timvp
07-13-2010, 03:51 AM
In the first game of their 2010 summer league schedule, the San Antonio Spurs easily disposed of the Minnesota Timberwolves by a final score of 85-61. In a sloppy affair that featured 55 turnovers (28 by the Spurs), San Antonio's attention to detail on defense was the difference. They held the T'Wolves to 36.5% shooting and kept a lead throughout virtually the entire contest.
The main story of this game was injuries. DeJuan Blair didn't play due to pain in his leg. Garrett Temple, who started for the Spurs at point guard, twisted his left ankle and may miss the rest of summer league. James Gist also twisted his left ankle, however he was able to stay in the game. The Timberwolves didn't come away unscathed as they lost both of their 2010 first rounders to injury -- Wesley Johnson (hamstring) and Lazar Hayward (elbow).
Garrett Temple
23:43 minutes, 11 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 2 steals, 6 turnovers
4-for-6 from the floor, 2-for-2 on three-pointers, 1-for-1 at the line
In college, Garrett Temple couldn't score in an empty gym with a step ladder. Since hooking up with the Spurs, Temple now seems to score with ease. (In fact, Popovich compared Temple to George Gervin in an interview during this game.) Against Minnesota, Temple played with a ton of confidence and hit his first four shots, which included two three-pointers and a traditional three-point play. Defensively, Temple used his 6-foot-6 frame to harass his opponent and did well on that end against both point guards and swingmen. However, everything was not gravy for Temple. All of his point guard skills were severely lacking. His decision-making was poor, he had trouble handling the ball and he was taking forever to get the team into the offense. The ankle injury is bad timing because Temple could really use the work to learn how to run the show. Fortunately for Temple, he showed enough last year to guarantee a training camp invite in the fall.
Alonzo Gee
34:50 minutes, 12 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 5 turnovers
4-for-12 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers, 4-for-6 at the line
Alonzo Gee showed quite a bit of good and quite a bit of bad in his first summer league outing. On one hand, he's an impressive athlete who can run, jump and absorb contact. For his size, Gee is an outstanding rebounder. He seems to see the floor rather well and plays with a healthy amount of energy on the defensive end. On the other hand, Gee is a horrendous ball-handler for a perimeter player. That lack of dribbling ability really hurts his ability to get to the hoop in a halfcourt setting. Even on the fast break, Gee is uncomfortable handling the ball in space. I also thought that he was a bit selfish against the T'Wolves. He went 1-on-5 much too often and looked off open teammates. Going forward, Gee needs to continue proving he can be an elite rebounder, show an ability to knock down open jumpers, continue his energy on the defensive end and mask his ball-handling weakness as much as possible.
James Gist
26:54 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5 turnovers
3-for-7 from the floor, 2-for-4 at the line
It was good to see the lively version of James Gist once again. Last season, the 2008 second round draft pick out of Maryland was tentative and played like he was completely confused about his role. Versus Minnesota, Gist let it all hang out. Even though he wasn't always successful, it was a step in the right direction. On defense, he's extremely mobile for a power forward and has learned to trap pick-and-rolls masterfully. Although he can get pushed around under the basket, he gives quality attempts when protecting the rim. On offense, Gist doesn't quite seem to know what he wants to do. He played out on the perimeter a lot but found his best success when maneuvering in the painted area. The Spurs obviously want to make him a stretch four but it's to be seen whether Gist has the shot or the perimeter skills to handle such a role. At first blush, I'd say it's doubtful that Gist could transition into a stretch four.
Curtis Jerrells
26:58 minutes, 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 turnovers
4-for-6 from the floor, 1-for-1 on three-pointers, 2-for-3 at the line
Though his stats don't look bad, I was very disappointed with what I saw from Curtis Jerrells. He's attempting to make the switch from a small shooting guard to a point guard ... and it just ain't happening. He has poor court vision and he's so unsure of what to do when he brings the ball up the court that he single-handedly bogs down the offense. Jerrells had a few impressive moments when it came to scoring the ball but he's nowhere close to being an NBA-caliber point guard at this juncture of his development. On the defensive end, I thought he applied good pressure and utilized his quick hands and feet to attack dribblers. We'll see if he can improve his point guard play in the coming games but it really looks like he'll need another year in the D-League to iron out the kinks.
