WizBlog RSS FeedGameday Blog Summer League: Wizards vs. Blazers
As I stated in a previous blog, I will be hosting a game day blog for tonight’s summer league game between the Wizards and the Blazers which tips off at 8:00pm. The game can be seen on Comcast Sports Net and NBATV and will be the Wizards first of five summer league games.
The Blazers had yet to release their final roster at this point, but here are the 14 guys they brought in for mini-camp, for more information on the Wizards summer league team click here.
# Name Pos Ht Wt NBA Yrs Birthdate From
88 Nicolas Batum F/G 6-8 190 R 12-14-88 France
4 Jerryd Bayless G 6-3 200 R 8-20-88 Arizona
40 Josh Davis F 6-8 235 3 8-10-80 Wyoming
0 Chris Ellis F 6-9 250 R 3-5-84 Wake Forest
18 Morris Finley G 5-11 175 R 8-2-81 Alabama-Birmingham
42 Eddy Fobbs C 6-11 240 R 9-17-80 Sam Houston State
51 Steven Hill C 7-0 245 R 11-14-85 Arkansas
28 Petteri Koponen G 6-4 195 R 4-13-88 Finland
30 David Lucas F 6-8 246 R 5-14-82 Oregon State
50 Aleks Maric F 6-11 275 R 10-22-84 Nebraska
6 J.R. Pinnock G 6-5 207 R 12-11-83 George Washington
21 Bernard Robinson G/F 6-6 225 3 12-26-80 Michigan
31 Brandon Robinson F 6-8 215 R 4-15-81 Auburn
17 Jon Stefansson G 6-5 200 R 9-21-82 Iceland
July 14th, 2008 at 9:35 AM
I’m so excited because I get to watch a summer league game tonight!
July 14th, 2008 at 10:00 AM
I feel you Bridge, I can’t wait. I am really excited to see young guys, especially Javale McGee.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:26 AM
The dumbest thing the wizards can do is play Dee Brown before Utah can match the offer sheet on Thursday. I am pretty sure that the Jazz Brass will be watching closely to see how much Dee has improved playing in Europe.
If he does well then the Jazz can just match the offer and then we will be looking for another point guard.
I hope he does not play.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Blatche, Mcgee and Young will probably dominate tonight. I really expect to see alot of fastbreak with Dee Brown at the point.
IMPORTANT: WATCH DOMINIC MCGUIRE. he may be our primary backup behind Caron so we need him to step up big (defensively) this year
I think Mcgee is gonna do somethin really nasty tonight. he’s kind of a freak athletically being that he’s 7-foot, alot of young Marcus Camby comparisons
July 14th, 2008 at 11:32 AM
i am looking foward to the game tonight. wizards from last year should dominate.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:23 PM
im excited to see dee brown. but i must admit i made the dumbest comparison of all time when i compared dee brown to tony parker. im surprised u guys didnt nail me for that one. hopefully he brings some heat this season and makes me look good. i know etan wouldn’t like this but i think he should be on the summer league team and play at full speed to see if he still got it rather than wait at the regular season. people always mentioned how good or bad the wiz did without caron and gil but don’t forget etan was a big piece to our defense he is our one and only true hustler. last year songaila missed a significant amount of games this year it was gil and caron. this coming season it would be nice if they all stayed healthy. give them all some “juice” it doesnt see like they test much in the NBA lol.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:35 PM
SUMMER LEAGUE TIME! WOO WOO!
July 14th, 2008 at 1:38 PM
Wow guys when you take a look at the product the Blazers will put on the floor in the Summer League alone, very impressed. This will be an offensive and open game, and our second year stars as well as McGee should enjoy the open floor. Dee Brown, lets hope that the time he spent overseas to improve his game (outside shoot) will pay off. There is no question of his speed and D, but lets see how he runs the team and knock down the 15 footer. McGee has a feather touch and runs really hard, I know a lot of people were down on him but guys and girls this young man is far from a bust no Kwame Brown here, his motor alone with his attitude will flat out get it done. Here’s to a fun and action pack game tonight, T minus 7 hours until the tip!
July 14th, 2008 at 1:40 PM
Maybe Greg Oden tonight?
