Las Vegas summer league

[GreatLakeState]

Day 6, rom draftexpress.com ...

David Lee (Knicks)- The Knicks are playing Lee at the small
forward position, probably because they have so many quality
big guys on their roster. He was being extremely aggressive
right from the get go, taking the ball strong to the basket off the
dribble as he's been doing all along in the summer league so
far, getting to the line again and again and knocking down his
free throws. He showed great body control to spin off his man
and score with either his left or his right hand, or keep his
composure and kind the open man with one of his trademark
passes even when he's on the move. In the first half he finished
with 13 points on 3-4 shooting from the field and 7-8 from the
line.

David Lee had a fantastic game here, even though he was
playing out of position at the three spot. He got to the line
relentlessly and played tough, even sometimes dirty, defense.
That's exactly what Isiah and co. are going to want him to do in
New York in order to get minutes. You can tell that Lee has
already developed great chemistry with his new teammates
and fellow first round picks Channing Frye and Nate Robinson.


Darko Milicic (Pistons)- Milicic tried a lot harder in this game,
but the results in the first half just weren't there. He actually
started off very well, blocking Kaman as he pulled up for a short
jumper in the lane and running the floor very hard to finish off a
break, but the rest of the 1st half was not memorable for him.
He picked up a bunch of fouls on Chris Kaman, got
outrebounded a bit and didn't really make his presence felt
around the basket. His moves around the hoop aren't bad, it's
just that his jump hook shot wasn't and never was falling for
him here in Vegas. It's still early in the game for Darko, but
things don't look great for him right now. A nice 18 foot jump
shot was one of the few bright spots for him in the 2nd quarter.
He had 4 points on 2-5 shooting with 1 rebound in the first half.

In the 2nd half Darko was absolutely murdered by Chris Kaman
in the post. He gave him too much space and let him get too
deep before putting a body on him, meaning he either picks up
the foul or conceeds the basket. He settled time after time for
the 18 footer and it rimmed out for him every single time. When
he did get position in the paint he went for the jump hook shot
rather than taking the ball right at Kaman to draw the foul and/
or finish strong at the hoop.

Darko had one really sweet move with five minutes left in the
fourth quarter that really got a rise out of the crowd. He had the
ball at the three point line and made a great spin move towards
the basket to finger roll the ball into the basket. These are
exactly the type of moves that got him drafted where he did.


Carlos Delfino (Pistons)- Out of shape and out of tune. Did
nothing in the first. Word in the gym is that Delfino has had
enough in Detroit and is actively seeking a new team for
himself in Europe. The problem is that the Pistons aren't having
any of it.


Chris Kaman (Clippers)-Chris Kaman is a bull in a china shop,
he can cause damage to himself and other when he's on the
court. Kaman has all the tools to be a great center. Kaman can
shoot, post, block shots, and rebound. The problem with Chris
is he doesn't know when to do what. Kaman turns into the
double team as often as he beats his man for the score. Kaman
has blocked a few shots and gotten blocked himself, by Darko
Milicic. As long as he's not the best player on the court he can
get enough opportunities to be effective. The summer league
stats don't belay the lack of control Kaman shows on the court.
He's too talented to get rid of though and can still wow you as
much as make you hang your head, it's like watching a train
wreck.

Kaman continued his effective play throughout the 2nd half. He
was too much for Darko to handle in the paint and scored on
him time after time or went to the line. When he's not settling for
bad shots from outside he is a really effective big man. There is
still some hope for him to live up to where he was drafted. A
solid outing for Kaman offensively. For him to be more than a
solid starter, though, he will have to be more aggressive on the
defensive end and on the glass. He has the size and mobility to
do it, that's for sure, it's all mental at this point, which is exactly
where the question marks around Kaman start.


Taylor Coppenrath (Celtics)-Taylor has had another good
hustle game. Everything Doc said about him is accurate, with
the exception of making this team. I don't see a roster spot for
him, but they may sign him and send him overseas or to the
NBDL to see how he progresses. Taylor does the little things
and has gotten his hands on a few balls through challenge
defense and smarts.

Another solid half again. Taylor has less skill then Gomes, but
very similar instincts and it shows in his game. Everything he
does well is a product of his intelligence.


Mindaguas Katelynas (Suns)- Katelynas finally came to life a
bit in the first half after being in a coma ever since Portsmouth
ended. He was very active on both ends of the floor and made
a couple of very nice unselfish plays. He drained a 3, nailed his
mid-range jumper, passed well and generally did everything
that was asked of him.

