The NBA Summer League brought the national spotlight to UNLV for a 55-game schedule over its 10 days. Young stars like Blake Griffin, Jonny Flynn and Stephen Curry came here to showcase their talent.
“The city has certainly embraced us once again,” said Warren LeGarie, Summer League founder and sports agent.
“The city has certainly embraced us once again,” said Warren LeGarie, Summer League founder and sports agent.
“A lot of people thought this was going to be a down year because of the economy, but we had more teams, as good if not better players than we’ve ever had before and most importantly, the most support we’ve had by the Las Vegas community.”
The size and enthusiasm of the crowds at the Cox Pavilion and Thomas & Mack Center provided players with an NBA-caliber environment. They responded with a step up in their games.
Second-year Golden State forward Anthony Randolph appears primed for a breakout season after dominating the competition. He played with agility and versatility rarely seen at the Summer League level. The 6-foot-10 power-forward led all players in scoring at 26.8 points per game, including a 42-point showing that tied the Summer League’s scoring record. That was until Randolph’s teammate Anthony Morrow set a new mark two days later with 47 and finished second in scoring average at 24.7 points.
The rest of the top five leading scorers were returning veterans with considerable NBA regular season experience. Nick Young (Washington Wizards), Eric Gordon (Los Angeles Clippers) and Adam Morrison (Los Angeles Lakers) each scored more than 20 points per game.
Many of the rookies impressed as they laced up their sneakers for their first NBA games. Lottery picks Jonny Flynn of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings and DeMar DeRozen of the Toronto Raptors flashed considerable ability. Flynn and Evans ran their offenses effectively with a pass-first mentality, while DeRozen wowed fans with his earth-shattering jams and awesome athletic ability.
Second round picks like DeJuan Blair of the San Antonio Spurs dominated in the paint despite his height, while Chase Budinger of the Houston Rockets was instrumental in leading his team to a 5-0 record.
Beyond the teams playing, there was one individual that everyone was there to see.
The eyes of the world were rested squarely on the 6-foot-10 Clippers power forward and he gave them plenty of reason to cheer. Blake Griffin looks like he’ll be a force to be reckoned with for years to come after averaging 19.2 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game in five Summer League games.
“I felt like I made some mistakes, but I came out with things to improve on,” Griffin said after his first game.
“Playing with Eric [Gordon] helped me pick up on some things that he likes to do. I need to keep shooting open jump shots and not hesitate. I’m just going to go back in the gym and get back to work.”
Other rookies head to camp with much to work on as they try to rebound from a tough summer. Golden State rookie sensation Stephen Curry showed little comfort in playing point guard and shot a very spotty 32 percent from the field.
Likewise, fellow lottery pick and Denver Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson gave former UNLV coach and Nuggets General Manager Mark Warkentien little reason to believe he’ll be a steady contributor in the near future, as he failed to be a distributor during key stretches and late game situations.
Yet, even as these rookies face a long road ahead in realizing their potential, the 10-day league gave fans, coaches and scouts alike a chance to see how bright the future is in the NBA. “This isn’t a Jay-Z concert or a Rolling Stones show. This is a bunch of kids going out and competing in a game they love,” Milwaukee Bucks coach Kelvin Sampson said summing up this year’s of NBA Summer League. “For them, these aren’t practice games.
These are games that could determine their family’s future as well as the future of the game of basketball
No comments:
Post a Comment