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07-21-2008, 09:27 AM
Summer league MVP Jerryd Bayless impresses the Blazers with his competitive spirit and scoring abilityMonday, July 21, 2008 JOE FREEMANThe Associated Press
LAS VEGAS -- Jerryd Bayless left the Trail Blazers' makeshift locker room at Cox Pavilion with scratches and scrapes on his arms, sweat dripping from his face and a gigantic Ace bandage wrapped around his midsection.
The rookie had just accumulated 29 points, six rebounds, seven personal fouls and countless battle wounds during his third NBA Summer League game.
During more than one drive to the basket, Bayless, as Blazers summer league coach Monty Williams put it, "had his head knocked off." On another play, in an effort to corral a loose ball, Bayless darted into the baseline media section, smashing a few laptops and bending a table.
After two weeks of summer league practices and games, this much has become evident about the player Portland acquired in a draft-day trade with Indiana: Bayless is a fierce competitor, aggressive athlete and tireless worker. And the 6-foot-3 guard appears fearless.
"That's what we said in our evaluations -- this kid has a chance to be fearless," Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said. "He's proven that he's willing to get hit five times and get up five times. I think he has a chance to get out there and play and really compete this season."
Playing on a roster loaded with NBA hopefuls, Bayless showed leadership, athleticism and scoring ability that seems tailor-made for the NBA. Even though he competed in a field that featured higher draft picks such as Memphis' O.J. Mayo, Minnesota's Kevin Love and the Los Angeles Clippers' Eric Gordon, Bayless, the 11th overall selection, won summer league MVP honors after averaging 29.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and making 50 of 61 free throw attempts.
Bayless' potential was on display in his outing against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night, when he rescued the Blazers from a double-digit deficit with an electric fourth quarter. He scored 27 points in the second half, including 17 in the fourth quarter, tallying the Blazers' final 12 points and the game-winner on a driving floater with 18.6 seconds to play.
Bayless finished with 36 points, three steals, three rebounds -- and a budding reputation as a clutch player.
"He's not afraid," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "He attacks; he's very aggressive. He made some big shots down the stretch, a big three and that floater was big. He made some big plays."
Through all the highlight-reel action, Bayless displayed another valuable trait: the will to win. He takes defeats hard, even in summer league, where victories often take a backseat to individual successes.
Bayless grumbled, grimaced and groaned after defeats. He plays with an angry passion and doesn't hesitate to mix it up with opponents, a quality the Blazers think will become commonplace in practice.
"We love it," Pritchard said of Bayless' fiery demeanor. "The brutal, honest truth is he's going to get out there in practice and get at people. And we love that. We could use a little fire."
As with all rookies, however, there are questions. Bayless was not effective at point guard during summer league play. He struggled to incorporate teammates and develop rhythm in the Blazers' offense.
With little offensive help, Bayless was pressed by coaches to score. But he rarely looked for teammates and routinely dribbled through the defense for difficult shot attempts. And while he enjoyed success, it was, well, summer league, where prosperity doesn't always carry over to the NBA season.
But it was the Blazers' first look at Bayless, he couldn't have done much more to impress.
"The summer league is definitely a different situation than we'll see during the (NBA) season, because for this team to be as successful, I needed to score," Bayless said. "I know I can play point (guard). Like I've said before, if I have Brandon (Roy) on one wing and then whoever else is on the other wing, I won't have to worry about scoring. I know they'll take care of that business."
Notes:
Bayless, who was not expected to play Sunday night because of USA select team commitments, watched from the bench as the Blazers defeated the New Orleans Hornets 78-63. Bayless wore an ice pack and bandage around his left hand during portions of the game. He said he tweaked his hand during Saturday night's victory over the Suns but did not think it was serious. The Blazers are calling the injury a sprain and there are no immediate plans for X-rays. Assuming his hand heals, Bayless, who participated in warm-ups Sunday, expects to play on the select team. . . .
J.R. Pinnock, filling in for Bayless at shooting guard, scored a game-high 30 points and Steven Hill added eight points and four blocked shots for the Blazers, who finished summer league play at 3-2.
