Derrick Williams wasn’t satisfied with his rookie season and he’s determined to play a bigger role for the Minnesota Timberwolves next year … Meyers Leonard ready to compete for the Portland Trail Blazers’ starting center job … Dallas Mavericks sign Bernard James
The NBA Summer League finished up in Orlando on July 13 and brought the show to Las Vegas that very same day.
Some rookies have impressed, wowing the competition with their skills, but others have floundered thus far in Vegas.
The locations are different, but the general sentiment stays the same. Draft picks are trying to prove that they were worth it, and undrafted rookies are out to make other teams regret passing on them.
Here are three rookies who have gone above and beyond so far in the desert.
Bradley Beal – Washington Wizards
Beal hasn’t exactly proven himself to be the sharpshooter that the Washington Wizards hoped for, but he’s shown the organization that he’s more than capable of scoring in bunches.
The Florida product has led his team in scoring in each of the last three games, scoring 22, 14 and 20 points, respectively.
The No. 3 overall pick has gone just 16-for-39 from the field in those three games, a 41 percent clip. He’s no exactly shooting the lights out of the gym, but he’s shown the propensity to get to the free-throw line, reaching the stripe 28 times. He’s only hit 75 percent of his shots from the stripe, but five of his seven misses came in one game.
In his last two games, Beal has 11 rebounds, five assists and just five turnovers. He was heralded as a dead-eye shooter, and he is exactly that. He’s not going to hover around 41 percent for much longer, and should be able to improve on that number when he gets more comfortable on the court.
Jeremy Lamb – Houston Rockets
No. 12 overall pick Jeremy Lamb is well on his way to rewarding the Houston Rockets for their decision to take a risk in drafting him as high as they did.
Over the last three games, the former UConn Husky has averaged 20.3 points. He’s been knocking down shots at a rate of 51 percent and has turned the ball over just six times in those three games.
He’s also gone 14-for-15 from the stripe, and brings a complete package to the Rockets. Lamb has been a bit one-dimensional in three games, pulling down just eight boards and dishing out two helpers in the trio of impressive performances.
However, the Rockets expected him to be a scorer more than anything else, so they surely aren’t complaining. As a volume scorer, he’s going to help the Rockets as much as they thought he would when they drafted him.
Damian Lillard – Portland Trail Blazers
The first point guard taken in the 2012 NBA draft proved why he was indeed that in his only Las Vegas Summer League game to date.
It’s a small sample size, but Damian Lillard put on a show for those in attendance on Sunday night. He scored 25 points in 34 minutes against the New Orleans Hornets on 9-for-21 shooting.
Shooting 43 percent isn’t going to make you a star in the NBA, but Lillard surely had some first-game jitters to deal with. The Weber State alum showed plenty of offensive versatility as both a scorer and a facilitator.
He showed his range from behind the arc, knocking down a couple of threes, which is a good sign in itself. Even more encouraging was his ability to get to the rim and find the bottom of the net despite contact down low.
Lillard found teammate and fellow first-round pick Meyers Leonard on an alley-oop and a couple other low-post passes. If that duo turns out as well as Portland is hoping, the Trail Blazers will be just fine in the future.
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The NBA‘s Las Vegas Summer League is officially underway, giving a chance for recently drafted prospects to get their rookie seasons off on the right foot and borderline players to work their way into consideration for roster spots.
Teams are constructed in relatively rudimentary form to play in sloppy exhibition games, and yet the summer showcase does grant an opportunity—however conditional—for talent scouting.
With that in mind, here’s a closer examination of the performance of a few of the standout players from Day 3 in Vegas.
Dion Waiters, Cleveland Cavaliers
The inevitable downside of drafting a wing player who is empowered by his strength and momentum is the fallout that comes from the charge.
Dion Waiters witnessed the terrors of a set defender firsthand in his summer league debut, hopefully acting as a teaching moment to curb some of Waiters’ overly aggressive driving instincts.
He should be a tremendously difficult cover once he adds some ball-handling creativity and changes in pace to his drives.
Otherwise, Waiters’ defining characteristic appears to be his desire—on this team, anyway—to operate with the ball in his hands. When Waiters wasn’t lowering his shoulder and plowing down defenders, he was calling for the ball and trying to make plays.
Some of that is the nature of a summer league team very suddenly missing Kyrie Irving, but one gets the immediate and clear impression that Waiters, for better or worse, isn’t content with conceding the initiation of the offense.
DeShawn Sims, Phoenix Suns
DeShawn Sims has bounced between the D-League, Greece, Korea and Puerto Rico, but has definite NBA game.
He may be positionally ambiguous to some, but a forward capable of doing efficient work from the low block and spotting up on the perimeter should theoretically be employable on the highest level—even if that hasn’t quite been the case.
Something has held Sims back in the eyes of basketball talent evaluators over the last two seasons, though he’s hardly a crippling defender or rebounder.
The one aspect of Sims’ game that is noticeably lacking is capacity to create off the dribble from the perimeter. Although, considering how few teams are looking for off-the-dribble creation from their bargain-bin forwards, why would that possibly be enough to discount his otherwise solid potential?
