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nice timvp! I love your articals...
you forgot to mention about IANS Foul Troubles tho....
What your opinion on that?
While the Spurs summer league team struggled offensively for much of the night, they once again came up clutch to close out the game and win by a final count of 78-76. Even more importantly, San Antonio got a couple of promising individual performances.
For the Denver Nuggets, their best performers came off the bench. Coby Karl played an impressive all-around game and Ronald Dupree's veteran savvy was apparent against the younger players on San Antonio's roster.
To get the win, the D was key. The Spurs defense held the Nuggets to 34.3% shooting from the floor. Ty Lawson and Sonny Weems, arguably the two best players on the Nuggets summer league roster, shot a combined 2-for-23 from the field.
George Hill
34 minutes, 16 points, two assists, two rebounds, two steals, two turnovers
5-for-12 from the field, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 6-for-7 at the line
George Hill had an interesting game. With the Nuggets throwing fullcourt traps, halfcourt traps and pick-and-roll traps at him, Hill spent a lot of his night trying to figure out how to deal with the various traps. While he had some success in that regard, the Nuggets' gameplan definitely rattled him -- which isn't great news for a point guard prospect.
The aspect of Hill's game I liked the most was his defense. Lawson missed all seven of his field goal attempts and finished with more turnovers (4) than assists (3). Hill's length and quickness took Lawson out of his game and didn't allow the 2009 first round pick get many open looks.
Scoring-wise, Hill continues to look solid. He finished well when attacking the rim. His outside shot looks much improved, although he's yet to hit a three-pointer in summer league. We didn't get a chance to see Hill's playmaking ability in this game due to the plethora of traps, so that's definitely something to keep an eye on going forward.
Overall, Hill looks like he's made a lot of strides -- especially compared to last year in summer league. He's confident and he plays like he knows exactly what he's doing. He needs to work on beating traps and he needs to show he can consistently make plays, but summer league has been a success for Hill so far.
DeJuan Blair
DeJuan Blair didn't play against the Nuggets. After his big first game against the Hornets, word is that Blair's agent is working with the Spurs to finalize a contract and both sides agreed it would be best for Blair to sit. How much more we see of Blair in summer league could depend on how contract negotiations proceed.
Ian Mahinmi
28 minutes, 12 points, 16 rebounds, two blocked shots, ten fouls, three turnovers
4-for-9 from the field, 4-for-6 at the line
The star of the game for the Spurs was undoubtedly Ian Mahinmi. After a shaky debut in summer league, Mahinmi looked much better his second time out.
Running the court was where Mahinmi really shined. Despite being the biggest player on the court at all times, Mahinmi oftentimes beat guards up and down the floor. He blocked shots, he altered shots and he hit the glass with authority.
Mahinmi also did a lot of things that don't show up on the stat sheet. He rotated very well, he took charges and played a physical brand of basketball.
While there were bright spots, Mahinmi still has room to grow. Offensively, he still looks rusty and his overall clumsiness is still rather high (which played a part in his ten fouls) -- but the progression from Game 1 to Game 2 was great to see. Hopefully Mahinmi can get better and better as the summer league goes along.
Malik Hairston
31 minutes, 17 points, two rebounds, one assist, one blocked shot
7-for-11 from the field, 1-for-2 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line
For the second straight game, Malik Hairston was 7-for-11 from the floor. His outside shot looks much better and his confidence is through the roof. Last year he hesitated a lot even when he was open. Right now, he's letting it fly.
When he drives in a straight line to the rim, he's a deceptively explosive athlete who can finish various ways at the rim. Not only can he use his bulky frame to create contact, he's also crafty enough to score with finesse.
On defense, Hairston had a really nice game. He spent a lot of time on Weems and helped limit him to 2-for-16 shooting from the field while helping force Weems into six turnovers.
A couple of areas still need work. In 60 minutes so far in summer league, Hairston only has three rebounds -- a stunningly low number for a guy who rebounded very well at all levels last year. Additionally, his perimeter skills are somewhat of a question mark. He's not good when dribbling in a crowd and his passing is sub par for a small forward.
That said, Hairston is doing a good job of giving himself a fighting chance to make the roster next season. If he can tie up the loose ends, he could make it next to impossible for the Spurs to let him go.
James Gist
19 minutes, five points, four rebounds, three turnovers
2-for-4 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line
After getting off to a fast start that included two and-1s in the first four minutes of the contest, James Gist didn't do much else. It was an improvement on his first game of summer league but his production isn't anywhere near what we saw last year at this time.
