Vonleh, Mojntero and Coughnaton. Ill give Laymen a pass because this is his first NBA opp. Vonleh improved significantly from the first game to the second.
Montero looks lost on the court...he plays defense more akin to the NFL. That said he can shoot when he is on, and he can feed the ball...he has the potential to be a combo guard in the NBA, he just needs more playing time and experience, which he likely won't get with a stacked Portland team
Agreed. Layman has that thing you look for in a player. He is going to be good. I see him as more of a four then a three.
He can't even do that. He couldn't shoot the 3 in college, he can't shoot it in the D-League, he can't shoot it in Summer League and hasn't been able to shoot it in his limited NBA playing time. In 27 career NBA games he's shooting .188 3FG% (.319 overall). Last season, in the D League, he shot .304 3FG%. In his D League record setting 65-point performance, he made one 3-pointer (1-5 3FGA). In that game, he was 24-42 from the field, but 16 of those FGs were layups and he was also 16-20 from the foul line. Here's a video of every bucket Smith scored in that game. Look how easily he waltzes down the lane for layup after layup. Jerryd Bayless would have scored 100 points in that game. And, that is Russ Smith in a nutshell. He can score in the paint and get to the FT line against inferior competition. Just how bad was Canton's interior defense? In spite of Smith's record setting night, all three of his starting front court teammates shot better from the field than he did. They combined to shoot 21-31 from the field. And, here again, is Russ Smith's game in a nutshell. In spite of setting a D-League record with 65 points, and all three of his starting front court teammates shooting > .600 FG%, his team still lost by 11. He is a destitute, indigent, homeless person's Sebastian Telfair. I was flabbergasted when we used a lottery pick on Telfair. He was the shortest player NBA player ever drafted out of high school, but was touted as the highest scoring high school player in New York state history (at the time, his record was since broken by Lance Stephenson). The problem is, he was an undersized PG with no outside shot. He relied on his quickness to finish at the rim against inferior competition. Once he got to the NBA, defenses almost immediately adjusted, dared him to shoot from the outside. He couldn't finish in the paint against NBA competition and couldn't shoot from the outside, and the rest is history. Smith is just as small and isn't even as good as Telfair. Who is Smith's agent? I suspect his presence on our Summer League roster is Neil doing someone a favor to build some goodwill he can hopefully cash in at some point in the future. We sure don't need an undersized, ballhog PG that can't shoot the 3. Not in SL and certainly not on our NBA roster. BNM
The Summer League's a shit show. Let's call it like we see it. It's there to give us a glimpse of future stars and throw cities like Vegas a bone. The way they run the games there is little way to tell anything about the players. They invite players like Russ Smith who try to dominate the game as much as possible in hope of a fall invite. And it's hard to get a read emerging player skills because the coaches run it like a more organized scrimmage. But.... I like Layman the most. He has a very smooth skill set that translate well at a couple of positions. Montero has a good shot and quick hands..... but is pretty far being fundamentally given his age. Vonleh shows thst he's grown defensively and has some understanding of what he's doing under the basket offensively. But will he get enough minutes? And Pa'ts obviously a right off.... if he has any plusses, I haven't seen them.
I think Montero looked lost because of this russ guy. I think Montero expected more touches and isnt getting them, so he is off his game. What I like from Montero so far is his handles and up and down court play. He was running a very crowded fast brake and he dribbled behind his back seamlessly in traffic while damn near sprinting. IT really impressed me considering we are lacking in solid ball handlers(not so much anymore). His transition D is lacking, but again I think Russ had a part in that. Montero is very quick and can get out on the ball almost any time, but he didnt because that was Russ's job.
The cool thing is he's gradually added muscle through his college career and isn't maxed out yet physically. I also thought he would struggle moving laterally like Connaughton so I was wary of the "athletic" tag, but so far he's shown more than capable. I can see him at both. Right now though I think he's a three just because I don't think he's strong enough yet to play four.
Shooting, instincts, and intangibles are the biggest factors in whether a 2nd round pick turns out to be a steal. Crabbe's an example. Chandler Parsons and Draymond Green are others. Connaughton has shown to have none of them. Layman seems to have the instincts and intangibles as well as a good shooting stroke. I like that he plays within himself. Not saying he's gonna amount to anything but he has the foundation.
Just between you and me, he's doing that on purpose <cough cough>. As for this thread, it's entirely negative. I see talent in all the players. This sums up my defense against all the criticism.
admit it...you just want a more quality D league talent pool where defense is a secret password only known by a few select players
Here's what I'll admit...I enjoy D-League and Summer League more than the NBA. As the poor people's song, Guantanamera, says, "The rivers please me more than the sea."
Hah!!! The truth finally comes out. You're a closet Clippers fan, secretly cheering for Doc and Austin. No wonder you don't enjoy the NBA. It had to be painful for you to see the way we dispatched them during the playoffs. BNM
