Tim Kawakami's thoughts: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>* 3:29 p.m. UPDATE: Hey, just heard my guy Patrick O’Bryant may be signing soon with the Celtics. Fascinating. OOPS. Boston Globe reported it a while ago–two-year deal. So I’m way behind there. Anyway, he’s my guy. Move over Kendrick Perkins. Or probably more likely: Move over one seat on the bench, Brian Scalabrine. (I still think POB can play in this league, by the way. Wonder what KG will think of him.) Wasn’t planning on doing anything today. Too much blogging since June 30. Wasn’t going to do anything immediately on Summer League action–I’m not there, and we can all remember the hysteria over Marco Belinelli’s 37-point debut last year… which led to zippo in the regular season. Then I tardily took a look at the grainy NBA.com live broadband video of the Warriors’ summer opener today vs. the Summer 76ers–Marreese Speights, Jason Smith, Thaddeus Young. And there was a very tall, skinny guy wearing No. 4 for the Warriors who was impossible to miss. -Driving past everybody in the open court and finishing on either side of the rim. -Taking a pass at the top of the circle in the half-court, going head-fake, two dribbles, pull-up swish. (Granted, most of the time he was being guarded by Jason Smith, who picked up 11 fouls in the game. Ah, Summer League.) -Earning immediate deference from the other Warriors on the floor, including Brandan Wright, C.J. Watson and Belinelli his ownself. (That was the biggest thing I noticed–when pros dribble over to a teenager just so they can hand off the ball and clear out for him… that does mean something. Even in dumb Summer League.) Yep, that was teenage No. 1 pick Anthony Randolph. Who looks immense while swooping to the hoop–Lamar Odom is a good comparison. Of course, everybody has to do a Belinelli Chill-Pill Check here. I didn’t see any of Belinelli last year, not even on broadband, but everybody I talked to loved him in ‘07 Las Vegas. Summer league is a tough place to judge anybody. Still, you see what you see. You’re looking for presence, for speed, for strength, for the ability to get into traffic and control the flow even while you’re in traffic. You’re looking for a guy who knows where to go with the ball, knows how to get there and knows what to do if somebody or two somebodies try to take it away. Dumb Summer League. But, like Nelson said a few days ago, Randolph has it. Or seems to have it. For now. Randolph finished with 30 points on 12-for-18 shooting, grabbed 8 rebounds, had 1 assist (on a nice open-court pass to DeMarcus Nelson in the fourth quarter), 2 blocked shots (including one at the hoop on the Sixers’ last possession–I didn’t see who shot it) and 5 turnovers, which is too many. But it’s Summer League. (Also 0-for-2 from three-point distance.) Wright had 17 points on 5-for-7 shooting and 7 rebounds. Belinelli you can look up yourself on the NBA.com boxscores. Take it for what it’s worth, and last year with Belinelli it wasn’t worth much. But Randolph already looks like a guy that Don Nelson will play. That’s saying something.</div> http://blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami/2008...ener/#more-1147 Also check and see who's on the fornt page of NBA.com. Actually doesn't look so skinny after all does he? Especially for a 3.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Legacy @ Jul 11 2008, 04:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I thought that Wright would have done better though.</div> You're disappointed in Wright? 5-7 FG and 7-10 FT, 8 boards + 4 blocks in 30 minutes, how could he have done much better? Only thing I didn't like is the 5 turnovers but it being the first summer league game it's understandable, everyone is a little rusty and playing with guys they never played with before. I though Wright did just fine. I'm more disappointed in Belinelli (35 minutes, 5-14 FG, 2 rebounds, 2 assists).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (HiRez @ Jul 11 2008, 07:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Legacy @ Jul 11 2008, 04:38 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I thought that Wright would have done better though.</div> You're disappointed in Wright? 5-7 FG and 7-10 FT, 8 boards + 4 blocks in 30 minutes, how could he have done much better? Only thing I didn't like is the 5 turnovers but it being the first summer league game it's understandable, everyone is a little rusty and playing with guys they never played with before. I though Wright did just fine. I'm more disappointed in Belinelli (35 minutes, 5-14 FG, 2 rebounds, 2 assists). </div> I liked his efficiency, but I was expecting him to dominate in this league like Marco did last season.
