Las Vegas Summer league - July 7-17, 2017

[John Murdoch]

Zubac 0 rebounds

He's regressed it seems. Really thought he was going to come in thsi season improved

bryant coming for his spot

[RingsDontLie]

Honestly Zubac doesn't seem to have soft hands. Looking like the White Kwame Brown out there. Hope he gets it together. But he looks out of place on this fast pace squad. Prefer tariq black over him right now if he keeps this up.

Oh and Bryant is a much better player than Zuuuu. More athletic, better finisher and better shooting.

[NBAFan93]

I think Lakers sat everyone to give other guys much needed exposure. I do wonder if Caruso earned a ticket to training camp. He can shoot the three, pass, run the floor well, good help defense, high bball iq...just one game...but who knows.

The irony that they won w/ their bench candidates and lost 2 games w/ their two starters is pretty hilarious. I hope they continue to play Caruso and he kicks butt again to prove that game wasn't a fluke. Wonder if Lonzo's "sore grion" will be ready for the next game - may depend on who they play - isn't it based on a tournament style seeding from now on?

[KingDavid]

Should dial back the overreactions, people. It's summer league.

[Goudelock]

I know that it's only summer league and we shouldn't overreact, but Josh Jackson looks like a stud.

[akula1488]

Who is going to be Laker's starting shooting guard? Clarkson is best as a sixth man, KGP is the best SG left on the market but he aint no shooter. Hart is too young to start. Maybe Kobe will make a comeback?

[76ciology]

One had a sore groin, the other one got exposed by Caruso.

Unfortunately, it was the same guy.

[Goudelock]

Who is going to be Laker's starting shooting guard? Clarkson is best as a sixth man, KGP is the best SG left on the market but he aint no shooter. Hart is too young to start. Maybe Kobe will make a comeback?

Jordan Clarkson or Corey Brewer will get the start if they don't sign anyone else.

[Patsfan1081]

Josh Jackson has been the most consistent player out of the top 5 so far... all around anyways.
18/9
15/10
20/6

Every game he has shown good defense and passing from the wing position. He is shooting bad but the hustle, energy, IQ and "feel for the game" is evident.

I don't think consistent is the word to use when you're shooting 36% , he has looked pretty well rounded in the summer league but his shooting and ability to create still worry me a bit. He'll be able to score off of offensive rebounds and slashing at the next level but ultimately his ceiling will hinge on his shooting. Tatum and Smith Jr have been the most impressive/consistent.

[76ciology]

A right handed defensive player with a right hand up is effective on bothering shots on the shooters left side. With Lonzo's whats worse is the release is not only on his left side but it's kinda low.

I also think there's no balance on his shot. He is swinging the ball to his left, so you have a slight lateral movement before you take the shot.

That's how I see it and I could be wrong.

[76ciology]

https://theringer.com/amp/p/fa4719e6b403

[doordoor123]

Who is going to be Laker's starting shooting guard? Clarkson is best as a sixth man, KGP is the best SG left on the market but he aint no shooter. Hart is too young to start. Maybe Kobe will make a comeback?

Jordan Clarkson or Corey Brewer will get the start if they don't sign anyone else.

I think it's Josh Hart. They like Clarkson off the bench and Hart provides defense needed on the first team.

[doordoor123]

Josh Jackson has been the most consistent player out of the top 5 so far... all around anyways.
18/9
15/10
20/6

Every game he has shown good defense and passing from the wing position. He is shooting bad but the hustle, energy, IQ and "feel for the game" is evident.

He scored these points on 17,18 and 17 field goal attempts and his shot has blocked 8 times. I'm sure his hustle and energy will translate to NBA from day one however his offensive game looks very incompetent. I just cannot see how he'd score over stronger and faster opponents.

Yes it is very very early but my initial impression is Tatum has the most potential to be a star among top 5. His weaknesses are easier to fix compared to other four.

Well you feel that way about Tatum, because most casual viewers only notice scoring in the SL. What does Tatum do when he isn't scoring? What does Tatum do to help others around him? What's does Tatum do when better defenders are guarding him? What does Tatum do when he can't shoot over you. Tatum is smooth as a baby's bottom right now, we knew that going in.....waiting to see if he can do this in Nov. so far a good sign, however, that's the only thing he does.