Apparently the Suns saw something we didn't, and Katelynas
got benched for the rest of the game after scoring 5 points in 7
minutes. He came back at the end of the fourth for three
minutes when the Suns were down by 30+ and was so eager to
prove himself that he committed a couple of fouls, scored one
basket and didn't do anything else.


Zarko Cabarkapa- Zarko was impressive in the first half against
Andray Blatche, a good matchup from a size, length, and style
perspective. Zarko made a number of plays from the wing and
both created shots for himself and others. Zarko has very good
body control and is sure of himself when he makes his move,
rarely getting into trouble and wisely sticking to the middle
instead of getting trapped on the baseline. Zarko's overall
speed and explosiveness isn't anything special, but he has a
good handle and knows the game well so it isn't an issue.
Zarko finished with 11 points in the half.

Zarko continued to run the floor in the second half and good
things happened because of it. When running the break Zarko
can fill the role of finisher, distributer, and creator. Nice game
for him as his outside shot finally started dropping. He finished
with 18 points.

 

[GreatLakeState]

Day 5, from draftexpress.com ...






Pavel Podkolzin (Mavericks)- Floated to the perimeter a bit and
bricked two mid-range jumpers. Got the ball two feet away from
the basket and laid it in a couple of times. Nothing really too
special here, Pavel looked pretty slow running the floor
actually.

Podkolzin was just too much for the Korean Ha Sueng Jin to
handle in the 2nd half, if you can believe it. He scored a few
times at the basket on him and went to the line a couple more.
Jin finished with 8 fouls in about 12 minutes. Pavel somehow
finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds.


Linas Kleiza (Nuggets)-Barely played in the first half, but
impossible not to notice when he is on the court. He's so tough
and active, but really skilled at the same time.

Kleiza had better games than this one. He has to learn how to
be smarter with his aggressiveness, as he's picked up a ton of
fouls in all of his three games. You have to love his heart, but
that won't help his team if he's saddled with fouls night in night
out. In the 4th quarter he nailed 3 straight mid-jumpers, two
from the NCAA three point line to end up with a respectable
statline. He also finished with 7 fouls.


Luke Jackson (Cavs)- On cue, Luke has really started asserting
himself with good results. Jackson's deep shot is still a bit short,
but he's locating it well and not shooting indiscriminatingly. In
transition Luke's handle and court vision are really helping get
his team going, at one point he pulled a sweet cross-over to the
left and then flipped the behind the back pass in stride to his
teammate for the jam...which the guy blew. Jackson has
handled Julius Hodge's pressure very well and isn't getting
beat on defense at all as he's funneled Julius to the baseline
on nearly every attempt.

In the second half Luke absolutely dominated the transition
game with his ball handling and passing. Jackson didn't look to
score much, but he controlled the tempo and was the point
guard for his team on many possessions. Once his shot gets
right again he'll look nice playing alongside passers like LBJ
and Larry Hughes.


Travis Diener (Magic)- Diener is really starting to look solid and
could be a legit backup to Nelson and Franchise if he
continues his solid play. Although he's extremely slight of build
he hasn't let it effect his composure and has made a number of
nice passes as he's weaved his way toward the basket with his
head up.

The second half was non eventful for Diener, he didn't play
much and got a caught out on the court with Nelson so really
just became a bystander. The kid keeps plugging away and
doesn't seem impressed with some of the more athletic and
physical defenders that are trying to intimidate him on the court.
Hopefully he uses this to produce a bit more in the next few
games.


Jackson Vroman (Hornets)- Vroman did a great job fighting
with Dwight Howard all day long in the paint. You could tell that
he really managed to frustrate the high school stud, forcing him
into a couple of bad shots (which he sometimes hit anyway)
and even baiting him into Howard uncharacteristicly losing his
cool for a second. Vroman is one scrappy dude, that's for sure,
and he's animated enough on top of that to really like him as an
energetic hustle guy who will probably stick in the league for a
while. His offense isn't really anything to write home about at
this point, but here in Summer League he can do some
damage around the paint with his athleticism, size and hustle.
He scored on Howard twice here and overall did a very solid
job.

In the 2nd half Vroman sat most of the time to allow the Hornets
to get a look at some of the big men that aren't guaranteed a
roster spot for next season.