Tim must have forgotten that Don Nelson said Marco was going to start over Monta Ellis during last offseason. I don't know why he is so down on Marco yet so high on POB. It doesn't make sense to me. I wish I could have seen this game. Does anybody know if there are any highlites on youtube or something? I guess I'll go check for myself for now...
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Clif25 @ Jul 11 2008, 08:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Tim must have forgotten that Don Nelson said Marco was going to start over Monta Ellis during last offseason. I don't know why he is so down on Marco yet so high on POB. It doesn't make sense to me. I wish I could have seen this game. Does anybody know if there are any highlites on youtube or something? I guess I'll go check for myself for now...</div> Its gonna be up on the Warriors web site eventually, you should be able to find it here. I don't tihnk its working yet though.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Run BJM @ Jul 11 2008, 08:47 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Clif25 @ Jul 11 2008, 08:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Tim must have forgotten that Don Nelson said Marco was going to start over Monta Ellis during last offseason. I don't know why he is so down on Marco yet so high on POB. It doesn't make sense to me. I wish I could have seen this game. Does anybody know if there are any highlites on youtube or something? I guess I'll go check for myself for now...</div> Its gonna be up on the Warriors web site eventually, you should be able to find it here. I don't tihnk its working yet though. </div> Thank you much Run BJM.
Great interview with Tim Roye and Brandon Wright after the game: http://www.nba.com/media/warriors/071108wright.mp3
In Summer leagues, the best players are often perimeter players. It's not a big man's league like the nba. It's more like a showcase to see what the smalls can do. I'm sure some are down on Marco because he's too perimeter oriented. The guy needs to mix it up inside or become more Peja-like in terms of %'s. I didn't see today's game so I can't accuse him of that, but last year his shot selection was almost never in the paint. It was come off screens, receive the ball, pop. That's all he did and he was very accurate at times and others not very good. Dunleavy-like. Marco does have some things which make him look promising, especially his passing, ballhandling, and the way he moves off the ball. A lot of guys just stand there, but he's pretty active last year in trying to get open. We need that. I know Mullin desires that because guys who stand around waiting are offensive momentum killers that take bad 3's. Now with Marco we can use his strength at getting open off the ball if we: get better screen setters, guys who can pass accurately for where he will be when the play happens, and Marco improving on his midrange game. None of this constant 23 foot jumper bullcrap when he can take 18 or 15 feet which is closer to the painted side and the types of shots inside players take (high % shots). That should boost up his %'s if he had any kind of finesse which I think he obviously does. His foul shot % could go up too if he practices. A lot of pure shooters have to work really hard to get consistent and I'm sure Belli will do that. He's consistent enough to just hit from anywhere in a game at high%'s... it's just the every other games we have to worry about. He might go off for 40 and other times hit 2 for 10 for a total of 4 points. Summer league games are hard to judge. Guys are playing together for the first time and have different roles. It's really about what players can do with the ball in their hands or playing off of it. Wright might not have rebounded that well given his hype, but his scoring looked pretty nice. Very efficient. 7 of 10 foul shooting is very good for somebody that was statistically as bad as Biedrins almost. We'll see, though. A big man has many intangibles like a good guard, so we can't just make early judgments on statistics without having watched the game context. Maybe Wright was blocking out for somebody else or tried to make a pass, but the receiver couldn't score. I think a cool basketball statistic would be to see how often guys pass because some guys can't finish plays to give that receiver an assist. I think they should also do hockey assists because really nice plays involve multiple passers who can swing the ball around to the open guy rather than make a direct pass. I'll have to watch the game sometime soon because I was worried that Speights or Jason Smith or another opposing big would be too much to handle in the post and could ruin our chances at defensive rebounds.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Jul 13 2008, 06:10 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Marco is having another good game today. He must love Vegas</div> Yeah he did pretty well today. Exploded a few times and made some nice passes. Actually showed ability to finish at the rim too which is a nice progression for him. Randolph was looking great before he turned his ankle in the 1st quarter. After that he was pretty out of rhythm. Still made some amazing moves to get to the rim and get his shot off but he just couldn't convert. Had a SICK putback dunk even with the gimpy ankle. Seems like he'll be fine but he was limping around after the game too so it was obviously bothering him. He seems quite turnover prone, especially in the half court. Again made some nifty passes though. Hes got undeniable talent. Wright had another solid game. Hes been drilling every mid-range jumper that hes put up so far which is good news on the scoring front for him. Finished very strong a few times on great feeds form Marco, his FT shooting has been horrendous so far though. He really bothers a lot of shots down low. Watson looked a lot better today as well. Still isn't the floor general type PG that I want him to be but he played relatively under control, hit his open shots, made a sick pass to Belinelli to start a fastbreak, and he just seems to be on another level from all these summer league guys as far as being in the passing lanes and pickpocketing guys goes. Also one major difference between him this summer vs. last year is that when he gets in the lane hes making sure to draw contact and get to the FT line instead of trying to finish, which he struggles to do at 6'1 and not a great athlete. Also this Amundson guy is growing on me. I thought he was pretty annoying in the first game but he is a ball of energy, a pretty solid rebounder, surprisingly good shotlbocker, pretty atlhetic, and has nice touch around the rim. Definitely worth a camp invite IMO and perhaps a roster spot depending on how free agency goes. If he has a jumpshot hes not showing I think Nelson is gonna love this guy.
