Summer League Game #1: San Antonio Spurs vs. Charlotte Hornets - July 3, 2023 @ 7pm CT

[Degoat]

I’ll be honest when I saw Miller, Smith, Bouknight, Kai Jones, and Mcgowens we’re playing I thought it would be a tough outting lol they better pray Lamelo doesn’t have a fragile body like Lonzo

[Obstructed_View]

ESPN front page has two videos of Brandon Miller highlights. Frankly I'm surprised they could find that many.

No Spurs highlights or even mentions. Don't wonder why free agents will never go to San Antonio.

[Old School 44]

I’m sure these summer league players would love to sign a contract and have any kind of NBA career, but I wonder if there is a “Wemby Effect” to the effort we’ll see going forward. it’s got to be exciting to potentially play with a generational talent. There’s going to be a national media circus surrounding this team, giving lots of exposure to these young Spurs who make the team.

[BacktoBasics]

I was amazed to find out La Fogata's salsa recipe was just onion, tomato, jalapeno, and salt. They published it one time in the Express News. I could just eat chips and salsa whenever I go there.

They throw those ingredients on a fire or flattop. I’m sure those flattops are well seasoned.

[ace3g]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTLaMM1MCeI


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eThDtXmxz6w

[cutewizard]

wayyyyyy to go my Spurs!!!!!!!!!!!

[BackHome]

I am really liking Champ he just plays like a seven year vet what I like is that he brings us some versatility as I think he can get playing time at the SG or SF positions. I really think by the end of the year he will be the primary backup at the SF position and I love we finally have a shooter who has the height 6’8 and a shooter that can also play good defense.

I think McBuckets will start as we all know Pop loves his vets and I think he can teach Champ some techniques in getting free and just the overall constant movement he does when he plays. Yeah his defense is terrible but when he plays you can easily tell he opens the driving lanes for his team mates.

Even from last year I was thinking will they trade McBuckets if a decent offer comes through- Part of me says Yes but another part says no as I think Pop likes him being coachable and just a good team mate.

[exstatic]

Both Fogata and Rosario’s have really good roasted salsa. For fresh salsa I always go to El Jarro.

Co-signed.

[Obstructed_View]

San Antonio has the best food in Texas. I love that city.

[rascal]

Gotta love ESPN and SportsCenter, their entire coverage of the game was focused on Miller and how he "went off in the 4th quarter"

Guy went 5/11 from the field with 7 fouls and 6 turnovers, and lost by 21....and Champagnie hung 30/8 on him but I know ESPN has their agenda to follow

He hit some open shots in the fourth but looked really bad overall.

[rascal]

San Antonio has the best food in Texas. I love that city.

That's the only thing good about San Antonio.

[rascal]

ESPN front page has two videos of Brandon Miller highlights. Frankly I'm surprised they could find that many.

No Spurs highlights or even mentions. Don't wonder why free agents will never go to San Antonio.

No one cares about Barlow or Champagnie or Blake Wesley outside of San Antonio. The national interest is how good will Miller be. That's the national story.

Had Wemby played they would have shown many highlights of him.

[picnroll]

Co-signed.

Soluna on Broadway has a good roasted pepper hot sauce.

[Obstructed_View]

That's the only thing good about San Antonio.

No it isn't, but it's not one of your posts if it isn't stupid.

[rascal]

No it isn't, but it's not one of your posts if it isn't stupid.

To me it's the only thing good about San Antonio after living there and that's my post.

And my post is what I think about san Antonio, not what you or anyone else thinks about it. I especially hate the weather.

[Dverde]

I love food. I miss San Antonio restaurants everyday. Last trip I made to SA, I picked out restaurants for each day.

[Dex]

I love food. I miss San Antonio restaurants everyday. Last trip I made to SA, I picked out restaurants for each day.

Same, gotta get my TexMex in whenever I am down there

Even Las Palapas >>>> most TexMex spots in Austin

[MannyIsGod]

ESPN front page has two videos of Brandon Miller highlights. Frankly I'm surprised they could find that many.

No Spurs highlights or even mentions. Don't wonder why free agents will never go to San Antonio.

Dude the only people going to ESPN.com are old. Sure as hell no NBA players going there.

[MannyIsGod]

San Antonio has the best food in Texas. I love that city.

San Antonio has good food but overall beat food in the state is easily Houston. Lowkey Houston is probably the best food city in the nation.