Maciej Lampe (Hornets)- A lot of the same from what we saw in
the previous two games out of Lampe. He was hit or miss from
the perimeter and pretty good when he got the ball inside. His
defense was spotty, but he showed some nice ball-handling
skills bringing the ball up the court. He shows some great
flashes here and there, but he's going to have to be more
active and aggressive if he is going to do anything in this
league.

 

[GreatLakeState]

Day 4 from draftexpress.com ...

Luke Jackson (Cavs)- Started off cold once again before finally
nailing a three pointer. That got him going and he started
driving to the basket, pulling up off the dribble and making
some very nice passes. Was really feeling it at one point and
had a hard time missing.

In the second half Jackson really seemed to rediscover his old
self. While his shot isn't in the crazy-deadly range he's capable
of, Luke seems to be shaking the last remnants of rust off of his
game and will probably star for his team the rest of the week.
His passing and quick decision making are starting to look like
the old Oregonian Jackson that made him the 10th pick in the
draft. Luke better dominate, because his squad is sauce.


Martynas Andriuskevicius (Cavs)- Looked completely lost from
the very second he got in. Got stuffed by Diogu on his very first
shot in America, and then was dunked on by Chris Taft on the
next possession down the court. Threw the next pass he got 10
feet out of bounds, picked up a couple of fouls and then
dribbled the ball off his foot. Stroked a very nice 12 footer from
the baseline. Played nice defense on Chris Taft to force him
into a travel. Made a great pass to Ike Udoka. Got on the floor to
force a jump ball.


Zarko Cabarkapa (Warriors)- This big guy has skills that no one
else does at 6-11. He has an awesome handle which he uses
to get into the lane repeatedly and score on his man, and solid
range out to the NBA three point line. He isn't particularly quick
or athletic, but he's really fun to watch and a total mismatch for
the opposing team.


Andris Biedrins (Warriors)- Ran the floor really hard, showed
great hands for a 2nd straight day to make a tough catch in
transition and finish.

Didn't play all that much, but was solid in his time on the floor
without standing out too much. Solid post moves for the
Warriors starting unit although they barely played him in the
latter half.


David Lee (Knicks)- David is still hitting those boards. This kid
will be a contributing player because he knows the game of
basketball and he uses his plus athleticism to make plays. Lee
threw down two monster reverse jams and looked real smooth
on the first when he went around his defender on the baseline
and threw it down. He hits the boards very well, often coming
across the lane to steal them from unsuspecting opponents. His
free throw mechanics need work, as does his jump shot, but he
can play and should improve as time goes on.

Lee needs to keep working at his perimeter game because
teams will take away his strong weak-side game once he starts
burning them. Lee's quickness is a great asset and he'll always
be a good cleanup guy, but to take it to the next level he needs
that mid range game to set it all up. Don't believe the
rebounding stats from the box score though, because Lee was
much closer to 10 rebounds than the 5 they credited him for.
That's typical of the horrendous work the statistician is doing
here, to the point that you really can't take any of the boxscores
here seriously.


Chris Kaman (Clippers)- What can you say about this guy?
He's got a ton of talent, but is still learning when to do what.
Kaman showed that he can hit the midrange turnaround jumper
if he creates the space, but when crowded it flattens out and
becomes inaccurate. Kaman has good footwork and a nice
passing eye, but still turns full force into the help defender too
much. I'd hang a big "construction in progress" sign on him and
hope for the best. Regardless, Kaman was the Clipper's best
player today.

Escaped our wrath because of a lack of time and motivation:
Lionel Chalmers and Dijon Thompson. Both were absolutely
awful, especially Chalmers.


Darko Milicic (Pistons)- Started the game a little slowly, backed
down Schenscher and then tried to get cute with a hook shot
instead of throwing it down. He was stuffed by Marcus Haislip.
After that he had a wide open look from 18 feet out and he
hesitated and then turned it over on the ensuing pass. Other
then that he showed a lot of potential in a lot of areas, but
mentally he just can't put it together. His feet are very quick on
defense, his hands are great in the post, he has a beautiful
hook shot, can stroke the 18 footer, has nice footwork and great
body control to get his man off balance and get his shot off in
the paint. The biggest problem here is that he just won't take
the ball strong up at the hoop and finish with authority,
preferring to get cute and fade away everytime instead. Darko
put a lot more effort in today, though, hitting the deck twice for a
loose ball and calling for the ball. You can tell with the passes
he makes and the way he moves off the ball that he really
knows how to play and has some serious talent, he just needs
someone to believe in him and bring it out out of him now.

