Reviews of our Summer League players

I know there's one more game, but traditionally they play the scrubs who haven't had a chance before, and especially here where we're "out of the playoffs". So:

Tim Frazier
30 mpg, 10.2 ppg, 40/20/60 (fg/3pt/ft%), 4.4 rpg, 7.6 apg, 4.2 to/g

Perhaps it's naive to be disappointed in an undrafted player, but I was disappointed. This, after all, was the MVP of the D-League, a league that Noah Vonleh did not exactly light up last year. But he shot poorly and turned the ball over a LOT, and in dumb ways. He was also exciting on occasion, rebounded well (for his size) and certainly seemed to care. But... What exactly is he good at? He's small, so he's a poor defender (and got ZERO steals in Summer League!), he's not exactly a natural PG, and his shot was way off. Going into SL I thought he'd cement his position on the roster, but I actually think he might have played his way out of a job. I would actually prefer to have Kendall Marshall, slow and sieve-like though he may be, because he's a gifted passer and isn't undersized. And though shooting is a weakness for him, no more than it is for Frazier. I have to think that had we had a SINGLE decent backup PG on the roster, Frazier would've played less. Arguably outplayed by everybody's whipping-boy Ra'Shad James in the last game (we ended up playing them together down the stretch).

Allen Crabbe
24 mpg, 15.5 ppg, 53/43/73 (fg/3pt/ft%), 2 rpg, .8 apg, 2.75 to/g, 1.5 spg

Crabbe, on the other hand, impressed favorably (in all but tonsorial matters). His shooting was very nice, and he was taking and making hard shots, and a variety of shots. He made floaters, he made pull-ups, shots I've never seen him attempt before. He still looks, I dunno, stiff. He doesn't look like this comes naturally to him. He was making a concerted effort on D, too, which is good, but he's clearly not much of a rebounder or passer. He's certainly not the all-round player that Batum was, but he could turn out to be a much more versatile shooter. Encouraging. So, of course, he went down with an injury, because Blazers.

Noah Vonleh
29 mpg, 17.2 ppg, 55/50(!)/76 (fg/3pt/ft%), 8.5 rpg, 2 to/g, 4.5 pfs

The opposite of Frazier, in that I wasn't expecting much, but he looked pretty good. The goods: a very nice shooter for a big man. Not LaMarcus Aldridge nice, but it would be silly to expect that (and better than LA was at 19). Rebounded solidly. Not much of a shot-blocker (not great jumping or reactions) and did get abused by a couple of people, notably the previously struggling Towns, but he is 19. Tried hard, hustled, seemed to care. I don't expect him to be a break out player because he doesn't seem to have great instincts or twitch reactions, but he certainly showed the potential to be a very solid rotation player and possibly eventual starter. If I had to pick a comparison, maybe Brandon Bass.

Malcolm Thomas
25 mpg, 12.6 ppg, 65/00/65 (fg/3pt/ft%), 5 rpg, 1.2 bpg

Why isn't Malcolm Thomas on a roster? He looked very comfortable, he had some great moments (rebounding in traffic) and never took a bad shot. Surely we can invite him to camp? One infuriating tendency he had was to lay in every shot when he should dunk it, and he did this in the closing minutes of the loss last night - and the layup rolled out.

That's it for this pass, everybody else was pretty inconsequential, although Dawkins has one NBA-level skill that should get him a cup of coffee somewhere, and we've signed Montero presumably to spend next season in the D-League (although I don't know where, as we no longer have our own team). I guess Arnett Moultrie also had his moments, and Orton is just HUGE, but maybe other people have comments.

Overall: the team was pretty meh. Vonleh had his moments, Crabbe had his moments, but actually any success the team had was largely down to the unselfish play of the team, so perhaps Nate Tibbetts was MVP.

 

Malcolm Thomas definitely looks like an NBA player, if we were more devoid of projects I'd be all for throwing him into the fire.

 

Pat Connaughton disappointed me the most. Started out ok but turned into Luke Babbit without a chalupa shot

 

If I was him, I would seriously reconsider his choice of picking basketball over baseball.

 

Your post was long and interesting so I hate to nit pick on one little thing...but I hear it all the time and I disagree. "He's small, so he's a poor defender". At the PG position I just don't think size is an issue. You are either a good defender or you are not.

Frazier may or may not be a poor defender, but it is not his size that is hindering him. At PG, speed and quickness is much more important than size because you need it to stay in front of all the quick PG's. Look at CP3, he is smaller than Frazier and he was 1st team all NBA defensive team.

