Pistons Vegas Summer League

[Pistons < Spurs]

I'm sure most Piston fans have already become aware of this site, but for those who haven't, and for the Spur fans that might be interested:

http://badboysummercamp.com/

I have to say that I am quite impressed with the quarter by quarter break down for each player. By far the most imformative info I've come across on any of the Summer League teams.

[Pistons < Spurs]

2006 VSL: Game 1 - DET vs WSH

Recap:

Ok folks; let’s get this thing off and running. Here are a few first impressions:

- Amir Johnson doesn’t look like he’s bulked up visually, but physically speaking he seems to be a bit stronger than last year.

- Samb makes Amir Johnson look like Ben Wallace. He also sat near the coaching staff on the bench and was pretty quiet, but didn’t really look like he didn’t fit with the rest of the guys.

- Mateen appears to have kept himself in awesome shape

- Maxiell doesn’t really seem to be any more defined than last year. I wonder if he’s been hitting the weights.

- The PA announcer is struggling…hard.

- The timekeeper needs to form a working relationship with the shot clock.

- Upon approaching Mike Abdenour, I got the “Oh wait, I don’t know you…ok, what do you want?” look. Fun. (See previous commentary about guys making you feel like a tool.)



Ok now to the game:

1st Qtr

Starters:

- Amir Johnson

- Jason Maxiell

- Cheikh Samb

- Alex Acker

- Will Blalock

Observations:

First thing I noticed was that the team wasn’t very cohesive defensively. That is usually to be expected the way SL teams are put together with a large group of players who typically have no shot at making the active roster.

Maxiell: Started the game by going to the hole strong and scoring on the first play of the game. This is a trend that would continue through the game. Good sign at the start of Bad Boy Summer Camp…..Maxiell and the Wizard’s Peter John Ramos both get techs for jawing at each other. Ramos appears to have an edge on, but it looks to be more from his apparent lack of actual talent.

Samb: Cheikh started the game getting tossed around like a rag doll. If the assumption is that he’s about 195 lbs, that’s being kind. This guy has almost no meat on his bones. He picked up some early fouls, but these were due in large part to his inability to hold his position and keep his man from getting close to the basket. He starts the game off hustling, but sort of aimlessly and is picking up fouls. Later in the qtr, he starts to get a feel for the speed of the game and is getting some call now that the officials recognize opposing players trying to take advantage of his lack of strength. He is, however, willing to crash the boards and makes an honest effort. He doesn’t initially appear to be strong enough to get NBA minutes, but plays hard.

Johnson: Not much from Amir in the first quarter although he did finish two breaks very strong.

Acker: Started this game not really looking to make his stamp, but he is playing with a great deal of confidence and looks relaxed today. He appears to be picking his spots.

Caner-Medley: Checked in at about the 4 min. mark. He hits a mid-range jumper and appears to be really hyper. I don’t know if that will work for him or against him. I guess time will tell (was congratulated by Zierden for really “moving his feet” – take it however you want).

Blalock: There wasn’t really much out of Blalock in the first qtr. There seemed to be an atmosphere of people just feeling out the competition and no one really going for broke (with the exception of Maxiell).


—–

2nd Qtr

Starters:

- Mateen Cleaves

- Alex Acker

- Jason Maxiell

- Nik Caner-Medley

- Rick Rickert

Observations:

Cleaves: Outside of having stayed in great shape, there is not much new to Mateen so far. His jumpshot form hasn’t changed, so it looks as though he will continue to struggle making an NBA roster until that is improved.

Maxiell: I did notice one thing, if Maxiell gets consistent playing time this year, we WILL have some points in the paint. He is consistently attacking the basket when he receives the ball within 8 ft of the hoop. He has, however, missed a few dunks by holding on to the ball a bit too long (trying for extra power it seems).

Acker: He is making defenders look silly. They can’t keep up with him off the screens, but he’s not able to finish because he’s simply being fouled at the end of the play. He isn’t forcing anything out there.

Caner-Medley: Appears to be hustling well and shows a willingness to chase rebounds. He resembles a mix of JYD and Brian Cardinal, but in much better physical condition than Cardinal. The most impressive play of the day was his attempt to dunk on Ramos and was promptly fouled. He showed no fear on that play and Ramos almost looked insulted.

