2016 NBA Summer League

[NTB]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ida5WUs2bes[/youtube]

[Han Solo]

How's the rookies looking?

[kennydorglas]

Impressed by Ulis
Surprised by Alan Williams.

[NTB]

Why there is 2 option to select maximum? I'm impressed by all of them.

[MrMiyagi]

How's the rookies looking?

Ulis is extremely polished. Just needs to improve his outside shot. Really knows how to play given his size.

Bender and Chriss have each shown why they were top 10 picks, but are inconsistent as you might expect from 18 year olds. Both need to get stronger. Both are much bigger competitors than I had anticipated - especially Chriss. They'll have good moments and bad moments throughout the season, but overall, I'm excited to have them on the squad.

[kennydorglas]

Ulis will probably be a 5 A/TO guy in the NBA... this is insane.
Great playmakers fare even better in the NBA because of larger court, spacing and better talent.
He was already a plus 3 A/TO in college, he can EASILY be a 4 A/TO in the pros.

But i'm blown away by his defense. I was super impressed with him when he stomped WBIV in the playoffs.
He's just amazing and I always knew he would be here.

[NTB]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Suns/status/752607296274870272[/tweet]

[jcsunsfan]

Ulis will probably be a 5 A/TO guy in the NBA... this is insane.
Great playmakers fare even better in the NBA because of larger court, spacing and better talent.
He was already a plus 3 A/TO in college, he can EASILY be a 4 A/TO in the pros.

But i'm blown away by his defense. I was super impressed with him when he stomped WBIV in the playoffs.
He's just amazing and I always knew he would be here.

Ulis defense is something to behold. He will never be accused of being a "shut down" defender at the point. With his size, that will never happen. But he is extremely distruptive. That makes him extremely valuable.

[saintEscaton]

Ulis will probably be a 5 A/TO guy in the NBA... this is insane.
Great playmakers fare even better in the NBA because of larger court, spacing and better talent.
He was already a plus 3 A/TO in college, he can EASILY be a 4 A/TO in the pros.

But i'm blown away by his defense. I was super impressed with him when he stomped WBIV in the playoffs.
He's just amazing and I always knew he would be here.

Ulis defense is something to behold. He will never be accused of being a "shut down" defender at the point. With his size, that will never happen. But he is extremely distruptive. That makes him extremely valuable.

Exactly. He is basically the NBA version of Honey Badger, may not have the physical attributes to excel as a man defender on an island but he just has the knack for being at the right place at the right time setting his feet to draw a charge, can deny you the ballon the baseline/inbounds in a half court press/trap

[Slartibartfast]

Bender/Chriss both did 180s from yesterday; good for Chriss, bad for Bender. This sort of inconsistency is to be expected though.

Ulis looks ready for NBA minutes.

Big Sauce needs to make the team.

Booker is too good for SL.

Kuric(brain tumor guy?) is a great shooter...wouldn't mind inviting him to training camp.

The Cure would be a pretty sweet nickname.

[RunDogGun]

I like all the young guys. Even though many of them are trying to show what they can do, all of them are hustling on defense.

Ulis has done a great job, and hopefully Price can be moved to maybe another staff position, for he doesn't seem to be needed other than a lockerroom presence. I like both Bender and Chriss for different reasons. I think Bender is going to have a little trouble with game speed, position of the three point line, and the fact that he will get called for the tickiest of touches. Chriss on the other hand will have to get used to getting hit often and not getting the calls. The only thing that bothers me is that he reminds me of Markieff, just with better hops. His release is still too slow for a good stretch big.

What was up with Booker's free throws? Everything else he has done has been such a great contrast from last summer league. He really has matured already.

Williams has done a great job on effort and hustle for his size.

Kuric is interesting as well as TWilliams. Good effort and some decent shooting.

