First of all, congrats to this Spurs squad for taking home the summer league championship. After the disjointed play witnessed in Salt Lake City, it never even crossed my mind that the Spurs would be the last team standing in Vegas. But by the end of the tournament, this was by far the most entertaining Spurs summer league team I've ever watched. They didn't have much in terms of big-name talent but they played together, played hard and made the organization proud. Well done, guys.
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-It's not hyperbolic to say Kyle Anderson was the most dominating and impactful force in Vegas. He played a smart brand of basketball throughout that was at a level above everyone else. Most of his success was due to his smarts and his precise play. When Anderson is going right, it seems like each of his moves are calculated based on information gleaned from seeing things unfold before everybody else. On offense, he did well on perimeter isolations and post-up opportunities. The Suns threw hard double-teams at him and all that did was allow him to show off his elite passing skills. Back in SLC, he was really hurting the team defensively. But by the end of the Vegas run, Anderson had actually figured out how to be an asset on that end. From smart closeouts to playing the angles to avoiding reaches to utilizing his length in the paint, he really figure it all out as the games progressed. Anderson is such an unusual player that I have no idea what he's going to do this year for the big boy Spurs but I now definitely think he deserves a legit chance, at least early in the season, to earn a permanent role in the rotation.
-The biggest difference between SLC and Vegas was the addition of Jonathon Simmons. From his first minutes on the court, he played with an insatiable hunger and it was contagious. I went from wondering why the Spurs guaranteed his entire first season of his two-year contract to thanking my lucky stars that they did. It simply can't be overstated how hard he played. On offense, he was always looking to turn the corner to get into the lane. When he wasn't expertly finishing in the paint, he was making excellent passes versus the defenses that had to collapse in order to contain him. I also thought it was really impressive that he had the wherewithal to play point guard whenever the chips were down. The number of tools he flashed, even on the summer league level, was exciting. Defensively, Simmons was also a difference-maker. He was energetic on the ball, attentive off the ball and rarely if ever lost focus. What's Simmons' future? There's a decent chance that this could go down as the highlight as his basketball life. But I'm cautiously optimistic that the Spurs may have found another diamond if he can continue to grind away the rough edges. It doesn't take much imagination to picture him as a useful 8th or 9th man at some point.
-In a bit of an ironic twist, after watching Jarell Eddie's worst shooting performance in Vegas, I'm more adamant than ever that the Spurs should offer him enough money to get him into training camp. Sure, he wasn't shooting it straight tonight, but for once he didn't play completely one-dimensional; for once he actually looked like a basketball player. His defense wasn't especially good – mostly due to his slow feet – but he competed. He did all he could to stay in front of the quick Suns perimeter players (oh, and that block at the rim was rather shocking). On offense, he dribbled effectively and exhibited an amount of athleticism and determination I had never seen out of him before. Plus, shooters who continue to fire away even while they struggle – shooter amnesia, if you will – are the type of gunners who do well under Pop. Eddie will always be a specialist but the Spurs could use another perimeter threat and I doubt they can get one better than him at the 15th man slot.
-I'm happy Treveon Graham played so well in the championship game. He's been hammering that rock since the start of the Salt Lake City league. I think he's a good defensive player and can be useful on offensive end, particularly in transition. The issue with him is that he's basically a 6-foot-4 small forward; three inches taller and Graham is probably an NBA player. I'd like to see him in Austin because it'd be worth the effort to see if he can develop guard skills.
-According to reports, Cady Lalanne has already agreed to sign directly with Austin. That's good news. While he's not a great prospect, it's possible to imagine him as a future fifth or sixth bigman. If he can add a three-point shot and work on his coordination, the rest of his tools are decent enough to give him a shot to make it in the NBA.
-Brandon Davies is pretty darn close to being an NBA player. If he can work on his body by adding bulk without losing his mobility, he'd be right there at the precipice. He fills that futuristic power forward skill-set by being as comfortable away from the basket as he does under the rim, while being able to get out and run like a small forward.
-The most underrated player on this team was Darion Atkins. While he didn't do much on the offensive end until the championship game, he's a really, really good defensive player. Atkins has great instincts and was seemingly always in the right position. For being a player fresh out of college, I was blown away by his defensive IQ. Unfortunately for him, he's probably two inches in height away from being a legit NBA prospect. That said, I hope the Spurs can keep him in Austin because the kid knows how to play the game.
-For as much as Shannon Scott and Will Cherry struggled to run the show at the point guard position, let's give them credit for their outstanding defensive play – especially in the last three or four games. They were both really good at applying pressure and scooping up loose balls. With Anderson and Simmons being able to make plays, it turned out the Spurs didn't really need them to do much on the offensive end.
-It was cool to see how Youssou Ndoye's confidence blossomed in Vegas. At first, the native of Senegal was too timid to do much of anything. By the end, he seemed to be in the middle of the fray on every play. For being 7-feet and 250 pounds, he's surprisingly nimble and it appears as if he has some burgeoning skills. I'd like for him to get on the Austin team because it appears as if there's a chance he's a late bloomer with untapped upside.
-Honestly, heading into Vegas, I wasn't even sure Becky Hammon deserved her job as assistant coach. By the end, I'm convinced she's legitimate NBA head coaching material. She masterfully tiptoed the line between trying to win these games and trying to develop the players. Her rotations always had the big picture in mind. Her playcalling was fantastic; I was especially impressed with how she milked hot hands and took advantage of mismatches. She didn't hesitate to jump on a player when needed (for excessive celebration or loafing on defense, for example). All in all, it's now obvious that she more than deserves her job and has a bright, bright future.
-Again, nice job, team. Yeah, we'll all forget about this by next week, but it was high entertainment while it last. Congrats. That was fun.