Fox is fast. He can get anywhere and he is aggressive defensively. He is shooting well, improvement. He is creating for others. Fox is doing what some doubted he could do....hitting shots, although, not from distance yet....that's his knock.

Jackson can't shoot consistently, nothing new, however, he has been knocking down free throws; so there's that growth. Off the bounce shooting will take longer of course. His playmaking ability for others and his being all over the court is front and center. Appears to not be on it defensively except when playing against Fox. Jackson got drafted knowing his shot will take a few years....not a few games. But everything else is as advertised.


Fultz....looks smooth and effortless. As he should. That was expected.


Balll. Looks slow and lack defensive ability thus far, but is passing well.....when he plays,lol. Ball has been what is expected outside of Lakersville.

IMO, everyone has displayed their weaknesses and strengths that they were questioned and known for prior to the draft.

So if you didn't like Tatum because he is an ISO player that lacks speed, but has an array of offensive moves and is questionable on defense, you still won't like him (scoring at a high rate does change people minds on overall game however).

If you didn't like Jackson because of his lack of shooting, you still won't, however his free throws have improved significantly.

If you don't like Ball because he can't see Fox and his lack of creation in half court sets and defensive intensity, you still don't like him.

If you don't like Fox, because of his deep shooting, since he hasn't displayed that you still won't like him. I do believe he has displayed the most improvement from his pre draft questions of the five because of his shooting.

Most like Fultz. So there's that.

Now!!! DSJ: most people liked him, however, his ACL is what scared people off along with his wingspan and attitude. Thus far, his attitude has been good; his wingspan hasn't hurt him (no Kahwi on the court yet) and he is an offensive monster. He will be a longevity issue more that anything else. How long will this guy last before chronic knee issues flame up? So he is a steal today, but will he be a still in 3-5 years like B Roy?

In summary. They are who we thought they were.

Tatum's lack of speed has always been overstated. He's quicker than everyone thought and he doesn't need to be a post player, but likes to post up. He just needs to refine his timing in the post. However, he does have short arms and can get stopped offensively, but he does have post moves to counter that. In time he's going to be able to be a better scorer. One of his biggest knocks coming in was his range and whether he would be able to shoot threes consistently. Hes proven to be a better shooter than shown. I was honestly not a fan of Tatum and I thought he was a safe pick coming in. I even had him falling a little. But he has proved me wrong. He's much better than I thought and I see more upside now than I've seen before.

[doordoor123]

John Collins

3 G | 15-11-1-1-1 | 63.0% TS | 33.9 PER (20.2% USG) | .548 WS/48

He has probably had the best summer league of all the prospects in the 1st round.

I think he can become a good wing defender. He's showing that he's light on his feet. The issue is down low. He has terrible instincts defensively in the paint, is too weak, doesn't contest shots down there and just seems like he doesn't know what he's doing when he defends down there. I still really like him. When he is comfortable stretching the basket more he's going to be really good. He's like Patrick Patterson on drugs times 3.

[Modsdontlikeme]

He scored these points on 17,18 and 17 field goal attempts and his shot has blocked 8 times. I'm sure his hustle and energy will translate to NBA from day one however his offensive game looks very incompetent. I just cannot see how he'd score over stronger and faster opponents.

Yes it is very very early but my initial impression is Tatum has the most potential to be a star among top 5. His weaknesses are easier to fix compared to other four.

Well you feel that way about Tatum, because most casual viewers only notice scoring in the SL. What does Tatum do when he isn't scoring? What does Tatum do to help others around him? What's does Tatum do when better defenders are guarding him? What does Tatum do when he can't shoot over you. Tatum is smooth as a baby's bottom right now, we knew that going in.....waiting to see if he can do this in Nov. so far a good sign, however, that's the only thing he does.

Fox is fast. He can get anywhere and he is aggressive defensively. He is shooting well, improvement. He is creating for others. Fox is doing what some doubted he could do....hitting shots, although, not from distance yet....that's his knock.

Jackson can't shoot consistently, nothing new, however, he has been knocking down free throws; so there's that growth. Off the bounce shooting will take longer of course. His playmaking ability for others and his being all over the court is front and center. Appears to not be on it defensively except when playing against Fox. Jackson got drafted knowing his shot will take a few years....not a few games. But everything else is as advertised.


Fultz....looks smooth and effortless. As he should. That was expected.