Hoskin: Checked in this qtr, but looked very average and really made more mistakes than plays. His two notables were a traveling violation 3ft from the basket and an illegal screen)

Blalock: Seemed to be feeling more comfortable this qtr, but didn’t really do anything spectacular. He did a reasonable job of breaking down the defense and getting into the paint.

Rasheim Wright: (Enters at 2:30 mark) Wright made it onto the court, but did nothing of consequence.

Point of interest:

Washington’s Ramos is not a very good player, however, has spent considerable time complaining @ the officials.

@ the Half: DET = 31 / WSH = 36



—–

3rd Qtr

Starters:

- Will Blalock

- Alex Acker

- Amir Johnson

- Jason Maxiell

- Cheikh Samb

Observations:

Blalock: This qtr, Blalock seems to be running the offense well and under control. He is not forcing any plays, but will drive the lane if the opportunity presents itself. However, he is an average defender at best. He seems to overplay most of the time, leaving himself vulnerable to being driven past quite easily. He also has a habit of not recognizing his opponent’s strong hand and gives up driving lanes by not forcing his man to his weak hand.

Acker: It appears none of the Wizard players have any interest in testing Acker on D. No one has attacked him so far all afternoon. The Wizards coaching staff appears to be more interested in trying to exploit our new guys ( I guess they figure they are the weak links). His outside shot isn’t falling today, but he is not settling and has continued to drive the lane when open and is a) getting fouled and b) finishing regardless. I really like Ackers game. I hope he can maintain this confidence against first tier talent.

Samb: Doesn’t really seem to be a quick jumper, he needs to gather himself for a second jump.

Maxiell: a) Is outworking EVERYONE and b) just dunked on Ramos HARD!!! He is constantly attacking the basket and anyone in his way. He also is hitting the boards well. He got a nice dunk off a missed FT. He’s making a living in the paint today.

Point of interest:

None of the Wizard players are standing out on their own. They all seem average today. The only one who stands out is Ramos for being a not-so-good player who gripes like he is.

End of 3rd: DET = 53 / WSH = 50



—–

4th Qtr

Starters:

- Will Blalock

- Alex Acker

- Nik Caner-Medley

- Rick Rickert

- Cheikh Samb

Observations:

To start, the Pistons slowly but surely pulled away in the 4th so there was not much action to speak of. A lot of up and down the court with made or missed shots and a few fouls here and there.

Samb: Cheikh did start the 4th qtr with a couple of nice blocks at the rim. He also knocked down a couple of 10 ft jumpers. He really doesn’t resemble the type of player who looks out of place in his body. He just doesn’t have the body of a strong NBA big man. He needs to go on the Oliver Miller diet.

Medley: Doesn’t look very stable when trying to create his own offense of the dribble. However, he can handle the ball well enough if he’s got a straight path to the basket. Also of note, he will dunk when close to the basket…no double pumping (Memo).

Johnson: Amir is finishing any breaks he is involved in VERY well, dunking with authority. He’s not getting any shots or passes in the set offense so everything he gets is coming off of rebounds and fast break buckets. He is hitting the boards very well today.

Acker: He has basically carried the Pistons in the 4th and is in large part the reason they slowly pulled away. He is getting to the rim at will and finishing at the rim with a soft touch. He is making this look effortless and at this point has figured out the Wizards can’t stay with him. It’s very interesting because from the start of the game until the finish, you can see that Acker relies heavily on his confidence. If he feels he can take you…it’s over. His jumper wasn’t falling so he ran his man off screens and is now just going to the basket whenever he feels like it. It looks so easy for him. The only thing is, can he develop that confidence against NBA starters?

Marko Jovanovic: (Checks in at 1:35 mark) Not much to tell as he sat most of the day. But, at first glance, he appears to be a little slow to challenge shots and his only FGA was a 15 ft jumper which he made. It seems as though Serbia-Montenegro makes them big, but doesn’t provide them with any interest in mixing it up anywhere near the rim. This, however, is just a first impression. I’m sure I’ll have more to report on our second “…arko”.

