Before his second Summer League game, his second outing ever in a NBA uniform, Omri Casspi's Sacramento Kings coach Pete Carril told him, "to play simple, play your game, and you'll be fine."
Facing the Golden State Warriors' summer squad, Casspi adjusted to the new system by scoring 11 points, dishing two assists and grabbing two steals.
While his stat line was not staggering, it definitely was a step in the right direction for the forward, who is still trying to find his footing in the American style of basketball. He certainly still must find his shooting stroke - the 21-year-old Israeli finished with just four field goals in 11 attempts - although Casspi did drain two three-pointers.
Additionally, he grabbed five rebounds after stating before the game that rebounding was something the coach had stressed the team needed to work on.
Although the Kings lost for the second day in a row, falling 98-95 following a nine-point loss to the Pistons, the game was much closer this time as Sacramento was in it throughout a contest that included four ties and 13 lead changes.
While every player wants to win every game they play, when it comes down to it, the Summer League is much more about showing what each individual player is capable of; to wit, no victories or losses count in any sort of significant standings, and the games generally consist of set plays to give the coaches a chance to assess their first and second year players.
For the second game in a row, Casspi showed that he is able to fill up the stat sheet, notching everything but a block in his second NBA game. He worked hard on getting himself more involved, even without the ball, and also created his own shot when he was given the opportunity, both spotting up for a quick jumper and off the dribble.
After earning a starting role for the young Kings following a debut game in which he felt, "pretty good in the second half," Casspi continued the trend with a solid follow-up performance.
His efforts will more than likely lead to even more significant minutes and better stats in his next game against the Milwaukee Bucks squad on Monday night.
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