timvp
07-21-2012, 12:19 PM
In their second summer league game without Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs lost again -- this time 83-78 against the Heat. Miami led early before San Antonio came roaring back in the second quarter. The Spurs held the lead for most of the game until the Heat made a late run. A flurry of turnovers near the end doomed the good guys, as did a strong finish by Terrel Harris, who finished with 25 points for the Heat.
The Spurs play their fifth and final summer league game against the Mavs on Saturday at 5 PM CST.
http://dailyelements.com/sl124.jpg
Cory Joseph C
The stat of the game: Cory Joseph had ten turnovers. As ugly as it was to watch him string together so many miscues, it was at least partially understandable. The Heat obviously had the gameplan to force anyone but Joseph beat them. Miami trapped all pick-and-rolls that he ran and even called for random halfcourt traps when he was bringing the ball up the court. While it's true Joseph needs to learn how to take care of the ball under such pressure, the Heat deserve credit for exploiting the fact that Joseph is this team's only playmaker. Outside his ten turnovers and the three desperation three-pointers he missed at the end of the game, I thought the Texas product played pretty darn well. Defensively, he was impressive. He drew about a half dozen offensive fouls by fighting around screens and also harassed Norris Cole into a subpar outing. Offensively, Joseph had a lot of effective drives to the hoop and he authored a few of his best passes of the week. Overall, it was a good learning experience and it highlighted a few areas that he must work on before becoming completely NBA ready.
James Anderson B-
Again, James Anderson was decent but not nearly as dominant as the Spurs needed. With Joseph being taken out of the game, it would've been helpful if Anderson illustrated the ability to create plays on his own. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. While his outside shooting looks improved and he did fine work on the boards, Anderson simply isn't showing any signs of growth. On top of his typical shortcomings, Anderson's individual defense was worse than usual and he too struggled with turnovers. The end to Anderson's run in a Spurs uniform will be Saturday. Good luck in the future.
Eric Dawson C+
The Heat had a lot of size in the middle and Eric Dawson didn't respond especially well. The opposing length kept Dawson from making an impact on the glass, which obviously doesn't help his stock in the eyes of NBA talent evaluators. Needing a big week to force himself into the spotlight and a possible guaranteed contract, he likely hasn't been dominant enough. Dawson continues to show a feathery touch from the perimeter and good hands and touch around the rim, but fears regarding his lack of size and athleticism haven't been relieved. And while he has at least one blocked shot in each affair, his ability to defend the rim is average at best.
JaMychal Green B+
Having finally stopped fouling every time up the court, JaMychal Green had by far his best game. Inserted into the starting lineup, the attribute that stood out the most is his picture-perfect jumper. Green has range out to about 18 feet, which is a useful trait for a power forward -- especially one in San Antonio's offense. He also has a live body and a decent motor. Unfortunately, even with the improvement, Green still didn't look like a legit NBA prospect. He doesn't appear to be big or strong enough and his athleticism, while a strength, doesn't compensate. Green's jumpshot gives him a chance to eventually make the NBA but he first needs to get in better shape and work on his all-around skill level.
Derrick Byars C+
Starting his second straight game, Derrick Byars again didn't show anything resembling promise. He plays hard but he's technically unsound on both ends.
Marcus Denmon B-
I liked the aggression Marcus Denmon played with this game. He attacked when there was a glimmer of daylight and had a couple positive results. But all in all, Denmon's negatives -- namely his lack of size and athleticism -- continue to outshine everything else. Defensively, he's feast or famine right now. He attempts to play tight defense but it seems to backfire most of the time.
Tyler Wilkerson A-
If Tyler Wilkerson wants to come to training camp instead of signing another contract in Europe, I'm sure the Spurs would gladly extend an invitation. Although he's playing with a sore foot, Wilkerson has been intriguing. While he's listed as a 6-foot-8 and 240-pound power forward, he has a surprisingly advanced perimeter game. He can dribble, shoot and pass rather well. Combine that with a healthy dose of athleticism and Wilkerson checks a lot of boxes in what the Spurs would want in a bigman. My main hesitation with Wilkerson is his height. Listed at 6-foot-8, he may be even a little bit shorter than that, which would make it difficult for him to survive against NBA bigs. As it is, he doesn't make much noise on the defensive end. While he was dominant on the offensive glass -- especially late in the game -- he got overwhelmed by the Heat's length a handful of times on the defensive end. That said, I think it'd be worthwhile to see Wilkerson in preseason games to see exactly how he stacks up.
