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07-10-2009, 01:14 PM
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-42-48/The-Back-of-the--Really-Large-Manila--Envelope-Guide-to-the-Las-Vegas-Summer-League.html
The Back of the (Really Large Manila) Envelope Guide to the Las Vegas Summer League
July 9, 2009 11:14 PM
Posted by Kevin Arnovitz
Experiencing hoop withdrawl? If you've got 15 bucks, you can settle in for 55 Summer League games live from Las Vegas over the next ten days. This year's event includes the top prospects, some old familiar faces, and dozens of talented players chasing a dream.
Here's a quick primer on each of the 22 squads taking the court in Vegas:
Chicago Bulls
James Johnson Not unlike Tyrus Thomas, the Bulls' pick at #16 comes into the league with immense physical gifts, tremendous athleticism, but some question marks as a decision-maker.
Taj Gibson The Bulls' other first-round pick, Gibson is another in a series of young, lanky frontcourt talents drafted by Chicago.
Josh Shipp A linchpin of UCLA's resurgence under Ben Howland, the former Fairfax High standout went undrafted as a senior and will try to make an NBA team the hard way.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Christian Eyenga The Cavs surprised the league and their fans with the selection of the 20-year-old swingman from Kinshasa with their first round pick.
Tarence Kinsey In the words of Cavs the Blog's John Krolik, "How this guy didn't get in the rotation over a Euro who plays like a bad American and an American who plays like a bad Euro is completely beyond me."
Danny Green The Cavs' second-round pick has a NCAA championship and good court awareness, but might not have a position in the NBA.
D-League Select
Coleman Collins TrueHoop contributor Collins isn't just a soccer aficionado and a man of letters ... he can ball.
Trey Johnson Lifelong friend of Cavs' guard Mo Williams, Johnson scored well at Bakersfield over the past couple of seasons. His defensive struggles and lack of natural athleticism have help him back, though not for a lack of trying.
Walker Russell The throwback point guard averaged nearly 11 assists per game for the Mad Ants. In a completely just world, Russell would have a career as a backup in the NBA.
Dallas Mavericks
Nick Calathes Although Calathes is signed to play in Greece with Panathinaikos, the big point guard out of Florida will suit up for the Mavs, the team that acquired his rights from Minnesota on draft night.
Roddy Beaubois Speaking of intriguing Dallas guard prospects, the 6-2 Guadeloupean will get a chance to introduce the league to his speedy game.
Luke Jackson Ever since he was drafted tenth overall by the Cavs in 2004 out of Oregon, Jackson has had a rough go of it. He played sparingly for Cleveland during his first two seasons, then bounced around, including multiple stops in Idaho of the D-League, where he was an All-Star last season.
Denver Nuggets
Ty Lawson Expectations for Lawson vary wildly. Some project him to be among the very best prospects in this year's draft class, but there were clearly a number of general managers on June 25 who felt differently. This range of opinion will make Lawson one of the more interesting players to watch as he gets his first taste of running an NBA-style offense.
Sonny Weems The former NCAA Slam Dunk champ started last season in the D-League, then came up for a cup of coffee with the Nuggets in late winter. Will he stick with the big club this season?
Coby Karl A handful of guys are double-dipping -- playing in both Orlando and Las Vegas -- and Karl is one of them. His coach in Las Vegas is his dad's assistant, John Welch.
Detroit Pistons
Austin Daye Some observers wonder if the wiry, multi-talented forward from Gonzaga has the body to bang in an NBA frontcourt. Daye has a chance to prove that his versatile skill set can compensate for whatever he lacks in muscle.
Will Bynum By the time the Pistons' tumultuous season was over, a good number of Detroit fans wondered if Bynum -- a former D-League product -- wasn't their point guard of the future. Bynum no longer has to demonstrate he belongs in Detroit's rotation. Now it's just a question of how many minutes.
Jonas Jerebko The 6-9 Swede dropped to the Pistons in the second round. A small forward by trade, Jerebko is a standout defender who can guard multiple positions, and is well-liked as a player by international scouts.
Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry The subject of trade speculation immediately following the draft, Curry can finally settle in with the Warriors -- or so it appears. He's among the early favorites for a Summer League scoring title.
Anthony Randolph There were electric moments last season when the 6-11 Randolph showed why he's the baller all the cool kids like. He's got it all -- athleticism, coordination, and creativity. Can he put it all together?
Jared Jordan Remember the 11-year-old playing pickup ball on the courts of Hartford? He's back, trying to catch the attention of a team in need of some depth at the point.
Houston Rockets
Chase Budinger After drafting the Arizona wing in the second round, Rockets GM Daryl Morey said that Budinger has a "skill package that is pretty hard to find."
Joey Dorsey With Yao out for the season, Dorsey has a chance to play his way into some serious minutes in the frontcourt, where his work on the glass and on defense will be valued.
Rod Benson Unquestionably, the best blogger on any Summer League roster.
Los Angeles Clippers
Blake Griffin Maybe you've heard about him?
Eric Gordon The Hoosier product was the lone bright spot in an otherwise forgettable 2008-09 Clippers season. Already a knockdown shooter and solid finisher off the dribble, Gordon will look to expand his repertoire as both a playmaker and defender.
DeAndre Jordan Master tweeter, loving dog owner, and freakish athlete, Jordan will remind you at least once a game why he was initially projected as a Top 10 talent. He's tantalizingly close to being very, very good.
Los Angeles Lakers
Adam Morrison Seeing Morrison in street clothes during the Lakers' championship run brought home how far the 2006 third-overall pick has fallen.
Ben McCauley The undrafted Wolfpack big man was a bit of a problem child in Raleigh. He worked out for Larry Brown and the Bobcats, but his name wasn't called on draft night.
Luke Schenscher Since his brief stints with the Bulls and Trail Blazers, Schenscher has been playing pro ball in Germany and his native Australia.
Memphis Grizzlies
Hasheem Thabeet The big man, drafted second overall by the Grizz, will get his first opportunity to fortify the middle of the Memphis defense.
Hamed Haddadi Pop quiz: Who was the only player in the Beijing Olympics to average a double-double? That would be Haddadi, the Grizzlies' Iranian center, who played limited minutes last season in Memphis.
Sam Young Quite possibly the most intense player chosen on draft night, the swingman from Pitt literally lived in the Petersen Events Center on campus. Young has serious defensive stopper potential.
Milwaukee Bucks
Brandon Jennings The 19-year-old point guard is turning heads on the Bucks' staff. Will he put on a show in Vegas?
Jodie Meeks A tremendous scorer who can light up the gym with his jumper. Is there more to his game? We'll find out.
Will McDonald You don't see a lot of guys on Summer League rosters born before 1980. McDonald, a South Florida grad, is an exception. The 29-year-old big man has built a nice career for himself in Spain, but still hopes to catch on with an NBA team before it's all over.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Jonny Flynn The Timberwolves' point guard of the immediate future will man the controls in Las Vegas.
Gerald Henderson Hey, wait a minute! Isn't Henderson a Charlotte Bobcat? Indeed -- but the 'Cats are one of three NBA teams (Atlanta and Miami, the others) that aren't fielding a Summer League squad.
Wayne Ellington Lost amidst the slew of point guards the 'Wolves chose on draft night was their #28 pick, Ellington, a member of North Carolina's championship team.
New Orleans Hornets
Julian Wright Where does Wright fit into the Hornets' future? It's a persistent question around the hive. He shined as a rookie in the 2008 playoffs. At other times, he looks unsure of exactly what kind of player he is ... or what kind of player his coach wants him to be.
Darren Collison While the likes of Russell Westbrook and Jrue Holiday wowed pro scouts during their careers at UCLA, Collison was the steady hand at the point. Have the Hornets found their longterm backup for Chis Paul?
Marc Salyers Another American veteran who's made good in Europe, the 30-year-old Salyers has been one of the more prolific scorers across the water. At this point in his pro career, he'd probably have to take a pay cut to play in the NBA.
