2025 Summer League

[Nick K]

Dilly interviewed about SL.

Watch on YouTube

I love Dilly but this was hard to listen to. He speaks in circles and contradicts himself at every turn. He had better get interview lessons from the Wolves staff. Hate to say it but he doesn't come across as a very bright bulb.

Why didn't he just say I need to improve my shooting and my finishing in traffic around the basket? And work on my confidence too.

It's ok Dilly. We understand.

[winforlose]

Dilly interviewed about SL.

Watch on YouTube

I love Dilly but this was hard to listen to. He speaks in circles and contradicts himself at every turn. He had better get interview lessons from the Wolves staff. Hate to say it but he doesn't come across as a very bright bulb.

Why didn't he just say I need to improve my shooting and my finishing in traffic around the basket? And work on my confidence too.

It's ok Dilly. We understand.

Hopefully he is just nervous talking to reporters. I would always try to remember he is 20 years old and even one year in a lot of this is still pretty new. He is used to being elite, now he is at the bottom of the totem poll with big expectations.

[FrenchMinnyFan]

He is young, playing to journalist is not an easy task when you're 20. He is in good hands, mentored by Mike and coach by Finch. This year he will play a lot more and i'm convinced he will be a 20-23 min player at the end of the season contributing well.

[Nick K]

Dilly interviewed about SL.

Watch on YouTube

I love Dilly but this was hard to listen to. He speaks in circles and contradicts himself at every turn. He had better get interview lessons from the Wolves staff. Hate to say it but he doesn't come across as a very bright bulb.

Why didn't he just say I need to improve my shooting and my finishing in traffic around the basket? And work on my confidence too.

It's ok Dilly. We understand.

Hopefully he is just nervous talking to reporters. I would always try to remember he is 20 years old and even one year in a lot of this is still pretty new. He is used to being elite, now he is at the bottom of the totem poll with big expectations.

Yep, that could be part of it too.

[Nick K]

He is young, playing to journalist is not an easy task when you're 20. He is in good hands, mentored by Mike and coach by Finch. This year he will play a lot more and i'm convinced he will be a 20-23 min player at the end of the season contributing well.

That's true. I expect him to be much improved this year too. At his best he gives us a speed element to break down defenses that we haven't had in a long time.

[minimus]

Leonard Miller should dominate SL. With Beringer, Zikarsky and Jesse he will play as PF and needs to dominate SL competition. With SL full of undersized wings and guards his 6'10", 211 lbs frame and a 7'2" wingspan should be quite a weapon.

Watch on YouTube

[winforlose]

Leonard Miller should dominate SL. With Beringer, Zikarsky and Jesse he will play as PF and needs to dominate SL competition. With SL full of undersized wings and guards his 6'10", 211 lbs frame and a 7'2" wingspan should be quite a weapon.

Watch on YouTube

He was dominating the G wasn’t he? If he can do that, he should be able to this.

[FrenchMinnyFan]

Leonard Miller should dominate SL. With Beringer, Zikarsky and Jesse he will play as PF and needs to dominate SL competition. With SL full of undersized wings and guards his 6'10", 211 lbs frame and a 7'2" wingspan should be quite a weapon.

Watch on YouTube

I'm still surprised his great level in G League did not translate yet at NBA Level. Maybe just a question of giving him a chance?

[minimus]

Leonard Miller should dominate SL. With Beringer, Zikarsky and Jesse he will play as PF and needs to dominate SL competition. With SL full of undersized wings and guards his 6'10", 211 lbs frame and a 7'2" wingspan should be quite a weapon.

He was dominating the G wasn’t he? If he can do that, he should be able to this.

Well... Garza dominated g-league for sure...

[winforlose]

Right. Didn’t he also used to do well in summer league? My point is the level of competition is actually weaker in SL because there are more amateurs and young players. I really do expect anyone who can dominate in the G to dominate at SL, Miller included.

[minimus]

Right. Didn’t he also used to do well in summer league? My point is the level of competition is actually weaker in SL because there are more amateurs and young players. I really do expect anyone who can dominate in the G to dominate at SL, Miller included.

I always see g-league as beneficial for guard who can create their offense. Not so much for bigs, who need offensive flow.

[Norseman79]

Miller's issue doesn't appear to be on the offensive end, but rather defense, effort and coachability by all reports/"feedback"

[shangrila]

Miller's issue doesn't appear to be on the offensive end, but rather defense, effort and coachability by all reports/"feedback"

Do you have any sources for the last part? Just out of curiousity.

