I don’t want the generic ESPN “said-nothing” analysis. What is your honest take on our summer league prospects?
July 17, 2024
I don’t want the generic ESPN “said-nothing” analysis. What is your honest take on our summer league prospects?
4 comments
Rob is going to be the backup point guard day 1, he has the ball handling and court awareness. I think he’ll essentially be a Tyus Jones level replacement player, including inconsistent offense.
TSJ is gonna shine at moments but make a lot of dumb fouls and travels first half of the season.
Tall Edwards will be cut
Terence Shannon is good but we still need to see if he can defend and bully true NBA players on the drive the same way. Should start the year getting a few minutes and adjust according
Dillingham’s floor vision and passing are NBA level skills, but his finishing and defense are not. He should be okay as a 10m per night backup PG for now
Miller has so much talent but he’s still too inconsistent
Clark is an NBA defender but I don’t think you can put him on the floor yet with his current offense
Edwards is interesting (size, tenacity) but nowhere near a rotation player yet
nobody else has it
I wanted Bronny James as a 1st round pick. Yeah maybe I should the fuck up and keep my takes to myself lol
So far:
No injuries (Millers eye seems ok)
No players getting arrested
None of the 7 with contracts (Rob, Shannon, Edwards, Clark, Minott, Miller Daishen) getting called out for missing practice, not giving effort, etc.
defense looks a bit better than I expected overall for a week of practice with guys who have never, and will never again play together.
My honest take…
A+
That’s it. I don’t care that Rob Dillingham is outplaying Steph, Derrick Rose, Trae, Brunson, etc in summer league or not playing to the level of Nowell, Dunn and Flynn. It’s summer league. Get the guys used to an NBA practice, film study, schedule, in touch with mentors, get to know the team starters who come out, etc. The game part is the most fun for sure, especially for the fans, but also the least important piece of it IMO and none of those guys will be playing the roles they are in now. I could care less how Minott creates in ISO off the dribble. If he’s doing that in an NBA game next year, someone F’d up, he’s a 4th/5th option. There is no need to look at summer league and go “yeah we made the right pick, Steph Curry can’t hit the broad side of a barn”.
My less honest take…
it’s fun, Clark is the next coming of Dennis Johnson… Ok, maybe not but he sure looks like a guy who was the NCAA defensive player of the year. That bait steal in the 2nd game where he let the guy cut to the basket and seem open before undercutting the pass was my favorite.
Shannon JR is the next Westbrook but with a shot, moves in transition well, and drives to force contact. Makes sense watching him when you see his low FG% at the rim in college… he’s out there forcing fouls… maybe should start looking to just make the shot when he has the shot. With a serviceable 3 from the corner his game is playable as is Clark. NBA body. experience. high level of athleticism, excellent in transition play and getting to the line by attacking the rim. This dude was BUILT for the Summer League.
Dillingham will make AI look slow. Ok, I keep thinking back to NAW last year. Yeah he filled in for quite a while between the “Shake sucks but lets keep tryin to get him on a roll” bit and the Monte Morris acquisition. And ALL you had was the half-court offense. He was pressed every single time it seemed the ball went in his hands, and there was no chance to even think about pushing the ball, he will get it up, but it’s taking 6-7 seconds because he is taking his time to ensure there’s no turnover. Dillingham is not that guy… he has great handles and quickness. We know he was a 50% catch and shoot 3 guy in college which is insane. When he’s eventually playing with some other offensive players, and not asked to be ball dominant throughout possessions that I still think is where he will shine.
Minott is a shorter Olajuwon… He is showing a lot of why he was getting those late quarter possessions his rookie year for final shots. Sure KAT and Naz came along defensively this past season so he wasn’t needed there, but he grabs boards. He gets stocks. He is an active and athletic defender.
Miller has some great moments showing the next Grant Hill, Daishen looks like Daishen (saw a few Iowa Wolves games, that’s him), Hifi can look like the best player on the court one play, and like a high school kid in a rec league game the next. Apparently not a shot he isn’t willing to take. Edwards is Gobert jr. Big body, solid D, hella athletic, but not the most graceful athlete lol.