July 14th, 2008 at 1:41 PM
Etan can’t play on the summer league team per NBA rules (i dont know the exact rule but that’s what Ernie said at his last presser)
July 14th, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Finally gameday is here! All weekend I’ve been watching all these other teams play, on NBA TV, while anxiously waiting our turn to play. Now it’s our turn tonight. Looking for good games from Dee Brown, Nick, and Dmac.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:46 PM
Sportz Wiz
Have you noticed a more confident and hard working focus with AB, Dom and Young?
July 14th, 2008 at 1:48 PM
SportzWiz - You’re right. Summer league is restricted to players with 3-years of NBA experience or less.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:49 PM
I have a question about the Comcast broadcast of tonight’s game….
Will Phil and Buck be doing the game- or are we going to have to endure the NBA-TV announcers?
July 14th, 2008 at 1:52 PM
no way, i remmeber artest playing in a summer league game a couple years back, and blatche is a 4th yr player isnt he? well im excited to see our young core work toegther tonight. is it on tv? comcast sports net?
July 14th, 2008 at 1:53 PM
Jonathan Wallace, will he have a real shot on catching on the roster? I mean G-Town tuns the basic concepts of the Princeton offense. He can hit the 3, plays sound D, and i very smart. Thoughts?
July 14th, 2008 at 2:03 PM
jmpalomo, we have to play Dee Brown. He needs to learn how to run the offense in a live game situation. Plus Utah has had him for the last 2 seasons. Thats enough time to determine if he fitted into their plans. I guess he didn’t, considering they have 3 point guards already at his position. If they’re going to rely on 1 or 2 more summer league games to decide whether they want him back, then they have bigger problems in their player/personnel, scouting department.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:04 PM
Let’s Get It ON! All the young guy’s got to do is follow Dee Brown’s lead tonight.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:06 PM
blatche is a 4th yr player isnt he?
Yes - this WILL BE Blatche’s 4th year… Which means he has 3-Years of NBA experience… and is thus eligible for Summer League play.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:11 PM
I agree with you on that dmac. Dee Brown will set the tone, the young guys just need to follow, and play their game.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:27 PM
I’m so excited!!!! I have a feeling DMAC is going to be great this year. Just a gut feeling I have. Come on 8:00 pm…
July 14th, 2008 at 3:02 PM
I think there’s also a limit on how many players can play from your regular roster which is why Etan’s not on it.
No Greg Oden tonight, I don’t believe there will be a Phil and Buck sighting either, I’m pretty sure it’s NBA-TV guys.
As far as AB, Dom and Nick. I can only say that I’ve seen Dray at the arena the entire summer. He was there basically everyday of workouts.
Dom looks fit and trim, he’s lost 10 lbs and he was pretty cut last year, but i think he just wants to get that 1/2 step quicker in every facet.
No real indication on Nick, but his jumper did look great at practice.
Jsuh read my post at the top when it comes to television exposure.
I think it’s going to be awfully tough for Jonathan Wallace to make it. With Dee Brown now you have 3 point guards. But Wallace made it this far and as ive said a million times, you never know…
July 14th, 2008 at 3:29 PM
AB again will lead the team in scoring like he did last year… Lets see if he is consistent from game to game and if it translates to next season.. This seems to be a highly anticipated summer league for the Wizards…
July 14th, 2008 at 4:18 PM
Hey SportsWiz,
Any chance Forbes makes the team to help Dom backup Caron? It would save us some money rather than signing a veteran. And I think his scoring ability balanced with Dom’s defense off the bench would give us a choice depending on game situation when Caron sits down.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:50 PM
SportsWiz,
Thanks again for the insight, I remember last year that Mike Hall really looked good in Summer League action, and Caron really took up under his wing and he got better. Any chance we may invite him back, since we may need a 3?
July 14th, 2008 at 5:02 PM
Mike Hall is in the D League last year here are his stats:
SEASON AVERAGES
Season Team G GS MPG FG% 3p% FT% OFF DEF RPG APG SPG BPG TO PF PPG
07-08 TUL 48 43 37.3.413 .345 .855 2.7 4.7 7.4 3.1 1.1 0.3 1.75 2.00 15.7
July 14th, 2008 at 5:19 PM
Right now if you assume Dee Brown makes the team that is leaving one spot available at most. Which is going to be very very difficult for anyone to get. Whats also tough is while so many people speculate about the Wizards cap situation nobody knows what it is.
