Kori Ellis
07-14-2005, 05:50 PM
Hungrier than ever
Warriors summer-league coach Mario Elie pulled his free-agent guard Marque Perry aside after Wednesday's scrimmage against the Detroit Pistons. Elie told him how impressed he was with Perry's play. It was exactly what Perry needed to hear.
"That means a lot," said Perry, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard from Saint Louis. "You never know who's watching and who likes you."
Perry played for the San Antonio Spurs' summer-league team last year. That's where Elie saw him and became a fan, so much so that he requested Perry for the Warriors summer-league team this year.
Perry earned an invitation to the Spurs training camp last fall and played with the team throughout the preseason. He was released the day before the 2004-05 season began.
"They had just drafted Beno Udrih and they didn't want two rookies backing up Tony Parker," Marquee explained. "So they signed Mike Wilks (as the third point guard)."
That taste of the NBA has Perry hungry. He's ready for his shot, and he's playing like it.
Perry has shown that he's a capable point guard. He's strong enough to make up for his lack of size. He's played more like a true point guard than a playmaker. He's vocal and has done a good job running the offense. He has a team-high six assists in the three games, compared to four turnovers. The other two point guards, Monta Ellis and Damir Miljkovic, have five assists and 17 turnovers combined.
"I'm very impressed with Marquee," Elie said. "He's a vet. He understands the game. You know he's out there running your team. That's a big part of being a point guard in this league."
Elie said Perry needs to be more aggressive offensively. He's totaled 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting. He knows he can do more offensively. He averaged 17.1 points per game his senior year with the Billikens, where he played under assistant coach Randy Bennett, now at St. Mary's.
Perry, who played in Greece last year, is hoping to impress enough to get invited to training camp again. That's why, even though he's been so close to making an NBA roster, he is taking his time with the Warriors so seriously.
"A lot of people say summer league is nothing," said Perry, who may have an opportunity to play for the Houston Rockets entry into the Minnesota Summer League team at the Target Center in Minneapolis. "This is big. This is where they look at you. I see all these other guys eating well. I want some too."
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/basketball/nba/golden_state_warriors/12132525.htm
Warriors summer-league coach Mario Elie pulled his free-agent guard Marque Perry aside after Wednesday's scrimmage against the Detroit Pistons. Elie told him how impressed he was with Perry's play. It was exactly what Perry needed to hear.
"That means a lot," said Perry, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard from Saint Louis. "You never know who's watching and who likes you."
Perry played for the San Antonio Spurs' summer-league team last year. That's where Elie saw him and became a fan, so much so that he requested Perry for the Warriors summer-league team this year.
Perry earned an invitation to the Spurs training camp last fall and played with the team throughout the preseason. He was released the day before the 2004-05 season began.
"They had just drafted Beno Udrih and they didn't want two rookies backing up Tony Parker," Marquee explained. "So they signed Mike Wilks (as the third point guard)."
That taste of the NBA has Perry hungry. He's ready for his shot, and he's playing like it.
Perry has shown that he's a capable point guard. He's strong enough to make up for his lack of size. He's played more like a true point guard than a playmaker. He's vocal and has done a good job running the offense. He has a team-high six assists in the three games, compared to four turnovers. The other two point guards, Monta Ellis and Damir Miljkovic, have five assists and 17 turnovers combined.
"I'm very impressed with Marquee," Elie said. "He's a vet. He understands the game. You know he's out there running your team. That's a big part of being a point guard in this league."
Elie said Perry needs to be more aggressive offensively. He's totaled 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting. He knows he can do more offensively. He averaged 17.1 points per game his senior year with the Billikens, where he played under assistant coach Randy Bennett, now at St. Mary's.
Perry, who played in Greece last year, is hoping to impress enough to get invited to training camp again. That's why, even though he's been so close to making an NBA roster, he is taking his time with the Warriors so seriously.
"A lot of people say summer league is nothing," said Perry, who may have an opportunity to play for the Houston Rockets entry into the Minnesota Summer League team at the Target Center in Minneapolis. "This is big. This is where they look at you. I see all these other guys eating well. I want some too."
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/basketball/nba/golden_state_warriors/12132525.htm