big late and he did just like he did back at UCONN. Hopefully this year he will be given more opportunities to show that skill by being in the ball game.

Mullens played pretty bad. Shot terrible and fumbled away 3-4 rebounds. Taylor came back down to earth, but I think he had a hard time getting in sync because everybody was playing so badly around him. He had a few nice drives and that clutch three pointer. He was struggling to hang on to some rebounds as well, but he did a good job on the boards.

Kemba could not make any shots, but he did a good job of getting to the line again and of course hit the game winner. Also, he was okay at getting everybody involved just nobody could give him the assist. I have noticed his handles are much better this season and he does some things that I have to stop and be like damn that was nice. Hopefully they start going more North and South instead of East and West though.

[JMAC3]

The only guy on our team that played well in my mind was Biz. He did some really nice things that will go unnoticed. He had a few decent post moves and did a good job drawing contact and getting the line. Also he rebounded pretty decently and played better defense without fouling. The biggest thing I noticed was his passing though. He was really finding the open cutter when he had the ball on the block. That play when the passer cuts off him was working pretty well and he looked much more comfortable and took his time. That lefty hook could become his go to move which would be pretty much unstoppable. Now he just needs to work on a counter where he spins or pump fakes and then dunks with his right hand.

Carlon Brown also played pretty well with some nice buckets.

[ohara]

Proud of the effort! First half was ugly. But they fought back in the 2nd and won a game that looked for all the world like they would lose.

[bobcats3wallace]

I disagree that Biz hasn't shown improvement. I think he has shown a lot of improvement. His rebounding down the stretch was awesome. H ewas fighting for balls between 2 and 3 guys, going up between all of them and snatching it. He was showing that aggressiveness and ability to know when to jump, and where to jump, even if it's between a crowd of people. That's something he didn't necessarily show last year. His offense is also improving. You can tell exactly what he has been working on, which is very good to see. He will keep working, and will keep getting better. I think it's pretty ignorant to say Biz hasn't improved, and isn't still improving.

As far as Walker goes. Talked about this earlier, but I think his PG abilities have improved. He has done an excellent job running the show and not turning the ball over. He has 11 assists to 2 TO, and one of those TO were self inflicted by himself, not on a bad pass. Only thing that has been awful is his shot. Everything other aspect of his game, I think, has improved. He's showing the ability to be a PG, something he didn't necessarily show a whole lot last year. I also like his leadership, telling guys where they need to be and offering encouragement. He needs to take less shots, and get to the foul line more. Still has to learn when to shoot the ball, but he too has shown improvement.

[advanced]

pretty much rehashing everything the above post said but Biz has had massive improvement in a very short amount of time, its pretty clear to me.

his rebounding looks better because his timing is better, his hands are better, and hes bigger. he was snatching balls at the peak in crowds at the end of the game last night.

hes looking to pass in the post which is a thing some guys really never learn. his long arms are nice for feeding cutters. the fact he is even thinking of passing shows his improvement there because last year in the post you could see him just going into robot mode in the post once he got the ball. things are slowing down for him

his offense is still coming but he looks smoother. he fixed most of the hitch in his free throw stroke and as a result his shot looks a lot softer. i think he will be a 60%+ shooter this season which is solid improvement.

hes still raw as hell and a multi year project as we all knew but to see noticeable improvement in multiple areas a couple months into the offseason is very promising to me. 3 a days will do that...i doubt Tyrus or Diop have even hit the gym 3 times total this offseason yet

[Bassman]

I agree that both Kemba and Biz show improvement. My point is their growth velocity is slow compared to players who are expected to be starters in this leahue.

Biz is raw and still very young, so that's part of his problem. He has a much farther path ahead, and more time to get there. Still, he does not look natural playing the game on offense. I know he's working his rear end off (C.O. article today speaks to that) so I have no doubt he will be a contributor for years to come. But some players have that "IT" to their game that tells you they will be special. Biz doesn't have it, at least on offense. He's as athletic as you'd hope for, and his FT stroke looks better, so I have hope. Still, I project him as a 6th man super energy guy who can fit the 4 or 5 depending on matchups. That's still a great asset to have on a team.

Kemba has got to improve his shot, or his role as a starter is doomed. Without a dependable jump shot, teams will defend him only to drive, forcing him to chuck more crappy shots up. After summer league, the coaches need to break his shot down and rebuild it before training camp. His decision-making and passing are showing improvement, but he must learn to orchestrate the half-court offense better, using plays and directing picks. He does need work on his footwork and defensive positioning. The best aspect of Kemba's game is his hustle and leadership. I love that, but he's got to refine it much better to be an NBA-quality starter versus an excellent reserve PG.

[SWedd523]

Bismack doesn't have to be a great, or even good, offensive player to be a great overall player. His job is to alter the game on the defensive end of the floor. Developing any sort of offensive talent is just icing on the cake. You're reading far too much into his lack of rapid offensive development.

[Stun704]

I agree that both Kemba and Biz show improvement. My point is their growth velocity is slow compared to players who are expected to be starters in this leahue.

How are you even qualifying this assessment? What rookie other then Kyrie Irving is heads and shoulders over them via development from their draft class?

[HornetJail]

Kawhi Leonard is a legit starter in the NBA already and he wasn't even picked in the lottery. He is head and shoulders above everyone else from 2011 except for Irving.

[Liver_Pooty]

Looks like the Felton-Walker comparisons are going to come sooner than I expected.

[TheKingofSting]

Huh

I edited the bold for him, FIFY = Fixed it for you.

Lol oh, sorry. Still getting used to these abbreviations.

It's cool, my reaction was the same as yours the first time I ever saw it.

[BeesWax]

Kawhi Leonard is a legit starter in the NBA already and he wasn't even picked in the lottery. He is head and shoulders above everyone else from 2011 except for Irving.

Yes but he is a role player 4th or 5th option. He fits very well into his systems and what they ask him to do. Our guys are progressing nicely considering they don't have a Duncan and Parker to take some heat off them.

[KembaWalker]

Kawhi Leonard is a legit starter in the NBA already and he wasn't even picked in the lottery. He is head and shoulders above everyone else from 2011 except for Irving.

if Kawhi Leonard was on our team he would be nothing special. if Kemba was on the spurs hitting big shots getting to play off superstars in the playoffs everyone would be hyping him up

[amcoolio]

Leonard would suck if he was here. Just like Tyson Chandler did. Of course you are gonna look good if you are playing next to multiple hall of famers. You have to be extremely shortsighted not to realize that.

[Bobcatsbball]

Leonard would suck if he was here. Just like Tyson Chandler did. Of course you are gonna look good if you are playing next to multiple hall of famers. You have to be extremely shortsighted not to realize that.

Exactly...That is why I have a hard time posting here sometimes. You hit the nail on the head...saying Leonard is legit because he plays with a stacked team is not a fair assessment at all. Kemba and Biz will be just fine. Biz had better or equal numbers as Serge did his rookie year. I just can't see how anyone can make any judgement on any rookie after last season...a season where there was no training camp and add to the fact there were so many games jammed together that these guys couldn't really practice. I mean come on....