My guess is if the Wizards did choose to pickup a 15th player it would be a veteran that could contribute immediately like a Matt barnes or a very young guy like a Forbes that they could put in the d-league for some developing. This of course doesn’t take into account trades that could open up roster spots.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:34 PM
On the latest of the posey saga….it was on espn.com that something could be done today, and we are still in the mix according to espn.com. I still think theres a chance that abe goes over the tax to get posey.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:01 PM
Not going to happen — and not a good idea either, much as I like Posey.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:12 PM
also, something jmpalomo said about it being dumb for us to play Dee Brown…the Jazz informed the wizards that they will not match it. So its all good and i dont think a good summer league week for Dee will make them change their minds.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:17 PM
I wonder why Portland is being so secretive with there summer league schedule. I wish they would just spit out so we can see what kind of shape there in. I really hope we go full throttle and control the pace with our defense tenacity. We have 7 footers who can run the floor and control the painted areas so I feel we have some good things to look forward to. I hope we “Wizards” keep hydrated because the temperature inside the Thomas & Mack center is extremely hot so keep the propel flowing!Good Luck
July 14th, 2008 at 6:37 PM
it will be interesting to see oden vs. our big tree McGee
July 14th, 2008 at 7:23 PM
oden is not playing.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:24 PM
40 minutes folks!!!!!
July 14th, 2008 at 7:25 PM
i dont know portland has some pretty good rookies. me personally i thought they had the best draft this year. but i still think we gonna win this
July 14th, 2008 at 7:28 PM
never mind i just look at there roster and they have 2 good players that i know and that is jaryed bayless and nick batum. i read the draft profile on nick batum and it said the he could be the next rudy gay. not a bad comparsion
July 14th, 2008 at 7:52 PM
I can’t wait for the game. I hope Oden plays and get embarrassed in his game back by our rookie.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:53 PM
Let’s go Wizards Youngersters.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:03 PM
Sounds like we got Rick Kamla announcing.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:04 PM
and steve snapper jones will give the analysis
July 14th, 2008 at 8:05 PM
Once again folks, the game is on comcast and NBA-TV,
July 14th, 2008 at 8:08 PM
no shock with the starters, Dray, Dom, JaVale, dee and nick
July 14th, 2008 at 8:09 PM
batum, chris ellis, bayless, koponen, and bernard robinson for the trail blazers
July 14th, 2008 at 8:10 PM
sportzwiz how much minutes a game do you think dee brown will see in the regular season. in collage he was one of the best point guards in the nation, but of course that dont mean nothing
July 14th, 2008 at 8:11 PM
real tough question mex, we’ll get a better idea in training camp
July 14th, 2008 at 8:13 PM
not much you can do about that, crazy shot, crazy story on the wizards travels.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:16 PM
nice job by dray
July 14th, 2008 at 8:16 PM
back to back steals one for adunk and one for a layup.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:16 PM
wizards lead 8-7 after the first break.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:17 PM
I like the defense we’re playing right now. None of their points have come easy.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:18 PM
very true pg, mcgee has changed multiple shots.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:21 PM
just a little rushed right now for the wiz
July 14th, 2008 at 8:22 PM
Veeremenko checks in for the wiz wearing #12
July 14th, 2008 at 8:23 PM
Andray needs to settle in. Right now he’s playing too fast, and turning the ball over.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:27 PM
if you didnt hear the wiz were supposed to arrive late last night on a charter flight, they got delayed and eventually their flight got cancelled. they took a bus to philly at 5:30 in the mornin and flew out of philly this morning, got to the arena at 430 (this is all according to rick kamla) and htere game started shortly after. LONG DAY!
July 14th, 2008 at 8:29 PM
nice finish by elegar
July 14th, 2008 at 8:33 PM
Wiz trailing 16-14 after one.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:42 PM
nice rainbow j by wallace
July 14th, 2008 at 8:48 PM
Frank Elegar leading the wizards with 10 points and 3 boards. Dee brown IS LIGHTNING QUICK ON DEFENSE!