[MannyIsGod]

To me it's the only thing good about San Antonio after living there and that's my post.

And my post is what I think about san Antonio, not what you or anyone else thinks about it. I especially hate the weather.

I miss good tex mex living on the east coast now but holy fuck I do not miss 9 months of 90s. Shit is brutal.

[tonight...you]

Well, then Walton had more than one favorite Mexican kitchen in SA!
Oh, Walton? That I don't know about. I was just saying that I myself remember eating there.
Lol, sorry for the misunderstanding.

[John B]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTLaMM1MCeI


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eThDtXmxz6w

Very good demeanor on these two players. JC is a baller, can pick his spots and not shy to let them fly. Truly a pleasant surprise when I thought he was just a volume when they first scooped him. But he proved to be more, rebounder, defender, able to push the ball, and last night a facilitator on some occassions.

Barlow had the confidence, shooting without hesitation. He knows how to position himself for the rebounder, verybwuick on his feet on switches. Truly impressed with our young guys.

[Obstructed_View]

San Antonio has good food but overall beat food in the state is easily Houston. Lowkey Houston is probably the best food city in the nation.
Food in Houston is outstanding, though it has dropped off a bit IMO. They are both leaps and bounds better than Dallas.

[rascal]

Nice showing from a couple of the young guys.

[Kurik]

That's the only thing good about San Antonio.

Home prices compared to everywhere else is pretty nice. I love Austin but I don’t want to live in a shack either.

[Mr. Body]

I’ll be honest when I saw Miller, Smith, Bouknight, Kai Jones, and Mcgowens we’re playing I thought it would be a tough outting lol they better pray Lamelo doesn’t have a fragile body like Lonzo

To be fair, I don't see Bouknight and Kai Jones long for the league. Moderate to slim hopes for NSJ long run. Not a great feel for McGowens, and Miller might be a good role-player but I don't know if he'll be a star.

[Mr. Body]

It's a relief nobody's panicking about the offseason any more (at least at the moment) lamenting the supposed great players we missed in FAgency. This team has a ton of developing players. They're going to surprise a lot of people around the league.

[Teamduncan21]

It's a relief nobody's panicking about the offseason any more (at least at the moment) lamenting the supposed great players we missed in FAgency. This team has a ton of developing players. They're going to surprise a lot of people around the league.

That quell the meltdown a bit.
We have to win all games though. Once we lose meltdown will start again.
I guess spurs has faith on their own guys to not really overpay this free agency

[Kurik]

Why are people stressing about people posting on a sports message board? ��

[Extra Stout]

Why are people stressing about people posting on a sports message board? ��
Somebody is wrong on the Internet!

[Extra Stout]

To me it's the only thing good about San Antonio after living there and that's my post.

And my post is what I think about san Antonio, not what you or anyone else thinks about it. I especially hate the weather.
On the one hand, San Antonio is much more developed than it was in 1978. There are more things to do. Downtown is revitalized.

On the other hand, if you hated the weather in 1978, well… summers are about 4 degrees hotter now, it’s more humid, and the first cold front comes 2 weeks later.

[spurraider21]

I’m glad we didn’t improve the roster because two guys played well in one summer league game certainly is a take

[stnick2261]

It's a relief nobody's panicking about the offseason any more (at least at the moment) lamenting the supposed great players we missed in FAgency. This team has a ton of developing players. They're going to surprise a lot of people around the league.

This was one of the (several) benefits to tanking the way we did. We got rid of most of the older players and really gave the young guys a chance to get experience. We also rotated (tried out) many more players than we otherwise would have had the chance to. It's hard to find these type of players once the team is already set.

[mo7888]

To be fair, I don't see Bouknight and Kai Jones long for the league. Moderate to slim hopes for NSJ long run. Not a great feel for McGowens, and Miller might be a good role-player but I don't know if he'll be a star.

NSJ's biggest challenge is tbe team he was drafted by. Development has never been their strongest suit. I still expect him to overcome that and be better than Miller long-term. I do like the fact that they at least played him at his natural position as PG most of the night.

[ace3g]

https://twitter.com/spurs/status/1676320725819596800

[Mr. Body]

https://twitter.com/spurs/status/1676320725819596800

This just in: They sat Malaki out so they could mic him up.

[The Truth #6]

Any impressions on Sidy Cissoko?