The main problem is that Gist is attempting to play more of a face-up game and he's simply not ready for that yet. He may be on the road to transitioning from small forward to power forward but he has a long way to go. He doesn't look comfortable dribbling, passing or shooting out on the perimeter.
Gist has some glimpses of solid play when he goes back to his power game but we aren't seeing much of that. Unless he has some sort of drastic improvement, Gist appears destined for another year in Europe. Or, if the Spurs decide to bring him over this year, a year or two in Austin.
Jack McClinton
11 minutes, four assists
0-for-2 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers
In summer league, some guys look like NBA players. Some guys don't. Unfortunately, McClinton falls into that latter group. He's billed as a shooter and scorer but he hasn't been able to create space or make the adjustment of shooting over larger opponents so far.
Interestingly, McClinton actually looked best when in a playmaking role. To start the game, he had the ball in his hands a lot and dished out all four of his assists within the first four and a half minutes of the first quarter.
On defense, McClinton spent time on both point guards and shooting guards. He looked decent on defense but nothing to write home about.
McClinton still has time to turn it around but it appears as if he is to make the NBA, it will require a major readjustment to compete against the bigger and faster players he's now going against.
Romel Beck
27 minutes, 14 points, two rebounds, two turnovers
6-for-11 from the field, 1-for-3 on three-pointers, 1-for-2 at the line
Romel Beck once again showed off his good and his bad. On one hand, his jumper is picture perfect and he has a wicked crossover move that allows him to create space. He also had a key three-point play near the end of the contest to give the Spurs a lead of three.
However, Beck is an extremely poor ballhandler -- especially when using his left hand. His footspeed out on the perimeter, or lack thereof, really hurts him on the defensive end. As a shooting specialist, he's useful on the summer league level. But his overall package likely won't translate to the NBA.
Stephane Lasme
21 minutes, seven points, eight rebounds, three assists, two blocked shots, two turnovers
3-for-7 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers, 1-for-2 at the line
I thought Stephane Lasme was quietly very good -- much better than his first game. His perimeter game was the aspect of his performance that surprised me the most. Lasme had a couple of great passes and smart plays.
Defensively, he did a lot better job of not always going for blocks and instead he pulled down a healthy amount of boards. Lasme worked hard, played physical and overall just showed an interesting array of skills.
He's probably a couple of inches too short for the NBA but he has a chance if he can become a legit perimeter threat.
Donnell Taylor
21 minutes, six points, eight rebounds, three assists, three turnovers
3-for-8 from the floor
I'm not really sure why Donnell Taylor is playing the backup point guard role. He's not a very good ballhandler, he's a hesitant passer and he doesn't make up for it at the defensive end.
His best play of the game was when he converted a tip-in on an offensive rebound near the end of the ballgame. Other than that, he didn't look very good -- to say the least.
Carldell Johnson
Four minutes, two turnovers
Perhaps the reason why Taylor is the backup point guard is due to Cardell "Squeaky" Johnson. In his time on the court, he was a disaster. His only dents on the scorecard were a pair of turnovers.
To his credit, he came into the game when the Nuggets were swarming and playing fullcourt pressure defense. But in his four minutes of action, Johnson proved that his ceiling is likely the NBA D-League level.
nice timvp! I love your articals...
you forgot to mention about IANS Foul Troubles tho....
What your opinion on that?
Thank you.
His fouls were a combination of clumsiness, bad calls and a fouls when being too aggressive. I don't think the foul trouble is too troubling. On the NBA level, a lot of those calls won't be made. Plus, his limited minutes will make foul trouble a non-factor.
And like Avery Johnson once said, it's easier to tame a lion than it is to pump up a kitten.
Ian Mahinmi with the triple-double!!
always waiting for your stuff timvp...and always enjoying it! THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR GREAT WORK!
great write up, being an aussie and not being able to watch the matches, i'll just wait until you write these up as they tell a greater story than the box score or the recap
can't wait for the next one
I didn't saw the game but why Macus Vinicius only played a minute?
Coach decision, big mistake or injury?
Spurs just have more interest in examening and overseeing the developement of their draft picks, Mahinmi, Gist, Hairston, Hill. That makes a lot of minutes. Unless he proves himself worthy of playing time in practice it'll be difficult for him to get significant minutes.
