NBA: Flynn stays hot in the desert

One of the most popular performers in Las Vegas right now is Niagara Falls’ own Jonny Flynn.

“Life isn’t as fun when Jonny Flynn is not in the game,” noted Kevin Arnovitz, an editor of ESPN.com’s True Hoop blog, in a Twitter update Saturday from the NBA Summer League.

Flynn flashed his rookie sensation credentials again, scoring 24 points in 26 minutes during the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 100-96 loss to the New Orleans Hornets.

Continuing his efficient offensive play from Friday, Flynn needed just 10 shots from the floor to become the game’s high-scorer. He missed only three times, hitting 4 of 5 from 3-point range, and converting all six of his free throw attempts.

In Friday’s win over Washington, Flynn scored 21 points on 11 field goal attempts. In four games this week, Flynn is averaging 17 points on 52.5 percent shooting. He ranks third in the league in assists, averaging 7.5 per game.

On Saturday, Flynn had four assists and four rebounds, while turning the ball over six times.

For the first time all week, Niagara Falls native Paul Harris didn’t see any playing time for the Timberwolves.

Minnesota concludes summer league play today with a 6 p.m. game against the Chicago Bulls. NBA.com is offering live and on-demand broadcasts of the entire summer league for $9.99.

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Kings Fifth Game and Summer Recap

Even though it’s just Summer League, nobody wants to end up leaving town without a win.
Heading into the fifth and final Summer League game, the Kings didn’t want the winless New York Knicks to join the list of the Pistons, Warriors, Bucks and D-Leaguers as the teams that beat Sacramento in Las Vegas. Aside from a one-sided affair in the first game against Detroit, Sacramento had played solid basketball over the course of a week in which they received a glimpse into the future with role players hoping to make a training camp invite list, the prized rookies from this draft, and the players on the Kings roster who were trying to develop their talents.
During the broadcast of the game, Mike D’Antoni was a guest, speaking about the Knicks future plans and prospects while giving his insight to whatever Kings’ observations the announcer asked him to make. D’Antoni offered this gem that stings a little for Kings’ fans but also offers a glimpse into what other outside viewpoints are held around the NBA: “There’s good news and bad news for the Kings. The good news is they’ve got a good, young Summer League team. Bad news is it’s also their winter team. They’re a lot like us.”
I think that’s something that can be both a gift and a burden for the Kings in the next 12 months. They’re extremely young and virtually building from scratch. Only five guys on the roster so far are over the age of 25 and two of those guys are Beno Udrih and Kenny Thomas. The rest are young, prospects looking to evolve into NBA studs and help lead this Kings team or their next employer towards an NBA title. But at the same time, young teams often lead to terrible and inconsistent defensive teams. It leads to teams that offer excitement and jubilation on one play and frustration on the next due to a poor defensive rotation or a bad rebounding sequence.
After watching five games in the Summer League for this roster, I offer the viewpoint that Jason Thompson proved his worth, Donte Greene showed he has a lot to work on, Omri Casspi showed calm in the eye of what normally would create irritation, Jon Brockman has a place in this league, and Tyreke Evans should be the favorite to win Rookie of the Year if you’re putting together odds right now. Guys like Jerel McNeal, Brian Roberts, and Marcus Landry can definitely hold their own. I think it was an encouraging summer for Kings fans because they’ve seen the future of their franchise and have a much better idea of where Sacramento is headed (that’s not an Anaheim or Las Vegas reference by the way) and what they have to look forward too than what they saw two months ago.
And with that, here are player recaps for this game and a recap of their summer:
Jon Brockman
For this game, Brockman did what we’ve come to expect from him – he rebounded once every two minutes he was on the floor and played solid defense. Brock showed a lot of good signs that people should be impressed with in this game. When matched up with Jordan Hill (the 7^th pick in the draft), he used his strong base and core power to keep his defensive position, which put Hill out of his comfort zone. He also threw two excellent outlet passes to players leaking out ahead of everybody else. Instead of throwing them right to the player, he led his teammates with a lob that bounced between the Kings player and the basket so they just had to go get it and go up with it. It’s a subtle thing to see but something that is very encouraging for a player that is such a good rebounder and hustles to grab loose balls.
Over the course of the summer, he averaged 9.2 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game. He only scored 27points in five games and made just 40.9% of his shots but his rebounding and defense made up it. He finished the VSL as the sixth leading rebounder. He’s a lock to make the Kings roster this fall and may even find his way into the regular rotation.
Omri Casspi
Omri had another really bad shooting game, making just 2/11 from the field. But he grabbed nine rebounds (seven on the offensive boards) and still managed to make a three and get to the line six times to total 11 points. His defense against a proven scorer like Morris Almond was encouraging as well. Just like he did in the previous four games, Omri looked active and positive despite the fact that he struggled with the basketball. On his first offensive rebound, he grabbed it on the right side of the hoop, reverse pivoted to the left side of the basket and laid it in. It was a fundamentally sound move that freed him from the defender and showed his good footwork.
As for the rest of the summer, he shot terribly the entire time here. He finished under 30% from the field and even lower from three-point range. He never looked completely comfortable and fluid on the court but he kept playing hard and showed great resilience. He’s definitely a project but he looks to be a quick learner and should blossom with the help of Andres Nocioni.
Jason Thompson
JT had a tough time making shots with just 9/22 shooting but he was still aggressive after his great performance against the D-League team. He was aggressive going to the basket, handled the ball extremely well in the open court and was very active on the boards. He finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. He played good defense against Jordan Hill and even did a nice job when he was switched out on Tskitishvili on the perimeter.
For the summer, he started the first three games looking like a walking regression and finished it instilling confidence in Kings fans and pundits that criticized him (see: me). He was much more active in the final two games of the summer and definitely shed the label of lethargic and slow. He seems to be adjusting to his added muscle and heads into the fall as the best low post presence the Kings employ.
Donte Greene
Coachie started DG at the shooting guard position to give him extended time on the floor with the other guys he’ll be playing with this coming season. Greene was once again very underwhelming as a scorer and shooter, which makes his 40-point outburst for the Rockets’ Summer League team last year look more like the exception than the rule with him. He made just 2/8 shots in the Kings fifth game and missed both of his threes. But his defense was very solid and he was active inside when he ventured into the paint.
For the summer, he also made fewer than 30% of his shots and knocked down just one of his eight three-point attempts. He only scored 15 points in his final three games after scoring 23 in his first two but he also took far fewer shots in those games. He often looked passive on offense while looking aggressive on defense and the boards. I have no idea what to expect from Donte heading into next year. He could absolutely click or he could never warrant any playing time. And I think that’s what Kings fans will have to live with for the next year or two – never knowing what DG will give you.
Marcus Landry
This was Landry’s worst scoring game of the summer and he’s been so good so far that I was shocked when he missed all three of his three-point shots. Despite his poor scoring performance in this game, his defense and play inside was exceptional. He blocked three shots and was active in helping against other Knicks players.
I’ve typed it a lot before this and I’ll type it one more time; Marcus Landry has earned a spot in training camp for the Kings. His three-point shooting was deadly this summer by making 10/24 threes and he made 48.5% of his field goal attempts overall. He averaged 9.4 points per game off the bench in just 21.8 minutes every contest. He was their best weapon off the bench and even outplayed Donte Greene in most games.