[spurraider21]

Any impressions on Sidy Cissoko?
He looks like a #44 pick

[Mr. Body]

Any impressions on Sidy Cissoko?

Good defender, not much else so far.

[Chinook]

Any impressions on Sidy Cissoko?

Looks bigger than advertised. I think he'd be fine defending most power-forwards in the NBA. To me, his shot looked hideous. I hope he got a two-way rather than a real deal, and I'm glad the team didn't draft him at 33.

[Pauleta14]

Sidy seems to have great passing skills

He's very raw everywhere else tho...

[Dejounte]

Reminds me of Diaw the way he moves on the court

[K...]

A prior comment said Sidy is adjusting to recent body growth and will adjust to his shooting. I have more hope for that than i do wesley developing touch and vision.

[spurraider21]

A prior comment said Sidy is adjusting to recent body growth and will adjust to his shooting. I have more hope for that than i do wesley developing touch and vision.
The only way body growth can explain his shooting form is if he just recently grew arms and hands for the first time

[The Truth #6]

Sounds like Sidy didn’t exactly blow anyone away.

[Uriel]

Serious question for the people in this thread: if Charlotte offered you a trade right now of Brandon Miller for Julian Champagnie straight up, would you take it?

[spurraider21]

Serious question for the people in this thread: if Charlotte offered you a trade right now of Brandon Miller for Julian Champagnie straight up, would you take it?
Yes lmao

what are these questions. Do you think anybody is trading a lottery pick for Champagnie today?

This is spurs are top 5 in the west type stuff

[spurraider21]

Sounds like Sidy didn’t exactly blow anyone away.
He was a mid-second round pick. That’s not draft pedigree that screams day 1 nba rotation player.

i think people here had oddly high expectations for him.

he clearly has a good feel for the game and is a good enough athlete to make good on it. He’s just not there yet. A perimeter player with no jumper and no real scoring ability is going to have a hill to climb.

[TekXX]

Cidy reminds me of Diaw with that big french ass, no sus

[SpursFan86]

Serious question for the people in this thread: if Charlotte offered you a trade right now of Brandon Miller for Julian Champagnie straight up, would you take it?

Are you fucking high? :lol

[Mr. Body]

Yes lmao

what are these questions. Do you think anybody is trading a lottery pick for Champagnie today?

This is spurs are top 5 in the west type stuff

"This car costs fifty thousand bucks. Of course it's a great car!"

[Mr. Body]

Nah, you don't want Miller anywhere around this team unless you're trading him. On a second pick salary, too, which gets really ugly.

[GB20]

Serious question for the people in this thread: if Charlotte offered you a trade right now of Brandon Miller for Julian Champagnie straight up, would you take it?
Fuck!! I would do it ,if the Hornets included a first round pick in the trade.:lol

[jhfenton]

Any impressions on Sidy Cissoko?

I agree with everyone that his shot looked bad. But he has good size, solid defense, good secondary passing. He needs a year in Austin working on his jumper, maybe even with some time handling the ball to see what he can do there.

[Obstructed_View]

As I said in the other thread: no.

The only scenario where the Spurs might have picked him is if they were picking sixth and he slid that far.

[Obstructed_View]

I agree with everyone that his shot looked bad. But he has good size, solid defense, good secondary passing. He needs a year in Austin working on his jumper, maybe even with some time handling the ball to see what he can do there.
Agree. Seems like a great team guy, super aggressive, ready to play defense. Very smart passer. Just is not a good shooter. Honestly don't understand his basketball players can't shoot. I'm awful at basketball in every other way but I'm a decent to good shooter.

[spurraider21]

Agree. Seems like a great team guy, super aggressive, ready to play defense. Very smart passer. Just is not a good shooter. Honestly don't understand his basketball players can't shoot. I'm awful at basketball in every other way but I'm a decent to good shooter.
You think you are decent to good but try getting shots off cleanly and accurately against gleague competition and prepare to be surprised

[Cry Havoc]

He was a mid-second round pick. That’s not draft pedigree that screams day 1 nba rotation player.

i think people here had oddly high expectations for him.

he clearly has a good feel for the game and is a good enough athlete to make good on it. He’s just not there yet. A perimeter player with no jumper and no real scoring ability is going to have a hill to climb.

Odd timing on this statement considering who the MVP is.

