Vegas Summer League: Day Five

Game One: Washington Wizards 64, Sacramento Kings 75

Sacramento Kings

Francisco Garcia
21 points, 3 assists, 6 turnovers, 6-10 FG, 4-6 3PT, 5-6 FT

-Francisco Garcia had a much more efficient game here than in his previous showings, hitting most of the spot-up three-point opportunities that came to him.
-Garcia also cut to the rim very well, scoring on lay-ups and drawing fouls to get to the free-throw line.
-Garcia made some nice opportunistic passes throughout the game, with most of his assists coming in transition.
-Garcia’s main problem in the game was not adjusting to defenders in the lane on drives to the basket, committing a few turnovers because of it, either by losing control of the ball or charging into the opponent.

Justin Williams
11 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers, 5-8 FG, 1-2 FT

-Justin Williams is doing a good job here with the extra weight he’s added in the offseason, looking noticeably fuller in his torso, arms, and calves.
-Williams’ added strength hasn’t changed his style of play, as he’s still pursuing every rebound and contesting weakside shots, though he may have lost a little bit of lift with the extra upper body weight.
-Williams attacked the offensive glass ferociously today, getting most of his scores on putbacks or on transition jams.
-Williams also showed off a nice hook shot on one occasion, though most of his offense didn’t come from post-up situations.

Spencer Hawes
8 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 4 turnovers, 4-16 FG, 0-1 3PT

-Spencer Hawes didn’t fare as well in his second game of summer league, struggling to convert on mid-range and outside jumpers, and not getting much going in the post.
-Hawes looked very impressive on a few post sequences, showing off his impressive array of moves and not having much trouble getting them off against the more athletic competition.
-Hawes also did convert on one shot from 20 feet out with a hand in his face, something he’s proven he can do before.
-Hawes did a decent job boxing out on the boards, and also played solid post defense on Kyle Visser.

Game Two: Dallas Mavericks 87, Denver Nuggets 83

Dallas Mavericks

Nick Fazekas
7 points, 8 rebounds, 3-6 FG, 0-1 3PT, 1-1 FT

-Nick Fazekas had a pretty non-descript game, not getting many opportunities with the ball and not showing anything we haven’t seen before.
-Fazekas got stuffed on one post-up opportunity early in the game, something that will be a concern for him in the future with his lack of lift.
-Fazekas did have one nice hook shot in the post for an and-1, though, and also converted on a 10 footer with a hand in his face.
-Fazekas did a good job boxing out on the boards, and was fighting for a lot of rebounds, but sometimes he was outmuscled for the ball.

Jose Juan Barea
18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 7-13 FG, 2-4 3PT, 2-4 FT

-Jose Juan Barea didn’t do as great a job creating for teammates off dribble penetration as he usually does, but he looked very impressive driving to the basket and creating his own shots.
-Barea used his signature combination of hesitation moves and change of speeds to get to the rim nearly at will, splitting defenders and finishing with nice touch around the rim consistently.
-Barea also showed some range, hitting on pull-up jumpers from 18 feet and behind the NBA three-point line.

Maurice Ager
10 points, 2 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 4-14 FG, 1-3 3PT, 1-1 FT

-Maurice Ager had a really tough game, not getting much to fall for him and often settling for ill-advised pull-up jump shots from 15 feet and out.
-Ager did manage to get going late in the game for a bit, scoring on two outside shots and a pretty crossover drive that he finished with his right hand after drawing the foul.
-Ager also played pretty solid man-to-man defense throughout the game.

Brandon Bass
15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 2-6 FG, 11-12 FT

-Brandon Bass had a very nice game, showing off his intriguing skillset, one that is becoming more and more desired by NBA teams.
-Bass brings excellent athleticism and strength to the table for a 6’7 combo forward, and has a nice game based out of the high post to go along with it.
-Bass can put the ball on the floor for one or two dribbles, as he did many times in this game, and finishes strong at the basket, not being afraid to take contact and get to the free-throw line, where he hits at a very good clip.