Jerel McNeal
McNeal’s fifth game was a lot like his entire summer. There were high expectations for him that he simply didn’t meet. He only played eight minutes in this game but most of them were ineffective. His defense was solid all summer long and he shot the ball well but he wasn’t a playmaker at all. He often played off the ball with Tyreke Evans running the point but he didn’t do a good job of creating for others when he did have the possession.
I think McNeal will get to a training camp somewhere and will probably have to prove himself in the D-League. But he didn’t play well enough this summer that could lead me to believe he ACTUALLY belongs in this league.
Wesley Matthews
Matthews showed up late in the summer after playing in the Orlando Summer League and played his best when paired on the court with his collegiate teammate, Jerel McNeal. Matthews was a solid scorer in two of his three games and proved to be fairly opportunistic on both offense and with loose balls at the defensive end. Matthews is strictly a scorer off the bench in this league at best and does a very good job of knowing when to attack the defense. But he’s fairly one-dimensional and you have to be exceptional at that one dimension to make it in this league (see: Eddie House). Matthews will have to continue to get better as an overall player to find a spot on an NBA roster.
John Bryant
We finally saw John Bryant in this final game against the Knicks and he proved to be exactly what we thought going in. He’s a big body. Actually, he’s a REALLY big body. He has a nice touch around the hoop and does a great job of sealing in the post. I just don’t know if he belongs in the NBA though after seeing him against better talent and athletes. In an up-tempo style like what the Kings will run, Bryant just doesn’t fit in like we hoped he would. I wouldn’t expect to see him this fall in Sacramento but he could eventually make it somewhere else.
Ryan Toolson
At the risk of angering alumni from Utah Valley University, Toolson just didn’t show me anything that translates to being an NBA player. He was a scorer in college but he can’t be that at the NBA level. He’s not a good and/or traditional point guard in any sense but at 6’4”, 190 lbs he won’t be able to play shooting guard in the pro leagues. Maybe his scoring ability can get him to catch on in the D-League but he’ll have to work on many aspects of his game to do so.
Robert Battle
Battle had a nice start to the summer due to his great physique and the fact that he’s approaching 30 years old. However, he probably didn’t show enough to prove he’s an NBA player. Most likely, he’s headed back to Europe to continue his career there.
Brian Roberts
I like what Roberts showed this summer and I think he can get a camp invite somewhere else. He committed just two turnovers in 51 minutes this summer and did a nice job staying in front of his man on defense. He’s likely a D-League player for most of his career but he’s scrappy and capable of playing with guys much better than him.
Victor Stowes
Unfortunately, Victor Stowes played just two minutes this summer and showed nothing in those two minutes to know anything about him.
Pat Calathes
Allegedly Pat Calathes was on the roster. I saw him at the games but I think he was just sneaking into places because he was so tall and looked like he belonged. I just don’t understand why bring someone to Summer League and then not play him a single second. He can’t be THAT bad. Can he?
And now for your Tyreke Evans recap:
Actually, let’s save that for Monday. He deserves his own post.

