Reply With Quote
Thanks... that said, once Kawhi was sent packing, my interest in the SL went to basically zero. There's no "Gary Neal" in this group.
For the first time since July 19th, 2009, the Spurs have lost a summer league game. With Kawhi Leonard sent back to San Antonio after dominating the action in San Antonio's first two contests, the Spurs lost against a veteran-laden Clippers squad by a final score of 86-80.
The Clippers actually led by as many as 19 points but the Spurs showed ample fight and cut the deficit to three points late in the fourth quarter. But Los Angeles, with help from NBA washouts Adam Morrison, Antoine Wright and Hilton Armstrong, was able to get key baskets at the end to withstand San Antonio's hard charge.
The Spurs have a day off before concluding their summer league action with a game Friday against the Heat and Saturday against the Mavs.
Cory Joseph B+
Cory Joseph had his best test of the summer league thus far in going mano-a-mano against Eric Bledsoe. In the first quarter, Joseph did great work. He was scoring against Bledsoe, who is regarded as a very good defender, by mixing jumpers and drives to the basket. Joseph then hit a lull offensively in the middle two quarters before picking it up again in the fourth. While he could be criticized for calling his own number a lot, Joseph was able to repeatedly create clean looks for himself. He had a little bit of trouble handling the ball when Bledsoe was hounding him and stills seems a bit out of control when driving into traffic, but overall Joseph is showing quite a bit of promise. Against the Clippers, his penetration-and-kick game was at a higher level than it was in the first two outings. His command of the pick-and-roll sets wasn't as good, although that probably has a lot to do with missing a weapon like Kawhi Leonard. Joseph isn't a great athlete, doesn't have elite court vision and still has his rough edges, however it continues to be an amazing transformation for a player who looked so listless and flawed during his rookie campaign. Considering he's still just 20 years old and was able to improve at such a rapid pace in a matter of months, Spurs fans should be excited that the team now has another legit prospect who suddenly appears worthy of the first round selection the Spurs used to acquire him.
James Anderson C+
Without Leonard, James Anderson was the logical answer to questions regarding who would step up to fill the void. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. Anderson didn't play poorly but he also seemed content to blend into the background. Offensively, his outside stroke looks improved and he got out on the break a few times but there's just not a lot of substance or variety to his arsenal. He's not showing any ability to attack in one-on-one settings in the halfcourt -- and if he can't do that in summer league, that's an ominous sign for his future. Defensively, he spent some time on the corpse of Adam Morrison and was unable to slow him down -- another ominous sign. Anderson is probably playing well enough to land a training camp invite from another team but the Spurs have seen no reason to second guess their decision not to pick up their option.
Eric Dawson B
The good: Eric Dawson has quality hands and a powerful body, which combines to make rebounding his main strength. His midrange jumper is very smooth, he has good touch in the paint and he makes sound decisions offensively. On defense, he can defend the post and, despite his bulk, he's not a liability against pick-and-rolls. The bad: He's not a very good athlete and gets poor elevation. As a result, he struggles to convert shots when confronted by length. On the other end, his ability to protect the rim is subpar and he's susceptible against quickness. Overall, Dawson has shown flashes of true NBA potential but his limited upside and niche skills make it a longshot he'll ever get a chance in the league. That said, a strong finish in Vegas could convince a team to roll the dice on him.
Luke Zeller A-
Considering how poorly he's played thus far in summer league, Luke Zeller actually did rather well against Los Angeles. While he struggled from within the arc, he was taking his three-pointers with confidence and he has the size and high release point to get it off whenever he wants. Defensively, he was still pretty bad but he rebounded better and challenged a couple shots in the paint. Don't get me wrong, Zeller is still a bad basketball player but he did a good job against the Clippers, relatively speaking.
Derrick Byars C
Derrick Byars got the start in place of Leonard and really didn't do much of anything. His defense wasn't good; Byars was jumpy and often caught out of position. Offensively, he crashed the offensive boards ... but that was about the extent of his positive contributions. Byars probably has a decent shot at making the training camp roster due to his unguaranteed contract but he has no shot of actually making the team.
Marcus Denmon B
Although he played hard, Marcus Denmon isn't close to an NBA prospect right now. His lack of size and low release point make it very difficult for him to do anything offensively unless he's wide open. There were numerous opportunities for him to try to create plays against mild pressure and he almost always shied away. Denmon seems to have a good basketball IQ and he's willing to make the extra pass -- traits that would allow him to fit well on the Spurs -- but he needs a lot of work before he's ready to endure NBA compe ion. This game solidified my opinion that he'll need to play point guard in order to make it. Defensively, it's just not possible for him to survive against swingmen -- he's too small, slight and unathletic. Long-term, if he's willing to work at his craft in Europe, he remains somewhat attractive. Further evidence he's conforming to Spurs Basketball: Denmon was a 90% free throw shooter last year at Missouri. In summer league, he's 4-for-9 at the line.
Ryan Richards D
We've experienced the entire Ryan Richards Rollercoaster. When you first watch him play, Richards is very intriguing. He's a huge human who moves with a smoothness and ease only exhibited by the best centers who have ever played the game. By just watching him move, I can understand why the Spurs drafted him. But then the more you watch, the more you understand why he's relegated to the lowest basketball leagues on the planet. Richards simply has no depth to his game. Right now, he's all facade. His jumper looks good but there's no evidence he can actually make it. He can run and jump but he doesn't use those abilities to finish at the basket, grab rebounds, protect the rim or anything else of note. Richards also shies away from contact, fouls needlessly and displays negative body language a lot of the time. While it's impossible not to dream about what Richards could do if he actually learns how to play the game, he's nowhere close right now. He could use a few seasons in Austin but it's questionable whether he's even worth a 15th roster spot. The Spurs likely need to see him have some sort of success somewhere before giving him a contract.