[spurraider21]

Odd timing on this statement considering who the MVP is.
It’s not odd timing just because there’s been an outlier. Outliers always exist

otherwise we should stop taking first round players and only take people in the second round. That way we can get a jokic too

[rascal]

Good defender, not much else so far.

Should have taken Andre Jackson at 33 who is a better defender and finisher.

[Obstructed_View]

You think you are decent to good but try getting shots off cleanly and accurately against gleague competition and prepare to be surprised
No. I'm a better shooter than many of those guys. Simple free throw percentage says so.

[rascal]

Agree. Seems like a great team guy, super aggressive, ready to play defense. Very smart passer. Just is not a good shooter. Honestly don't understand his basketball players can't shoot. I'm awful at basketball in every other way but I'm a decent to good shooter.

You wouldn't be able to shoot on an NBA floor.

You would be shocked how much more difficult it would be shooting against NBA caliber players than playing pick up games at the local gym.

[Mnky]

Sounds like Sidy didn’t exactly blow anyone away.

He had a few moments that were definitely above average. Had some great defensive stands but does tend to gamble a little with his position to get an edge.

His vision is above average. Recognizes the floor very well. He used to play PG, so that makes sense. His passing ability might be his best attribute after his 1v1 defensive capabilities.

He charges into the lane like a bigger stronger keldon johnson. He gets to the rim though. If anyone stands in his way, they're going to feel it.

His shot couldn't have been worse.


For a 2nd rounder, I was happy with his potential showing.

[timtonymanu]

Yes lmao

what are these questions. Do you think anybody is trading a lottery pick for Champagnie today?

This is spurs are top 5 in the west type stuff

Are you telling me we can't offer Champagnie for Luka?

[spurraider21]

Are you telling me we can't offer Champagnie for Luka?
They better send us picks for taking on that contract !

[Extra Stout]

I wouldn’t trade Champagnie for Jokic. The only thing left to do is to plan the 2024 river parade.

[Mr. Body]

Just rewatched sections of the game while finishing something up. Quick thoughts:

1. Miller couldn't stay in front of Champagnie on multiple possessions. Not at all. Doesn't bode well for the #2 pick.

2. Sidy didn't hit the box score a ton, but he was an effective defender and is in the right spot at the right times. Definitely not a bad start.

3. Wesley really wasn't that bad. Calls that "he's not a point guard" aren't really founded. He has good vision, but his passes can be slow or he forces things at time. Same as with his finishing - he's thinking too much and still learning. But he keeps making nifty plays and reads that are promising.

4. Barlow looks completely natural in this game. He and Champ were dominant, Champ as much because he was hitting from range and blowing by his man, Barlow because he just seemed effortless, like a six year vet among combine guys.

[Chinook]

This game really didn't matter.

I became less and less impressed with Champ as time went on. He started taking a bunch of bad shots. It's bad form for a dude who just got a guaranteed contract to eat so many touches. Early on when he was just taking advantage of a confused defense, it was fine. But it's not surprising that the only player who got it going besides Champ and Barlow was Champ's backup. I think he showed a lot last year and should have his chance to climb as high as he can going forward. But I also think his style of play might not be nearly as valuable as his box score indicates. He's far more likely to be a fringe player than a star, and if he wants to make it as a role-player, he's going to have to find a balance he hasn't needed to during his time with the club so far.

I thought Barlow was awesome. I don't think his perimeter defense was as impressive as some attribute, as he has a lot of help and was facing guys who weren't equipped to exploit him, But as he continues to develop into a legit center prospect that mobility will help him stand out. I don't think he'd be nearly as successful switching out on NBA guards, but I do think he'll do well in hedging and recovering. Offensively, that mid-range shot is sort of a "shrug" situation. I guess it's nice he has a change-up, but being able to can shots from three is going to be the thing that changes his trajectory. We'll have to see as the summer goes on if he has that range. He showed nice handles a couple of times during this game, but he actually showed those last year and with OTE . Those skills were rudimentary for a forward. If he's going to be a center, they might be able to be polished into something special.

Cissoko was Miller's primary defenders both teams' starters were on the court. I don't know why Champ and Barlow seem to get the bulk of the credit. Sidy seems to mostly be a big strong body right now. As I've said in a different thread, he has the size to match up with most PFs, and that type of versatility could come in handy for a Spurs team that will likely have fluid postional designations for the immediate future. I found the guaranteed contract to be a bit of a head-scratcher. Definitely feels like a two-way guy.

