Marcus Smart turned in a decent performance, while Miami’s Shabazz Napier would like everyone to forget Day 1.
Game 1: Indiana Pacers 81 – 101 Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn’s Rookie Rankings
Markel Brown had a fantastic first game, despite finishing with just nine points (4-8 from the field), Brown displayed a diverse skill set on both ends of the floor. Early on in the game Brown, swished an open 3 and had the chance to display his impressive athleticism getting out in transition and finishing with an emphatic dunk. Being able to score from inside and out is a skill that should translate to the league. Brown also showed great vision for a shooting guard, as he curled off a couple of screens and dropped the ball off to the cutting big men for easy layups; he finished with four assists. On the defensive end, he was inconsistent, struggling at times to defend without fouling (finished with five personal fouls). However, one of those fouls came off a HUGE block that the referee wrongly deemed a foul in my opinion.
Corey Jefferson only played 16 minutes but still, used his strong upper body and length to gobble up nine rebounds (two offensive) in that time. He also had some nice putbacks, showing all the traits of a classic NBA energy bench player. However, he struggled with foul trouble and racked up six of them in limited time.
Xavier Thames looked slightly tentative and passive for the entire game, but did show some nice pick and roll defense at times. Generally, however, he struggled to get into the game. Some (including myself) pegged Thames as a good value pick in the late second round. Let’s hope he picks up his play later in the week.
Brooklyn’s Sophomore Stars
Mason Plumlee was the best player on the floor by a long way, finishing with 23 points on 8-11 shooting from the field and 7-10 from the line. Plumlee was so far ahead of everyone else out there, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Nets closed him down pretty soon. Plumlee didn’t take a single jumper. He simply used his speed, athleticism and footwork around the rim to create scoring opportunities and draw fouls.
Brooklyn’s Under-The-Radar Free Agents
Marquis Teague showed flashes of being an NBA-caliber guard. He was able to distribute in transition consistently but struggled to affect the game in the frontcourt. Teague still has not figured out a way to score in the paint, a glaring issue that severely limits his effectiveness. He finished with 14 points and six assists.
Jorge Gutierrez had a solid game, looked under control on offense and did a good job fighting over screens on the defensive end. Gutierrez looks to be more of a distributor than a scorer unlike Teague. His general feel for the game is pretty good, and he certainly looks capable of running a second unit. Despite finishing with just eight points and three assists (zero turnovers), he outplayed Teague for most of the game. It looks like the third point guard spot in Brooklyn could come down to Teague and Gutierrez, which is certainly something to watch during this week of summer league.
Indiana’s Rookie Rankings
N/A – The Pacers didn’t draft anyone this year.
Indiana’s Sophomore Stars
N/A – Solomon Hill sprained his ankle in practice on Wednesday and is unlikely to play the remainder of the Orlando Summer League.
Indiana’s Under-The-Radar Free Agents
It really was a pretty talentless Pacers team, and the score line reflected that. One bright spot was the play of Jake Odum who went undrafted from Indiana State. Odum shot the ball well from 3 and was aggressive drawing fouls. He also played some pretty good defense on Brown and Thames and finished with 10 points. Donald Sloan showed what he has in every other summer league: he is a big, strong combo guard who struggles to create for others and score efficiently.
Game 2: Miami Heat 77 – 85 Boston Celtics
Miami’s Rookie Rankings
Shabazz Napier really struggled in this one, finishing with 12 points and just 3-15 shooting from the field. Napier also recorded just two assists and eight turnovers, it looked as ugly as it sounds. The first three shots Napier took were all good looks, but they just didn’t go down. After that, Napier started driving the ball but really struggled to finish inside. Then, after that? It became chuck and pray time. Eventually, Napier go a shot to go after missing his first 11. I counted five different occasions where Napier failed to finish at the rim when you would have expected him to. Let’s hope it was just first-game nerves, but this really was a poor showing.
Miami’s Sophomore Stars
James Ennis played exceptionally well. After being drafted with the 50th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Ennis played in Australia and Puerto Rico last season. Pat Riley sees Ennis very much as part of the Heat’s plans for next season though, publicly stating he wants him on the roster. Ennis finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, two assists and three steals. Not bad at all. What was more impressive than his numbers was his defensive ability. Ennis showed good upper body strength and length. He also displayed a high basketball IQ, anticipating passes and getting steals. On the offensive end, Ennis showed the ability to score in transition and step out and hit the 3 (he shot 2-2). Overall, this was a hugely positive performance. Hopefully, Ennis can build on this.
Miami’s Under-The-Radar Free Agents
N/A – The rest of the Heat team struggled overall. I guess Justin Hamilton is worth a mention, as he finished with 13 points and nine rebounds. He did, however, shoot a miserable 4-15 from the field.
Boston’s Rookie Ranking
Marcus Smart is alone in this category as James Young sat out the game with a neck sprain after a car accident a couple of weeks ago. Smart came truly as advertised on the defensive end, abusing Shabazz Napier and even had success guarding some of the small and power forwards on the Heat squad. Perhaps most impressive was Smart’s nose for the ball, as he finished with five steals and a block. Smart’s offense, though? Still a work in progress. Smart’s first shot of the game was an off-balance 3 with 16 seconds still left on the shot clock (flashback: nightmares from Oklahoma State). Unfortunately, these kind of shots carried on throughout the game. Smart finished just 2-8 from the field and 0-5 from 3. As analysts have said, I believe it is his shot selection rather than his form that results in the low shooting percentages.
After watching one game, I firmly believe some of Smart’s value will be lost with him playing shooting guard. Smart displayed vision when he did run the point in this game (Phil Pressey played 75 percent of the game at point guard). Without the ball in his hands, Smart becomes a shooter who struggles to shoot. Early on in his NBA career, I believe Smart’s ability to draw fouls, especially in transition, could be the way he scores most of his points. He went 6-8 from the line.
Boston’s Sophomore Stars
Kelly Olynyk, much like Mason Plumlee in the first game, looked a cut above the rest. He finished with 20 points and eight rebounds, much to the delight of Boston fans. Olynyk’s high basketball IQ showed. He played the passing lanes well and finished with an impressive four steals. However, he turned the ball over six time himself, often trying to do a little bit too much or forcing a fancy pass to a teammate. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Olynyk is the work he’s done to his body since last year. He looks a lot thicker, had a little arm definition and said he had added 15 pounds over the summer. However, Olynyk still struggled battling with bigs inside re-enforcing the fact that I see Olynyk as a stretch four and not a center.
Boston’s Under-The-Radar Free Agents
Mike Moser went undrafted from Oregon in this year’s draft, but he had a nice showing in his first game finishing with 17 points. Perhaps most impressive was his shooting from beyond the arc (3-6), really showing the potential to be a stretch four. Moser didn’t just drain jump shots though; he had a number of dunks at the rim and showed good hands and timing when cutting. Moser’s combination of shooting and ability to utilize his athleticism and finish at the rim make him an interesting pick and roll partner.
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