Cedric Jackson A+
Wow. Playing in his first summer league game for the Spurs, Cedric Jackson was very impressive. He played like he was shot out of cannon. Offensively, he relentlessly attacked -- creating countless plays for himself and his teammates. He's quick going to the basket and his court vision is surprisingly advanced. On defense, Jackson was outstanding. His ability to pressure the basketball and play passing lanes was striking, which led to seven steals and numerous other deflections. Jackson played with toughness and an edge on both ends of the court. I don't know why he didn't play in the first three games but it was obviously a mistake. Jackson isn't going to make it on the Spurs but I wouldn't be surprised if he got another shot at the NBA after spending last season playing in New Zealand.
Alexis Ajinca B+
Alexis Ajinca started off ghastly but eventually loosened up and actually had a pretty damn effective stretch. For the first time in summer league, the huge human used his size to his advantage by crashing the glass, shooting in the paint and challenging shots. The quickness of Ajinca's hands is impressive and he's relatively mobile for a player his size. Unfortunately, the Frenchman also reverted to his bad habit of playing too cute. He made a few good passes but he made just as many ill-advised passes when trying to thread the needle. Ajinca got benched for the rest of the game after floating out to the perimeter to attempt a three-pointer. I think he's capable of playing in the NBA down the road but he's still a work in progress. At minimum, he needs another year or two overseas to really learn how to best use his hugeness. As it stands, Ajinca is barely scratching the surface of his potential.
L.D. Williams B+
Offensively, L.D. Williams was a wreck. For someone 6-foot-4 and trying to make the NBA, he has a shockingly miniscule amount of perimeter skill. But defensively, Williams was fantastic. He fully utilized his elite athleticism to his advantage by aggressively pressuring his man all the way out to the midcourt line. His size makes it nearly impossible for him to ever make the NBA; his only chance would be to become a lockdown defensive specialist. Against the Heat, he showed some potential in doing just that.
Moses Ehambe C
Great form on his jumper. Extremely immobile on the perimeter. He'd instantly become the NBA's worst defensive player if he ever made it to the league.
Alexis Wangmene D
Luke Zeller got the night off. It took three minutes and four seconds of watching Alexis Wangmene play for me to start missing Zeller. Wangmene is fleet for a guy who is 6-foot-7 and 241 pounds but I didn't see any evidence that R.C. Buford's adopted son actually knows how to play basketball.
Taylor Jenkins B+
Taylor Jenkins filled in for Jacque Vaughn, who sounds like he's closing in on becoming the next head coach of the Magic. Any coach who benches Zeller gets a good grade in my book. Throw in the discovery of Jackson, getting good minutes out of Ajinca and correctly riding Wilkerson down the stretch, and the assistant coach for the Toros seemed to know what he was doing.
The Spurs play their fifth and final summer league game against the Mavs on Saturday at 5 PM CST.
http://dailyelements.com/sl124.jpg
Cory Joseph C
The stat of the game: Cory Joseph had ten turnovers. As ugly as it was to watch him string together so many miscues, it was at least partially understandable. The Heat obviously had the gameplan to force anyone but Joseph beat them. Miami trapped all pick-and-rolls that he ran and even called for random halfcourt traps when he was bringing the ball up the court. While it's true Joseph needs to learn how to take care of the ball under such pressure, the Heat deserve credit for exploiting the fact that Joseph is this team's only playmaker. Outside his ten turnovers and the three desperation three-pointers he missed at the end of the game, I thought the Texas product played pretty darn well. Defensively, he was impressive. He drew about a half dozen offensive fouls by fighting around screens and also harassed Norris Cole into a subpar outing. Offensively, Joseph had a lot of effective drives to the hoop and he authored a few of his best passes of the week. Overall, it was a good learning experience and it highlighted a few areas that he must work on before becoming completely NBA ready.
James Anderson B-
Again, James Anderson was decent but not nearly as dominant as the Spurs needed. With Joseph being taken out of the game, it would've been helpful if Anderson illustrated the ability to create plays on his own. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. While his outside shooting looks improved and he did fine work on the boards, Anderson simply isn't showing any signs of growth. On top of his typical shortcomings, Anderson's individual defense was worse than usual and he too struggled with turnovers. The end to Anderson's run in a Spurs uniform will be Saturday. Good luck in the future.
Eric Dawson C+
The Heat had a lot of size in the middle and Eric Dawson didn't respond especially well. The opposing length kept Dawson from making an impact on the glass, which obviously doesn't help his stock in the eyes of NBA talent evaluators. Needing a big week to force himself into the spotlight and a possible guaranteed contract, he likely hasn't been dominant enough. Dawson continues to show a feathery touch from the perimeter and good hands and touch around the rim, but fears regarding his lack of size and athleticism haven't been relieved. And while he has at least one blocked shot in each affair, his ability to defend the rim is average at best.
