Goon Squad Classic Wrap-Up

It wasn’t NBA caliber.  But host Donté Greene and company put on a show that entertained the fans in attendance at the Goon Squad Classic.  His Black Team toppled the Purple Team, 167-164 in overtime at the UC Davis Pavilion.  Greene’s team featured  Jimmer Fredette, Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes.  Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas, Hassan Whiteside and Matt Barnes played together on the Purple Team.

James Ham will have his own take on the game in a post later today.  For now, I’ll share a few notes about Sunday night’s charity exhibition.

• Several players who were slated to play didn’t show.  Not surprising considering that’s been a common theme in many of these lockout contests.  After the game, Donté explained to me why some of guys didn’t make it.  “Jonny (Flynn) decided to participate in the game in Houston – John Lucas’ game.  Kevin Martin, I think went on an overseas tour.  And Kevin Durant had a family emergency he had to take care of, so it was last minute and he couldn’t come out.”  Donté added that he’s hoping to get those guys for perhaps another exhibition game in the future and appreciated the ones who did come out.
• John Wall made an appearance, but didn’t play.  I had overheard some chatter about his groin giving him some issues, forcing him to sit out the contest.  Donté told me that that Wall was indeed injured because he had been playing overseas and that the Washington Wizards guard wanted to “rest his body”.
• Questions arose on Friday about Evans’ weight when Jonathan Givony of Draft Express tweeted that Evans appeared to be at least 20 pounds bigger.  From what I saw, he looked bulkier, heavier with less defined muscle tone.  But overweight?  I can’t say exactly.  We’d need a check of his body fat to make a fair assessment.
• Tyreke’s jumper had no issues though.  In fact, he and Fredette traded back-to-back 40-foot threes during an exciting in-game exchange.
• The most impressive player physically was Hassan Whiteside.  He’s clearly added upper-body muscle this offseason.  He told me before the game that he’s actually been in Sacramento during most of the lockout.  He displayed extraordinary athleticism when he finished a slam by sticking his arm into the basket.  It was reminiscent of Vince Carter’s final jam from the 2000 NBA Dunk Contest.
• Best part of the halftime show was when a little rookie hazing took place and Fredette and Thomas were forced into an entertaining dance-off.  Watch below to see who won. (H/T to Blake Ellington with the video.)

• There were no stats being kept during the game.  But fortunately, Ben Taylor of KDVS Radio in Davis logged some numbers.  Evans was the leading scorer in the game with 54 points and connected on 10 three-pointers.  Cousins and Thompson both scored at least 40.  And Fredette dropped 32 34, connected on eight three-pointers.  The final scoring numbers for the game’s all notable players are below.
• No head count on attendance was given.  I’d estimate that maybe 3,500-4,000 people attended the game.  The Pavilion was about two-thirds full.