From ESPN: <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>In Game 2, I'm anxious to see how Anthony Randolph follows up his huge opening-day performance. And in case you were wondering, C.J. Watson has taken the floor today without his long-sleeve shirt. Marco Belinelli has the Warriors off and running in the second half. He just hit consecutive jumpers and threw a no-look pass that was so pretty, I found myself looking the wrong way as his teammate caught the ball and laid it in. Midway through the third, Golden State has a 15-point lead. Belinelli has stayed hot in the fourth quarter and now has a total of 23 points. Randolph is not having a big offensive game, but he has still been effective, cracking double digits in points again. James Singleton (17 points) has been the best player in a Mavericks uniform. He crashes the boards hard and has got into the lane for easy buckets. Belinelli finished with 25 points, while Randolph (5-for-12) scored 11. Brandan Wright was the top big man in a Golden State uniform, pulling down seven boards to go with his 15 points.</div> SOURCE
Hopefully Randolph can rebound from his injury well. Also hopefully we will see Hendrix play in the next game. I guess he's been battling some injuries.
I'm watching 2nd half of game 2. P.S. Microsoft's movie player really sucks balls. I'm sorry. But can they do anything right?
Hearing good things about Belinelli, ball handling, passing, ability to stay in front. Hope this translates to next year. Wright is never going to be the smoothest guy out there apparently, but he's just a good player who gets things done.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (philsmith75 @ Jul 14 2008, 06:44 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Hearing good things about Belinelli, ball handling, passing, ability to stay in front. Hope this translates to next year. Wright is never going to be the smoothest guy out there apparently, but he's just a good player who gets things done.</div> I thought Wright did some good things out there when I saw him. He definitely alters a lot of shots when he gets aggressive defensively. Generally, I saw him as a bit passive on D, but he knows where to be on offense and has a solid midrange J. The guy can really run the floor. I thought Anthony Randolph was more aggressive defensively than Wright and his offensive game looked pretty fluid. Some bad shot selections, but you can't argue his shot selection that much because it's about the same as Marco's IMO. Marco was just flinging on some occasions and those shots missed very, very badly. Marco and Randolph made a few superstar plays (which were deemed "luck" by the announcers), but I think Marco and Randolph have the summer league edge to make those impossible plays seem easy. Randolph knows how to use glass and switch hands. That is definitely pro level ability when it comes to layups within traffic. Overall, I really liked watching Marco play in the 2nd half. He was mixing it up offensively and he made two highlight shots (a long 28 foot buzzer beater and a driving hard no-call body bump layup). About the only thing I wish I had seen from Marco was a near perfect free throw shooting and some more midrange shots. He did everything else very well. His shot mechanic and the way he squares up to the basket is just poetry in motion. I'm hoping he'll get more consistent as a shooter because his shot motion is perfect. He doesn't need to change anything except maybe doing those unnecessary fadeaways or avoiding those super long 3 pointers he can take at any time. The best part of Marco's game was his passing. It was pretty flashy. Like Pistol Pete flashy with the no-look passes. If he can make others better and improve his shooting consistency, he'll be a star. Defensively, I thought he was decent, he's just a bit underpowered strength wise. His balance and coordination is very good. CJ Watson. I'm really liking his game. The guy has Azubuike qualities. He seems like a real pro who can just go inside and muscle his way in. Not a bad shot, either. He plays the passing lanes very well defensively.