In general, the overreactions to the summer league are ridiculous in a precious sort of way. No, Miller would be the Spurs' second-most important player if the team somehow acquired him. That he didn't start off well playing against a starting lineup that was almost exclusive made up of guys who were professional players last year doesn't mean anything. Tim didn't start his summer league career well either. Wemby might not do so either. People often will underrate how important a year in the league actually is for a prospect's development. It's not surprising that guys who've been through this before jumped all over a team trying to figure out their new centerpiece.

That Wesley didn't show well doesn't worry me. He showed well last year, and look what that did. I do wonder how he'll looking going forward as guys like Branham and Wemby join the lineup. Will less attention allow him to pick his spots? Or will he fall completely behind? If we can use the game to handicap anything right now it's the need to keep Devonte Graham in the fold until they can figure out who can contribute reliably to the PG position.

[Mr. Body]

This game really didn't matter.

I became less and less impressed with Champ as time went on. He started taking a bunch of bad shots. It's bad form for a dude who just got a guaranteed contract to eat so many touches. Early on when he was just taking advantage of a confused defense, it was fine. But it's not surprising that the only player who got it going besides Champ and Barlow was Champ's backup. I think he showed a lot last year and should have his chance to climb as high as he can going forward. But I also think his style of play might not be nearly as valuable as his box score indicates. He's far more likely to be a fringe player than a star, and if he wants to make it as a role-player, he's going to have to find a balance he hasn't needed to during his time with the club so far.

I thought Barlow was awesome. I don't think his perimeter defense was as impressive as some attribute, as he has a lot of help and was facing guys who weren't equipped to exploit him, But as he continues to develop into a legit center prospect that mobility will help him stand out. I don't think he'd be nearly as successful switching out on NBA guards, but I do think he'll do well in hedging and recovering. Offensively, that mid-range shot is sort of a "shrug" situation. I guess it's nice he has a change-up, but being able to can shots from three is going to be the thing that changes his trajectory. We'll have to see as the summer goes on if he has that range. He showed nice handles a couple of times during this game, but he actually showed those last year and with OTE . Those skills were rudimentary for a forward. If he's going to be a center, they might be able to be polished into something special.

Cissoko was Miller's primary defenders both teams' starters were on the court. I don't know why Champ and Barlow seem to get the bulk of the credit. Sidy seems to mostly be a big strong body right now. As I've said in a different thread, he has the size to match up with most PFs, and that type of versatility could come in handy for a Spurs team that will likely have fluid postional designations for the immediate future. I found the guaranteed contract to be a bit of a head-scratcher. Definitely feels like a two-way guy.

In general, the overreactions to the summer league are ridiculous in a precious sort of way. No, Miller would be the Spurs' second-most important player if the team somehow acquired him. That he didn't start off well playing against a starting lineup that was almost exclusive made up of guys who were professional players last year doesn't mean anything. Tim didn't start his summer league career well either. Wemby might not do so either. People often will underrate how important a year in the league actually is for a prospect's development. It's not surprising that guys who've been through this before jumped all over a team trying to figure out their new centerpiece.

That Wesley didn't show well doesn't worry me. He showed well last year, and look what that did. I do wonder how he'll looking going forward as guys like Branham and Wemby join the lineup. Will less attention allow him to pick his spots? Or will he fall completely behind? If we can use the game to handicap anything right now it's the need to keep Devonte Graham in the fold until they can figure out who can contribute reliably to the PG position.

1. What is Champagnie's "style of play"? Shooting when open? Driving on close-outs? It's bizarre to think that a team that was clearly well-drilled was constantly upended by Julian Champagnie taking shots. Or, maybe they told him to put up shots whenever he had daylight. That's his role. Shooting. Right now he's third string behind Doug McDermott who... also shoots whenever he's open. Yet you want Champagnie to be setting up Jevonte McCoy, who will never see the inside of a Spurs jersey. Maybe get JC acclimated to what he's going to be doing next year?

2. Barlow definitely is nimble and effective switching on the perimeter. "Weren't equipped to exploit him"? Isn't that what Brandon Miller is supposed to be doing? Or are you confused and think Barlow is a guard? He smothered up Miller, who couldn't do anything against him. And... if he's going to be developing a three-pointer, doesn't he have to hit midrange shots first? Or do you think it's just rim running or threes? How else do you develop shots?