Darryl Watkins
22:20 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
1-for-2 from the field, 4-for-4 at the line
Remember him? Darryl Watkins was a bit of a preseason legend a few years ago with the Spurs. Interestingly, he has already played four games with the Pacers and one with the Mavericks before he joining the Spurs summer league team. The last time he was in a Spurs uniform, Watkins was an athletic and physical 6-foot-11 shotblocker. In this game, he looked like he was somewhat out of shape and wasn't moving as well on the defensive end. Watkins rebounded the ball and played better as the game went along but he needs to regain his footing as a defensive presence if he wishes to make a return trip to training camp in San Antonio.
Michael Cuffee
20:29 minutes, 3 points, 1 rebound
0-for-3 from the field, 3-for-4 at the line
Michael Cuffee started at shooting guard ... and I'm not sure why. He looked overmatched on the offensive end, oftentimes getting swallowed up after a few dribbles. His one-on-one defense was decent but he struggled mightily in transition defense. Honestly, I don't see the appeal in him as a prospect.
Eric Dawson
18:16 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals
1-for-2 from the field, 1-for-1 at the line
The Spurs started Eric Dawson at center and he did a decent job. He had trouble pulling down rebounds but made up for it was a lot of hustle on the defensive end. On offense, Dawson appeared to be one of the few players who knew where to be, which is likely due to him spending parts of the last three seasons in Austin with the Toros. I doubt he's a NBA caliber player but he could be a helpful piece to this summer league squad, especially if Blair continues to be held out due to injury.
Tyler Wilkerson
21:06 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds
3-for-6 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Tyler Wilkerson is an odd type of athlete. He's small for a power forward, moves awkwardly, waddles up the court, reacts slowly to action around him ... but when he's around the rim with the ball in his hands, he jumps extremely well and finishes with ferocity. Wilkerson's dunks and all-around inspired play helped the Spurs blow the game open. If he can start hitting shots from the perimeter, Wilkerson's explosiveness around the rim could make him a prospect to keep an eye on.
Gary Neal
15:46 minutes, 11 points, 1 rebound, 2 turnovers
4-for-4 from the field, 2-for-2 on three-pointers, 1-for-1 at the line
Entering the game with a scorer's reputation, Gary Neal didn't disappoint. He has a beautiful jumper that he's not afraid to fire. His confidence shone brightly and I was actually surprised he didn't get more minutes to show what he can do. Hopefully the coaches give him more of a look in forthcoming games. Neal doesn't do much other than look to score but that talent alone appears to be noteworthy.
Dwayne Mitchell
12:37 minutes, 12 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals, 3 turnovers
4-for-4 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers, 3-for-3 at the line
Dwayne Mitchell is one of the best athletes in Las Vegas. Despite standing only 6-foot-3, he's strong enough and athletic enough to defend shooting guards when he puts his mind to it. But even though he'll be 28 years old by training camp, Mitchell remains a raw prospect. Defensively, he gambles too often and loses track of his man too often. On offense, Mitchell can finish in spectacular fashion at the rim ... but that's about it. He doesn't have an outside jumper, can't dribble the ball and isn't much of a team player. To be fair, Mitchell played well enough in this game to earn more minutes the rest of the week.
Squeaky Johnson
9:37 minutes, 4 assists, 4 steals
0-for-2 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers
Considering that Squeaky Johnson doesn't have much natural ability, I thought he played really well against the T'Wolves. After Temple got hurt and Jerrells was grinding the offense to a halt, Johnson came in and breathed life into the team on both ends of the court. He made all the right passes offensively and really helped to increase San Antonio's defensive intensity. Johnson is probably too small and too untalented to ever make it in the NBA but he showed why he's a favorite in the Spurs organization.