Wayne Wallace: (Checks in at 1:35 mark) Wallace ver. 2.5 looks more like Cheikh Samb than Big Ben. This guy is rail thin and wasn’t in the game long enough to do anything. So, we’ll have to wait for future dealings to get info on Wallace.
Final: DET = 80 / WSH 67Acker at the line

Well fans, there it is. The first day of reports from the 2006 VSL are in. This was a great way to kick off the Pistons’ SL experience and we will have much more for you as the week progresses. Keep checking back as we will keep you as informed as anyone on the actual progress of your favorite team. Enjoy!


http://badboysummercamp.com/2006/07/08/2006-vsl-game-1-det-vs-wsh/

[Pistons < Spurs]

2006 TVSL: Game 2 - DET vs PHX

Detroit Pistons – 2006 VSL Game 2 July 10, 2006

Vs. Phoenix Suns

Recap:

Ok folks; this recap will be shorter than game 1. If you would like to know why, here’s a little tidbit: THERE WERE OVER 70 FOULS CALLED IN THIS GAME FOR GOD’S SAKE! Here are a few first impressions:

- Two really cool things happened to me which topped the game and also delayed my return home leading to this recap not being delivered until this morning:

1) I got my picture taken with Walt Frazier

2) I got to meet and talk with Ronnie Nunn for a good 20 min. or so after the game. (You regulars will see the full irony of this)

- There is one huge difference in this year’s summer league performances…there is no lack of effort from anyone. What I mean by this is: even if a guy’s talent level isn’t at the top of the pack, he’s still out there working his butt off on EVERY play.

Ok now to the game:

Starters:

- Amir Johnson

- Jason Maxiell

- Cheikh Samb

- Alex Acker

- Will Blalock

1st Qtr

Right off the bat, these refs decide that EVERYTHING is a foul. We can’t get any plays in succession so there isn’t much of a flow to establish how anyone is really doing.

Observations:

Maxiell: Started the game by bodying up and being very physical with Amare Stoudamire. Early in the first qtr Maxiell is defending Amare to the point where he has to pass off when he drives and he’s forced a traveling violation close to the basket. I really like the fact that he has no fear and will take it to anyone (bumping with Ben for a season should have had that effect on Darko as well). Not to mention he gets a really nice tip jam on Amare’s head….ouch.

Samb: There wasn’t much from Samb in the fist quarter although he is playing hard and willing to crash the boards. I probably need to make something clear as well. When I refer to a guy crashing the boards or rebounding aggressively I don’t always mean he’s pulling down every board he goes for. I, personally, don’t mind if a guy is not pulling down 10 + boards as long as he’s making the attempt and fighting for position. I’m sure if you look at the box score, my reference to guys crashing the boards may seem misleading. Clarification complete.

Johnson: Not much from Amir in the first quarter. He picked up some quick early fouls (surprise) and had to sit down.

Acker: Started this game a lot differently than game 1. He was fairly aggressive to start and made efforts to attack the basket. I’m glad that he’s not willing to settle and just launch jumpers. If he can get significant minutes, I really like his willingness to go to the hoop and not foolishly challenge big men. He makes good decisions even if he doesn’t finish every play.

Caner-Medley: Checked in at about the 4:45 mark. He was aggressive, but didn’t really do a heck of a lot. This isn’t a negative comment, there just wasn’t much for him to do what with all the FOULS

Blalock: There wasn’t really much out of Blalock in the first qtr.

Point of interest:

There were over 22 personal fouls called in the 1st Qtr.

DET = 21 / PHX = 22

Stoudamire & Maxiell

2nd Qtr

Starters:

- Mateen Cleaves

- Alex Acker

- Jason Maxiell

- Sam Hoskin

- Rick Rickert

Observations:

Cleaves: Mateen started his stint with a decent amount of energy. He’s defending the point pretty well and running the offense effectively.

Maxiell: I really like what I see out of Maxiell. He is being very physical with Amare and it’s actually frustrating him. I don’t think Stoudamire really expected or even wanted anyone to really take it to him in summer league. Maxiell is actually getting Amare to the point where he’s trying to take it at Maxiell. That’s entertainment.

Acker: He is making defenders look silly, again. He is playing with confidence, which I feel is his strongest asset, and got to a point this quarter where he basically just took over. He scored on 4 straight possessions and got fouled on the 5th). It’s just silly. He’s able to take his man off the dribble at will and apparently there is nothing they can do to stop him. He’s not invincible, but he is one of the few guys out there that are creating his own shots and not just running around tossing up shots.