I recall the vid that went around of his poor effort and benching, although from my own brief watching of Iowa I didn't see much of that. And he seems fine in garbage minutes in that respect. I think his main issue is the defence and ultimately I worry it's just a processing thing, which is near impossible to improve on.

At this point he's in the same position Minott was last season; no clear path to minutes, nothing to really bank on previously to justify giving him minutes, but he needs to start playing to see if they've got anything with him. Personally I'd try giving him whatever backup C minutes behind Rudy you can and see what you've got.

[Norseman79]

Miller's issue doesn't appear to be on the offensive end, but rather defense, effort and coachability by all reports/"feedback"

Do you have any sources for the last part? Just out of curiousity.

I recall the vid that went around of his poor effort and benching, although from my own brief watching of Iowa I didn't see much of that. And he seems fine in garbage minutes in that respect. I think his main issue is the defence and ultimately I worry it's just a processing thing, which is near impossible to improve on.

At this point he's in the same position Minott was last season; no clear path to minutes, nothing to really bank on previously to justify giving him minutes, but he needs to start playing to see if they've got anything with him. Personally I'd try giving him whatever backup C minutes behind Rudy you can and see what you've got.

100% basing that off of different tweets or stuff I remember seeing over the past few years. Nothing concrete. Not even going to pretend to be able to cite something and tell you. Connecting the dots, it's not that far-fetched to believe. A player who continually hasn't developed defensively, and has a questionable motor at times, does not equal a coachable player. All that being said, there's no way he is a center. I'm fine giving him minutes at the 4 next to Rudy, Joan or Rocco, maybe even Naz.

[jpatrick]

What does Miller do well on an NBA team that he deserves minutes. Is an okay shooter, not great. Seems okay, at best, as a defender and rebounder. Doesn’t seem like an energy guy. He’s not someone that is going to be a primary creator, even on a second unit, so what does he do well that will help the team as a complimentary piece?

The only real path I see would be a Bobby Portis bench big. But Miller would have to increase both his floor spacing on the offensive end and energy on the defensive end.

This isn’t the g-league where players like Garza and Miller were given the ball and put up numbers. They have to show role players skills, and at least right now, I don’t think either one has those abilities. I hope Miller comes out in summer league and shows better defense/energy and more consistent shooting stroke. With our lack of future picks and cap space, we need as many of these young players to click as possible.

[Klomp]

What does Miller do well on an NBA team that he deserves minutes. Is an okay shooter, not great. Seems okay, at best, as a defender and rebounder. Doesn’t seem like an energy guy. He’s not someone that is going to be a primary creator, even on a second unit, so what does he do well that will help the team as a complimentary piece?

The only real path I see would be a Bobby Portis bench big. But Miller would have to increase both his floor spacing on the offensive end and energy on the defensive end.

This isn’t the g-league where players like Garza and Miller were given the ball and put up numbers. They have to show role players skills, and at least right now, I don’t think either one has those abilities. I hope Miller comes out in summer league and shows better defense/energy and more consistent shooting stroke. With our lack of future picks and cap space, we need as many of these young players to click as possible.

I think we draft guys with an eye on the future, years down the road. Miller was drafted because I think they could envision him one day in the Towns/Reid role. I'm not even talking necessarily about minutes, but about a player's expectations and responsibilities when he is on the court. It wasn't a stretch to see a possible path forward for Miller that looked that way. Contracts are always unknowns, so it is important to have young guys developing to fill specific roles on your team.

Miller was always going to take a while, no matter what. However, I think seeing Randle and Reid re-signed definitely makes it more difficult to see a clear path forward.

[Klomp]

Jamal Cain is an interesting name on the roster. He's actually bounced around the NBA a bit, with 81 games played over the past three seasons with the Heat and Pelicans.

Watch on YouTube

[cmoss84]

Anyone doing summer league game threads? Pretty pumped for tomorrow actually.
I see Miller as a DLo type PF.

[Klomp]

Anyone doing summer league game threads? Pretty pumped for tomorrow actually.
I see Miller as a DLo type PF.

I am debating whether to do separate threads, or maybe just keep it all to one thread. I'll go back and see what we've done previously. I honestly don't have an issue with separating them....we could even split into a "preliminary round" thread and a new one once the tournament starts.

[KGdaBom]

I will be without electricity in my home from 9-5 EDT today. Unable to watch except by Cell and running out my charge.