[saintEscaton]

Yeah looks fixed to me, the refs are probably trying to ensure that the Spurs SL team defends their title

[darealjuice]

Finally got a chance to actually watch the Suns vs Celtics game, was busy last night and had to take care of car problems today. I like the intensity and toughness that our team brings to the court every time; they are always bringing it to the other team and it really shows on the defensive end. The Celtics definitely got thrown off a bit by it, you could see guys like Hunter trying to jaw at our guys and we weren't really having it. I don't really like to complain much about the refs, but they were calling some extremely soft fouls, especially on Bender, which you could tell frustrated him.

Booker is starting to show improvement on the defensive end, he is trying to get into people's shorts and chasing hard on screens. He forced a couple of turnovers on Hunter by just not giving him room to operate on the ball. He took a few tough long twos out of the high post and seemed to really be trying to get his post game going, but he looked good and his footwork is great. I think he's probably done for Summer League, but knowing him he'll try to talk to coaches into letting him play again, especially considering he wasn't even supposed to play yesterday. His game is starting to be a lot more well-rounded, the improvement between this Summer League and last year is definitely evident.

Bender had a pretty rough game in terms of statistical output, and he was getting beat off the dribble too often. I think he's having a bit of trouble adjusting to the NBA game thus far: his 3 ball has been just slightly short, he's still trying to do Euroball stuff like tip the ball when it's on the rim, and the speed and athleticism of the game was throwing him off more than the Blazers game. Athletic, strong guys like Yabusele and Brown were matching up with him all game and I think it bothered him a bit because he wasn't able to be physical with them. I feel like he's still adjusting a bit, and I also feel that he'll be able to show his skill more in a structured, pro-style basketball game, as opposed to the AAU-style ball that gets played in Summer League. I don't think he's going to play near as much Small Forward as he is now when the regular season rolls around, so he'll be able to use his mobility and perimeter game more to his advantage against guys that aren't quite as athletic and strong as Brown and Yabusele. I'd still like to see a bounce back in the next game.

Chriss was showcasing that athleticism, and easy could have had another 2 or 3 big put backs and dunks, but he doesn't seem very confident with his shot right now. I think him getting his shot blocked on his first attempt in both the Blazers game and Celtics game makes him a little hesitant to shoot with confidence, but hopefully he gets some to drop in the next game. I love the hustle he shows, and he's looking like a solid rim protector from the weak side, but he needs to work on not going at pump fakes and staying on the ground until the ball is released. I'd like to see him be a bit more physical when rebounding on the defensive end, but pure hustle got him to the board a lot, so I'm excited to see where he can be with more refined technique. I was impressed by his mobility on the perimeter when he got switched onto guards/wings, but he needs to be more disciplined with staying on the ground for fakes and not reaching. Overall, it was an encouraging turnaround from him.

Ulis was impressive again, even with Booker running the show a good bit of the game. He really gets into people's **** on defense and has really quick hands to get in there and knock the ball away. I especially liked at the end of the first half when the Celtics ran a set to get Ulis switched on Brown in the high post, and while Brown was able to work into a slightly better position, Ulis was bodying him up and eventually knocked the ball away when he turned in the post. I'm really excited to see him actually get the opportunity to run this Summer League squad without Booker playing to see what he can really do as the floor general, because when Booker had the ball in his had, the team had a habit of standing and watching him make things happen. It's just Summer League, but his toughness, basketball iq, and poise with the ball have really impressed a lot. I was a bit of a doubter of his coming into the draft, but he is shutting me up for sure.

Williams is a man amongst boys in the game. He's so physical and passionate on the court, it really pumps up our guys along with it. He definitely deserves his contract going into this year, even if it's just to be the big man at the end of the bench motivating the rest of the team and destroying scrubs in garbage time, although I would be surprised if he got at least a little burn with how much he hustles and how well he fills his role. I know he was a beast with the Rockets last Summer, but I'm still really surprised and impressed with how he's been playing these games.

I'd also like to thank Danny Ainge for picking Jaylen Brown at #3 and allowing us to get both Bender and Chriss. I know he's got all the physical tools to be good, but man he just doesn't turn the wheel for me. He is explosive with his first step, but I just don't see the shooting or finishing ability right now, and he really didn't bring much to them game outside of a couple nice defensive plays. Isaiah Thomas said it best in his interview, once he learns how to play basketball, he could be good. But to me, that's more of an 'if' than a 'once'. Not trying to hate on the kid or anything, but I expected a bit more out of him.

