Las Vegas Summer League Bullets: Day 8
July, 21, 2012
7/21/12
12:40
AM ET
- Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried talks with Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com on the tragic shootings in Denver early this morning. The entire Nuggets team also paid tribute by wearing black headbands.
- Decked out in a baby blue argyle polo and a beret (!), J.R. Smith gave the Knicks and his brother Chris a helping hand on the way to his courtside seat. As Cleveland Cavaliers guard Gary Temple spotted up in the corner, Smith walked by and gave a quick tug to the back of Temple’s shorts, pulling them down for a moment before Temple quickly yanked them back up. Never change, Summer League.
- Baron Davis says that Dion Waiters and Austin Rivers, among others, have caught his eye during Summer League. Maybe scoring guards stick together?
- He’s got the speed, the jumper, and the bounce to become an electric player. But what is Blazers head coach Kaleb Canales focusing on most with rookie point guard Damian Lillard? Ben Golliver at Blazers Edge has the breakdown.
- ESPN.com’s Justin Verrier: “Bobcats' undefeated summer league win streak has been snapped. The dynasty is over.”
- MVP! MVP! After receiving a somewhat random vote for Most Improved Player last season, Memphis Grizzlies guard Josh Selby solidified his case for Summer League’s Most Valuable Player. Through three games, Selby is 19-for-25 from 3-point land, averaging a whopping 29 points per game on 60.8 percent shooting from the field.
- Jordan Hamilton talks with Charlie Yao of Roundball Mining Company on the improvements he made during his stay in Vegas, and reveals a hidden gem on the roster for Nuggets’ fans to watch out for.
- Over the last few years, the Dallas Mavericks haven’t shied away from going after defensive specialists on the perimeter. Over at Hardwood Paroxysm, Connor Huchton has his eye on second-round draft pick Jae Crowder, who was dominant in the Mavericks’ win over New Orleans.
- Andrew Han of ClipperBlog on positional scarcity in Vegas: “Of the 452 players invited to the Orlando and Las Vegas Summer Leagues, only 76 had the assigned possibility to play center in at least some capacity (16.8%). Of the 76 forward/centers, 41 were positionally designated exclusively as center (9%). Of course, teams fill spots based on their regular season roster needs, but even in summer league the waning of centers is in full effect.”
- How about some brotherly love? Justin Holiday, brother of Philadelphia 76ers guard Jrue Holiday, showed off some smooth scoring instincts and a nice handle. Lock that kid in the Cheesecake Factory for a few months (Holiday is listed at 6-foot-7, 177 pounds) and he’ll be ready to play with the big boys.
- Are people still sleeping on Will Barton? Sean Highkin of Portland Roundball Society chats with Barton after his breakout Summer League performance.
TRUEHOOP CONTRIBUTORS
Henry AbbottTrueHoop | ESPN @TrueHoop |
J.A. AdandeTrueHoop | ESPN @jadande |
Kevin ArnovitzTrueHoop | ESPN @kevinarnovitz |
Chris BroussardTrueHoop | ESPN @Chris_Broussard |
Amin ElhassanTrueHoop | ESPN @AminESPN |
Chad FordTrueHoop | ESPN @chadfordinsider |
Israel GutierrezTrueHoop | ESPN @IzzyESPN |
Tom HaberstrohTrueHoop | ESPN @tomhaberstroh |
Marc SteinTrueHoop | ESPN @ESPNSteinLine |
David ThorpeTrueHoop | ESPN @coachthorpe |
Jade HoyeTrueHoop TV @truehooptv |
HoopIdeaTrueHoop @HoopIdea |
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