July 14th, 2008 at 8:58 PM
good early offense/ ball movement leads to the NY 3.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:00 PM
Real nice play by Javale stealing a pass and then gets fouled on the other end.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:00 PM
Another miss by Javale Mcgee… and another miss
July 14th, 2008 at 9:01 PM
shot is not falling for the 7 footer today.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:01 PM
and another
July 14th, 2008 at 9:02 PM
Bayless is cookin us and I mean COOKIN us!!! No can guard him right now!!
July 14th, 2008 at 9:03 PM
At the half Wiz lead 37-36.
Blatche leads the wiz with 11 points, Elegar has 10 and NY has 8.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:04 PM
not too much team ball, 4 assists combined in the game thus far, 3 for the wiz and 1 for portland.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:06 PM
they seem rusty right now that is understandable… but i like AB’s agressiveness on both sides of the ball..
July 14th, 2008 at 9:07 PM
what do you think so far sportswiz?
July 14th, 2008 at 9:07 PM
Nick Young continues to impress on offense. The guy can flat out score.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:07 PM
Dee brings energy, looks good. Javale thinks he can make *any shot.* But, he moves really well and has impact on defense. I already like him.
Andray is showing his usual package of great stuff punctuated by stupid fouls. His body still doesn’t look like a guy who spends enough time on conditioning. Nick and Dom look like Nick and Dom.
What a great stretch by Elegar — some of it didn’t garner any comment, because of an interview w/ McMillan.
Forbes can shoot; does he have enough athleticism and can he play defense?
Vereemenko — doesn’t seem to bring much.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:09 PM
Sloppy game. I guess that’s to be expected.
Nick Young looks a little better. Blatche is the most skilled big on the floor, but can’t stop fouling. So frustrating. I think I like Dee Brown. Veremeenko looks bigger than I expected. McGee is playing more aggressively than I expected, but can’t hit anything.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:10 PM
Obviously, way too much one on one — don’t know whether that can be prevented at this point.
It’s fun so far, not quality basketball really, but fun anyway!
July 14th, 2008 at 9:11 PM
Like anyone watching, I was impressed by Bayless — so far he looks like the best guard in the draft, along w/ Westbrook.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:11 PM
where you guys been??
i think your getting a lot of nerves on shooting but the bigs have been active and i think dee brown is a perfect type of role player guard for this team, great hustle energy and quick point guard.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:11 PM
5 combined assists is really bad. No team ball indeed. Dee Brown has set us up to have more assists but we haven’t converted them with points.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:11 PM
dom is moving very well, he looks quicker. bayless is attacking every play and thats getting him to the line, hes not settling.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:12 PM
Here are my first half impressions:
Nick Young still has a sweet shot; and still can’t play defense.
McGee is BIG, but he seems to want to play small.
Blatche still sometimes looks like the best player on the floor, and sometimes not.
Dee Brown looks lightning fast. Pretty good defender (except against Bayless).
Veremeenko looks like he wants to stay inside (unlike Pecherov, who wants to hang outside)
The Wizards look a bit sluggish - like they’re a fraction of a step slower than Portland, but that may be due to their travel problems.
Bayless looks like a real player; but he’s not much of a play maker for a Point Guard (if you get my meaning).
July 14th, 2008 at 9:13 PM
good ball movement and cutting on that possession.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:14 PM
good move by mcgee, and he’s got such quick springs its hard to contest it.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:15 PM
We need more plays like that from McGee.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:16 PM
good start for the wiz in the third, nice move by mcgee and assist for blatche. wiz by 5
July 14th, 2008 at 9:17 PM
much better movement and teamwork on offense in the 2nd half.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:17 PM
Mcgee is gonna be fine. he’s just gotta get comfortable. you can tell its their first game
July 14th, 2008 at 9:18 PM
Nick Young makes it look too easy on offense,
July 14th, 2008 at 9:19 PM
The time Veermenko was in he played very hardy… He looks more comfortable inside has a nba ready body. Needs more seasoning though…
July 14th, 2008 at 9:20 PM
theres alot of work to be done but i can see that there is skill
just need to clean it up and use it
July 14th, 2008 at 9:20 PM
how tall is elegar
July 14th, 2008 at 9:21 PM
6′9
July 14th, 2008 at 9:22 PM
so easy.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:24 PM
whats up with AB doin all this dribbling LOL
July 14th, 2008 at 9:25 PM
Veremeenko has no vert leap
July 14th, 2008 at 9:26 PM
mccullough with multiple steals. hope he’s alright,
July 14th, 2008 at 9:27 PM
thats his gaame, veeremenko is supposedly a very good deep mid-range shooter
July 14th, 2008 at 9:28 PM
Veermenko looks comfortable out there… Ernie can indeed pick them… I know thats premature but im just saying…
July 14th, 2008 at 9:28 PM
its kinda funny tho he rebounds well
July 14th, 2008 at 9:29 PM
and he’s gotten his hands on multiple passes on defense.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:29 PM
Gtown87, I’ve noticed that AB dribbles too much too. It really goes back to last season. That’s why I said in another post, watching him it looks like he is trying to play guard. He tries to get too fancy with his dribble, and ends up turning it over.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:30 PM
and vv with a block.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:31 PM
ok Veermenko he is looking good!