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NBA Summer League: Day 8

Another day, another 10 hours of basketball. Many NBA head coaches, GM’s, and scouts were seen skipping out of town far before their team concluded their play. The gyms are less crowded, the action is less exciting. However, for hoop heads like ourselves, it’s still worth every second.

– Austin was the story of this Daye. Bad joke? Maybe. Serious game? Absolutely. He has been making his case (a la Kevin Durant) to disprove that the NBA’s bench press test mean’s completely nothing when you are a skilled guy standing 6-10 and above. Daye has been a mismatch nightmare, taking bigger forwards off of the bounce and simply shooting over smaller forwards. The production backs that up, as seen by his 20 and 10 performance tonight. Yes, he’s still weak and very foul prone against stronger guys. However, he’s proven that he is going to be a nightmare to guard given his ball skills at 6-11 and could very wind up being one of the biggest steals of this draft.

– Second round pick DaJuan Summers had an up and down game. On one hand, he showed flashes of how versatile he could be due to his ability to play either forward slot. On the other hand, he showed his lack of discipline both in terms of shot selection and defensive fundamentals. The defensive part was evident, as seen by his 10 personal fouls. There’s still a whole lot of promise left in the former Georgetown star, and Detorit fans shouldn’t be worried by his one lackluster summer league performance and forget the 18 points per game he’s averaging.

– Swedish forward Jonas Jerebko got it done bigtime with his unorthodox style of play. He knocked down a number of jumpers from mid-range, stepped out to the three point line, and even got to the basket against more athletic wings. The guy has the pretty boy look, but definitely backs it up with some serious game. Jerebko is definitely going to need to get stronger both physically and as a defender before he’s ready to crack the rotation seriously though.

– Ex-Virginia Tech high-flyer Deron Washington turned some heads with an unbelievable tip-dunk as well as a couple attempted (but failed) posterizations. He made some super athletic plays and there’s a ton of Sports Center top 10s waiting to happen, but he just doesn’t have the skills yet to back it up.

– Cavs first round pick Christian Eyenga is an athletic freak show, but really lacks the skill level to play right now. He’s honestly one of the most elite athletes in the League, but is also one of the least skilled at this point. Congo’s finest has a chance to be a monster on the glass and a sick penetrator from the wing due to his blazing first step, but has a ways to go in terms of skill development. Given the Cavs’ situation with the luxury tax, you can’t blame them for taking a chance on a high-risk guy who won’t effect their cap for quite a few years.

– Bruiser Darnell Jackson also had a nice game for the Cavs en route to a 12-point, 11-rebound effort. The ex-Jayhawk is certainly not the most skilled player in the League, but he’s a fan favorite due to his hustle play and the fact that he sets arguably the hardest screens in the NBA.

Sacramento Kings vs. New York Knicks

– Jason Thompson paced the way for the Kings with 23 points and 10 rebounds. He’s continuing to show that despite the fact that he played in at an incredibly low D-1 school (Rider), he can still get it done in the League. Thompson is nearing the 7 foot mark and has a super soft touch. Throw in the dude’s big body and good hands, and you’ve got a pretty interesting big man to look towards in the future.

– Speaking of the future, the Kings combo guard of the future Tyreke Evans also had a nice game. Anyone who saw him play in high school or college knows that he will never be a pure point guard, but he’s making strides towards being able to run a team at the highest level. Sure, he’s a ball dominant guard. Sure, he prefers to shoot rather then pass. However, the selfishness and awful shot selection that plagued him early in his career are slowly beginning to disappear and we’re starting to see how good “Too Easy” really can become. At 6-6, not only can he create space on anyone off of the bounce, but he can also shoot over most guards. Throw in his super long arms, and you can see his potential on the defensive end. Reke is never going to lead the League in assists, but I’m sure the Kings feel pretty good about their pick at No. 4.

– Third year man Donte Greene isn’t progressing anywhere near where we thought he would at this point of the game. He’s a legit 6-10 and can do basically anything on the floor, yet his production never seems to mirror that talent. It’s a contract year and he’s really going to have to step it up if he hopes to make some serious cash come 2010.