The Warriors first game of the Rocky Mountain Revue is today, unfortunately it won't be broadcast. There are some changes to the SL roster; Belinelli, CJ Watson, Louis Amundson, and Tamar Slay will not be playing in Utah. Jamont Gordon and Ayinde Ubaka (Cal fans know him) will both be on the W's squad. Wright, Randolph, Hendrix will still be there in addition to the rest of the invitees such as Mykal Riley, Anthony Morrow, Robert Kurz, Demarcus Nelson, etc. http://www.nba.com/warriors/fanzone/2008_s...eague_blog.html
Warriors win 108-84 over the Nets. Box Score Anthony Randolph had 16 pts, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 BS, 5 TO on 2/10 shooting, 1/2 3-pt FGs, 11-13 from the FT line in 30 minutes. Hendrix had another impressive game with 10 pts and 12 rebounds in only 21 minutes. Went 5/9 from the floor and 0/1 from the 3 pt land (maybe a half court heave at the end of a quarter?) also had a steal and 5 fouls. Jamont Gordon had 10 pts, 2 rebs, 2 ast, 1 stl, 3 TO in 17 minutes of work. Also of note Dion Dowell started and had 20 pts, 3 reg, 2 BS. Anthony Morrow had another very good game with 23 pts on 8/10 shooting plus 4 reb, 3 ast, 2 reb, 2 stl, and 2 blks. Too bad this guy already signed a contract in Europe because he seems like a decent training camp invite- 6'5 wing player who shoots lights out, had an unheralded career at GA Tech despite two very good seasons because his teams weren't very good and his production dipped the year that Thad Young and Crittenton were there. I wonder if he does have the option to play in the NBA and void the contract in Europe or else why would he be in SL? Hes really doing well for us and could be a nice 10th-12th man. Wright didn't play again, apparently he has a sprained left foot.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Run BJM @ Jul 21 2008, 06:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Warriors win 108-84 over the Nets. Box Score Anthony Randolph had 16 pts, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 BS, 5 TO on 2/10 shooting, 1/2 3-pt FGs, 11-13 from the FT line in 30 minutes. Hendrix had another impressive game with 10 pts and 12 rebounds in only 21 minutes. Went 5/9 from the floor and 0/1 from the 3 pt land (maybe a half court heave at the end of a quarter?) also had a steal and 5 fouls. Jamont Gordon had 10 pts, 2 rebs, 2 ast, 1 stl, 3 TO in 17 minutes of work. Also of note Dion Dowell started and had 20 pts, 3 reg, 2 BS. Anthony Morrow had another very good game with 23 pts on 8/10 shooting plus 4 reb, 3 ast, 2 reb, 2 stl, and 2 blks. Too bad this guy already signed a contract in Europe because he seems like a decent training camp invite- 6'5 wing player who shoots lights out, had an unheralded career at GA Tech despite two very good seasons because his teams weren't very good and his production dipped the year that Thad Young and Crittenton were there. I wonder if he does have the option to play in the NBA and void the contract in Europe or else why would he be in SL? Hes really doing well for us and could be a nice 10th-12th man. Wright didn't play again, apparently he has a sprained left foot.</div> I like the production from Randolph. He couldn't shoot the ball from the floor, but he got to the line 13 times and made 11 free throws. That's good. He also added some rebounds, assists and blocks. His turnovers need to clean up still, but that's about the only fault I can see from looking over his box scores. I guess it's a good thing we didn't get Yi, maybe Randolph will be better? But quite a few others like you mentioned had a good game. It looks as if Demarcus Nelson had a solid game too.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Run BJM @ Jul 21 2008, 04:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Wright didn't play again, apparently he has a sprained left foot.</div> Jeez, ANOTHER summer league Warrior injury? What is going on with them? Anyway, thanks for the link, sounds like Randolph's poor shooting wasn't entirely his fault. I didn't see the game but from the description is seems like yet another poorly-officiated S.L. game. It's amazing how often the dude gets to the line. Even though I hate watching freethrows it's something the Warriors desperately need. Between Randolph and Maggette they have some serious freethrow line firepower now. Hopefully in the regular season the refs won't treat Randolph like Biedrins where he'll get assaulted and just never get a call. Man, Randolph is really making a case for some minutes this year, I don't know how Nelson is going to sit him. He'll want to but he might not be able to. If Randolph can get fouled with that frequency and make a high % as he has been, that's going to be a player who can help you in a lot of situations. Hendrix looking solid too from the numbers anyway, wish I could actually watch him play.