July 14th, 2008 at 9:31 PM
is there any way we can get Veermenko this year?
July 14th, 2008 at 9:32 PM
looks like a more skilled D. Song
July 14th, 2008 at 9:32 PM
didnt bayless just push off or what?
July 14th, 2008 at 9:33 PM
i believe he made a comment that he would like to be here to mike jones but i havent heard exactly what the deal is with that.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:33 PM
they’re cheatin my man Forbes that wasnt a travel a minute ago
July 14th, 2008 at 9:33 PM
Wheres is Pech at? Good quarter by Veermenko
July 14th, 2008 at 9:35 PM
nice move by mcgee,
July 14th, 2008 at 9:37 PM
somebody’s feeling it.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:38 PM
the one man fastbreak!
July 14th, 2008 at 9:40 PM
all day dray with the three
July 14th, 2008 at 9:40 PM
javale is quick for his size
July 14th, 2008 at 9:40 PM
wow AB starting to get that out side shot and he looks bigger got to love that as well
July 14th, 2008 at 9:44 PM
DONT SLEEP ON MCGEE THIS YEAR!!!!
July 14th, 2008 at 9:51 PM
I know it’s a stretch to keep 4 point guards but i hope we keep J. Wallace.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:53 PM
what is dee brown… 6 10 come on dray
July 14th, 2008 at 9:54 PM
we cant rebound and koponen is on fire
July 14th, 2008 at 9:55 PM
good makeup dray
July 14th, 2008 at 9:58 PM
dang…
July 14th, 2008 at 9:59 PM
dray needs to get in the weightroom…
July 14th, 2008 at 10:01 PM
wow mcgee with the threeeeeee!!!
July 14th, 2008 at 10:02 PM
So…..where are all the Mcgee haters that thought it was the worst pick ever on draft day?
July 14th, 2008 at 10:06 PM
Wow they look like the Wizards cant buy a rebound when it counts…
July 14th, 2008 at 10:07 PM
alright folks, tough way to end it,overall tough conditions and a little sloppy but the guys played hard and i think wednesday will be a prettier game than tonight.
July 14th, 2008 at 10:07 PM
mcgee blocked that with his elbow
July 14th, 2008 at 10:08 PM
it was good until the end. i like what i saw though from our young guys im pretty sure our guys are tired from traveling all day today.
July 14th, 2008 at 10:10 PM
it was ugly….but thats how you would expect summer league game 1 to be….Mcgee has a nice game. hopefully Dray wont be dribbling so much during the regular season. I want Dom to be a little more aggressive. Dee Brown is gonna be nice off the bench with his defensive pressure, opposing point guards wont like him much
July 14th, 2008 at 10:34 PM
McGee can contribute right away at the 5, I was sold more on Jonathan Wallace than Dee Brown but again it was only the 1st game, we will see how this plays out. Nick looked good, still has to get better with his D, and I would like to see Dom more aggressive on the offensive end. AB looked ok, I did like his focus in the 2nd half.
July 14th, 2008 at 10:54 PM
That was Fun. Ugly game, but, some of the guys looked pretty good.
