After the first three games for the Bobcats in Vegas, the team stands at 2-1. The Cats fell to the Spurs by 2 after a Cory Joseph buzzerbeater in game 1 before beating both the Mavericks and Knicks. After these three games here are my positives and negatives…
Positives:
- STTREEETTTCHHH 4- Cody Zeller is a rare athlete for his size and offers a versatility that few big men possess. Watching him put it on the floor and get to the basket sure makes this stretch 4 thing look possible.
- Working Out the Kinks- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist looks much more efficient thus far, also it looks as if he made his weak points the focal point of his Summer League, which is encouraging despite the still-broken release on his jumper.
- Thinking Man’s Game- Zeller is going to be a very cerebral player, he understands off-ball movement and sealing off defenders better than any rookie post player I can think of. Leads to a lot of uncontested/easy buckets.
- Second Round This!- Jeff Taylor has been an excellent scorer thus far and is working on his mid-range game and aggressiveness. If he can ride this confidence into the regular season, he will be a huge bench piece for the young Cats.
- Don’t Think So Much- Kidd-Gilchrist’s jumper seems less flawed in rhythm than when you watch it in practice. It’s still not pretty, but better.
- Rock Solid- Biyombo looks stronger when positioning himself in the post and made the expected athletic plays on offense and defense.
- Big Men Can Score?- Zeller averaged 15.7ppg on 53% shooting, showing off a variety of hesitation moves, off-ball moves, and tough finishes. His scoring in the post (along with Al Jefferson’s) will help all of the perimeter players that were hurt by the ineptitude of the Cats’ post players last season.
- Nepotism- Patrick Ewing Jr. brings more to the table than the last player only on the team because of his daddy (I’m looking at you Cory Higgins) and could hang around just because of his ability to contribute in a variety of ways.
- Going to the Ship?- This team could be in line for a championship, even if it is just the Summer League. Hot starts have helped lift them as they have outscored their opponents 129-120 in the first halves of the three games, including a 50-28 first have score against the Mavericks.
Negatives:
- Might as Well Play With Four- There isn’t 50% of a PG on this Cats’ roster, not even half of one! I’m tired of watching these guys dribble into double after double while ignoring open big men or shooters.
- Pick and Do What?- Pick and roll game has been nearly non-existent thanks to the lack of point play, which makes it hard to judge young players in the set that will be a huge part of this year’s offense.
- Rock Solid… Hands- Biyombo is still having issues catching the ball, I saw multiple plays where he got good positioning but didn’t have the soft hands to catch and finish
- Zeller as a NBA 3 Shooter- Prior to the draft, Zeller dazzled scouts by hitting 3 after 3… In an empty gym. He has missed both attempts from beyond-the-arc thus far, thus proving that HORSE and basketball are different.
- Assert Yourself- Kidd-Gilchrist still isn’t asserting himself enough on offense, and even though I respect him working on his weaknesses, he should post up and drive more. I’ve never seen a player so reluctant to use his strengths to dominate, especially in the SUMMER LEAGUE. Come on MKG! Dominate! Assert!
Key Stat Lines:
Cody Zeller- 15.7 ppg, 9.3 rebs, 1.3 assts, 1.3 orpg
Jeff Taylor- 21 ppg, 2.7 rebs, 1.6 stls
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist- 10.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.3 assts, 1.3 stls
Bismack Biyombo- 5.3 ppg, 9.7 rebs, 1 assts, 1.7 blks
Patrick Ewing Jr.- 6.3 ppg, 4 rebs, 1.3 assts
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