Game Three: Philadelphia 76ers 98, Los Angeles Lakers 95

Philadelphia 76ers

Louis Williams
29 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 turnovers, 6-15 FG, 1-4 3PT, 16-22 FT

-Louis Williams had a phenomenal game here, getting the first step on his defender any time he tried, and almost always being in the lane on the offensive end, as evidenced by his ridiculous 22 free-throw attempts.
-Williams just kept drawing contact in the lane, and when he didn’t, he made the defense pay by hitting floaters or fade-away jumpers.
-Williams doesn’t really have much of a point guard’s mentality, but made some nice passes in the game, including one key kickout for a three-pointer in overtime.

Thaddeus Young
9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 turnovers, 4-7 FG, 1-1 3PT

-Thaddeus Young didn’t have a very impactful game, not creating many opportunities for himself offensively, but he showed flashes of good things when he touched the ball.
-One thing Young does very well for a small forward is rebound, specifically on the offensive end, where he has the strength and athleticism to go up and score on putbacks or get to the free-throw line, something he did a few times this game.
-Young wasn’t hitting on his outside shot for much of the game, but came up with a key three-pointer in overtime.

Rodney Carney
30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 10-18 FG, 3-3 3PT, 7-8 FT

-Rodney Carney had a truly exceptional game, scoring around the hoop and from deep, while also mixing in more of a mid-range game than we are accustomed to seeing from him.
-Carney did most of his finishing around the rim in transition, while spending most of his halfcourt possessions torching the opposition from the mid-range, pulling up for fadeaways and jumpers with hands in his face.
-Carney hit on all of his spot-up three-point attempts, including one to tie the game and force overtime.
-Carney looked more confident with his ball-handling with his mid-range game, putting the ball on the floor often, and looking pretty comfortable with his right hand.

Jason Smith
10 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 4-11 FG, 2-3 FT

-Jason Smith had a rough start to the game, missing on most of his outside shots, as he’s done all week here in Vegas.
-As the game went on, Smith did manage to hit a few mid-range shots, and also scored on a nice runner in the lane that he was also fouled on.
-Smith has done a good job rebounding the ball here, but has really struggled getting his scoring game going, not yet fully adjusting to the higher level of competition.

Herbert Hill
9 points, 1 rebound, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, 4-5 FG, 1-2 FT

-Herbert Hill had some nice possessions working out of the mid and low post here, scoring on mini hook shots and fade-away jumpers from the 5-10 feet range, which is his specialty.
-Hill hasn’t made much of an impact on the boards here, though, not possessing much in terms of fundamentals in that area, so he’s realizing that his athletic tools alone won’t be enough to get the job done on the glass at this level, which was what he relied on mostly at Providence.
-Hill made some nice weakside blocks in the game, coming from out of position and using his physical tools to patrol the lane.

Los Angeles Lakers

Javaris Crittenton
0 points, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 0-5 FG

-Javaris Crittenton had a very non-descript game compared with his first game performance, coming off the bench, playing less minutes, and not really getting very involved in his team’s offense.
-Crittenton did make a few nice assists on drive-and-dishes, but wasn’t able to hit on any of his shot attempts, mostly mid to long range jumpers.
-Crittenton did have one very nice sequence where he crossed the ball over twice on a drive, brought the ball behind his back, then went up with a scoop shot off the glass, though he wasn’t able to convert.

Jordan Farmar
18 points, 11 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 7-10 FG, 2-2 3PT, 2-2 FT

-Jordan Farmar had an excellent game running the show for the Lakers, efficiently scoring and dishing out assists to his teammates.
-Farmar netted his assists on drive-and-dishes, dump-offs, in transition, and on pick-and-rolls, making excellent passes and keeping all of his team involved.
-Farmar had a few nice drives that he scored lay-ups on, but also made a clutch pull-up three-pointer in overtime.

Coby Karl
23 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 8-13 FG, 3-5 3PT, 4-6 FT

-Coby Karl had a very good game for the Lakers, and if he keeps up this play, he may have an outside chance of making the roster, as he appears to be an upgrade over Sasha Vujacic.
-Karl consistently hit on his spot-up shots from outside, and also made some very nice cuts to the rim going right and left, finishing with both hands and getting to the line, never forcing the issue.
-Karl also made some nice passes in transition, drew a charge on the defensive end against an opposing big man, and played an overall smart game.