Dwight Buycks B+
Outside of the big names on this team, Dwight Buycks is probably the closest to becoming an NBA player. He has good size for the point guard position to go along with an impressive amount of speed, quickness and overall athleticism. He also competes on both ends with relentless energy. He's not going to make it on the Spurs but Buycks will make a training camp roster somewhere.
JaMychal Green C+
The human foul machine now has 14 fouls in 22 minutes in summer league. When JaMychal Green isn't fouling people or turning the ball over, he actually has impressive moments. His jumper looks good and he has a live body around the rim but he's not even giving himself a chance with his sloppy play. Add in his undersized frame and the fact that he doesn't look to be in very good shape ... and Green can't be considered anything other than D-League fodder at this point.
L.D. Williams C
Great athlete. Little to no skill.
Alexis Ajinca C+
Alexis Ajinca tried harder, which is definitely a step in the right direction, but he's still a 7-foot-2 player who doesn't make an noticeable impact on either end of the court. Or even try to make an impact, for that matter.
Moses Ehambe C-
Wow. I've seen some poor defenders in my day but Moses Ehambe might take the cake for the slowest perimeter defense I've ever seen. Maybe he was extra stiff after not playing in the first two games but I now understand how Molasses Ehambe can shoot 44% on three-pointers in the D-League for his career and not get a chance in the NBA.
Thanks... that said, once Kawhi was sent packing, my interest in the SL went to basically zero. There's no "Gary Neal" in this group.
I'm still intrigued by Denmon and Green, even if they're fodder for Austin or Europe for a couple of years. We've fixed people's shooting strokes before, so Denmon still seems like a possibility, and some guys can learn how to play without fouling -- Green may or may not be one of them, but it's not very expensive to keep him around and try to find out.
And thanks for the grades, Timvp.
Thanks, timvp. Actually worth the $5 summer league pass to see your grades afterward. Shame you don't get paid for them, but always appreciated.
Nice to see CoJo getting some good games in. Hopefully, the defense will pick up.
Who knows if the Spurs will find another player?
The next key player on roster is Tyler Wilkerson; if the Spurs make a trade and need to fill the roster with a cheap PF, he would fit that bill.
Considering he has had some successful summer league outings the past couple of years, if he doesn't play much the rest of the summer league, you can probably conclude that he has received a training camp and/or roster spot invite somewhere.
I appreciate the dedication it takes to crank these out for SL games.
The main objectives have been met. Kawhi showed that his game has much room to expand and Cory looks like a good bet to have his third year option picked up.
Slim pickings beyond that. I'd like to see Richards go to Spurs basketball school through the summer, training camp, and a year in Austin. I'm not sure I'd use the 15th roster spot to make that happen.
Thanks timvp!! What do you guys expect the spurs' staff to do these final 2 games??
The Richards dream is finished
Thanks for the grades, I am glad you did not take a major break after the end of the season.
I really hope the Spurs invest in the kid and get him some good coaching while putting themselves in a position to hold on to him as long as possible.
Any other interesting prospects from other teams that SPURS could consider
I agree give him a D-Leauge contract or let him walk. If he agrees they need to figure what type of player they want out of him and work on those things. I wish they would say a defense player with a mid range shot. We don't need someone almost seven feet tall taking three pointers. He needs to learn how to box out, rebound,set screens and finishing at the rim. This off course depends if he has all his marbles because you could have loads of talent and still suck..ie. Cousins....He also needs to add about twenty pounds of muscle to his frame.
I hope he can be like CJ who sucked his first year so bad I didn't think he would make a D-Leauge roster and know he could be on the Spurs team.
Ryan Richards shall henceforth be known as the "Huge Human".
Didn't Richards have issues with his team last year about his lack of dedication and at ude and he walked out.
When TimVP writes, "He can run and jump but he doesn't use those abilities to finish at the basket, grab rebounds, protect the rim or anything else of note. Richards also shies away from contact, fouls needlessly and displays negative body language a lot of the time. While it's impossible not to dream about what Richards could do if he actually learns how to play the game," I'm reminded of Charles Barkley's comment on players like Richards.
"You can run and jump like a deer, but not many deer have a career in the NBA. It takes more than sheer physical ability."
I say we send Richards through the gauntlet for 2 consecutive years........training with David, Hakeem, Ewing, McHale, Kareem and Duncan.....I mean don't let the bloody bloke rest for two years......put him through a brutal basketball education that will either kill him or make him one of the best big men rookies of all time.
I just don't see the love for Richards, I mean yes he's tall & all, but nothing about his game wows me & I don't see that 'athleticism' that you all are talking about either. Just seems like a big stiff tbh.
Joseph took as many shots at the basket as an LA cop does at a black kid with a 40 sticking out of his jacket. Someone needs to tell him to calm down.
In Ryan Richards' defense, the guards don't seem to want to look for the bigs in the post. I have seen several times where not just Richards, but other bigs open down low and the guards decide to shoot it instead.
You realize he is coaching the Rockets these days so he may not want to pitch in. Hakeem and Ewing are helping other teams as well if I recall.
What is Dave Cowens doing these days?
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
