Kent Bazemore

Day 1 recap

Golden State Warriors 56 Washington Wizards 52 
Boxscore

The Warriors came from behind to defeat the Wizards in what was a tough game to watch to start Day 2. It isn’t often a team can win a game shooting 26 percent from the field, but Golden State did just that, converting from the free-throw line and forcing the Wizards into 21 turnovers. The game featured the highest draft pick appearing in Las Vegas and it turned out to be a disappointing performance from Georgetown product [Player:Otto Porter], as he was thoroughly outplayed by [Player:Kent Bazemore].
 
Bazemore (21pts/5rebs/3asst/2stls) has improved from when saw him at last year’s summer league. He played tight defense on Porter and was patient with his offense. He is tough to handle in transition, converting on a couple of nice plays. His playmaking skills were also on display. Bazemore was unlucky not to have recorded more than three assists. His only blemish came from an airball midway through the final quarter.

Porter, meanwhile, finished with just seven points on 3-13 shooting, but he did add six rebounds. He was at his best when he pushed the ball and attacked the basket — however, that aggression wasn’t on display nearly often enough. He settled for too many outside shots. While some of his misses came on open looks, he missed some opportunities to attack. On a couple of occasions, he ended up with the slower-footed [Player:Gary McGhee] after a switch and settled for a jump shot. Porter isn’t an elite-level athlete and must get stronger. On the bright side, Porter played the passing lanes fairly well on the defensive end and showed a willingness to get on the floor after loose balls.
 
[Player:Draymond Green] remarkably ended with 15 points on 1-9 shooting. Most of his misses were from long range; however, he did a great job getting to the line. He always gets the most out of his ability. His physicality and competitiveness were on a different level.
 
[Player:Chris Singleton] led Wizards with 13 points. He made a couple of pretty outside shots — a trend that must continue if he hopes to be effective during the regular season.
 
[Player:Jan Vesely] played with the energy and passion that was missing from an indefensibly poor sophomore season. The sixth pick in the 2011 draft was active on the boards and even made an impressive post move, backing down McGhee into a turnaround fadeaway. He filled all the stat-sheet columns with six points, seven rebounds, three steals and three blocks.  

Dallas Mavericks 76 Sacramento Kings 73
Boxscore

The Mavericks edged the Kings in Game 2 at the COX Pavilion in what turned out to be a forgettable debut for No. 7 pick [Player:Ben McLemore].
 
McLemore was his own worst enemy, exercising poor shot selection for most of the game en route to 19 misses in 23 shot attempts. Even worse, his jumper fell well short on the open looks he did manage to get. He moved well off the ball but struggled with the bigger and stronger Jae Crowder defending him. He started the second half playing with a little more discipline, but he couldn’t get going all afternoon. McLemore did excite the crowd with a couple of dunks throughout the game, but it hardly made up for all the bricks he laid.

[Player:Josh Akognon] was much more effective, topping all scorers with 22 points on 8-14 shooting. Akognon is fast with the ball and tough to stay in front of. He knocked down some tough, contested shots for the Mavericks.

Former summer league All-Star [Player:Jae Crowder] provided 16 and eight rebounds, in addition to his suffocating defense on McLemore. Mavericks’ second-round pick [Player:Ricky Ledo] didn’t see much playing time, but he showed a nice outside shot and the ability to put the ball on the floor in his 22 minutes. Ledo isn’t a finished product by any means, but few summer leaguers can match his ability to bury contested 20-foot step-back jumpers.
 
Point guard [Player:Gal Mekel] was effective getting his teammates involved for Dallas. He kept his squad organized at both ends and made some smart, slick plays in the second half. He finished with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists.
 
Second-round pick [Player:Ray McCallum] was Sacramento’s most impressive rookie, finishing with 11 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. He showed good form on his outside shot, but he went just 3-11 from the floor. He elevates well when attacking the rim, but he over-dribbled at times and he was slow initiating the Kings offense, leading to poor shots for teammates.
 
The Kings received energetic bench play from [Player:Drew Gordon] and CJ Aiken. Gordon competed hard all game, hustled in the paint and even showed a decent outside shooting touch. He dove for loose balls and brought some much-needed intensity for Sacramento. Aitken was active off the bench and finished well around the rim. He went 5-5 from the field for his 13 points in 20 minutes.

Chicago Bulls 81 Memphis Grizzlies 67 
Boxscore

The [Player:Andrew Goudelock]-led Bulls opened league play with a convincing 81-67 victory over the Grizzlies in Game 3. The Lakers’ 2011 second-round pick was hot all game, connecting from inside and out on his way to a game-high 26 points, along with four rebounds and two assists.
 
Goudelock can be lethal if he’s allowed to create space. He connected on nine of 15 shots from the field with rookie [Player:Janis Timma] and [Player:Laurence Bowers] unable to slow him down.
 
Former Kentucky guard [Player:Marquis Teague] (12 points, seven assists, 4-13 shooting) was aggressive breaking down defenders and getting into the lane, but he occasionally struggled to convert once he got to the rim. Even when the shots weren’t falling, Teague was able to suck defenders into the lane and create good looks for his teammates. 

[Player:Malcolm Thomas] continued where he left off in the 2012 summer league, bullying his way into solid post position and flashing some nice back-to-the-basket moves on his way to 11 points and 10 rebounds
 
Bulls’ first-round selection [Player:Tony Snell] hit one early jumper, but didn’t do much else offensively. Although he’s skinny, Snell is quick, athletic and could turn into a good wing defender down the road. Snell worked hard and played within himself, making good decisions on both ends.
 
2012 first rounder [Player:Tony Wroten] (17pts/4rebs/4asst) was the Grizzlies’ best player. He showed off his skills and athleticism throughout the game with a series of drives and passes that didn’t always register on the stat sheet. He was effective getting to the line, where he shot 9-14. Butler’s [Player:Matt Howard] provided a strong effort off the bench, going for 11 and 11 in 24 minutes. Last pick in the draft [Player:Janis Timma] competed well in his debut. He possesses good size and worked to get good rebounding position at both ends. He also showed an aptitude to find the open man. Timma could develop into a strong spot up shooter, but he didn’t show much in the way of creating off the dribble.

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