Sims’ most significant development may be behind him, but he’s a respectable player with a valuable and easily accessible skill.
Stretching his range to beyond the three-point line could bring a whole new world of NBA employability, but even in the meantime, Sims should be a viable candidate for the end of an NBA bench.
Meyers Leonard, Portland Trail Blazers
There’s no way to really predict how well the combination of LaMarcus Aldridge and Meyers Leonard might pan out in the years to come, but if nothing else, Leonard appears to be a valuable find in a vacuum.
Leonard began the Blazers’ summer league by executing a beautiful pick-and-roll with fellow rookie Damian Lillard, and throughout the duration showcased a splendid ability to run the floor, work the baseline and move his feet defensively.
He’s athletic and inescapably big. His vertical extension—if not always his defensive positioning—makes it very difficult for opponents to attempt quality shots around the rim. His size alone creates problems on the block.
Plenty of refinement is in order (Have you seen the man throw an outlet pass? Yeesh.), but Leonard provided a tremendous counterpoint to the equally impressive Lillard.
Charles Garcia, Phoenix Suns
Charles Garcia is likely to be forever plagued by simply being a profoundly weird player.
He’s an athletic big man without the strength to really fight for position inside. He’s a face-up threat that isn’t an entirely reliable jump shooter.
He’s a bundle of unrealized potential that many would find frustrating, and yet he can take most opposing bigs off the dribble with convincing fakes and a vicious first step.
He still hasn’t figured out how to best utilize his own skills, and as a result too often falls into a jumper-happy rhythm that just isn’t his game.
If Garcia ever stumbles into an epiphany (or even works on his jumper to bring his overall game a greater reliability), he could prove to be quite a player.
For now, he’s likely more of a headache than he’s worth for an NBA employer, destined to drift between the minor and foreign leagues until he figures a few things out.
Walker Russell Jr., New York Knicks
The fringe NBA player who shouldn’t be, Walker Russell Jr. is a fully formed and very sturdy reserve player. He is underqualified to have full rein of an offense on a regular basis, and yet far too good to again spend most of his season in the D-League.
The free-agent market for playmakers and ball-handlers is woefully thin at present, but Russell could be a useful alternative for a team looking to add a solid backup that’s a bit off the beaten path.
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Jared Sullinger is one of the many young NBA players with a lot to prove at the 2012 Vegas Summer League this month.
This league is a great opportunity for first-round picks to start playing in an NBA environment against people of similar skill, and perhaps the best chance for second-round picks to prove that they deserve a roster spot next season.
Let’s look at three players with a lot to prove in Las Vegas.
Meyers Leonard, Portland Trail Blazers
With very few quality centers available in free agency, the Portland Trail Blazers would love for first-round pick Meyers Leonard to shine at the Vegas Summer League and prove that he can be a starting center as a rookie.
If Leonard can show he is capable of playing good low-post defense and can score inside with some impressive post moves, then he could boost his stock tremendously ahead of next season.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Bobcats
If the Charlotte Bobcats are going to improve in any way from their abysmal 2011-12 season, second overall pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist needs to have a fantastic rookie season.
Kidd-Gilchrist must prove that he is physical enough to be effective in the paint against stronger competition at the NBA level. Beating defenders off the dribble and creating his own shot won’t be as easy in the pros as it was in college for the young forward.
He must show Bobcats fans that he was worthy of the No. 2 pick, because he could easily be one of the most important players on their roster this season.
Kidd-Gilchrist cannot afford to struggle early on, so he must take the Vegas Summer Camp seriously and use it to further develop his phenomenal skills.
Jared Sullinger, Boston Celtics
Concerns about his back caused Jared Sullinger to slip to the Celtics in the draft, and he will need to prove his back is fine and that his lack of athleticism won’t be an issue in the NBA during this month’s summer league.
The Celtics are looking to get younger this season, and since the team doesn’t have too many talented young big men, Sullinger has an opportunity to step up and become a regular part of head coach Doc Rivers’ rotation as a rookie.
Sullinger has so much to prove in the offseason, and his performance at the Vegas Summer League could tell the Celtics a lot about his readiness for the NBA.
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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Portland Trail Blazers have formally signed free agent power forward J.J. Hickson, British forward Joel Freeland and draft picks Damian Lillard and Meyers Leonard.
Summer League, the glorious opportunity for rookies and prospects to demonstrate their game and prove that they belong in the NBA.
Portland Trail Blazers certainly have some players who could and should prove themselves. The three rookies, Damian Lillard, Meyers Leonard and Will Barton, must earn their share of respect in the Summer League so as to take considerable roles within the franchise. Other shaky players, such as Wesley Matthews or Luke Babbitt, must prove that they are the right fit for the team to raise and cement their status in the franchise.
This slideshow will present the five questions the Blazers should find answers to in the Summer League. Each of them are associated with the projected strengths and weaknesses surrounding rookies and prospects, and only when they have all been answered will the Portland Trail Blazers be set solidly for the next season.
The Portland Trail Blazers wasted no time in revealing their plans for the free agency period of 2012, offering a max contract worth a reported $58 million to Roy Hibbert on July 1st. It seemed like the right move for team that both needed a center and had a lot of money to commit to a couple of good young players this summer.