– Toney Douglas had an off night for the Knicks, especially in terms of playmaking. Known as a shoot first guard since his days at Auburn, he has made some crazy improvement in his point guard skills, as seen by his two double digit assist outings in his first two stanzas. Douglas turned the ball over a number of times against the bigger Evans and didn’t appear quite in his element running the show. For a late first round pick though, there appears to be some value here based on the way the combo guard played the first two games.

– The Knicks trio of lottery busts (Yaroslav Korlev, Saer Sene, and Nickoloz Tskitishvili) all looked awful. I don’t understand how it’s possible to put so many underachievers together on the floor at the same time. And yes, there was one point in the game where these 3 were the Knicks front line. Well, at least they got they collected that lotto paycheck… something 99 percent of us can’t say we did.

– Jordan Hill has been up and down for the Knicks. You have to love the guy based on how hard he plays and his athleticism, but you also have to question how big of an offensive factor that he will be based on his limited skill set. The book is still out on him on anything more then a solid role player, in our eyes.

Washington Wizards vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

– The second point guard the Timberwolves drafted (after the de facto Ricky Rubio), Jonny Flynn, looked like he could hold down the land of 10,000 lakes until his campadre Rubio returns from abroad. He seriously got to the rim whenever he wanted, though primarily going towards his right. While Flynn can be a bit of a ball dominant guard at times, he was not selfish at all and always hit the open man. Calling him a pure point guard is a bit of a stretch, however. Flynn’s small stature really hurt him on D, though he used his jacked upper body to finish in the paint amongst the trees. While he’s not Ricky Rubio, he’s a damn good replacement for the time being.

– The T-Wolves’ other first round pick, Wayne Ellington, was also ballin’ outta control. He seems to have embraced the fact that he is going to be used primarily as just a shooter ant little else, which is a good thing. The Philly kid hit both spot up jumpers and pull-ups off the bounce. He didn’t step out of the realm of his skill set and looked like a really nice pick in the process.

– Gerald Henderson had some rough times playing with the Timberwolves. Of course that could be understandable due to the fact that he’s playing in a system that he is not familiar with in the least bit. He showed off a killer first step driving right, but really struggled when he put the ball on the deck with his left hand. Tons of potential, but doesn’t seem to quite be there yet in terms of skills.

– The Wizards Nick Young is looking like he can be an 18-20 ppg scorer down the road, no joke. We already knew that he had sick one on one skills, but the brass in Washington now has him coming off of screens constantly (a la Rip Hamilton) and working without the ball. Young did take some really tough shots like he always has, but he also made a ton of them. It’s becoming more and more apparent that he is the incumbent starting two guard and DC, with it not being out of the realm that he claims the job in the near future.

– Andray Blatche was frustrating as always. The guy is 7-0 tall and can do basically anything that he wants on the floor, yet his numbers never back it up. He showed no desire in playing defense or rebounding the ball, yet plenty of passion in jacking up jumpers from the perimeter. If someone were to give him a shot of toughness, we’d be looking at a potential all-star. Unfortunately, he hasn’t went to the doctor yet.

– Oleksiy Pecherov, who has had a really nice summer league for the Timberwolves, had the bonehead of the summer award with his play on Friday. His team is up 3 with the ball and a nearly full shot clock. The clock reads 28 seconds and the Wizards will surely have to foul. What does he do? Pull an errant three pointer in transition. The Wiz got the rebound and luckily for his sake, missed the shot. The crowd was buzzing about that play all the way through the conclusion of the next game. It was THAT BAD.

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Former UMass forward Gary Forbes makes splash in NBA Summer League

Gary Forbes continues to make a case for himself in the NBA Summer League.

The former University of Massachusetts forward scored 26 points Friday for the D-League Select Team, which lost 95-89 to Phoenix in Las Vegas.

In an attention-grabbing, 37-minute performance, the 6-foot-7 former Atlantic 10 Conference player of the year shot 9 of 18 from the floor and 7 for 13 from the line. He also had five rebounds and two assists.

In three games, Forbes is averaging 21 points per game for the team of former D-League stars. He is shooting 53.3 percent from the floor.

Two other former UMass forwards are also in the Summer League

Tony Gaffney saw his most extended time in the Los Angeles Lakers' fifth and final game, scoring six points with five rebounds in 28 minutes of Thursday's 92-77 loss to Houston.

Stephane Lasme is playing for San Antonio, which had wrapup games against Portland Saturday and Memphis Sunday.

Forbes also has two games in the league's final weekend, against Denver Saturday and Portland Sunday. 

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NBA Day 9: Beaubois leads Mavs to first summer victory

One of our favorite players in the NBA Summer League finished with a flurry Saturday afternoon inside the Cox Pavilion.