Rickert: Is working hard on the boards and pulling down a couple. He didn’t get much time this quarter, but played hard.

Hoskin: Checked in this qtr, but didn’t really do much. It’s not from not playing hard. However, he’s really not making himself an active part of the action. I don’t know if it’s Hoskin or if the game plan just doesn’t really involve him (a little of both, I think).

Wright: Gets into the game at the 9 min. mark, but doesn’t really do much for the time he’s in there.

TEAM: This qtr, the team really suffered from defensive collapses that saw all 5 guys sink into the paint anytime the Suns drove the lane. This resulted in them being killed from 3 on the kick out to the weak side.

Point of interest:

Samb, Blalock, Maxiell, and Amir Johnson all check in at the 7:47 mark.

The Suns’ Lampe had a field day this quarter with Samb. Samb didn’t really move or react very well to Lampe’s choice to hoist from the outside. Part of this was because of the team breakdowns with everyone ending up in the lane as well.

AGAIN, TOO MANY FOULS

@ the Half: DET = 33 / PHX = 49

Walt Frazier

3rd Qtr

Starters:

- Will Blalock

- Alex Acker

- Amir Johnson

- Jason Maxiell

- Cheikh Samb

Observations:

There was some up and down the court for some of the quarter, but nothing outstanding.

This qtr was pretty much action less because: THEY WON’T STOP CALLING FOULS! By the end of this quarter the summer league crowd is heckling and booing these refs. This is just insane. There wasn’t much flow to the game because play was continuously stopped.

Blalock: Still hasn’t done a whole lot. Blalock hasn’t been a detriment; he just hasn’t really been active and inserted himself into the action.

Acker: Started off this quarter torching his man again. I know I probably sound like an Alex Acker cheerleader, but this guy is just better than a lot of the guys he’s seeing here. I really do think once he gets comfortable in the NBA he’s start playing this way there too.

Maxiell: This quarter belonged to Maxiell. He and Acker drew a number of fouls between them in order to help the Pistons make a run and get back into this game. Maxiell is still getting the better of Amare tonight. He picks his pocket clean on a dribble to the hole (that happens to Amare a number of times tonight….he’s no Isiah Thomas with the dribble). On a separate play, he takes a hard dribble to the hole and WHAM! – he dunks past Amare HARD and swings on Tommy Smith (which a) is funny and b) he gets a tech for). Maxiell is running the floor hard and finishing breaks very well.

Point of interest:

To start the quarter, no one is interested in stopping Lampe. He actually looks good out there. I don’t mean to insinuate that he doesn’t have any skills; it’s just that he’s always open tonight.

There were 20+ personal fouls called in the 3rd Qtr.

End of 3rd: DET = 62 / PHX = 68


4th Qtr

Starters:

- Mateen Cleaves

- Alex Acker

- Amir Johnson

- Rick Rickert

- Jason Maxiell

Observations:

This game has 10 min. qtrs with 5 min. halftime, started at approx 6 PM, and it’s now 8 PM and we’re just now starting the 4th qtr. This qtr wasn’t as stagnant as the 1st and 3rd. But, there are still a ton of fouls being called although a few of them are a bit more legitimate.

The Pistons are taking the ball inside this qtr which really helped them get into a position to take this game over. The Pistons cut the Suns’ lead to 70-69 with 7:23 remaining.

Samb: Cheikh did one very noticeable thing this qtr. He got up very high for a nice rebound over everyone, came back down, and went up and flushed with two hands…very nice, very impressive. While Samb doesn’t quite have the NBA body yet, he is not clueless on the floor and appears to understand the game. He plays hard which is really what you expect from a guy at this stage. He hasn’t been the disappointment I expected. He also hit a huge jumper with 0:11 on the clock to make sure the Pistons stayed in front. Nice.

Cleaves: Gave me my surprise of the night…he hits a 3 to tie the game at 72! Late in the 4th he did allow himself to get bogged down trying to run the offense. The team offense slowed a bit as he wasn’t really creating much off the dribble and the rest of the team wasn’t responding well to get open.