Joe Freeman: 503-294-5183; [email protected] To read his Behind the Beat blog, go to http://blog.oregonlive.com/ behindblazersbeat/
LAS VEGAS -- Jerryd Bayless left the Trail Blazers' makeshift locker room at Cox Pavilion with scratches and scrapes on his arms, sweat dripping from his face and a gigantic Ace bandage wrapped around his midsection.
The rookie had just accumulated 29 points, six rebounds, seven personal fouls and countless battle wounds during his third NBA Summer League game.
During more than one drive to the basket, Bayless, as Blazers summer league coach Monty Williams put it, "had his head knocked off." On another play, in an effort to corral a loose ball, Bayless darted into the baseline media section, smashing a few laptops and bending a table.
After two weeks of summer league practices and games, this much has become evident about the player Portland acquired in a draft-day trade with Indiana: Bayless is a fierce competitor, aggressive athlete and tireless worker. And the 6-foot-3 guard appears fearless.
"That's what we said in our evaluations -- this kid has a chance to be fearless," Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said. "He's proven that he's willing to get hit five times and get up five times. I think he has a chance to get out there and play and really compete this season."
Playing on a roster loaded with NBA hopefuls, Bayless showed leadership, athleticism and scoring ability that seems tailor-made for the NBA. Even though he competed in a field that featured higher draft picks such as Memphis' O.J. Mayo, Minnesota's Kevin Love and the Los Angeles Clippers' Eric Gordon, Bayless, the 11th overall selection, won summer league MVP honors after averaging 29.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and making 50 of 61 free throw attempts.
Bayless' potential was on display in his outing against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night, when he rescued the Blazers from a double-digit deficit with an electric fourth quarter. He scored 27 points in the second half, including 17 in the fourth quarter, tallying the Blazers' final 12 points and the game-winner on a driving floater with 18.6 seconds to play.
Bayless finished with 36 points, three steals, three rebounds -- and a budding reputation as a clutch player.
"He's not afraid," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "He attacks; he's very aggressive. He made some big shots down the stretch, a big three and that floater was big. He made some big plays."
Through all the highlight-reel action, Bayless displayed another valuable trait: the will to win. He takes defeats hard, even in summer league, where victories often take a backseat to individual successes.
Bayless grumbled, grimaced and groaned after defeats. He plays with an angry passion and doesn't hesitate to mix it up with opponents, a quality the Blazers think will become commonplace in practice.
"We love it," Pritchard said of Bayless' fiery demeanor. "The brutal, honest truth is he's going to get out there in practice and get at people. And we love that. We could use a little fire."
As with all rookies, however, there are questions. Bayless was not effective at point guard during summer league play. He struggled to incorporate teammates and develop rhythm in the Blazers' offense.
With little offensive help, Bayless was pressed by coaches to score. But he rarely looked for teammates and routinely dribbled through the defense for difficult shot attempts. And while he enjoyed success, it was, well, summer league, where prosperity doesn't always carry over to the NBA season.
But it was the Blazers' first look at Bayless, he couldn't have done much more to impress.
"The summer league is definitely a different situation than we'll see during the (NBA) season, because for this team to be as successful, I needed to score," Bayless said. "I know I can play point (guard). Like I've said before, if I have Brandon (Roy) on one wing and then whoever else is on the other wing, I won't have to worry about scoring. I know they'll take care of that business."
Notes:
Bayless, who was not expected to play Sunday night because of USA select team commitments, watched from the bench as the Blazers defeated the New Orleans Hornets 78-63. Bayless wore an ice pack and bandage around his left hand during portions of the game. He said he tweaked his hand during Saturday night's victory over the Suns but did not think it was serious. The Blazers are calling the injury a sprain and there are no immediate plans for X-rays. Assuming his hand heals, Bayless, who participated in warm-ups Sunday, expects to play on the select team. . . .
J.R. Pinnock, filling in for Bayless at shooting guard, scored a game-high 30 points and Steven Hill added eight points and four blocked shots for the Blazers, who finished summer league play at 3-2.
Joe Freeman: 503-294-5183; [email protected] To read his Behind the Beat blog, go to http://blog.oregonlive.com/ behindblazersbeat/