3. Brandon Miller was slow, inept at defense, could not break free from a 2nd round French guy or any other big squad guy switched on him. He went off on 2nd and 3rd string Summer League folk. Of course it's his first taste of NBA play but this is still the guy with that garishly bad NCAAT performace over three games. That he couldn't separate himself for shots and kept getting abused by Julian Champagnie aren't great signs. To me he's another Jabari Smith Jr. with worse attitude and maybe even worse defense.

[exstatic]

1. What is Champagnie's "style of play"? Shooting when open? Driving on close-outs? It's bizarre to think that a team that was clearly well-drilled was constantly upended by Julian Champagnie taking shots. Or, maybe they told him to put up shots whenever he had daylight. That's his role. Shooting. Right now he's third string behind Doug McDermott who... also shoots whenever he's open. Yet you want Champagnie to be setting up Jevonte McCoy, who will never see the inside of a Spurs jersey. Maybe get JC acclimated to what he's going to be doing next year?

2. Barlow definitely is nimble and effective switching on the perimeter. "Weren't equipped to exploit him"? Isn't that what Brandon Miller is supposed to be doing? Or are you confused and think Barlow is a guard? He smothered up Miller, who couldn't do anything against him. And... if he's going to be developing a three-pointer, doesn't he have to hit midrange shots first? Or do you think it's just rim running or threes? How else do you develop shots?

3. Brandon Miller was slow, inept at defense, could not break free from a 2nd round French guy or any other big squad guy switched on him. He went off on 2nd and 3rd string Summer League folk. Of course it's his first taste of NBA play but this is still the guy with that garishly bad NCAAT performace over three games. That he couldn't separate himself for shots and kept getting abused by Julian Champagnie aren't great signs. To me he's another Jabari Smith Jr. with worse attitude and maybe even worse defense.

Yeah, I don’t think it was a coincidence that Malaki was inactive, and Julian takes a ton of shots. More like the plan for the night. See what happens if he gets the defense’s attention and focus.

[Cabrito]

It’s not all that surprising Miller struggled. Top picks sometimes do in summer league. Charlotte has three roster players in Bouknight, Jones and McGowan, and they looked disinterested. It’s the NBA, Charlotte might dominate tonight. ��

[spurraider21]

The reason Mr. Body (https://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=397) places such high value on a players summer league debut as it relates to how good they ultimately will be actually comes from the fact that Austin Reaves had a very good summer league debut, and look at him now

[Fireball]

To me nothing will ever compare to Blake Griffin in Summer League. Man amongst boys. So much fun!

[buttsR4rebounding]

On the one hand, San Antonio is much more developed than it was in 1978. There are more things to do. Downtown is revitalized.

On the other hand, if you hated the weather in 1978, well… summers are about 4 degrees hotter now, it’s more humid, and the first cold front comes 2 weeks later.

You're just making that up. The average temperature in 1978 was almost exactly the same as in 2022. As far as humidity and when the first cold front's are coming in compared to the late 70s I am certain you are just pulling that out of your ass. Only a gigantic weather nerd would keep that kind of info.

[rjv]

1. What is Champagnie's "style of play"? Shooting when open? Driving on close-outs? It's bizarre to think that a team that was clearly well-drilled was constantly upended by Julian Champagnie taking shots. Or, maybe they told him to put up shots whenever he had daylight. That's his role. Shooting. Right now he's third string behind Doug McDermott who... also shoots whenever he's open. Yet you want Champagnie to be setting up Jevonte McCoy, who will never see the inside of a Spurs jersey. Maybe get JC acclimated to what he's going to be doing next year?

2. Barlow definitely is nimble and effective switching on the perimeter. "Weren't equipped to exploit him"? Isn't that what Brandon Miller is supposed to be doing? Or are you confused and think Barlow is a guard? He smothered up Miller, who couldn't do anything against him. And... if he's going to be developing a three-pointer, doesn't he have to hit midrange shots first? Or do you think it's just rim running or threes? How else do you develop shots?