Rodrigue Beaubois, the first-round draft pick by Dallas, ensured that the Mavericks wouldn’t go winless this summer with 23 points in a 73-54 victory over Oklahoma City.

The Thunder finished 0-5.

Beaubois, whose name is pronounced rod-REEG bow-BWAH, is a 6-foot-2, 182-pound floor general from Guadeloupe, France, has tremendous athleticism -- a 40-inch vertical jump and a 6-10 wingspan. He played for Cholet Basket in the top French division last season.

He sank 9 of his 12 shots, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, and had 5 assists and 3 rebounds again the Thunder. He led Dallas in scoring with a 17-point average in Las Vegas.

“He’s fast, he can handle the ball and he made a lot of great decisions toward the end of the Summer League,” said Dallas forward Shan Foster. “The last two, three games, he made great decisions. He improved as a player here, and that’s what this is all about – improving game by game and getting better.”

A 3-pointer by Beaubois put Dallas ahead, 42-31, he darted down the court and took it in strong for a dunk to make it 53-35 and his 3-pointer from the top of the key gave the Mavs a 53-35 edge.

That was halfway through the third quarter, and Beaubois sat the rest of the way. Twenty-three points in 22 1/2 minutes is pretty slick.

“I think I made some good things happen,” he said in broken English. “But I don’t think I was consistent enough. I did well in some games, but I need to be more consistent.”

He injured a knee halfway through the league, but it wasn’t serious. Mavs general manager Donnie Nelson isn't sure if Beaubois is ready to crack the Dallas roster.

"I think this year is asking a lot, but you never know," Nelson told the Dallas Morning News. "The NBA is kind to athletes, and he's a big-time athlete."

The 21-year-old jet said the best thing he does is run the floor.

“I try to do what I can do,” said Beaubois, laughing, about entertaining fans. “Yeah, I play my game. I have things to learn. I have to do better with the time coach gives me. I have to be ready for that.”

Foster enjoys every moment

3:33 p.m.

Foster, the former Vanderbilt star whose first name is pronounced Shane, chipped in with 14 points for the Mavs. That more than doubled his Vegas average.

He went 5-for-8 from the field, nailed 3 of his 5 shots from 3-point range, had 3 assists, 2 rebounds, a steal and no turnovers.

Foster always was quick with a bear hug for friends and professors at Vandy, where he often could be found playing gospel music on a piano.

He fed his inquisitive nature last season by playing for Eldo Caserta, a 15-minute drive from Naples, Italy. Eldo went 11-19, but Foster beamed about the experience.

Five family members stayed with him in an extended visit.

“Seeing another part of the world and experiencing a new culture was fantastic,” said Vandy’s all-time scoring leader. “My favorite part was the island of Capri. Amazing.”

So amazing, his mentor, Bishop Joseph Walker of Nashville, took Foster’s advice and honeymooned on the exotic isle.

“It’s just a beautiful place,” Foster said. “I can’t even describe it. The water is so blue. There are great mountains. There’s a cave called The Blue Iguana. The people are so nice, so are the gelato and pasta.”

Foster was relieved that Dallas finally won a summer game.

“It was a grind,” he said. “We wanted to come out here and show that we weren’t happy with losing four games. We had great effort from the jump, it carried over from yesterday’s practice.”

Flynn scores, but Hornets get the win

7:04 p.m.

Jonny Flynn had been one of the distribution stars at the Summer League, but Minnesota sputtered when Flynn was forced to produce some points.

New Orleans defeated the Timberwolves, 100-96, as former Creighton forward Anthony Tolliver scored a team-best 20 points.

Flynn led everyone with 24 points, but he had only four assists and turned it over six times. Flynn had entered the game second in the Summer League with 8.7 assists a game.

Minnesota had 10 assists and 19 turnovers. The Timberwolves had 17 assists and 13 turnovers. Both teams are 1-3.

Grizzlies roar over Suns

6:54 p.m.

Former Connecticut guard Marcus Williams showed why he’s been a top playmaker this summer in Memphis’ 97-60 thumping of Phoenix at Cox.

Williams recorded 11 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists to give the Grizzlies a 4-0 record in Las Vegas. Ex-Pitt forward Sam Young contributed 20 points.

Goran Dragic led the Suns (2-2) with 17 points. Former Stanford star Robin Lopez missed all four of his shots in the drubbing.

A Bullish fourth quarter

5:20 p.m.

Chicago zapped New York with a 30-17 edge in the fourth quarter Saturday to give the Bulls a 90-84 victory.

James Johnson, the burgeoning MMA star, tallied 20 points for Chicago and Brandon Costner poured in 21 off the bench.

Morris Almond and Jordan Hill scored 16 apiece for the Knicks, who fell to 0-4 in the Summer League. For the third time in four games, former UNLV guard Wink Adams didn’t leave the Knicks’ bench.