JaMychal Green B+
Having finally stopped fouling every time up the court, JaMychal Green had by far his best game. Inserted into the starting lineup, the attribute that stood out the most is his picture-perfect jumper. Green has range out to about 18 feet, which is a useful trait for a power forward -- especially one in San Antonio's offense. He also has a live body and a decent motor. Unfortunately, even with the improvement, Green still didn't look like a legit NBA prospect. He doesn't appear to be big or strong enough and his athleticism, while a strength, doesn't compensate. Green's jumpshot gives him a chance to eventually make the NBA but he first needs to get in better shape and work on his all-around skill level.
Derrick Byars C+
Starting his second straight game, Derrick Byars again didn't show anything resembling promise. He plays hard but he's technically unsound on both ends.
Marcus Denmon B-
I liked the aggression Marcus Denmon played with this game. He attacked when there was a glimmer of daylight and had a couple positive results. But all in all, Denmon's negatives -- namely his lack of size and athleticism -- continue to outshine everything else. Defensively, he's feast or famine right now. He attempts to play tight defense but it seems to backfire most of the time.
Tyler Wilkerson A-
If Tyler Wilkerson wants to come to training camp instead of signing another contract in Europe, I'm sure the Spurs would gladly extend an invitation. Although he's playing with a sore foot, Wilkerson has been intriguing. While he's listed as a 6-foot-8 and 240-pound power forward, he has a surprisingly advanced perimeter game. He can dribble, shoot and pass rather well. Combine that with a healthy dose of athleticism and Wilkerson checks a lot of boxes in what the Spurs would want in a bigman. My main hesitation with Wilkerson is his height. Listed at 6-foot-8, he may be even a little bit shorter than that, which would make it difficult for him to survive against NBA bigs. As it is, he doesn't make much noise on the defensive end. While he was dominant on the offensive glass -- especially late in the game -- he got overwhelmed by the Heat's length a handful of times on the defensive end. That said, I think it'd be worthwhile to see Wilkerson in preseason games to see exactly how he stacks up.
Cedric Jackson A+
Wow. Playing in his first summer league game for the Spurs, Cedric Jackson was very impressive. He played like he was shot out of cannon. Offensively, he relentlessly attacked -- creating countless plays for himself and his teammates. He's quick going to the basket and his court vision is surprisingly advanced. On defense, Jackson was outstanding. His ability to pressure the basketball and play passing lanes was striking, which led to seven steals and numerous other deflections. Jackson played with toughness and an edge on both ends of the court. I don't know why he didn't play in the first three games but it was obviously a mistake. Jackson isn't going to make it on the Spurs but I wouldn't be surprised if he got another shot at the NBA after spending last season playing in New Zealand.
Alexis Ajinca B+
Alexis Ajinca started off ghastly but eventually loosened up and actually had a pretty damn effective stretch. For the first time in summer league, the huge human used his size to his advantage by crashing the glass, shooting in the paint and challenging shots. The quickness of Ajinca's hands is impressive and he's relatively mobile for a player his size. Unfortunately, the Frenchman also reverted to his bad habit of playing too cute. He made a few good passes but he made just as many ill-advised passes when trying to thread the needle. Ajinca got benched for the rest of the game after floating out to the perimeter to attempt a three-pointer. I think he's capable of playing in the NBA down the road but he's still a work in progress. At minimum, he needs another year or two overseas to really learn how to best use his hugeness. As it stands, Ajinca is barely scratching the surface of his potential.
L.D. Williams B+
Offensively, L.D. Williams was a wreck. For someone 6-foot-4 and trying to make the NBA, he has a shockingly miniscule amount of perimeter skill. But defensively, Williams was fantastic. He fully utilized his elite athleticism to his advantage by aggressively pressuring his man all the way out to the midcourt line. His size makes it nearly impossible for him to ever make the NBA; his only chance would be to become a lockdown defensive specialist. Against the Heat, he showed some potential in doing just that.
Moses Ehambe C
Great form on his jumper. Extremely immobile on the perimeter. He'd instantly become the NBA's worst defensive player if he ever made it to the league.
Alexis Wangmene D
Luke Zeller got the night off. It took three minutes and four seconds of watching Alexis Wangmene play for me to start missing Zeller. Wangmene is fleet for a guy who is 6-foot-7 and 241 pounds but I didn't see any evidence that R.C. Buford's adopted son actually knows how to play basketball.
Taylor Jenkins B+
Taylor Jenkins filled in for Jacque Vaughn, who sounds like he's closing in on becoming the next head coach of the Magic. Any coach who benches Zeller gets a good grade in my book. Throw in the discovery of Jackson, getting good minutes out of Ajinca and correctly riding Wilkerson down the stretch, and the assistant coach for the Toros seemed to know what he was doing.