Sean Denison
5:49 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds
1-for-3 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Sean Denison played some minutes early on and appears to be another stretch four candidate. He's 6-foot-11 but plays out on the perimeter. Last year with Tofas Bursa in Turkey, he averaged 12.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game. It'll be difficult for him to get minutes on this summer league team due to the bigman depth -- especially if Blair makes his return.
The main story of this game was injuries. DeJuan Blair didn't play due to pain in his leg. Garrett Temple, who started for the Spurs at point guard, twisted his left ankle and may miss the rest of summer league. James Gist also twisted his left ankle, however he was able to stay in the game. The Timberwolves didn't come away unscathed as they lost both of their 2010 first rounders to injury -- Wesley Johnson (hamstring) and Lazar Hayward (elbow).
Garrett Temple
23:43 minutes, 11 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 2 steals, 6 turnovers
4-for-6 from the floor, 2-for-2 on three-pointers, 1-for-1 at the line
In college, Garrett Temple couldn't score in an empty gym with a step ladder. Since hooking up with the Spurs, Temple now seems to score with ease. (In fact, Popovich compared Temple to George Gervin in an interview during this game.) Against Minnesota, Temple played with a ton of confidence and hit his first four shots, which included two three-pointers and a traditional three-point play. Defensively, Temple used his 6-foot-6 frame to harass his opponent and did well on that end against both point guards and swingmen. However, everything was not gravy for Temple. All of his point guard skills were severely lacking. His decision-making was poor, he had trouble handling the ball and he was taking forever to get the team into the offense. The ankle injury is bad timing because Temple could really use the work to learn how to run the show. Fortunately for Temple, he showed enough last year to guarantee a training camp invite in the fall.
Alonzo Gee
34:50 minutes, 12 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 5 turnovers
4-for-12 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers, 4-for-6 at the line
Alonzo Gee showed quite a bit of good and quite a bit of bad in his first summer league outing. On one hand, he's an impressive athlete who can run, jump and absorb contact. For his size, Gee is an outstanding rebounder. He seems to see the floor rather well and plays with a healthy amount of energy on the defensive end. On the other hand, Gee is a horrendous ball-handler for a perimeter player. That lack of dribbling ability really hurts his ability to get to the hoop in a halfcourt setting. Even on the fast break, Gee is uncomfortable handling the ball in space. I also thought that he was a bit selfish against the T'Wolves. He went 1-on-5 much too often and looked off open teammates. Going forward, Gee needs to continue proving he can be an elite rebounder, show an ability to knock down open jumpers, continue his energy on the defensive end and mask his ball-handling weakness as much as possible.
James Gist
26:54 minutes, 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5 turnovers
3-for-7 from the floor, 2-for-4 at the line
It was good to see the lively version of James Gist once again. Last season, the 2008 second round draft pick out of Maryland was tentative and played like he was completely confused about his role. Versus Minnesota, Gist let it all hang out. Even though he wasn't always successful, it was a step in the right direction. On defense, he's extremely mobile for a power forward and has learned to trap pick-and-rolls masterfully. Although he can get pushed around under the basket, he gives quality attempts when protecting the rim. On offense, Gist doesn't quite seem to know what he wants to do. He played out on the perimeter a lot but found his best success when maneuvering in the painted area. The Spurs obviously want to make him a stretch four but it's to be seen whether Gist has the shot or the perimeter skills to handle such a role. At first blush, I'd say it's doubtful that Gist could transition into a stretch four.
Curtis Jerrells
26:58 minutes, 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 turnovers
4-for-6 from the floor, 1-for-1 on three-pointers, 2-for-3 at the line
Though his stats don't look bad, I was very disappointed with what I saw from Curtis Jerrells. He's attempting to make the switch from a small shooting guard to a point guard ... and it just ain't happening. He has poor court vision and he's so unsure of what to do when he brings the ball up the court that he single-handedly bogs down the offense. Jerrells had a few impressive moments when it came to scoring the ball but he's nowhere close to being an NBA-caliber point guard at this juncture of his development. On the defensive end, I thought he applied good pressure and utilized his quick hands and feet to attack dribblers. We'll see if he can improve his point guard play in the coming games but it really looks like he'll need another year in the D-League to iron out the kinks.
