I didn't really see any thread summarizing final thoughts on SL. Here are mine- Simons - I wasn't sure what to expect from him and I was very pleasantly surprised. I think he's going to really benefit from a year with Dame and CJ and Baldwin. He has a ton of potential and I think he has a bright future. Not going to see much if any time next season though. Baldwin - I think he's the backup point guard. I love his swagger and he seems to have good command of the offense. He showed some maturity issues against Memphis, but I think that's understandable to be pressing against your former team that cut you. Collins - seemed like he was starting to hit a groove by the end of the tournament. His defense is still stellar. I'm really hoping he has a jump this season. Swanigan - I'm really hoping his last two games are more indicative of what he can do next season. Layman - was on fire at the start... seemed to cool off a bit. Maybe the defenses were focusing him hard. I think he might get some rotation time next season if we don't make any more moves. Trent - I really like this kid. I think he could step in right away and contribute. He has confidence, he can shoot, and he's aggressive. McDaniels - I like his defense and aggressive style. He can rock the rim too. I'm just not sure there's a spot for him, but I'd love to see him on the team. what are your thoughts?
My random summer league thought. There’s a lot of incredibly hard working, talented basketball players some of them are good enough to make it, but for those who aren’t I just hope they land on there feet, either playing basketball or something else. Way too many of those guys get led astray by agents, coaches and people who don’t have their best interests in mind. Now about the Blazers, I’m excited to see Baldwin as the backup pg!!!
I'm wondering what this roster would look like if Turner, Mo, Meyers and Swanigan were all available free agents. Who would the Blazers go sign?
Good summary. Pretty much nailed it. Trent Jr. was the player I most wanted to watch. I pictured him being a Crabbe++ kind of player. Like Crabbe, a guy you can't leave open at the 3-point line, but unlike Crabbe, a guy who is much more aggressive, assertive and confident. A guy who isn't afraid to take big shots. Everything I saw from him reinforced my expectations. I predicted he'd end up being a steal where he was selected, and nothing I saw in Vegas changed my mind. Ditto on Simons, with so many "experts" predicting he would have been a lottery pick next year, I wanted to see just how talented the kid is - and he showed he definitely does have lottery level talent. He really just lacks experience, but given who he will have as mentors, and this team's track record for developing guards, I think this kid has a very bright future. It's a good situation for him and was definitely a smart BPA selection by the Blazers. No one else at 24 was going to vault us into contention this season. So, when you have a chance to grab lottery level talent at 24, you do it, even if the kids is a year or two away from making major contributions. It's going to be fun watching both of these young men develop. Other than the MEM game, which was a total train wreck for Baldwin, I liked everything else I saw. He really seems to be learning from Dame. What a great teacher and role model, and bravo to Baldwin for recognizing that and making the most of it. His ego may have fucked him up against MEM, but that's just one summer league game, a meaningless bump in a very long road, and even that I think will prove to be a valuable learning experience for him. And, that's what summer league is for. Make your mistakes there and learn from them, so you don't fuck up in real games when it counts a whole lot more. Baldwin really looks to be another hidden gem of a pick up that was overlooked and underappreciated elsewhere and he plays with a passion and fire to prove the doubters wrong (just don't overdo it when playing against them). I liked Shabazz Napier (Shabazz is the man), but I think Baldwin has the potential to make our 2nd unit better at both ends of the floor. His defensive tenacity will drive opponents nuts, get under their skin and in their heads. Don't believe me, just ask Trae Young! BNM
I think they surpassed what I was expecting of them coming in. In the case of the rookies, that doesn't mean much since...you know...it's just summer league. But I read comparisons to Nolan Smith and one dimensional players, that left me guessing we wasted two picks, and theses guys proved they got a little more to them than that. Simons seems to have no fear and length, and those two traits can carry a player pretty far. Even though it was a veteran summer league team, I was also impressed with how well they played together. Summer league is typically garbage because of the lack of ball movement and hero ball, but the Blazers had quite a few guys step up on different nights. They played cohesively on both sides of the court. It was fun to watch for once.