Maybe coming off the bench 12 minutes a game, as opposed to playing the big minutes he is used to, he can apply more pressure. I do think he is a natural pG, but I agree he was often careless (almost nonchalant) with some of his passes. Overall though I would prefer him as our #3 PG.

 

Frazier sucks. In playing time last year, I could tell he makes stupid decisions and sometimes goes into a Juan Dixon like mode where he looks for his own shot even if two or three guys collapse on him.

I'd take anyone over him at the point

 

Now that would be silly IMO. He'd spend years in the lower leagues getting paid shit.

 

I don't think Tim has played bad, maybe it's the contrast to James, who isn't a PG by any stretch. Thomas is good too....but do you think a skinny SF like that is going to get deep post position against real nba competition? Pat doesn't look like an nba player.

Vonleh, Crab and Arnett played well.

 

I'm no fan of Frazier, but as a third stringer you could do worse.

Connaughton is OK. I have a feeling he'll look a lot better in an actual NBA game, but still a fringe rotation player for now. He's got to stop jumping at every single pump fake.

Vonleh showed flashes of why he was considered a top 5 pick at one point, AND he put up numbers. By all accounts, he's also an extremely hard worker. I'm very encouraged.

Crabbe was meh. It's good that he made his shots. If he shoots at similar percentage in the actual games he's got a rotation spot. (Wow, crazy prediction right?)

Arnett Moultrie has a really good midrange jumpshot. He could be some team's Drew Gooden/Marresse Speights, but probably not ours.

I can see why Malcolm Thomas has bounced around a lot. He's got a really high motor, is smart, and plays the right way. But he just doesn't have an NBA body. Sorry bud.

 

I'm not gonna write off Connaughton yet; I think he was overanxious which hurt him both on defense and his shooting. He created some open shots for himself but just didn't make them. Once he calms down he could be OK. Also disappointed in Frazier and I wouldn't want him as third PG. I'm not sure if we have any true point guards on the team and I hope we can find one before the season starts.

 

First game I was optimistic and I think he's out of game shape...tired legs last 3 games and his shot is coming up short. He's not an NBA player yet. Victor Claver would kick his butt

 

Dude has a 96 mph fast ball. That's a special ability. What does he have in the NBA that sets him apart?

 

That's not what I'm getting at. Plus there are plenty of pitchers who have a 96 MPH fastball. He'll barely get paid in the farm league system and maybe he's looking to maximize his payday now. There's a reason why Baseball is 6% Black and this is it. The farm system sucks ass.

 

I guess play in the NBA for three years, get cut and then try baseball?

 

This.

 

I literally completely forgot about Connaughton when I wrote the first post, which is not auspicious. But:

Pat Connaughton
23 mpg, 7.2 ppg, 41/44/25 (!) (fg/3pt/ft%), 4.8 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.8 to/g
If you think of Pat as the world's shortest stretch 4, then he's pretty good! And he has the skills of one. Trouble is, he's the size of a shooting guard. Which he does NOT have the skills of (apart from 3 point shooting). I tend to agree that he might work better in the regular season, where the spacing is better and role players can be used more effectively, but right now Will Barton would run rings round him. The most discouraging thing is that he can't stay in front of anybody. He is a good rebounder for his height, though, so he really could be an interesting 4 man in extreme small-ball. But anything other than that? Not yet.
Here are some guys still available when we took him:
Joe Young (22.5 ppg)
Norman Powell (18.2 ppg and great defense)
Branden Dawson (13 points and 10 rbs in 25.5 mpg)

Now, all of them are flawed in their own way, but all of them looked awesome in Summer League, which is what we're judging here.

 

PETTERI KOPONEN! SERGIO RODRIGUEZ!!

 

Watching summer league, I just hope Neil isn't done wheeling and dealing yet.

 

Erick Barkley and Randolph Childress aren't available?

 

I admit I was not impressed with his shooting, but if we based it on the last year and not just the last week, he does do a few things that sets him apart. (aside from actually graduating with a 3.0)

I would say 44" vertical leap, 54% from 2 pt range and 42% from 3pt range. Not too many guards did that so there is hope. He has to get better, but so do all draft picks. And although I get that he is older than most, there is still an adjustment period for all players coming out of college when they face better talent for the very first time.

He shot 41% from the field. (so far) That is still a lot better than many drafted ahead of him.
http://www.nba.com/summerleague/2015/statistics/las_vegas/