4 comments
Rob is going to be the backup point guard day 1, he has the ball handling and court awareness. I think he’ll essentially be a Tyus Jones level replacement player, including inconsistent offense.
TSJ is gonna shine at moments but make a lot of dumb fouls and travels first half of the season.
Tall Edwards will be cut
Terence Shannon is good but we still need to see if he can defend and bully true NBA players on the drive the same way. Should start the year getting a few minutes and adjust according
Dillingham’s floor vision and passing are NBA level skills, but his finishing and defense are not. He should be okay as a 10m per night backup PG for now
Miller has so much talent but he’s still too inconsistent
Clark is an NBA defender but I don’t think you can put him on the floor yet with his current offense
Edwards is interesting (size, tenacity) but nowhere near a rotation player yet
nobody else has it
I wanted Bronny James as a 1st round pick. Yeah maybe I should the fuck up and keep my takes to myself lol
So far:
No injuries (Millers eye seems ok)
No players getting arrested
None of the 7 with contracts (Rob, Shannon, Edwards, Clark, Minott, Miller Daishen) getting called out for missing practice, not giving effort, etc.
defense looks a bit better than I expected overall for a week of practice with guys who have never, and will never again play together.
My honest take…
A+
That’s it. I don’t care that Rob Dillingham is outplaying Steph, Derrick Rose, Trae, Brunson, etc in summer league or not playing to the level of Nowell, Dunn and Flynn. It’s summer league. Get the guys used to an NBA practice, film study, schedule, in touch with mentors, get to know the team starters who come out, etc. The game part is the most fun for sure, especially for the fans, but also the least important piece of it IMO and none of those guys will be playing the roles they are in now. I could care less how Minott creates in ISO off the dribble. If he’s doing that in an NBA game next year, someone F’d up, he’s a 4th/5th option. There is no need to look at summer league and go “yeah we made the right pick, Steph Curry can’t hit the broad side of a barn”.
My less honest take…
it’s fun, Clark is the next coming of Dennis Johnson… Ok, maybe not but he sure looks like a guy who was the NCAA defensive player of the year. That bait steal in the 2nd game where he let the guy cut to the basket and seem open before undercutting the pass was my favorite.
Shannon JR is the next Westbrook but with a shot, moves in transition well, and drives to force contact. Makes sense watching him when you see his low FG% at the rim in college… he’s out there forcing fouls… maybe should start looking to just make the shot when he has the shot. With a serviceable 3 from the corner his game is playable as is Clark. NBA body. experience. high level of athleticism, excellent in transition play and getting to the line by attacking the rim. This dude was BUILT for the Summer League.
Dillingham will make AI look slow. Ok, I keep thinking back to NAW last year. Yeah he filled in for quite a while between the “Shake sucks but lets keep tryin to get him on a roll” bit and the Monte Morris acquisition. And ALL you had was the half-court offense. He was pressed every single time it seemed the ball went in his hands, and there was no chance to even think about pushing the ball, he will get it up, but it’s taking 6-7 seconds because he is taking his time to ensure there’s no turnover. Dillingham is not that guy… he has great handles and quickness. We know he was a 50% catch and shoot 3 guy in college which is insane. When he’s eventually playing with some other offensive players, and not asked to be ball dominant throughout possessions that I still think is where he will shine.
Minott is a shorter Olajuwon… He is showing a lot of why he was getting those late quarter possessions his rookie year for final shots. Sure KAT and Naz came along defensively this past season so he wasn’t needed there, but he grabs boards. He gets stocks. He is an active and athletic defender.
Miller has some great moments showing the next Grant Hill, Daishen looks like Daishen (saw a few Iowa Wolves games, that’s him), Hifi can look like the best player on the court one play, and like a high school kid in a rec league game the next. Apparently not a shot he isn’t willing to take. Edwards is Gobert jr. Big body, solid D, hella athletic, but not the most graceful athlete lol.