Balll. Looks slow and lack defensive ability thus far, but is passing well.....when he plays,lol. Ball has been what is expected outside of Lakersville.

IMO, everyone has displayed their weaknesses and strengths that they were questioned and known for prior to the draft.

So if you didn't like Tatum because he is an ISO player that lacks speed, but has an array of offensive moves and is questionable on defense, you still won't like him (scoring at a high rate does change people minds on overall game however).

If you didn't like Jackson because of his lack of shooting, you still won't, however his free throws have improved significantly.

If you don't like Ball because he can't see Fox and his lack of creation in half court sets and defensive intensity, you still don't like him.

If you don't like Fox, because of his deep shooting, since he hasn't displayed that you still won't like him. I do believe he has displayed the most improvement from his pre draft questions of the five because of his shooting.

Most like Fultz. So there's that.

Now!!! DSJ: most people liked him, however, his ACL is what scared people off along with his wingspan and attitude. Thus far, his attitude has been good; his wingspan hasn't hurt him (no Kahwi on the court yet) and he is an offensive monster. He will be a longevity issue more that anything else. How long will this guy last before chronic knee issues flame up? So he is a steal today, but will he be a still in 3-5 years like B Roy?

In summary. They are who we thought they were.

Tatum's lack of speed has always been overstated. He's quicker than everyone thought and he doesn't need to be a post player, but likes to post up. He just needs to refine his timing in the post. However, he does have short arms and can get stopped offensively, but he does have post moves to counter that. In time he's going to be able to be a better scorer. One of his biggest knocks coming in was his range and whether he would be able to shoot threes consistently. Hes proven to be a better shooter than shown. I was honestly not a fan of Tatum and I thought he was a safe pick coming in. I even had him falling a little. But he has proved me wrong. He's much better than I thought and I see more upside now than I've seen before.

But we really won't know about Tatum's lack of speed until he is playing against full time NBA players. His deep shooting is real SL or not. But until he shows speee against NBA players, it is still under question. Things like Fox and Jackson's shooting are independent of going against NBA players unless you want to discuss how open they are when they shoot. The Speed of DSJ, Fox, and Jackson are not question marks.

I like Tatum. His moves and shooting shouldn't surprise anyone. I think a lot of people just never seen him play. It's like OMG Tatum can score, he is going to be a stud.....when it was known going in to most he could. He was the number 3 pick for a reason.

Edit: his true stardom will be can he be a two-way player and dominant scorer? If so, then he will be a star in the league. You won't learn that in SL

[doordoor123]

Well you feel that way about Tatum, because most casual viewers only notice scoring in the SL. What does Tatum do when he isn't scoring? What does Tatum do to help others around him? What's does Tatum do when better defenders are guarding him? What does Tatum do when he can't shoot over you. Tatum is smooth as a baby's bottom right now, we knew that going in.....waiting to see if he can do this in Nov. so far a good sign, however, that's the only thing he does.

Fox is fast. He can get anywhere and he is aggressive defensively. He is shooting well, improvement. He is creating for others. Fox is doing what some doubted he could do....hitting shots, although, not from distance yet....that's his knock.

Jackson can't shoot consistently, nothing new, however, he has been knocking down free throws; so there's that growth. Off the bounce shooting will take longer of course. His playmaking ability for others and his being all over the court is front and center. Appears to not be on it defensively except when playing against Fox. Jackson got drafted knowing his shot will take a few years....not a few games. But everything else is as advertised.


Fultz....looks smooth and effortless. As he should. That was expected.


Balll. Looks slow and lack defensive ability thus far, but is passing well.....when he plays,lol. Ball has been what is expected outside of Lakersville.

IMO, everyone has displayed their weaknesses and strengths that they were questioned and known for prior to the draft.

So if you didn't like Tatum because he is an ISO player that lacks speed, but has an array of offensive moves and is questionable on defense, you still won't like him (scoring at a high rate does change people minds on overall game however).

If you didn't like Jackson because of his lack of shooting, you still won't, however his free throws have improved significantly.

If you don't like Ball because he can't see Fox and his lack of creation in half court sets and defensive intensity, you still don't like him.

If you don't like Fox, because of his deep shooting, since he hasn't displayed that you still won't like him. I do believe he has displayed the most improvement from his pre draft questions of the five because of his shooting.

Most like Fultz. So there's that.

