While we’re currently in the fantasy basketball wasteland known as pre-season football time, there is still professional basketball to be played. The NBA’s young guns, D-leaguers and of course, the rooks, descended on Las Vegas over the past couple weeks to show off their game in the NBA summer league. While the summer league is not exactly a good predictor of regular season performance (for example, Jerryd Bayless averaged close to 30 points a game in the 2008 summer league), it’s all we have to get excited about at the moment.
So, what went down in Vegas?
- Well, Blake Griffen looked good. Really good. He averaged 19.2 points and 10.8 rebounds in 5 games. And unlike someone like Bayless from last season, you know he’ll get the chance to play some big minutes on the Clippers, especially now that Zach Randolph has been shipped across the country. I’m not one for drafting rookies in fantasy leagues, but Griffen gets my stamp of approval.
- Someone who also impressed is Golden State’s Anthony Randolph, who averaged 26.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 4 summer league games. TrueHoop called it a put-it-all-together moment for him. Randolph – a 6’10” PF – was a rookie in 08-09 and averaged an 8 and 6 in only 17 minutes a game for the Warriors. He was a beast at the end of the season when Don Nelson threw him into the starting lineup and he has huge breakout potential going into this year.
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On the other hand, just ignore Anthony Morrow’s 47 point outburst against the Hornets. Yes, the guy can ball. Yes, the guy can score in bunches. But the Warriors happen to be stacked at the SG/SF position with Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggett, Kelenna Azubuike and Marco Belinelli in addition to Morrow. There is no way Morrow improves on his 22 minutes a game from last year unless Don Nelson stops taking his crazy pills.
- Not looking so good in summer league was Hasheem Thabeet, whose uninspired play earned him comparisons to DeSagana Diop. It should go without saying that Thabeet should not be allowed anywhere close to your draft list come the fall.
- Fox Sports compiles this year’s summer league all star team. In addition to Griffen, they nominate Houston’s Joey Dorsey, Washington’s Nick Young, and the Wolves’ rookie PG Jonny Flynn. With Sebastian Telfair gone, there is minutes to be had for the Wolves at PG for Flynn.
- Jon L from Ridiculous Upside looks at six “non-NBA” players and their performance during summer league, including Nik Caner-Medley, a guy who I actually paid to see when he was in high school.
- And rikiddo of Pounding the Rock reports in from a couple of Summer League games he attended in person. And speaking of the Spurs, could it be possible that they have some young talent ready to contribute this season in George Hill, DeJuan Blair, Ian Mahinmi and Malik Hairston? Nah… that can’t be true.
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