What do people think about Justin Cage?

[Calispur]

I was wondering what people though about the Spurs developing Justin Cage as the replacement for Bruce Bowen?

Here is some info on him from draftexpress and other places.

Cage went to Xavier and was cut by the Bulls do to injury after a pretty solid summer league. This past season he played for the Colorado 14ers of the D-league, where he averaged 12 points and 6 rebs. Draftexpress reports that he is a legit 6'6 with a 6'10 wingspan, excellent lateral quickness as well a solid build(225 with broad shoulders). The biggest knock on him is his offense, but it seems like something he can improve since it sounds like he was a pretty good offensive player in high school and at Xavier was asked to play more of a "glue guy" role. Some of compared him to a James Posey type of player

[Calispur]

heres some more information from draftexpress:

Of the five players evaluated here, Cage might be the most imposing of the bunch. He’s got wide shoulders, a huge build, and an impressive 6-10 wingspan. That benefits him tremendously in the work he does as a free-lance pain-inflictor, constantly looking to mix things up around the basket by fighting extremely hard for his keep.

Cage showed some flashes of being able to do a bit more on occasion as well, though. He hit a spot-up NBA 3-pointer in the scrimmage on one occasion, and made some fantastic passes to open teammates virtually every time he put the ball on the floor. He doesn’t quite stand out in all the things he does unless you really pay attention to him, as he’s a smart, tough role-player who doesn’t need any plays called for him, but still finds a way to make an impact on the game. He played fantastic defense on basically anyone he was asked to guard, using his strength and wingspan to their fullest combined with his excellent lateral quickness.

Cage was a last-second addition to the NBA pre-draft camp, after previously being named a late addition to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. We’ll see how far he can continue to make his run. He might be Thorpe’s favorite pupil here so far. He sees him being able to develop into a James Posey type player in the pros, as he already has one skill NBA teams can rely on off the bench in his defense, and is making strides shooting the ball from behind the arc as well.

Draftexpress on his summer league performance:

Rocky Mountain Revue Day 4
Justin Cage
8 Points, 1 Rebound, 2 Assists, 1 Block, 3 Fouls, 2-3 FG, 4-5 FT

-Cage earns mention here based on the fact that he has shown huge improvements in his perimeter game.
-Cage didn’t get many touches on the perimeter in college, but had some nice drives to the basket along with some nice footwork during this contest.
-Cage gets great elevation on his jumper, but needs to continue honing his shot from deep.
-Cage’s athleticism allows him to be successful even though he is still adapting to a new position, indicating that he has clearly done the work to make this transition a smooth one.

Orlando Summer League: Day Four
Justin Cage, 9 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 3/6 FG, 1/2 3FG, 2/2 FT

Matt Kamalsky

Cage is the type of player that it is really hard not to like. He approaches the game with a great attitude, and works very hard for what he gets on the floor. Cage’s jump shot has improved significantly, and he showed the type of range that will get him noticed in the future. His defense is top notch, and he doesn’t give up any easy buckets. While Cage is still developing some of his other offensive skills, he has already shown the impressive ability to finish around the rim with contact. Cage has looked good throughout the Summer League, and will be interesting to see how Chicago utilizes him in their final game.

Orlando Summer League Day 3
Justin Cage, 9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 4/5 FG

Mike Schmidt

To this point in the summer league, Cage has been one of the more efficient players on the offensive end of the floor, shooting somewhere in the 70-80% range for the summer. He has a fantastic shot selection, only shooting when he has a good look on the perimeter, and finishes strong inside when the opportunity presents itself. Defense is probably the strongest area of Cage’s game right now, as he has great length combined with good lateral quickness on this end of the floor. The rookie from Xavier also has a good understanding of positioning in this area, and always makes the proper help rotations with good reaction time. Cage has impressed the Bulls by playing exactly how they have asked him to, and he will certainly have a shot to make their opening day roster if he keeps performing at this level.

[tav1]

Last summer David Thorpe was his trainer and thought highly of him as a person and said he had a chance to make the league in the coming years, but then he fell off the map. Thorpe also liked Zabian Dowdell, if I recall. I think he works at Dennys now. All joking aside, Thorpe is a fairly reliable evaluator of talent, and maybe Cage is worth a training camp look.

[ChumpDumper]

I'd like to see more consistency from him, especially on offense -- but he came up with an impressive streak after Elton Brown left for Europe in March. He's very close to call up material but might need one more year in Broomfield depending on his summer league performance.

[mrspurs]

no idea who this guy is...and not sure how he would step in and do nothing but shine the pine...we have enough shine the pine guys already...

[montgod]

I agree... I am tired of talking about Bruce Bowen's replacement. We need some scorers and big time SF types period!

Here is hoping we can get one during FA that is worth a damn! (i.e. Outlaw, Artest, etc.)

[Dex]

I would prefer Johnny Cage.

http://www.freewebs.com/mortalkombat9/johnny%20cage.bmp

[ChumpDumper]

Cage went undrafted by the NBA in 2007 but played well enough during the NBA's summer league that he was invited to the Chicago Bulls' training camp. He didn't make the team, but he did make enough of an impression that his agent, Brian Elfus, advised him to spend a season in the D-League. At that point, he could not have commanded much more than a $50,000 or $60,000 offer from a European club.

"The only reason I'd consider the D-League for him was because executives were saying he just needed a little bit of seasoning to have a shot at the NBA," Elfus said. "I wouldn't do that with every player, but Justin was mentally prepared to play in the D-League, and the way he played opened up a lot of doors for him."

Cage averaged 12 points and 5.9 rebounds last season for the Colorado 14ers. Now, the coaches and executives who liked him in Chicago are with the Milwaukee Bucks, for whom Cage will play this summer. He could join the 70-some players, such as former Kentucky star Kelenna Azubuike, who have graduated from the D-League to the NBA.

If he doesn't, Cage won't go back to the D-League. He figures once is enough, particularly because Elfus has noticed six-figure interest in Cage from a team in Germany that was impressed with his D-League performance.

http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080622/SPT/806220421/1062

[Biggems]

what the hell does Mike Schmidt know about basketball? Since when does a HOF baseball career translate to expertise about basketball?