3. Brandon Miller was slow, inept at defense, could not break free from a 2nd round French guy or any other big squad guy switched on him. He went off on 2nd and 3rd string Summer League folk. Of course it's his first taste of NBA play but this is still the guy with that garishly bad NCAAT performace over three games. That he couldn't separate himself for shots and kept getting abused by Julian Champagnie aren't great signs. To me he's another Jabari Smith Jr. with worse attitude and maybe even worse defense.

in typical Chinook hyperbolic (and long winded) fashion, he ridicules the hype about summer league play and then proceeds to give us a dissertation on SL play. :lol

[rascal]

You're just making that up. The average temperature in 1978 was almost exactly the same as in 2022. As far as humidity and when the first cold front's are coming in compared to the late 70s I am certain you are just pulling that out of your ass. Only a gigantic weather nerd would keep that kind of info.

Summers are hotter now in San Antonio. More 100 degree days now than in the 1970s.

anyway summers are brutal in San Antonio at any time.

[Extra Stout]

You're just making that up. The average temperature in 1978 was almost exactly the same as in 2022. As far as humidity and when the first cold front's are coming in compared to the late 70s I am certain you are just pulling that out of your ass. Only a gigantic weather nerd would keep that kind of info.
June 1978 had 5 days over 95 degrees. The first cold front came September 22. Things are a little different now.

You’re touchy about it, probably for ideological reasons. You probably think I want to force you to eat bugs or something.

[Chinook]

in typical Chinook hyperbolic (and long winded) fashion, he ridicules the hype about summer league play and then proceeds to give us a dissertation on SL play. :lol

I love summer league. I've said for years it's my favorite time of the NBA season. I'm crazy happy that there's basketball right now. But no, these games don't reveal who the impact players of the real season are. At best, they are where role-players can show a bit more ceiling than they normally can.

Also, you need to look up the definition of hyperbolic. A post talking about how something isn't as impressive at it might seem is literally the opposite.

[rjv]

I love summer league. I've said for years it's my favorite time of the NBA season. I'm crazy happy that there's basketball right now. But no, these games don't reveal who the impact players of the real season are. At best, they are where role-players can show a bit more ceiling than they normally can.

Also, you need to look up the definition of hyperbolic. A post talking about how something isn't as impressive at it might seem is literally the opposite.

i guess you missed the irony

[Chinook]

1. What is Champagnie's "style of play"? Shooting when open? Driving on close-outs? It's bizarre to think that a team that was clearly well-drilled was constantly upended by Julian Champagnie taking shots. Or, maybe they told him to put up shots whenever he had daylight. That's his role. Shooting. Right now he's third string behind Doug McDermott who... also shoots whenever he's open. Yet you want Champagnie to be setting up Jevonte McCoy, who will never see the inside of a Spurs jersey. Maybe get JC acclimated to what he's going to be doing next year?

Shooting whenever you can is not anyone's standard of a good offense. You're not wrong that teams can often benefit from a microwave guy coming in and getting points. There's a reason that role tends to be a bench scorer who doesn't play a ton of minutes. When the main scorers are on the bench, it's cool to have a guy come in and get 10 points really quickly and keep the pressure on the defense going. Many 6MotY winners fall into that archetype. But a huge reason why they're sixth men is because that aggression takes away shots from possibly better players. I think you understand this concept when criticizing the potential guards (not Reaves, so no need to bring that up) or other offense-first players the team had a chance to bring in. Champ wasn't being McDermott on Monday. Doug is neither an outlet shooter nor a first option. Champ was taking a ton of early shots in a "good enough" type situation rather than moving the ball. In the first half, Champ was taking advantage of a discombobulated defense and getting a lot of good looks. In the second half, he wasn't getting the same looks but still kept taking shots at the same clip. That's why I went from being really impressed with him to being less so. What would've been much better would be seeing was him leveraging the extra attention Charlotte was paying to him to get others the ball. Instead, he clanked way more shots. Was that a major blow against his esteem on the team? No. Did it dull what was a very impressive start in my mind? Yes.


2. Barlow definitely is nimble and effective switching on the perimeter. "Weren't equipped to exploit him"? Isn't that what Brandon Miller is supposed to be doing? Or are you confused and think Barlow is a guard? He smothered up Miller, who couldn't do anything against him. And... if he's going to be developing a three-pointer, doesn't he have to hit midrange shots first? Or do you think it's just rim running or threes? How else do you develop shots?

