July 6, 2010

Kevin Durant summer league
Image Source: ESPN

By James Blackburn

Game 3- 5:00 game
Boston (0-1) vs. OKC (1-0)
Thunder win 87-82
Box Score

GAME NOTES

• Boston was very patient at the beginning of the game, not forcing shots and sharing the ball.

• Boston played good team defense and closed out on the shooters.

• The Thunder brought Harden, White, Ibaka, Weaver, and Maynor with them- went from being the youngest team in the NBA to the most experienced team at Summer League.

• The Thunder started off sluggish, but came out in the second half with a bang- and eventually just wore Boston out- with its size and athleticism.

• Kevin Durant was present, sitting on the Thunder bench.

Scouting Reports

Celtics

Luke Harangody ( 27 min., 9-13 FG, 4-6 3 pt., 4 reb., 1 blk., 23 tp)- Very solid showing from the rookie out of Notre Dame. Luke proved a lot of skeptics wrong in this game. Luke is an excellent 3 pt shooter, with a quick release and great form. He plays good defense too, always displaying a hand in the shooters face. He also looked a lot trimmer and cut from his college days. Luke is generously listed at 6’8”, but is more like 6’6”. The Celtics might want to think about moving him to play SF, as Pierce backup. He sets solid screens and is a good P and Pop guy. Has a fluid jumper, gets his feet set and doesn’t look hurried. Keeps ball high on rebounds. Displayed the ability to put the ball on the floor and draw the foul or score. Good P and R defense. Not very athletic but had great block on Mullins in 4th quarter. Will play hard the entire game.

Jaycee Carroll ( 29 min., 6-16 FG, 1-4 3pt, 2 reb., 4 ass, 13 tp)- Carroll out of Utah State had a good outing. He is a great shooter who can stroke it from anywhere on the court. He can also make plays off the dribble. He is a pest on defense who will get in you and closeout well.

Thunder

Eric Maynor (33 min, 7-13 FG, 1-1 3pt, 3 reb, 5 ass, 15 tp)- Eric may have had the best performance of a PG all day. Showed the entire package: great shooter, good passer, controlled the game and ran the offense. He showed good body control in the air, with the ability to finish in traffic. Has a nice floater and is a crafty player once he reaches the paint. Has a nice right to left crossover, that is extremely quick.

Serge Ibaka( 17 min., 2-5 FG, 5 reb., 6 tp)- Very strong and physical player. Got hurt in second half and did not return. Is a very good defender, who is a presence in the pain with good shot blocking skills. Has developed a nice sweeping hook going to his right.

Byron Mullens ( 33 min., 6-12 FG, 12-15 FT, 7 reb., 24 tp)- The Celtics did not have an answer for Mullens in the P and R. Mullens, a second year player out of Ohio State, made a living this game at the FT line, where he took advantage hitting 12 FT. Does a great job rolling to the basket, catching the ball, gathering himself and attacking the basket, where he got fouled repeatedly. Very good FT shooter for big man. Athletic player, who is also a solid rebounder.

James Harden (34 min., 2-6 FG, 15-18 FT,3 reb, 2 st, 19 tp)- Harden started off the game deferring to teammates and trying to get everyone involved, but cam out the second half firing and taking command of the game. The Thunder put him in a lot of P and R situations with Mullens with him as the ball handler, which the Celtics did not have an answer for. Harden is very athletic and strong. He is great at attacking the basket, where he can finish with contact. One time he tried to dunk on Harangody- all Luke could do was push him with 2 hands. Is creative and composed with ball in his hands, good things would happen when he would touch it. Had a game saving block on jump shot at end of game.

By James Blackburn

Game 1- 1:00 game
Charlotte (1-0) vs. Utah (0-1)
Bobcats win 85-83
Box Score

GAME NOTES
• Officials are calling game extremely tight- lots of off the ball fouls and moving screens

• The Bobcats are passing the ball really well in the first half

• The Bobcats are letting Utah get back into the game because they are not getting back on defense

• The Jazz are making a living off the FT line – making 31

• The Jazz are having a tough time with the Bobcats length and size on the boards- the Bobcats scored most of there points in the paint in the first half.