[alldayeveryday]

I just don't see the IT comparisons wth Tyler Ulis. I see more towards CP3 just the way he navigates on the court. Straight up floor general with complete control of the game w/o pressing. (Take the height/weight factor out of the equation of course) -- IT when he was on the Suns seemed to do some silly things at times when putting up a layup + in your face contested shot rather then just making the second entry pass. I see none of that at the moment from Ulis but again its summer league. Kids looks great out there, glad to see some excitement back on the boards on RealGM. Hopefully once the season starts we can go with the motions of watching the youngsters play and learn from their mistakes.

[LukasBMW]

I just don't see the IT comparisons wth Tyler Ulis. I see more towards CP3 just the way he navigates on the court. Straight up floor general with complete control of the game w/o pressing. (Take the height/weight factor out of the equation of course) -- IT when he was on the Suns seemed to do some silly things at times when putting up a layup + in your face contested shot rather then just making the second entry pass. I see none of that at the moment from Ulis but again its summer league. Kids looks great out there, glad to see some excitement back on the boards on RealGM. Hopefully once the season starts we can go with the motions of watching the youngsters play and learn from their mistakes.

Agree. IT was either attack the rim or shoot. Ulis seems to look to pass first and is super creative at finding the open man.

He's so much fun to watch on defense. I hope he becomes our backup for years to come. Hell, maybe even our 6th man.

[bwoolf2]

I just don't see the IT comparisons wth Tyler Ulis. I see more towards CP3 just the way he navigates on the court. Straight up floor general with complete control of the game w/o pressing. (Take the height/weight factor out of the equation of course) -- IT when he was on the Suns seemed to do some silly things at times when putting up a layup + in your face contested shot rather then just making the second entry pass. I see none of that at the moment from Ulis but again its summer league. Kids looks great out there, glad to see some excitement back on the boards on RealGM. Hopefully once the season starts we can go with the motions of watching the youngsters play and learn from their mistakes.

Actually finally figured out who he reminds me of, Mike Conley, similar in size and physical make up and we all know Conley just got paid but very similar in style of play when I watch them both.

[saintEscaton]

I just don't see the IT comparisons wth Tyler Ulis. I see more towards CP3 just the way he navigates on the court. Straight up floor general with complete control of the game w/o pressing. (Take the height/weight factor out of the equation of course) -- IT when he was on the Suns seemed to do some silly things at times when putting up a layup + in your face contested shot rather then just making the second entry pass. I see none of that at the moment from Ulis but again its summer league. Kids looks great out there, glad to see some excitement back on the boards on RealGM. Hopefully once the season starts we can go with the motions of watching the youngsters play and learn from their mistakes.

Actually finally figured out who he reminds me of, Mike Conley, similar in size and physical make up and we all know Conley just got paid but very similar in style of play when I watch them both.

I've being saying this for a while now. Ulis is much slighter in his upper body tho. Also Conley is basically ambidextrous you can't tell which is his off hand and his floater in the lane is money
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNT00hIXjLs[/youtube]

[NavLDO]

In summer league Williams quietly averaging 14pts 12rbds 2.0asts 1.5stls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea1KHzk2h9E

Last year he averaged 20 and 12 for the Rockets in Las Vegas.

BTW, besides scoring Ulis' numbers look kinda ridiculous for a 5-10 guy:

10.5 pts, 6.0 ast, 4.5 reb, 4.5 stl, 0.5 tov (!!!), 1.0 PF, .581 TS%, 29.4 PER, 143.0 ORtg, 84.1 DRtg

Sure, It's only 2 summer league games against nobodies, but Dunn in his 2 games has 15 fouls, 6 assists and 6 turnovers.