Maxiell: Jason knocked down a couple of mid-range jumpers this qtr to mix it up a bit. He didn’t get into this qtr long before fouling out with his 10th personal at the 6:45 mark.

Acker: Again, was very aggressive attacking his man and really making an effort to lead the team in crunch-time. He did have a couple of unforced turnovers in the 4th, but made up for them on subsequent plays.
Point of interest:Amare Stoudamire fouled out with his 10th personal as well at the 1:53 mark of the 4th and received a T on his way to the bench for “additional commentary”There were 20+ personal fouls called in the 4th qtr.
Final: DET = 90 / PHX 87
Ronnie Nunn

Well fans, there it is. Day two from the 2006 VSL is in. Keep checking back as we will keep you as informed as anyone on the actual progress of your favorite team. I’m always happy to clarify anything that is posted so feel free to find me on Pistonsforum.com and send me a message with any questions you have.
Enjoy!


http://badboysummercamp.com/2006/07/11/2006-tvsl-game-2-det-vs-phx/

[bdubya]

Best thread this month!

(damn, with J-max and Acker, I guess we're headed back to the finals next year after all! WOOO-HOOO!)

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

Ben who?

[Bob Lanier]

It's too bad that Maxiell can't rebound. It's good to hear that his defense has improved, though.

[Burn531]

Who says he can't rebound?

[Pistons < Spurs]

He does need to work on rebounding.

And FT shooting...

[Bob Lanier]

Who says he can't rebound?
He averaged 7 RPG in college. His rookie season in the NBA his rebound rate was 10.6. He's averaging 3 RPG in the summer league.

Is it possible he's the next Barkley? Sure, but he's currently a well below average rebounder for a power forward. He also needs to become a better shooter and to pass once in a while if he is to become a regular contributor in the NBA.

[Burn531]

He averaged 7 RPG in college. His rookie season in the NBA his rebound rate was 10.6. He's averaging 3 RPG in the summer league.

Is it possible he's the next Barkley? Sure, but he's currently a well below average rebounder for a power forward. He also needs to become a better shooter and to pass once in a while if he is to become a regular contributor in the NBA.


:yield

[awmyplace]

Good Luck to you guys next year!See you guys next year!

[Pistons < Spurs]

2006 TVSL: Game 3 - DET vs NYK

Detroit Pistons – 2006 VSL Game 3 July 11, 2006

Vs. New York Knicks

Recap:

Ok folks; this recap will be short. This was a pummeling, plain and simple. Here are a few first impressions:

1) Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars (I think), Flip Saunders, Chauncey Billups, & Rasheed Wallace were all in attendance. No pictures….sorry.

2) Jason Maxiell was presented with the first Pistonsforum.com T-shirt. Let’s hope he can be spotted with it.
Ok now to the game:

Starters:

- Amir Johnson

- Jason Maxiell

- Cheikh Samb

- Alex Acker

- Will Blalock

1st Qtr

Observations:

Maxiell: Not much from Maxiell in the 1st.

Samb: Cheikh looks very willing to fight for position inside despite his lack of muscle. This is encouraging as he seems to get more comfortable with each game. A few of the Knick big men are visibly stronger than Samb, but he is giving no ground. Good.

Johnson: Amir was not shooting well to start this game, but he is playing hard and being aggressive. Unfortunately, he’s picked up 4 1st qtr fouls mostly from finding himself out of position. He does finish one break strong and gets the foul as well.

Acker: Started this game a lot differently than game 1. He was fairly aggressive to start and made efforts to attack the basket. I’m glad that he’s not willing to settle and just launch jumpers. If he can get significant minutes, I really like his willingness to go to the hoop and not foolishly challenge big men. He makes good decisions even if he doesn’t finish every play.

Blalock: There wasn’t really much out of Blalock in the first qtr (this seems to be happening a lot). He’s playing with effort, but not accomplishing much. There was no penetration from the PG position.

Jovanovic, Billups, and Medley all check in, but really didn’t contribute much. Again, none of them showed lack of effort in my opinion.

TEAM: As a team there are a lot of turnovers that the Knicks are turning into points. They are slow on their defensive rotations and NO ONE is apparently able to keep Nate Robinson from getting wherever he wants on the court.