Sternberg update

1:28 p.m.

His day job is in marketing for UNLV athletics, but Brian Sternberg did a fine job as the p.a. ace in two games Friday at the Cox Pavilion.

He felt much more comfortable in his second game, and the positive feedback might land him more mic time next season at the Summer League.

The funniest moment of his two games was when Washington guard Javaris Crittenton yelled at Sternberg, to correctly pronounce his name, from across the court. "Yo, get the name right!" Crittenton said.

It must have upset Crittenton just being on the UNLV campus. Two years ago, Kevin Kruger and the Rebels eliminated Crittenton's Georgia Tech squad from the first round of the NCAAs in Chicago.

Thanks for coming, Javaris.

Can Young catch Randolph in scoring?

12:49 p.m.

Only two more days. Does it all have to end so soon?

Eight days of the NBA Summer League have flown by, and the next-to-last day tips off at the top of the hour, pitting Dallas against Oklahoma City, here at Cox Pavilion.

Dallas is 0-4. Hopefully they don’t turn in another sour performance before Mark Cuban, their owner. The Thunder also is 0-4.

Another defeat might guarantee double the suicides we watched them run late Thursday night after they were beaten by Cleveland.

At 3 in Cox, Wink Adams will try to get into a game for the New York Knicks. He has seven minutes so far this summer, and all of that was in the second of the Knicks’ three games.

Chicago (1-2) will battle New York (0-3).

The 5 p.m. game here is Memphis-Phoenix. The Grizzlies (3-0) feature point man Marcus Williams, a third-year player out of Connecticut.

We’ll take a closer look at Williams during his game.

The big game is at Cox at 7, featuring the D-League Select squad (2-1) against Denver (2-1). We are hoping the D-Leaguers are at full strength with Othyus Jeffers (strained hip flexor) and Trey Johnson (right heel bruise).

Those two never left the bench Thursday night in the Thomas & Mack Center. Still, they made it a game with Phoenix until the final 90 seconds.

The Cox, by the way, is the featured arena here. The Mack might be a bigger stage, but the Cox is more fan-friendly and more TV-friendly.

At 3:30 in the Mack, Minnesota (1-2) plays New Orleans (0-3). At 5:30, it’s the Clippers (2-1) vs. Washington (1-2). And at 7:30, it’s Portland (0-3) vs. San Antonio (3-0).

Anthony Randolph continues to lead all scorers with 26.8 points a game, and Nick Young of the Wizards has a chance to top Randolph because the Warriors are done playing.

Young is at 25.3 ppg.

We will take an extra look at former Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn, who’s averaging 8.7 assists, today for the Timberwolves, too. He had a wrap-around pass Friday that was a thing of beauty.

If you’re close by the UNLV campus, get over here. For $25, it’s all the air conditioning you can handle.

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From Israel to the N.B.A., Missing the Hummus

LAS VEGAS — The first Israeli in the N.B.A., Omri Casspi, is busily trying to adapt to life in the United States.

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Omri Casspi

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Justin Lane/European Pressphoto Agency

 

Fans at Madison Square Garden last month when the Kings took Casspi with the 23rd pick.

For starters, he needs a cellphone with a local number. He just received a $4,500 bill for about two weeks of calls, which is expensive even by N.B.A. standards. He needs new chargers for all his gadgets. But he is struggling most to find comfort food.

“Hummus,” Casspi said, with a hard h and a long u, stressing the first syllable in a way that conveyed utter seriousness. “You don’t have that here, though.”

A reporter insisted that the chickpea spread is widely available in grocery stores in the United States, but Casspi — who was drafted last month by the Sacramento Kings — smiled dismissively.

“Man, I tried it; that’s all I can say,” he said last week during a break in the Kings’ summer league schedule. “I will bring some from Israel, maybe. I’ll let you taste it and you tell me.”

It seems that a bulk order from the Tel Aviv equivalent of Costco may be necessary.

Then there are weightier adjustments, like getting used to being the greatest hope in Israeli basketball history.

No Israeli has ever played in the N.B.A. Until last month, none had ever been drafted in the first round.

When the Kings took Casspi with the 23rd pick, he became the first Israeli to secure a guaranteed contract, which will almost assuredly make him the first to play in an N.B.A. game.

That moment will come this fall. The celebrations began immediately on draft night.

“It was a huge festival in Israel,” said Dan Shamir, a longtime Israeli coach who worked with Casspi when Casspi was a teenager on the national team. “For many years, people were asking when Israel will have an N.B.A. player. When it actually happened, it made huge headlines.”

At home in Yavne, a suburb of Tel Aviv, the 21-year-old Casspi celebrated with friends and family, and wept. The emotions were overwhelming, not only because Casspi had attained a goal, but also because he had realized a nation’s dream.