• Sightings in the crowd for first game: Vince Carter, Stan Van Gundy, Rod Higgens, Jerry Sloan, Danny Ainge, Larry Bird, and Patrick Ewing.

Gordon Hayward
Image Source: AP

Scouting Reports

Bobcats

Alexis Ajinca ( 24 min., 4-7 FG, 4 reb., 3 blks, 8 tp.)- Showing off athleticism with some nice windmills in warm-ups. Has developed a nice little 12-15 ft. jumper with a very high release. Has a nice hook shot going to his right- very long and athletic player who still needs to gain some weight and get a little stronger. Ajinca’s problem is not on the offensive end, its on the defensive end. Has slow feet and doesn’t defend the Screen and Roll very well. Defense is the reason he can’t get into the game. Other than his defensive shortcomings- very solid showing for Ajinca.

Sherron Collins ( 14 min., 3-4FG, 1-1 3pt, 2 ass., 1 st, 7 tp)- If Sherron plays well during this summer league, he has a good opportunity to earn a roster spot with the uncertainty of Raymond Felton returning, which would leave the Bobcats with only 1 PG in D.J. Augustine. Sherron did a good job controlling the tempo and running the offense this game and scoring when he needed too. He keeps his eyes up and is a willing passer. Knows when to pass and when to shoot (he had 0 TO’s, which Coach Brown would like). He is a smart player with a high Basketball IQ, which is a product of being in Kansas system for so long. He is very strong and physical. Has a nice smooth stroke. He had a really nice coast to coast lay- up at the end of the half.

Gerald Henderson ( 34 min., 7-13 FG, 1-3 3pt, 5-5 FT, 4 ass, 20 tp)- Very solid game for Henderson, who was in a comfort zone the entire game. He was aggressive for the opening tip and was looking to score early and often. Loves to go to his right and is very explosive when he does so. He is a very athletic player, who had several nice over the rim dunks today. Has a very quick first step and rips through well. Can get to the basket and finish with authority and can also finish with acrobatic finesse. Good things happened when he touched the ball. Looked comfortable and composed playing, after being through practices and games in the NBA for a year. Has a good mid range- can create his own shot- Charlotte ran a lot of plays to get him isolations in the first half. Great overall performance.

Derrick Brown (36 min., 6-10 FG, 1-1 3 pt, 7-7 FT, 5 reb., 3 st, 20 tp)- Brown also played an impressive game. He is extremely athletic and tries to dunk the ball every time he attacks the basket which is often. He is a good vocal leader on the floor and is very smart basketball IQ wise. He knew the other teams plays and would shout it out on D.

Shawne Williams (17 min., 3-5 FG, 3 reb., 8 tp)- Shawne quietly had a good game. He was very poised on the court and you could tell he was a vet, having already played in the NBA for 2 different teams in the past. He has a nice offensive game with a great jump shot. He has good step back too.

Jazz

Gordon Hayward (25 min., 2-2 FG, 4-4 FT, 5 reb, 2 ass, 2 st, 8 tp)- A lot of eyes were on Gordon to see what he would do in his first pro game and first game since the finals vs. Duke. Gordon came out very passive and nervous. He looked out of his league in the first half, but settled down and got things going in the second. He does not force shots, and is a very smart player. He won’t have a problem in the league as some think he is not quick enough, big enough, or athletic enough. He is stronger than he looks and is surprisingly somewhat athletic. He is very patient. He plays solid defense, always having a hand in the shooters face. He is a good shooter with good footwork coming off of screens. He is also a good passer and can bring it up the court and finish. Expect to see him progress and get better game by game.

Tyrese Rice (13 min., 3-5 FG,1-2 3 pt, 5-6 FT, 12 tp)- Tyrese is an interesting player. Coming out of Boston College and not getting drafted in 2009 was a surprise to me. He spent last year in the Greek league and put up 12 ppg. Tyrese is a straight scorer, but little else. He is generously listed at 6’1”, but is probably 5’11”. He is a good shooter, but has an extremely low release. Showed off an array of offensive moves in a high scoring 3rd quarter. Has good ball control. I think Rice will spend most of his career overseas, as he is too small to get his shot off ( especially with low release) and the fact that he can do little else besides score. He is a decent passer, but is a defensive liability.