I've been a non-Dunn supporter for us drafting him, and am still glad we didn't, just based upon his similarity, to me, of Bledsoe. He just seems more like a SG in PG body. I'm sure he'll do well once he gets his shot though. But to me, the team needs to decide how they are gong to develop him, and if they can fix his shot, maybe a 6'4.5" SG with nearly a 6'10" Wingspan will suit him better than PG. Maybe a Combo Guard?? He has better size than Bledsoe for that role, so I see no reason he couldn't thrive in the league.

It is nice to see a PG that is willing to 'provide for others' as Ulis appears to, and I'm stoked for his potential and how well he takes care of the ball. If IT (@ 5'10") can succeed in the league (and yes, I recognize they have different styles), then there's no reason Ulis can't either at that same height; he'll bulk up with NBA conditioning and nutrition, I'm sure. Plus, he's only 20. Hell, when I was 20 I was 5'11" 145 lbs, and it's safe to say I'm no where NEAR that weight anymore, 26 years later, but point is, even by age 24 I was 165, so I'm not worried about him not being able to put on the weight.

But man, if we could strike it gold with Warren in '14, Booker last year, and just 2 of these 3 this year, that would be a great core to build around, and as they mature and get better, give it 2-3 years and FAs will start to want to come to the Suns like days of old; I have no doubt.

[rsavaj]

Ulis will probably be a 5 A/TO guy in the NBA... this is insane.
Great playmakers fare even better in the NBA because of larger court, spacing and better talent.
He was already a plus 3 A/TO in college, he can EASILY be a 4 A/TO in the pros.

But i'm blown away by his defense. I was super impressed with him when he stomped WBIV in the playoffs.
He's just amazing and I always knew he would be here.

Ulis is great but getting to 4 A/TO would be remarkable, let alone 5. Conley was the only guy to have a A/TO >/= to 4 last season; excellent floor generals like Chris Paul, Ricky Rubio were at 3.8, 3.4

I'm not sure A/TO of 5 has ever been done before.

[NavLDO]

MFW Chriss and rebounding are used in the same sentence

Spoiler:

Funny, that's the same face I get when hearing Dunn and Assist used in the same sentence...

Had the same DReb/40 as a Freshman (4.6) did that Dunn had Assts/40 as a Freshman (4.6), yet Dunn was able to develop...I'm sure Chriss won't, though, right??

Flawed reasoning, there isn't a one to one comparison between those two categories. Chriss had the second worst defensive rebound rate among prospects in the last 30 years and played an entire season, he has knack for wading through traffick and getting offensive boards but how many opportuniteis will he get beyond his own misses if he plays away from the basket more as a true Stretch 4?.Dunn wasn't a first year starter and was sidelined early by a labrum injury that forced him to redshirt as a sophomore. As a junior and senior he was first and second in assist percentage in the nation, didn't drastically improve but kept up his level of production and was the main reasoning Providence wasn't an NIT team

And BTW:
From DX Article dated 29 March, 2016, 8 days after Chriss' last college game

At 4.1 rebounds per-40, Chriss ranks among the least prolific power forwards in NBA Draft history according to our database. Among first round picks, only Thaddeus Young (who played mostly SF in college) had a worse defensive rebounding rate in the draft's last 30 years. Chriss almost never puts a body on opposing big men in an attempt to box out and prepare for loose balls coming off the glass

And BTW, saint, you might want to stop using the above 'flawed reasoning" yourself, on Chriss, as obviously, the author you are getting this from is 'flawed'. Chriss' per 40 Rebounds was 4.6, not 4.1, and while not a HUGE improvement, it's still likely not the 2nd lowest Defensive Rebounder in the last 30 years, from their database, which makes me even question how 'reliable' their database is. And Young improved by almost two DReb per 40 since being in the NBA, so I wouldn't take a lot of stock into that stat, anyway.

Anyway, doesn't make him a prolific DReb player, but hardly the worst ever, and as I mentioned, Bender's was even worse, with a small sample size, of course, but point is, once you had .5 Rebs and the qualifier "of 1st Rd picks", it clarifies things a bit...and unless they update their information, or provide access to their database, I'd consider not using incorrect info to base arguments off of.