Basketball is the No. 2 sport in Israel, trailing only soccer. Maccabi Tel Aviv, Casspi’s team, is considered a national treasure, with 47 championships and 5 European Cups.

“Iconic,” Shamir, who now coaches Bnei Hasharon, said of Maccabi. “Players there are like rock stars in Israel.”

In the days before satellite television and 500 channels, the country would practically shut down on Thursday nights, when Maccabi was on TV. “The streets were empty,” Shamir said.

Next fall, thousands of Israeli alarm clocks may simultaneously wail around 4 in the morning, when N.B.A. games are broadcast. The Kings may become the second-most-popular basketball team in Israel. And Casspi will become an instant hero to millions of Israelis and Jews worldwide.

He is embracing the honor, though with no small measure of anxiety.

“I think all the eyes and ears in Israel, in basketball in Israel, are focused on me now,” he said, sitting behind a desk in his hotel room in Las Vegas. “There is big expectations, and all the Jewish community in the States is really excited about it. So I think there’s a big responsibility with it.”

As a child, Casspi said, he would wake up early in the morning to watch N.B.A. games, particularly the Chicago Bulls. He was a huge Michael Jordan fan. But Casspi’s dream then, he said, was to play for Maccabi “because I had nobody to look up to in the N.B.A., no Israeli.”

He added, “I think the young kids right now, they have somebody to look up to.”

There was no egotism in his tone, just a statement of fact. Casspi hastened to add: “I’m just trying to focus on basketball. I’m not trying to think about all that.”

There is much work to do on the court. The Kings had the N.B.A.’s worst record last season, 17-65, and they have not made the playoffs since 2006.

A 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward, Casspi is part of a promising but raw core that also includes the fourth pick in the draft, guard Tyreke Evans. They are joining a youthful roster featuring guard Kevin Martin and center Spencer Hawes.

Casspi, too, is a work in progress. He is a capable shooter, rebounder and ball handler, but he does not excel in any one area and is not considered particularly athletic. He said his goal was to become another Hedo Turkoglu, the playmaking forward from Turkey who helped guide Orlando to the N.B.A. finals.

Jason Levien, the Kings’ assistant general manager, said the franchise was drawn to Casspi for his passion, toughness and tenacity. The word energy comes up often.

“That’s his specialty,” said David Thorpe, a coach at IMG Academies and an analyst for ESPN, who watched Casspi during the summer league. “Energy in the N.B.A. is a real talent.”

Casspi shot 33 percent in his first four summer league games, averaging 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4 turnovers. He is still trying to regain his rhythm after the whirlwind draft process and a brief holdup in paperwork that kept him from practicing with the team.

Even with Maccabi, Casspi’s value was never evident in the raw statistics but in the results.

“He’s fearless,” Shamir said. “When he was on the floor, things happened for them.”

Before Casspi was drafted, The Jerusalem Post documented the many Israeli players who just missed making it to the N.B.A. In 1979, Miki Berkowitz was set to join the Atlanta Hawks, but Maccabi would not release him from his contract. Twenty years later, Oded Katash appeared close to joining the Knicks, but the N.B.A. lockout and contractual issues killed the deal.

The Israelis Lior Eliyahu and Yotam Halperin were taken in the 2006 draft. But as second-round picks, they did not have guaranteed contracts and thus had little incentive to make the move.

More than 60 other nations have been represented in the N.B.A., including Belize, Estonia and Denmark. The Middle East has produced players from Egypt and Lebanon. The first Iranian, Hamed Haddadi, arrived last season.

Casspi’s arrival has energized Jews in Sacramento. A large contingent — many wearing jerseys with Casspi’s name spelled in Hebrew — turned out for a postdraft rally. They have taken Casspi on tours of the city and offered assistance in finding a house, a car and, naturally, some good restaurants.

“I feel blessed, really, to be in this situation,” Casspi said.

He is, however, still searching for a good Israeli restaurant and a worthy tub of hummus.

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Coming out party for Lawson

Game 1: Detroit Pistons 92 , Cleveland Cavaliers 86

Studs: Austin Daye continues to shine. He was fantastic again today for the Detroit Pistons scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Daye clearly has to add some muscle over the course of his first couple of NBA seasons, but he's looking like a player who could be special down the line for Detroit. Jonas Jerebko also played a very solid game for Detroit scoring 19 points and grabbing five boards. Darnell Jackson was solid for Cleveland scoring 13 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. He's looking to prove he can crack the rotation next season and be the backup power forward in Cleveland.

Duds: Cleveland's Danny Green had a less than stellar performance scoring just six points on 2-7 shooting. He regressed some from his first two performances of the summer.