Point of interest:

@ 3:00 Pistons 9 fouls / Knicks 3 fouls

DET = 13 / NYK = 28

2nd Qtr

Starters:

- Rodney Billups

- Alex Acker

- Nik Caner-Medley

- Jason Maxiell

- Marko Jovanovic

Observations:

The Pistons foul :07 sec into the qtr. There is a little bit of up and down to start the quarter, nothing of real substance.

Billups: Not much from as far as anything noteworthy.

Cleaves: He did a much better job, compared to the other PGs, of keeping Nate Robinson in front of him. All of a sudden, it wasn’t so easy for Nate to get into the paint. Nice defensive job from Mateen.

Maxiell: Maxiell is making a nice effort to attack the basket and for his trouble he is producing some points in the paint.

Acker: Alex looks like he had a bit of a slow start today. He’s hit a few shots here and there, but nothing outstanding or forceful.

Rickert: Is playing hard, but appears to be really hesitant today. Rick passed up a good shot, allowing his man to close on him.

TEAM: Thus far, the Knicks are just playing better. They are executing their sets well and getting the shots they want. The Pistons are committing foul after foul after foul. They are getting killed on their defensive rotations and the Knicks are getting a lot of open shots and getting to the rim when they want. They aren’t necessarily rebounding very well. They are crashing the boards, but rarely coming up with the ball.

At one point, they picked up two consecutive 24 second violations. They are looking very sloppy on offense and are getting next to nothing out of their offensive sets. They are simply not looking very good at all.

@ the Half: DET = 32 / NYK = 52


3rd Qtr

Starters:

- Will Blalock

- Alex Acker

- Amir Johnson

- Jason Maxiell

- Cheikh Samb

Observations:

Well, folks; it just gets worse at time goes on, so I’ll just give you some reasons why…

TEAM: The team is posting up a bit to start the 3rd. They are getting a few points in the paint, but not really a consistent result. They also got a few breaks, but are not executing them very well.

The Pistons aren’t really showing any movement on offense. It’s a lot of passing and watching today. They aren’t shooting FTs particularly well either. Lastly, they are still being caught out of position on D….this isn’t getting any better.

Rickert, Billups, & Wright all check in @ 2:22 – but really don’t make much difference.

Point of interest:

Amir Johnson already has 6 fouls early in this qtr.

End of 3rd: DET = 49 / NYK = 77

4th Qtr

Starters:

- Rodney Billups

- Alex Acker

- Rasheim Wright

- Rick Rickert

- Jason Maxiell

Observations:

At this point, it’s just a formality as the gym has almost emptied and everyone is just waiting for this one to be over.

Team: For most of this qtr, the offensive sets have been fruitless. They have traded some baskets and fouls, but nothing to help them get back in the game or even make a run.

Acker: Apparently, the Knicks decided to be the first to even attempt to challenge Acker defensively. They are posting him up with a slightly larger player relentlessly and he is picking up a number of fouls for his trouble. This may be his one glaring weakness (post defense), however, he is giving up considerable size in this particular matchup.

Jovanovic & Hoskin check in @ 5:48

Hoskin’s input goes pretty much like this……turnover……missed jumper…..putback. Not much else. Again, this is not from lack of effort…That is one thing that has been really nice about this year’s SL squad.

Wayne Wallace checks in @ 2:37. He fights for position a few times on offense, but is pretty much ignored by the guards. However, this is under 2 min. of play so there’s not much to read into that.

Point of interest:
Finally this one is over.
Final: DET = 68 / NYK 91



Well fans, there it is. Game 3 from the 2006 VSL is in. Keep checking back as we will keep you up to date on the progress of the Pistons. Enjoy!

http://badboysummercamp.com/2006/07/12/2006-tvsl-game-3-det-vs-nyk/

[Pistons < Spurs]

Acker had another solid performance with 22 points and 5 rebounds.

Maxiell 11 points 8 boards

Amir Johnson had 12 and 7

[Bob Lanier]

Flip Saunders [...] in attendance.

They are getting a few points in the paint, but not really a consistent result. They also got a few breaks, but are not executing them very well.

The Pistons aren’t really showing any movement on offense. It’s a lot of passing and watching today. They aren’t shooting FTs particularly well either. Lastly, they are still being caught out of position on D….this isn’t getting any better.
:lol