Darryl Watkins
22:20 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
1-for-2 from the field, 4-for-4 at the line
Remember him? Darryl Watkins was a bit of a preseason legend a few years ago with the Spurs. Interestingly, he has already played four games with the Pacers and one with the Mavericks before he joining the Spurs summer league team. The last time he was in a Spurs uniform, Watkins was an athletic and physical 6-foot-11 shotblocker. In this game, he looked like he was somewhat out of shape and wasn't moving as well on the defensive end. Watkins rebounded the ball and played better as the game went along but he needs to regain his footing as a defensive presence if he wishes to make a return trip to training camp in San Antonio.
Michael Cuffee
20:29 minutes, 3 points, 1 rebound
0-for-3 from the field, 3-for-4 at the line
Michael Cuffee started at shooting guard ... and I'm not sure why. He looked overmatched on the offensive end, oftentimes getting swallowed up after a few dribbles. His one-on-one defense was decent but he struggled mightily in transition defense. Honestly, I don't see the appeal in him as a prospect.
Eric Dawson
18:16 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals
1-for-2 from the field, 1-for-1 at the line
The Spurs started Eric Dawson at center and he did a decent job. He had trouble pulling down rebounds but made up for it was a lot of hustle on the defensive end. On offense, Dawson appeared to be one of the few players who knew where to be, which is likely due to him spending parts of the last three seasons in Austin with the Toros. I doubt he's a NBA caliber player but he could be a helpful piece to this summer league squad, especially if Blair continues to be held out due to injury.
Tyler Wilkerson
21:06 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds
3-for-6 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Tyler Wilkerson is an odd type of athlete. He's small for a power forward, moves awkwardly, waddles up the court, reacts slowly to action around him ... but when he's around the rim with the ball in his hands, he jumps extremely well and finishes with ferocity. Wilkerson's dunks and all-around inspired play helped the Spurs blow the game open. If he can start hitting shots from the perimeter, Wilkerson's explosiveness around the rim could make him a prospect to keep an eye on.
Gary Neal
15:46 minutes, 11 points, 1 rebound, 2 turnovers
4-for-4 from the field, 2-for-2 on three-pointers, 1-for-1 at the line
Entering the game with a scorer's reputation, Gary Neal didn't disappoint. He has a beautiful jumper that he's not afraid to fire. His confidence shone brightly and I was actually surprised he didn't get more minutes to show what he can do. Hopefully the coaches give him more of a look in forthcoming games. Neal doesn't do much other than look to score but that talent alone appears to be noteworthy.
Dwayne Mitchell
12:37 minutes, 12 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals, 3 turnovers
4-for-4 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers, 3-for-3 at the line
Dwayne Mitchell is one of the best athletes in Las Vegas. Despite standing only 6-foot-3, he's strong enough and athletic enough to defend shooting guards when he puts his mind to it. But even though he'll be 28 years old by training camp, Mitchell remains a raw prospect. Defensively, he gambles too often and loses track of his man too often. On offense, Mitchell can finish in spectacular fashion at the rim ... but that's about it. He doesn't have an outside jumper, can't dribble the ball and isn't much of a team player. To be fair, Mitchell played well enough in this game to earn more minutes the rest of the week.
Squeaky Johnson
9:37 minutes, 4 assists, 4 steals
0-for-2 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers
Considering that Squeaky Johnson doesn't have much natural ability, I thought he played really well against the T'Wolves. After Temple got hurt and Jerrells was grinding the offense to a halt, Johnson came in and breathed life into the team on both ends of the court. He made all the right passes offensively and really helped to increase San Antonio's defensive intensity. Johnson is probably too small and too untalented to ever make it in the NBA but he showed why he's a favorite in the Spurs organization.
Sean Denison
5:49 minutes, 2 points, 2 rebounds
1-for-3 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
Sean Denison played some minutes early on and appears to be another stretch four candidate. He's 6-foot-11 but plays out on the perimeter. Last year with Tofas Bursa in Turkey, he averaged 12.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game. It'll be difficult for him to get minutes on this summer league team due to the bigman depth -- especially if Blair makes his return.