New York Knicks
Jordan Hill There wasn't a Top 10 pick who rose farther and faster than Hill during his college career. Fitting in as a big man in Mike D'Antoni's system will be the next item on Hill's to-do list.
Toney Douglas If you talk to Florida State assistant Stan Jones, he'll tell you that Douglas' strides as a guard over the past couple of seasons have exceeded all expectations. Douglas was named the ACC's Defensive Player on the Year in 2008-09.
Yaroslav Korolev Another in a series of high Clippers' draft picks trying to work their way back into the league. The versatile Korolev spent last season with Dynamo Moscow.
Oklahoma City Thunder
James Harden The Thunder resisted the Rubio temptation and selected Harden as Russell Westbrook's running mate in their young backcourt.
Russell Westbrook With the addition of Harden, the point guard slot appears to be Westbrook's. He's never been a pure point, but Vegas is a perfect place to work on those skills.
Shaun Livingston The dynamic young point guard suffered a career-threatening injury as a Clippers. He continues his long road back.
Phoenix Suns
Earl Clark Another rookie with an army of doubters, Clark gets his first opportunity to showcase his immense range of talent.
Goran Dragic A year ago, the Suns were convinced they had finally found a true backup point guard for Steve Nash. it didn't pan out in 2008-09, as Dragic struggled mightily. Can he bounce back?
Taylor Griffin Much like Robin Lopez, Griffin will try to carve out an NBA career in the shadow of his brother, who will headline the Clippers' youth movement a few hundred miles down I-10.
Portland Trail Blazers
Jerryd Bayless Portland's young point guard returns to Summer League as the reigning scoring champion. With Sergio Rodriguez's departure, Bayless is now #2 on the Blazers' depth chart at point.
Patrick Mills Considering the logjam on the Blazers' roster, it's likely that Mills may be suiting up in Europe or in his native Australia next season. But if he can light it up like he did at Eurocamp last month, who knows?
Pooh Jeter A tiny scoring point guard for Portland of the WCC some years back, Jeter comes into Summer League on the all-name team.
Sacramento Kings
Tyreke Evans True point guard? Multi-faceted combo guard? Evans maintains he can do it all, and he'll be eager to prove the Kings made the right call selecting him over Ricky Rubio.
Jason Thompson Coming out of Rider, Thompson embodies a nice combination of the traditional, low block power forward and the next generation face-up four. Thompson's next assignment? Beefing up his interior D.
Omri Casspi The league's first Sabra is a slasher by trade, but does a little bit of everything. Can he shoot enough to be an NBA small forward?
San Antonio Spurs
DeJuan Blair Officially ordained as the Steal of the 2009 Draft after dropping to the second round, Blair will now go to work for the Spurs to disprove the skeptics.
Jack McClinton The diminutive 6-1 guard out of Miami can score about 1,000 different ways. Is he another stroke a genius by the Spurs, or too undersized to translate his game from the ACC to the NBA?
Carldell "Squeaky" Johnson How can we not make mention of a guy listed as "Squeaky" on the official roster? Johnson is a tiny point guard out of UAB who worked as a groundskeeper until the athletic department awared him a scholarship.
Toronto Raptors
DeMar DeRozan The Raptors are a team in need of some athletes, and they found one with the ninth overall pick.
Roko Ukic His assist rate was alright, as was his defensive +/-, but there are some legitimate questions about Ukic's capacity to compete as an NBA point guard.
Smush Parker The former Laker spent this past season in exile -- first in the D-League, then with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Washington Wizards
JaVale McGee The Wizards had a wretched 2008-09 season, but one of the silver linings was the development of McGee. The rookie posted a 17.04 PER as a frontcourt rotation player.
Nick Young After two seasons in Washington, it's clear that Young can dazzle as a one-on-one scorer. It's about time for him to expand the rest of his game.
Javaris Crittenton Despite being counseled to stay at Georgia Tech for his sophomore year, Crittenton opted for the one-and-done route. Two years later, he's on his third NBA team in an increasingly crowded Wizards backcourt.