David Harrison of the Cavs actually played pretty well when he was in the game, but he got ejected after receiving two technical fouls for arguing with the officials. Controlling his emotions has been a problem for Harrison dating back to his days at the University of Colorado and it looks like something he still hasn't mastered much to the detriment of his chances of carving out a longtime niche in the NBA.

Game 2: Sacramento Kings 84, New York Knicks 71

Studs: Jason Thompson was very good for Sacramento. It took him 22 shots to get 23 points, but his aggressiveness had to make the Kings' coaching staff excited. He also grabbed 10 boards in the game. Tyreke Evans was also very aggressive scoring 18 points on 16 shots. There's no doubt he can get in the lane and create his own shot, but he has a long way to go as a distributor.

Jordan Hill was very good on the glass for the Knicks yanking down 12 rebounds. He looks like a natural in this area. His eight points, however, were a personal summer league low. Toney Douglas' 15 points was the best scoring output for the Knicks' rookie so far this summer.

Duds: Kings rookie Omri Casspi shot just 2-11 from the field and looks very raw on the offensive end. Yaroslav Korolev was a non-factor and was held scoreless in his 10 minutes of play. Hard to believe this guy was once a lottery pick of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Game 3: Minnesota Timberwolves 89, Washington Wizards 82

Studs: Nick Young was content to shoot the ball virtually every time he touched it. When you make 8-17 and finish with 23 points, though, that's probably not going to worry the coaching staff too much. This kid is quite simply one of the best offensive players in Vegas. However, he'll have to get better in other areas of his game to realize his potential in the regular season.

A very solid outing from Jonny Flynn of the Minnesota Timberwolves finishing with 21 points, five assists, and three rebounds. He seems to get better with each game. Fellow rookie Wayne Ellington was also solid scoring 19 points and grabbing three boards. The Wolves could have a nice rookie duo next season regardless of what happens with Ricky Rubio.

Duds: Andray Blatche of the Wizards had a very lackluster performance scoring 11 points on 4-15 shooting. This is a guy who has shown he's as good as anyone offensively in Vegas when he's focused and interested. He's clearly wasn't very interested on Friday. Bobby Brown, who actually got the start at the point instead of Flynn, was unimpressive. He finished with just six points and three assists.

Game 4: Chicago Bulls 80, Oklahoma City Thunder 74

Studs: James Harden continues to play very good basketball for the Thunder finishing with 20 points and five assists. He looks like he will be a very nice fit with Oklahoma City's other pieces once the regular season rolls around.

Anthony Roberson absolutely stole the show for the Chicago Bulls scoring 24 points and swiping three steals. He only had one assist and is clearly not a true point guard, but when given the chance to score he can put up numbers. James Johnson also had an intriguing night for Chicago. While he struggled with his shot making just 2-11 from the field, he grabbed 10 rebounds and dropped seven dimes to compensate.

Duds: DeMarcus Nelson was underwhelming for the Bulls going just 3-10 from the field. Clearly his toughest game of the summer. After a very good outing on Thursday against San Antonio, Serge Ibaka struggled mightily for the Thunder scoring just two points and pulling down five rebounds.

Game 5: Denver Nuggets 111, Portland Trail Blazers 93

Studs: After really struggling to score the ball in his first two games, Ty Lawson had his summer league coming out party. He was absolutely phenomenal doing virtually whatever he wanted to do on the floor finishing with 26 points, five assists, and five rebounds. He also outplayed Jerryd Bayless when the two were matched head-to-head at various points during the game. Sonny Weems also played his best game yet this summer scoring 24 points and grabbing four boards.

Bayless, once he started to look for his shot, had a solid game finishing with 19 points. However, he had six turnovers and only three assists. Bobby Jones looked very nice for Portland finishing with 18 points and five rebounds.

Duds: Matt Freije was 0-5 from the field and didn't impress at all for Portland. Jeff Pendergraph also struggled from the field scoring just seven points on 3-8 shooting for the Blazers. His nine rebounds did help to salvage the evening to some degree, though.

Game 6: Phoenix Suns 95, D-League Select 89

Studs: Micah Downs surprised many in attendance tonight with his very solid performance. The former Gonzaga Bulldog finished with 19 points on 8-11 shooting and five boards. Jiri Hubalek was also very good for the second straight game scoring 20 points on 8-11 shooting in just 22 minutes of run.

Gary Forbes continued his outstanding play for the D-League Select team scoring 26 points. He has been one of the better players in Vegas so far this summer.

Duds: While Robin Lopez's numbers look okay on the surface (10 points and six rebounds ), he also accumulated 10 fouls and six of those fouls in just eight minutes. In a real NBA game he would have been disqualified before he really had a chance to make an impact. Taylor Griffin also struggled for Phoenix scoring just four points on 1-9 shooting. Center Marcus Hubbard never got his feet underneath him for the D-League Select team scoring just two points on 1-6 shooting and grabbing six boards.

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