Unfortunately, though not unexpectedly, the Indiana Pacers will reportedly match that offer to Hibbert, meaning the young all-star center will likely be staying in Indiana for the next four seasons.
It isn’t the first time the Blazers have swung and missed on a big prize like Hibbert. A couple seasons ago they tried the same tactic with Paul Millsap of the Utah Jazz only to have the Jazz match Portland’s offer.
While Blazers fans should be disappointed to not get to see Hibbert in the starting lineup next season, it’s reasonable to wonder how much worse off the team is, if at all, by having Indiana match the offer.
There are a couple intriguing points that come to mind with the roster that is already assembled.
It’s already been stated that LaMarcus Aldridge doesn’t really want to play center full time, but what if the Blazers start him at power forward but then move him to center depending on match ups or in close games?
We saw how effective it was for the Miami Heat to play Chris Bosh at center in the NBA Finals this year, and Aldridge seems to have a similar effect for the Blazers.
In addition, lets not forget that the Blazers drafted Meyers Leonard, a center out of Illinois, with pick No. 11 in this years draft. Presumably, the didn’t make the pick just to grab their long-term backup center.
I haven’t heard anything for sure one way or the other, but it seems reasonable that Leonard was the insurance pick for the Blazers this year. Draft him and then go for Hibbert, but if that doesn’t pan out, you still have a guy with a reasonable chance at being a long-term starter in the NBA.
There really aren’t any other centers for the Blazers to go after this summer in free agency, and next summer’s crop doesn’t really look too promising either. Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum are the big unrestricted names, but after that there are just a bunch of average guys.
So, barring any trades, it looks like the Blazers will just have to stand pat with what they have for now. But that might not be such a bad thing. I’m predicting that things will work themselves out for this team if management will continue to exercise patience in building a team the right way.
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The Portland Trail Blazers have gone through a series of unfortunate events, including losing the All-Star shooting guard Brandon Roy and the first overall pick Greg Oden to recurring injuries.
Now, however, the Blazers seem like they are putting an end to the rebuilding years, as new GM Neil Olshey has Portland drafting two lottery draft picks in Damian Lillard and Meyers Leonard, as well as aggressively pursuing free agent Roy Hibbert and much more.
This slideshow will form a hypothetical starting lineup for the Portland Trail Blazers in the upcoming 2012-13 NBA season. The slides will analyze players for every position and project their future stat lines compared to their respective stat lines of the last 2011-12 NBA season.
Keep in mind that this list is based on hypotheses; with the signing of new free agents or the failures to sign promised free agents, the starting lineups and the stat projections can change at any time.
If you have any different opinions, feel free to comment below to discuss them with me.
For some NBA prospects, what you see is what you get.
Others, on the other hand, are either raw, inconsistent or have character concerns. These are what we like to call “projects.”
There are always a handful or these projects in every NBA draft, and the 2012 NBA draft was no different.
Some projects will be built into powerhouses, some projects will crumble before our very eyes in the big and bad NBA.
Here’s a look at some teams that drafted projects in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft, and how they grade.
9. Detroit Pistons: Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut
Grade: A
There may be questions about Andre Drummond’s desire and consistency, but with Dwight Howard-like athleticism, there is no question he’s one of the most explosive players in the draft.
He was exactly the player the Pistons needed to complement center Greg Monroe. If Drummond can stay focused, he has the potential to be an elite shot-blocker as well as an offensive force around the hoop.
10. New Orleans Hornets: Austin Rivers, SG, Duke
Grade: C-
I have several issues with this pick.
First, given Eric Gordon may stay in New Orleans, it’s almost as if the Hornets are asking Austin Rivers to play point guard.
I’m a firm believer he’s not a point guard. He showed bad decision-making at times at Duke and had trouble playing within the game.
Sure, he has room to grow, but I like him better as a scoring shooting guard than a point guard. The Hornets could have drafted someone like Illinois center Meyers Leonard here to pair up with Anthony Davis.
11. Portland Trail Blazers: Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois
Grade: B+
The Trail Blazers have been looking for their center of the future ever since they realized Greg Oden would never live up to his potential.
I’m a big believer in Meyers Leonard. He’s raw offensively, but he has all the tools—including elite athleticism at the center position—to be a high-impact, complete player in the NBA.
Unlike Drummond, there are no questions whatsoever about his desire.
20. Denver Nuggets: Evan Fournier, SG, France
Grade: D+
I wasn’t a big fan of this move.
It’s not that Evan Fournier doesn’t have potential—he does. Having said that, there were so many impact players at this spot who could have helped the Nuggets immediately, who will also likely become better NBA players than Fournier.
Seemed like unnecessary risk to take.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Perry Jones III, F, Baylor
Grade: A
Yes, there are questions about Perry Jones’ desire and consistency. However, like Drummond, he’s an explosive athlete who could become a monster in the NBA if he ever puts it together.
At No. 28 overall, this may go down as the steal of the draft. If Jones becomes a bust, it’s not like the Thunder used a high draft pick on him.
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