Game Thread BLAZERS SUMMER LEAGUE 2024

Box score shows 5 fouls and 4 points

 

Not worried about either of those things. It takes all players, especially young big guys time to adjust to the speed of the game (especially for more cerebral types, of which I think Clingan is- thinking slows you down). And his conditioning will come and is likely as much affected by trying to run around like a chicken with its head chopped off. I think both of those will come.

And no, he won't ever be a dominant all-around player, but I think being a dominant rim protector and defensive anchor can certainly be in the cards.

 

the announcers said "mmyeaaa" when highlighting Clingan's stats. They liked the 5 blocks, but airballing from distance forced out strange noises

 

Spurs had 25 turnovers. 14 were stolen by Blazers. Portland coughed up 18 turnovers. But hey, Justin Minaya double digits is a discussion point.

 

Bouyea kinda wrecked his former team:
11pts, 2reb, 6ast, 4stl, 4blk

 

Clingan looked like he can already hand in the NBA game on defense for much of the game. He's a force on the boards and around the rim defensively. He also looked like a very solid screen man and passer. His scoring either has a long way to go or he was nervous in his debut.

It will be interesting to watch the rest of his summer league performances with such weak teammates.

Initial impressions are that he'll be dominant in the paint on defense, he moves better than I thought on the perimeter on both ends, his passing skills are really nice and he couldn't score the ball to save his life. Glad we get more than first impressions.

 

Cling Kong looking more like Curious George on the offensive side of the box score

 

Give him a couple a years. He is only 20 but has potential to be solid.

 

Nikola Jokic summer league stats: 8ppg, 6rpg, .459 FG, .286 3pt, .571 FT, .499 TS%, 21 mpg

Take nothing from summer league games

And no I'm not saying Clingan is Jokic or anything like.

 

I just wanted to name drop Curious George

 

and is there anything worse than having such a problem, getting so pumped up, and then have such a let down?

This game did not go as i had hoped…..

 

Greg Oden SL debut

6 poits
2 rebouns
10 fouls
20 minutes

 

All lotteries are not created equal. At least our WABC cost us a lot less than OKC's did this offseason.

 

He absolutely was a top 5 prospect... in THIS draft. That doesn't rule out him also being a journeyman.

Will there be a better player taken later? Of course - it always happens that players who are not great "prospects" turn out to be better than those that were.

 

He COULD have, he just chose not to. He's just too polite is the problem.

 

Yeah I agree with the Pryzbilla comparisons, that's probably a good hope for his upside if he hits his potential.

A limited role player archetype is kind of a waste of a lottery pick as well as disappointing result of so many loses and tanking last season.

But there wasn't any player on the board that was an enticing prospect. I'd have preferred if we'd done the Spurs trade and had got those Minnesota picks. Would have been a good draft to sell out of completely.

 

I hope I'm not right about Edey vs Clingan. But I think Zach will be a B+ on offense and a C on defense. While Clingan is an F on offense and a B+ on defense.

 

Cling Kong will be better than Vanilla Gorilla