Thanks for the game notes.
Sounds like there's hope for George, Ian and Malik. Having a farm system pays off, and over the next few years I think we'll really start to notice the benefits.
Pity McClinton is sucking it up though. Oh well, you can't hit a home run off every pick in the 50s...
Good point. We need him to go out there for 10-20mins a night, run his arse off, rebound the ball and intimidate some with his shot changing and blocking. if he picks up fouls doing it, so be it. he;s going to be out there for shock value.His fouls were a combination of clumsiness, bad calls and a fouls when being too aggressive. I don't think the foul trouble is too troubling. On the NBA level, a lot of those calls won't be made. Plus, his limited minutes will make foul trouble a non-factor.
And like Avery Johnson once said, it's easier to tame a lion than it is to pump up a kitten.
Great job TiMVP!!
It's great for us overseas to read about what happened. You should consider writing articles for a major sporting news outlet. Your writing is better thought out than most everything I read elsewhere.
It's nice to see that Ian's 10 FOUL can be looked upon positively.
You mentioned he struggled offensively. Does he have a go to move?
Nice write up.
Good stuff, timvp. Hopefully Blair can play Thursday
A little bit too much sunshine on Mahinmi's write-up. If he can't figure out how to be effective on the floor without committing a foul every three minutes, then he can't expect to play much in the NBA. This has been a problem for years, and the fact that it's not getting any better starts to make me think his clumsiness is just part of who he is.
I'm a little disappointed too. Hopefully he gets his confidence and will be able to create his own shot. I want this guy to make the roster!
Pity McClinton is sucking it up though. Oh well, you can't hit a home run off every pick in the 50s...
Right now Matt Bonner is still a vastly better option for the 10-20 minutes the fourth big will play. Ian Mahinmi looks like a good option to play 20-30 minutes in Austin again to see if maybe this time the leopard can change his spots.
Thank you timvp. I always enjoy your recaps!
Well, I missed the first quarter, when Ian seemed to have played the best out there. The part I saw was a guy trying hard, but I'm still unconvinced his game can translate smoothly to the NBA. Even if he got 2 or 3 calls that were BS, the foul situation is a problem. I'd like to see him finish a summer league game with 5 fouls or less, just to prove he can be effective without fouling every other possession. And while he rebounded well, I've seen him having lapses boxing out opponents after free throws that cost us possessions. The alarming part is that it happened more than once, and I thought he had a clear height advantage against the Denver bigs.
All in all, I still think last night's game was a glass half full performance.
He has been on the program the longest, so it's obvious he's going to be scrutinized the toughest out there. What i'd like to see is a dominating performance out there to spell any doubts he can be effective on the next level. I don't think he has delivered that yet, but last night was an improvement from the first game, and there are 3 more games to go.
And timvp, thanks for your thoughts!
Creating his shot isn't McClinton's game. He's going to have to depend on opportunities created by other players, and unfortuantely for him those opportunities rarely occur in summer league games. It's not like summer league teams are going to start doubling Mahinmi in the post. Summer league just isn't a venue that is going to allow McClinton to show off the skills he has.
Good stuff here. Hairston and Hill continue to impress as I thought they would. I want Gist to be more physical as mark stated. I'm still on the Ian Mahinmi is a bust side of things, but hopefully this is a step in the right direction to proving me wrong. We so badly need an inside presence to back up TD.
Good to see that Ian "the beast" has come alive. Let's all hope he keeps it up. The roster will be so much more deeper and the Spurs will be a better team if he can crack the rotation and provide consistent contribution on a nightly basis.
Really enjoy these recaps. Thanks for posting.
Hill could deliberately be avoiding shooting many 3-pointers because he is working with Chip. IIRC, Tony was prohibited from shooting 3-pointers while he reconstructed and worked on his mid-range jumper.His outside shot looks much improved, although he's yet to hit a three-pointer in summer league.
I think he has good positioning and spacing on the offense side, as well. I think he's been taking pointers from Fab, because it seems he has that knack to finding holes when the defense collapses, but it usually didn't come to fruition. I'm still puzzled on the super-high pick and rolls.
I think McClinton is in panic mode. The big problem is that it's apparent he can't create his own shot. They aren't running any plays his way and I'm not seeing many screens being set for him. I'm not sure what else he can do.
ian has always been fould prone so the fouls are not a surprise. he will have to work on this if he is to become a better defender.
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