Darko was very active on the offensive and defensive glass in
the 2nd half, but settled way too much for the outside jumper
which kept bouncing off the back of the rim. He also had some
very nice passes and a strong offensive move to score after
turning off his shoulder for a kiss off the glass. All in all, a better
game for Darko than yesterday, but still nothing really to write
home about. He showed a couple of sparks here and there, the
upside is definitely still there, hopefully he'll gain some
confidence for next time off this outing.

Towards the end, Darko came strong with some really good
moves at the basket. One great jab step to get him man off
balance and drill the 14 footer, and another strong dunk off of
an offensive rebound. He was rebounding the ball very well in
the fourth as well. He showed some emotion by telling his guys
that he wanted the ball more in the post, not on the perimeter.


Carlos Delfino (Pistons)- Started the game very slowly,
shooting an airball and then coming up way short on another.
He made up for it with some decent defense, but Delfino still
has a long ways to go to be ready for next season with the
shape he's in right now.

Looked very selfish in the 2nd half, stopping the ball
movement, forcing his shot and going to the basket very slowly
with his head down. He definitely got outplayed by Detroit's
rookies.


Linas Klieza (Nuggets)-Linas didn't play much but made the
most of his time. The kid will stick his nose in any situation and
usually comes out with good results. Klieza's shot looks very
smooth and he's quick with his decision making, something
he'll absolutely need on the NBA stage. He had a great catch
off the shoe tops in traffic and finished around a bevy of
defenders. Klieza even broke out his passing arsenal toward
the end of the first half showing both the inlet pass and the nice
hard dish on the drive.

The highlight of Klieza's second half were the two monster
challenges he made against Jason Maxiell. "Mad Max" is the
largest of loads and was throwing his weight around with a fury.
But, Klieza came in strong on him twice, taking the body contact
and still putting a bid in for the throw down jam.

 

[GreatLakeState]

Day 3 from draftexpress.com ...

Maciej Lampe (Hornets)- A good, but not great game from
Lampe, more of the same from what we saw yesterday actually
more than anything. Ran the floor pretty well and finished after
taking a nice pass from Chris Paul or Troy Bell. Sometimes
went underneath the basket to receive the ball and make things
happen, and sometimes floated out to the perimeter and jacked
up a bad shot. Didn't play a lot of defense and didn't really
rebound that great, but still showed a lot of potential as usual.


Travis Diener (Magic)- A very solid outing for Diener backing
up Jameer Nelson. He did a good job running the team and
getting everyone involved, going to the basket and dishing off
or finishing himself. Best of all was his perimeter stroke, Diener
gets off his shoot quickly and accurately and looks like he will
have absolutely no problem at all adjusting to the NBA three
point line. The 20 footer he hit falling out of bounds with the
shot clock about to expire sealed the game for the Magic at the
end of the game.


Darko Milicic (Pistons)- Doesn't really look too interested in
what's happening around him. Not really trying too hard.

Got the ball from two feet out with the 6-7 Harold Jamison
guarding him, Darko bricks it. The same thing happened in the
fourth quarter, he had his man pinned and just needed to throw
it down strong, instead he got cute with a hook shot and it
rimmed out. Someone from the crowd then yelled at Joe
Dumars: "you see that Joe?!?"

Darko went to the bench with the most dejected look you have
ever seen out of a #2 pick. It's obvious that people are
disappointed in him and he is disappointed in himself, but after
seeing such little playing time over the last two years, there
really isn't too much he can do.


Carlos Delfino (Pistons)- Looks incredibly slow. Definitely not
the same player he was in Italy. Trying too hard, and things
really aren't working out for him.

Completely out of shape, looking very heavy, barely being able
to get off his feet\. Only player here who is wearing an
undershirt with sleeves, apparently he has something to hide.
His basketball instincts are still there, but he has a long ways to
go to get ready for the new season.


Pavel Podkolzin (Mavs)- Did a good job looking goofy and
picking up fouls and turnovers mainly. Doesn't play like he is 7-
5 at all. Later on in the game scored a bit from two feet out or
so, but otherwise had a hard time making his presence felt. He
must get in better shape if he is going to have any chance at
getting playing time next year in the NBDL.


