[Dog_ShammdogParticipant]

My last post was better received than I had anticipated so I figured I’d make a pt 2. 

 -Duncan Robinson has been one of the biggest surprises of SL and has earned himself a one year two-way contract with the Heat. He’s 6’8" and shoots the lights out from deep but is also a sneaky athlete who has shown the ability to attack closeouts and defend in space. You won’t see many 24 year old rookies become as quickly coveted as Robinson. 

-Lonnie Walker looks more developed/refined of a player than I had anticipated. He has much better instincts and a natural feel for the game than he was given credit for imo and is such an athlete that I believe he’ll be able to contribute from day 1 and assume a larger role as his skillset develops and necessitates it. I’d like to see him play with the ball in his hands a bit more during summer league but have been impressed regardless. 

-Troy Brown Jr. has been absolutely fantastic. He’s super strong with the ball and finishing at the rim but really just seems to get to his spots at will. He’s physically strong and much more explosively athletic than I believe he was getting credit for. His jumpshot also doesn’t look nearly as broken as some have said. He plays angles and uses his strength really well, which kind of reminds me of an old school power guard like Adrian Dantley or Mitch Richmond. 

-Caleb Swannigan is a dynamic offensive player and has legitimate starting Center potential imo. His weight and conditioning will always be one of the bigger concerns with him but he’s a surprisingly good athlete and a very savvy/intelligent player. He can really pass the ball as well.

-Jake Layman has also been impressive in his third summer league. He has all the tools and natural gifts to be a rotation player in the NBA but just needs to put it all together. His shot looks improved and he’s playing as hard as ever. He really is an elite athlete for a player of his size. He’s springy, fluid, quick and is even pretty strong. 

-Zhou Qi seems to be getting acclimated to the NBA style game and has also gotten stronger. His potent offensive game and unique fluidity/dexterity for a player of his size has been on full display. He’s been swatting shots left and right and is just a problematic player for opposing teams. If he can become strong enough to not get pushed around, I believe he could be a key contributor on a good team. I don’t think Houston will have the luxury of waiting on Hartenstein and Qi to develop, but I do like the idea of a Qi/Hartenstein/Capela center rotation. 

-Jared Terrell has been manning the point for the Twolves and has been great whether his shot is falling or not. He’s a very heady point guard with great physical strength and very good athleticism. He’s always been seen as more of a combo but looks to me to have some legitimate playmaking ability. He will always use his dynamic scoring ability to keep defenses honest/accountable, but isn’t the one trick pony that most thought. I won’t be surprised to see him have a long career as a backup pg in the league. 

-Kobi Simmons of the Memphis Grizzlies has settled into the shooting guard position after spending a year on a two way trying to become a point. He seems much more natural at the 2 and it shows up in his production. He can get to the rim with ease and has a good pull up jumper. Adding range and consistency to that pull up jumper could make him a rotation player in the league. 

-Jaron Blossomgame has been playing PF and has looked pretty good. I didn’t like his odds of making it in the league as a 3 and didn’t think he had the size/physicality for the 4, but I think I was wrong. He seems to have sufficient size to play the 4 and has been a mismatch for most 4’s with his quickness and overall athleticism. He’s a catch and shoot 3 point jumper away from being an NBA player imo. 

-Theo Pinson for the Nets seems to be a fringe NBA player. He’s a plus level athlete who is a good team and on ball defender. On offense, he’s a decent ballhandler and subtly good playmaker/passer but needs to improve his shooting. I believe a team will buy in on his ability to develop a jumper and bring him into the fold. 

-Antonio Blakeney had some bright moments for the Bulls during his rookie year and seems to be picking up where he left off. He’s a true shooting guard but can moonlight as a scoring point guard and is probably best served as a bench scorer. Reminds me of a poor man’s Cutino Mobley. 

-Frank Ntilikina appears to have taken a step in his devlopment and looks far more comfortable than last summer. He’s been strong with the ball and has been much more aggressive scoring the ball, which is an absolute must for him imo. Not sure if he’ll live up to his draft position, but he’s at least looking like he belongs and is progressing in his development.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HobbyOGParticipant]

 I’m watching this Lakers vs Knicks game and Kevin Knox is on fireeeee in the 3rd quarter, 16 pts in the 3rd with several deep 3’s..NY fans are trash for booing this dude, he’s killed summer league so far. 

[Dog_ShammdogParticipant]

He has been fantastic and is going to be a lot of fun to watch in NY while Porzingis is out providing they give him free rein like I’m expecting/hoping. He looks super comfortable with the ball in his hands and that was one of the main things I was looking for to gauge him. Even when his jumper hasn’t been falling – which is typically one of his main weapons – he’s been making his presence felt and producing. He also looks like he can develop into a very good and versatile defender. And he’s the youngest player in the summer league, if I’m not mistaken. 

[cohenbc1Participant]

 Spurs still have a lot of guards for Lonnie Walker to beat out for playing time … Murray, Mills, Green, Belinelli, White, maybe Forbes. 

Blossomgame was not even on my radar, but Spurs could use another ‘4’. As of right now I think they’ll start Bertans at 4 and Aldridge at 5, but someone could come in with a decent offer for Bertans that the Spurs don’t match. Then they’d have to start Gay and would really have no backup.

 

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