As I said before, Cissoko was Miller's main defender and deserves a ton of credit. Barlow was good -- in my mind he was far and away the most impressive player on the floor. I think his mobility from a help perspective is going to translate very well. Do I think he's going to have as much success containing experienced NBA perimeter forwards as he did against Miller in his first game? No. There were times that Barlow gave up leverage as he moved to stay with his man. A more savvy opponent would've recognized that and gone at him. In the summer league, guys don't know each other as well, and they won't know where their teammates are or necessarily know how much help to give. The Spurs were very aggressive in their help on the perimeter, which also helped Barlow contain his man. That worked because the Hornets didn't have the wherewithal to move the ball and punish the overhelping. The good news is Barlow isn't going to be expected to actually lock down wings and guards in the NBA. He just has to do enough to not give up a high-percentage shot or fouls. I do think he can do that. That's why I'm not actually criticizing Barlow's performance as much as contextualizing it.


3. Brandon Miller was slow, inept at defense, could not break free from a 2nd round French guy or any other big squad guy switched on him. He went off on 2nd and 3rd string Summer League folk. Of course it's his first taste of NBA play but this is still the guy with that garishly bad NCAAT performace over three games. That he couldn't separate himself for shots and kept getting abused by Julian Champagnie aren't great signs. To me he's another Jabari Smith Jr. with worse attitude and maybe even worse defense.

You can have your opinion on Miller. I thought he was fine. I think Smith will also be fine. Of course, guys bust. Smith should still be a very good role-player once he develops, though I think he'll probably just "flash" sometimes rather than fully becoming a star. Like Wiggins now. Miller, I'll have to see him more. I do think he shouldn't be mainly on the ball. Charlotte probably did that for ceiling and due to a lack of talent around him. I expect in the main squad, he'll be a secondary creator at the most. He can shoot. That was apparent even on Monday. I think he'll fit in when he has guys like Rozier and Ball to take attention. I liked how he played in terms of his effort, even though it was clear he was unsure of what he needed to do on the court. His lack of defensive chemistry with his teammates was glaring. He overhelped a couple of times and definitely expected help when none was forth coming. Those are things that should be ironed out with experience.

[spurraider21]

yeah, a ton of miller's production at alabama came off catch and shoot situations, or just a lot of pull-up 3's. as much as he has some ball handling ability, him being an offensive initiator off the dribble wasnt his big recipe to success in college, nor would i expect him to talk into the NBA and suddenly be a stud that way.

they gave him that role in the SL debut and it didnt go very well. but that also wont be his role as a rookie on a team with Lamelo orchestrating the offense. miller should be much more comfortable in that setting, at least offensively

[rascal]

yeah, a ton of miller's production at alabama came off catch and shoot situations, or just a lot of pull-up 3's. as much as he has some ball handling ability, him being an offensive initiator off the dribble wasnt his big recipe to success in college, nor would i expect him to talk into the NBA and suddenly be a stud that way.

they gave him that role in the SL debut and it didnt go very well. but that also wont be his role as a rookie on a team with Lamelo orchestrating the offense. miller should be much more comfortable in that setting, at least offensively

I expect Scoot will be the much better player. Charlotte blew that pick.

[spurraider21]

I expect Scoot will be the much better player. Charlotte blew that pick.
i agree. very nearsighted thinking, but miller does seamlessly fit with their roster better than scoot would.

i think they probably had scoot/miller a lot closer in their evaluations than i did, and allowed the "fit" aspect to be the tiebreaker. whereas i think the talent gap was wide enough where i wouldnt consider positional fit at all when making that pick

[Dejounte]

I was an early doubter of Miller in the pre draft process, as I was with Jabari last year. I knew that the only way he would look “good” would be if the team that drafts him force feeds him the ball. Otherwise, he’s not really excellent at anything

[Bruno]

Brandon Miller is coming back from a serious mono. It's something that should be considered when looking at what he did in that game.

[cutewizard]

im watching this game again

some takeaways

Champagne and Branhan shall be a tremendous second team wing set for our magnificent Spurs

[cutewizard]

in the matter of smoothness, Champagne has some Sean Elliott in him

what a find really !!! incredible!!!

he is in the right place at the right time

i think Champagne could play with the legendary 2014 Spurs

[cutewizard]

Champagne can do EVERYTHING offensively

omg

[cutewizard]

Blake Wesley can play PG but it is not his natural position

so it would be interesting to see how they develop him