The Back of the (Really Large Manila) Envelope Guide to the Las Vegas Summer League
July 9, 2009 11:14 PM
Posted by Kevin Arnovitz
Experiencing hoop withdrawl? If you've got 15 bucks, you can settle in for 55 Summer League games live from Las Vegas over the next ten days. This year's event includes the top prospects, some old familiar faces, and dozens of talented players chasing a dream.
Here's a quick primer on each of the 22 squads taking the court in Vegas:
Chicago Bulls
James Johnson Not unlike Tyrus Thomas, the Bulls' pick at #16 comes into the league with immense physical gifts, tremendous athleticism, but some question marks as a decision-maker.
Taj Gibson The Bulls' other first-round pick, Gibson is another in a series of young, lanky frontcourt talents drafted by Chicago.
Josh Shipp A linchpin of UCLA's resurgence under Ben Howland, the former Fairfax High standout went undrafted as a senior and will try to make an NBA team the hard way.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Christian Eyenga The Cavs surprised the league and their fans with the selection of the 20-year-old swingman from Kinshasa with their first round pick.
Tarence Kinsey In the words of Cavs the Blog's John Krolik, "How this guy didn't get in the rotation over a Euro who plays like a bad American and an American who plays like a bad Euro is completely beyond me."
Danny Green The Cavs' second-round pick has a NCAA championship and good court awareness, but might not have a position in the NBA.
D-League Select
Coleman Collins TrueHoop contributor Collins isn't just a soccer aficionado and a man of letters ... he can ball.
Trey Johnson Lifelong friend of Cavs' guard Mo Williams, Johnson scored well at Bakersfield over the past couple of seasons. His defensive struggles and lack of natural athleticism have help him back, though not for a lack of trying.
Walker Russell The throwback point guard averaged nearly 11 assists per game for the Mad Ants. In a completely just world, Russell would have a career as a backup in the NBA.
Dallas Mavericks
Nick Calathes Although Calathes is signed to play in Greece with Panathinaikos, the big point guard out of Florida will suit up for the Mavs, the team that acquired his rights from Minnesota on draft night.
Roddy Beaubois Speaking of intriguing Dallas guard prospects, the 6-2 Guadeloupean will get a chance to introduce the league to his speedy game.
Luke Jackson Ever since he was drafted tenth overall by the Cavs in 2004 out of Oregon, Jackson has had a rough go of it. He played sparingly for Cleveland during his first two seasons, then bounced around, including multiple stops in Idaho of the D-League, where he was an All-Star last season.
Denver Nuggets
Ty Lawson Expectations for Lawson vary wildly. Some project him to be among the very best prospects in this year's draft class, but there were clearly a number of general managers on June 25 who felt differently. This range of opinion will make Lawson one of the more interesting players to watch as he gets his first taste of running an NBA-style offense.
Sonny Weems The former NCAA Slam Dunk champ started last season in the D-League, then came up for a cup of coffee with the Nuggets in late winter. Will he stick with the big club this season?
Coby Karl A handful of guys are double-dipping -- playing in both Orlando and Las Vegas -- and Karl is one of them. His coach in Las Vegas is his dad's assistant, John Welch.
Detroit Pistons
Austin Daye Some observers wonder if the wiry, multi-talented forward from Gonzaga has the body to bang in an NBA frontcourt. Daye has a chance to prove that his versatile skill set can compensate for whatever he lacks in muscle.
Will Bynum By the time the Pistons' tumultuous season was over, a good number of Detroit fans wondered if Bynum -- a former D-League product -- wasn't their point guard of the future. Bynum no longer has to demonstrate he belongs in Detroit's rotation. Now it's just a question of how many minutes.
Jonas Jerebko The 6-9 Swede dropped to the Pistons in the second round. A small forward by trade, Jerebko is a standout defender who can guard multiple positions, and is well-liked as a player by international scouts.
Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry The subject of trade speculation immediately following the draft, Curry can finally settle in with the Warriors -- or so it appears. He's among the early favorites for a Summer League scoring title.
Anthony Randolph There were electric moments last season when the 6-11 Randolph showed why he's the baller all the cool kids like. He's got it all -- athleticism, coordination, and creativity. Can he put it all together?
Jared Jordan Remember the 11-year-old playing pickup ball on the courts of Hartford? He's back, trying to catch the attention of a team in need of some depth at the point.
Houston Rockets
Chase Budinger After drafting the Arizona wing in the second round, Rockets GM Daryl Morey said that Budinger has a "skill package that is pretty hard to find."
Joey Dorsey With Yao out for the season, Dorsey has a chance to play his way into some serious minutes in the frontcourt, where his work on the glass and on defense will be valued.
Rod Benson Unquestionably, the best blogger on any Summer League roster.
Los Angeles Clippers
Blake Griffin Maybe you've heard about him?
Eric Gordon The Hoosier product was the lone bright spot in an otherwise forgettable 2008-09 Clippers season. Already a knockdown shooter and solid finisher off the dribble, Gordon will look to expand his repertoire as both a playmaker and defender.
DeAndre Jordan Master tweeter, loving dog owner, and freakish athlete, Jordan will remind you at least once a game why he was initially projected as a Top 10 talent. He's tantalizingly close to being very, very good.
Los Angeles Lakers
Adam Morrison Seeing Morrison in street clothes during the Lakers' championship run brought home how far the 2006 third-overall pick has fallen.
Ben McCauley The undrafted Wolfpack big man was a bit of a problem child in Raleigh. He worked out for Larry Brown and the Bobcats, but his name wasn't called on draft night.
Luke Schenscher Since his brief stints with the Bulls and Trail Blazers, Schenscher has been playing pro ball in Germany and his native Australia.
Memphis Grizzlies
Hasheem Thabeet The big man, drafted second overall by the Grizz, will get his first opportunity to fortify the middle of the Memphis defense.
Hamed Haddadi Pop quiz: Who was the only player in the Beijing Olympics to average a double-double? That would be Haddadi, the Grizzlies' Iranian center, who played limited minutes last season in Memphis.
Sam Young Quite possibly the most intense player chosen on draft night, the swingman from Pitt literally lived in the Petersen Events Center on campus. Young has serious defensive stopper potential.
Milwaukee Bucks
Brandon Jennings The 19-year-old point guard is turning heads on the Bucks' staff. Will he put on a show in Vegas?
Jodie Meeks A tremendous scorer who can light up the gym with his jumper. Is there more to his game? We'll find out.
Will McDonald You don't see a lot of guys on Summer League rosters born before 1980. McDonald, a South Florida grad, is an exception. The 29-year-old big man has built a nice career for himself in Spain, but still hopes to catch on with an NBA team before it's all over.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Jonny Flynn The Timberwolves' point guard of the immediate future will man the controls in Las Vegas.
Gerald Henderson Hey, wait a minute! Isn't Henderson a Charlotte Bobcat? Indeed -- but the 'Cats are one of three NBA teams (Atlanta and Miami, the others) that aren't fielding a Summer League squad.
Wayne Ellington Lost amidst the slew of point guards the 'Wolves chose on draft night was their #28 pick, Ellington, a member of North Carolina's championship team.
New Orleans Hornets
Julian Wright Where does Wright fit into the Hornets' future? It's a persistent question around the hive. He shined as a rookie in the 2008 playoffs. At other times, he looks unsure of exactly what kind of player he is ... or what kind of player his coach wants him to be.
Darren Collison While the likes of Russell Westbrook and Jrue Holiday wowed pro scouts during their careers at UCLA, Collison was the steady hand at the point. Have the Hornets found their longterm backup for Chis Paul?
Marc Salyers Another American veteran who's made good in Europe, the 30-year-old Salyers has been one of the more prolific scorers across the water. At this point in his pro career, he'd probably have to take a pay cut to play in the NBA.