Taylor Coppenrath (Celtics)- Showed a ton of hustle by getting
to a number of loose balls and putting himself in a position to
finish with good floor spacing. Got a nice and one play against
DJ Mbenga, who is a physical shot-blocking seven footer with
very little actual skill.

 

[GreatLakeState]

Days 1 & 2 from draftexpress.com ...

Matt Freije- 13 points (2-3 3P, 5-9 FG), 4 rebounds- Fairly quiet,
but knocking down almost all of his shots, both from mid-range
and from behind the arc. Did a good job trying to rebound and
play defense, within his limitations of course. Used his length to
challenge shots around the rim, one great block on Chris Paul
in transition.


Luke Jackson- 8 points (3-15 FG), 6 rebounds, 4 assists-
Jackson had a nightmare of a game. Nothing was falling for
him from outside. Forced the issue constantly, turning the ball
over. Blew a wide open layup and generally looked very
frustrated. Clearly rusty from his extended absence over the
past year.


Maciej Lampe- 12 points (5-10 FG), 7 rebounds- Settled for a
lot of bad shots from the perimeter, but they weren't really
falling for him. Not super active or aggressive. When he went to
the paint, good things always happened. He has a very nice
body and is definitely athletic for a player his size, he just
needs to use it more.


Linas Kleiza- 14 points, 5 rebounds, 7 fouls- A great first game
for Kleiza, using his toughness and grit to make his presence
felt in every facet of the game. Kleiza ran the floor like a bull all
game long, always placing himself in the right spot at the right
time to make the most of his time on the floor. He showed great
hands, a high basketball IQ, a nice mid-range jumper, good
passing ability and possibly the biggest heart of anyone on the
floor here. He has clearly lost some weight since his time at
Missouri, and therefore is also a bit more mobile. Kleiza will
struggle somewhat to find a clear-cut position for himself in the
pros, but you can tell that he will do everything he can to make
up for that.


Chris Kaman- 7 points (2-10 FG), 3 rebounds, 3 turnovers-
Probably the biggest disappointment of the day, Kaman is a
player who should be able to come in and dominate on his way
to 20 points and 10 rebounds with the greatest of ease playing
here. Kaman was getting the ball in good positions early on
thanks to Shaun Livingston, but was very impatient using that
position to get a good shot off and often ended up settling for
soft fadeaways or just downright heaving the ball at the basket
hoping it sticks. He was guarded effectively by Ryan Gomes,
Taylor Coppenrath, Al Jefferson and especially Kendrick
Perkins. You can tell why he was drafted where he was with his
size, footwork, mobility and touch around the basket, but his
extremely average basketball IQ makes you wonder whether
he will ever put it all together. Kaman wasn't trying very hard to
make his presence felt on the defensive end or on the glass,
and didn't look to be in very good shape either. Kaman was
dominated by the Celtic big men all night and did a very poor
job helping Livingston out.


David Lee had another solid near double-double game despite
an atrocious shooting performance. Lee's misses were more of
the "#$#$ ball!" variety as almost all were point blank tip-backs
and challenged hooks that just missed. Still, his touch was soft
and he was extremely active on the glass and just moving
around the court in general. Lee didn't show his mid-range
game at all and I await its appearance as that is his biggest
hurdle in successfully transitioning to the 3 spot. He keeps his
elbow in nicely and his feet and shoulders square up in the
motion, but his elbow still pops when his wrist should hold all
the action. We'll see how things go as the week goes on.



Luke Jackson looked very rusty as he had trouble getting a
smooth release on the ball, which is very uncharacteristic of his
play. The year off has taken a toll apparently. Considering the
need for perimeter shooting on the Cavs I expect Cleveland to
continue to get the ball into his hands the rest of the week. A
very ugly 3-15 game didn't seem to rattle his confidence in
shooting the ball and coach Mike Brown looked to be satisfied
with his decision making.


Blake Stepp looked very good handling the PG duty as he had
no problem handling against Chris Paul. Not many assists but
didn't need help either and in a more controlled environment
his movement with and without the ball is going to create many
shot opps. For himself and others. Great 3 ball as usual.

 

[white lightning]

Thanks for all of the great updates.Lampe can be an All
Star in my opinion with alot of hard work.He has a nba
type body that is built for banging the boards.There are
not too many players in the nba who could push him around.
I wish the Suns wouldn't have given up on him so soon.Keep
up the great work.I really enjoy reading your posts!