Now!!! DSJ: most people liked him, however, his ACL is what scared people off along with his wingspan and attitude. Thus far, his attitude has been good; his wingspan hasn't hurt him (no Kahwi on the court yet) and he is an offensive monster. He will be a longevity issue more that anything else. How long will this guy last before chronic knee issues flame up? So he is a steal today, but will he be a still in 3-5 years like B Roy?

In summary. They are who we thought they were.

Tatum's lack of speed has always been overstated. He's quicker than everyone thought and he doesn't need to be a post player, but likes to post up. He just needs to refine his timing in the post. However, he does have short arms and can get stopped offensively, but he does have post moves to counter that. In time he's going to be able to be a better scorer. One of his biggest knocks coming in was his range and whether he would be able to shoot threes consistently. Hes proven to be a better shooter than shown. I was honestly not a fan of Tatum and I thought he was a safe pick coming in. I even had him falling a little. But he has proved me wrong. He's much better than I thought and I see more upside now than I've seen before.

But we really won't know about Tatum's lack of speed until he is playing against full time NBA players. His deep shooting is real SL or not. But until he shows speee against NBA players, it is still under question. Things like Fox and Jackson's shooting are independent of going against NBA players unless you want to discuss how open they are when they shoot. The Speed of DSJ, Fox, and Jackson are not question marks.

I like Tatum. His moves and shooting shouldn't surprise anyone. I think a lot of people just never seen him play. It's like OMG Tatum can score, he is going to be a stud.....when it was known going in to most he could. He was the number 3 pick for a reason.

Edit: his true stardom will be can he be a two-way player and dominant scorer? If so, then he will be a star in the league. You won't learn that in SL

I've said this before, but I don't agree with the "summer league" excuse. You can literally watch video side by side and see that Tatum is quick for his position. You can also tell he's fluid. And yes, he can hit an open three. Does that mean he'll be able to make threes with elite defenders defending him? Probably not, but he won't be taking shots when they are. There is so much switching and mismatches now that it won't matter. And the Celtics have good players and Tatum will find himself open baskets.

Honestly I don't think you've watched enough film in general. You're talking about what you think other people think and giving your opinion based on your feelings but you're not giving any evidence.

[Catchall]

Dennis Smith has been in the league for like 10 minutes and he already looks like Bledsoe, imo.

Watch on YouTube

[PerkinsFor3]

Seeing DJ Wilson shoot from the perimeter with that size and form, he reminds me of Sam Perkins!

[Duke4life831]

Josh Jackson has been the most consistent player out of the top 5 so far... all around anyways.
18/9
15/10
20/6

Every game he has shown good defense and passing from the wing position. He is shooting bad but the hustle, energy, IQ and "feel for the game" is evident.

He scored these points on 17,18 and 17 field goal attempts and his shot has blocked 8 times. I'm sure his hustle and energy will translate to NBA from day one however his offensive game looks very incompetent. I just cannot see how he'd score over stronger and faster opponents.

Yes it is very very early but my initial impression is Tatum has the most potential to be a star among top 5. His weaknesses are easier to fix compared to other four.

Well you feel that way about Tatum, because most casual viewers only notice scoring in the SL. What does Tatum do when he isn't scoring? What does Tatum do to help others around him? What's does Tatum do when better defenders are guarding him? What does Tatum do when he can't shoot over you. Tatum is smooth as a baby's bottom right now, we knew that going in.....waiting to see if he can do this in Nov. so far a good sign, however, that's the only thing he does.

Tatum rebounds extremely well for a wing and he plays good defense. I still dont get where the Tatum doesnt play defense thing comes from, the dude was Duke's second best defender and hes played good defense in SL as well. Ya he has made some mistakes (all players do) but he has a high IQ on that side of the ball and is never really out of position and does a pretty solid job of keeping his guy in front of him. And again the dude averaged about 9 boards per 40 in college and is averaging like 9 boards a game so far in SL. He still brings a lot of value to a team even when his shot isnt falling.

[FlatearthZorro]

Dennis Smith has been in the league for like 10 minutes and he already looks like Bledsoe, imo.

Watch on YouTube

I'm mad we couldn't get him and Tatum. DSJ and Tatum both worked out for the C's twice, Danny tried to trade to draft him. I knew he was gonna be good the first time I saw him, 2nd fav player in the draft... Obviously nothing is for sure, but fantastic talent.