New York Knicks
Jordan Hill There wasn't a Top 10 pick who rose farther and faster than Hill during his college career. Fitting in as a big man in Mike D'Antoni's system will be the next item on Hill's to-do list.
Toney Douglas If you talk to Florida State assistant Stan Jones, he'll tell you that Douglas' strides as a guard over the past couple of seasons have exceeded all expectations. Douglas was named the ACC's Defensive Player on the Year in 2008-09.
Yaroslav Korolev Another in a series of high Clippers' draft picks trying to work their way back into the league. The versatile Korolev spent last season with Dynamo Moscow.
Oklahoma City Thunder
James Harden The Thunder resisted the Rubio temptation and selected Harden as Russell Westbrook's running mate in their young backcourt.
Russell Westbrook With the addition of Harden, the point guard slot appears to be Westbrook's. He's never been a pure point, but Vegas is a perfect place to work on those skills.
Shaun Livingston The dynamic young point guard suffered a career-threatening injury as a Clippers. He continues his long road back.
Phoenix Suns
Earl Clark Another rookie with an army of doubters, Clark gets his first opportunity to showcase his immense range of talent.
Goran Dragic A year ago, the Suns were convinced they had finally found a true backup point guard for Steve Nash. it didn't pan out in 2008-09, as Dragic struggled mightily. Can he bounce back?
Taylor Griffin Much like Robin Lopez, Griffin will try to carve out an NBA career in the shadow of his brother, who will headline the Clippers' youth movement a few hundred miles down I-10.
Portland Trail Blazers
Jerryd Bayless Portland's young point guard returns to Summer League as the reigning scoring champion. With Sergio Rodriguez's departure, Bayless is now #2 on the Blazers' depth chart at point.
Patrick Mills Considering the logjam on the Blazers' roster, it's likely that Mills may be suiting up in Europe or in his native Australia next season. But if he can light it up like he did at Eurocamp last month, who knows?
Pooh Jeter A tiny scoring point guard for Portland of the WCC some years back, Jeter comes into Summer League on the all-name team.
Sacramento Kings
Tyreke Evans True point guard? Multi-faceted combo guard? Evans maintains he can do it all, and he'll be eager to prove the Kings made the right call selecting him over Ricky Rubio.
Jason Thompson Coming out of Rider, Thompson embodies a nice combination of the traditional, low block power forward and the next generation face-up four. Thompson's next assignment? Beefing up his interior D.
Omri Casspi The league's first Sabra is a slasher by trade, but does a little bit of everything. Can he shoot enough to be an NBA small forward?
San Antonio Spurs
DeJuan Blair Officially ordained as the Steal of the 2009 Draft after dropping to the second round, Blair will now go to work for the Spurs to disprove the skeptics.
Jack McClinton The diminutive 6-1 guard out of Miami can score about 1,000 different ways. Is he another stroke a genius by the Spurs, or too undersized to translate his game from the ACC to the NBA?
Carldell "Squeaky" Johnson How can we not make mention of a guy listed as "Squeaky" on the official roster? Johnson is a tiny point guard out of UAB who worked as a groundskeeper until the athletic department awared him a scholarship.
Toronto Raptors
DeMar DeRozan The Raptors are a team in need of some athletes, and they found one with the ninth overall pick.
Roko Ukic His assist rate was alright, as was his defensive +/-, but there are some legitimate questions about Ukic's capacity to compete as an NBA point guard.
Smush Parker The former Laker spent this past season in exile -- first in the D-League, then with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Washington Wizards
JaVale McGee The Wizards had a wretched 2008-09 season, but one of the silver linings was the development of McGee. The rookie posted a 17.04 PER as a frontcourt rotation player.
Nick Young After two seasons in Washington, it's clear that Young can dazzle as a one-on-one scorer. It's about time for him to expand the rest of his game.
Javaris Crittenton Despite being counseled to stay at Georgia Tech for his sophomore year, Crittenton opted for the one-and-done route. Two years later, he's on his third NBA team in an increasingly crowded Wizards backcourt.