I think McGee may even move a little better than Blatche? He sure is atheletic. My first game watching him play didn’t fall short. He is going to be a very good player. Dee is QUICK. He has a very nice handle and plays pretty good defense. He will be a nice change of pace to Gil and AD’s game. Forbes hit two sweet 3 pointers (both after the whistle had blown… but they sure looked good anyway lol). I didn’t really see him do much else though. I was hoping for a little more from him but he didn’t play much either. I didn’t expect V Dub to have so much “beef”. I thought he was a skinny kid? It was nice to see him bang in the middle. He plays good pretty good defense too. Who the heck is Frank Elegar and where the heck has he been hiding? That guy can play. Blatche looked Great. Now all we have to do is lobby the NBA to allow 10 fouls in the regular season? Nick can shoot, but, I’m not going to be playing the protagonist/antagonist game with Tom anytime soon I fear. I think at the end he had 9 fouls and Andray had 8. That isn’t going to feed the bulldog. McGuire looked quick, but, always seemed to be a half step out of position. Probably just the “first night” jitters. We have some real potential out there.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but, after listening to the broadcast from Kamila and Snapper Jones (especially in the first half) I CAN’T WAIT for Buck and Phil to once again pick up the mics. I don’t want to hear about Steve Hill’s beard or an interview with Nate Mcmillan during some of the best action. Listening to that knowing there might be a basketball game going on was almost painful.
July 14th, 2008 at 10:58 PM
Jeff I would have liked to see more of Wallace. I thought he may have played the best point of the night. You can’t count Bayless lol he never passes.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:12 AM
I also would liked to have seen more of Jonathan Wallace at PG. He seemed very comfortable on the court, good court awareness and vision, plus he was the only PG who could shoot the ball. Defense and quickness is supposed to be his weaknesses but he was not lacking in either.
I know its the 1st Summer League game and the Wiz just got off a plane before playing, but I was not impressed with Dee Brown’s playmaking ability or his ability to create any offense for himself. He is fast and quick, but nothing else and he could not defend Koponen. I hope the Wiz keep the competition open for 3rd PG.
A little disappointed in the little “Big 3″, hoping it was jet lag, they did not play like young veterans. Too many boneheaded plays. They need to show more focus, I’m confident they will.
Really liked Elegar, Forbes and McCullough were good. Also like what I saw from Vladimir.
JaVale showed good promise, he was very athletic and skilled. Once he learns better shot selection and the game, add some bulk, he will be a nice addition to our core of talented young players.
Overall, impressed with the Wiz attitude and the manner in which they played the game. They were aggressive and competed very well. I’m looking forward to seeing them again and hoping that Dee Brown can have a much better game.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:32 AM
I enjoyed watching the game — so great to see the young guys in action.
Blatche — as Rook said, sometimes he looks like the best player on the floor. Other times, it’s obvious he has a conditioning problem. I think Dray may not have ideal lung capacity for his big body. He needs one of those high-altitude tents to sleep in, like Gil.
McGee — he is very big and quick and fluid, and there is *nothing* (especially no shot
) that intimidates him. It’ll be fun watching him develop. I wouldn’t conclude from a summer league game that he can play much his rookie season. I hope so, of course.
Nick — no change there. Sweet shot, zero defense, very little overall court awareness. Reach reach reach.
Dom — I liked that he made all his free throws! He has to be at top efficiency to get minutes.
Dee — a quick, tough kid. He’ll be a good guy for spot minutes. He is clearly very dedicated to his game, so he should be easy to coach into a clear role. I noted that he took not a single shot (at least that I saw).
Elegar — go Frank! But, he won’t make the roster. It’s a shame he isn’t 2 inches taller.
Forbes — he will have a lot of work to do if he is to become an NBA player. He has the shot, and he looks like he understands the game, puts himself in the right places, etc. But, he doesn’t have NBA athleticism, alas.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:38 AM
Grif and Tom
I realize this is only the first game, but one glaring observation about Dee Brown, he did not look for his shot and turned down wide open looks. I thought he went overseas to work on his shot? I know he is a pure point, and a good defender on the ball however I wanted to see if he had the calm at least to get us in to our sets. Again IMO Wallace in spot duty did a better job, but we will have a few more games to see.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:41 AM
Tom
That was a great recap by the way!! Congrats to Wes Unsled Jr, earning his stripes on the sideline.
July 15th, 2008 at 8:42 AM
We don’t need more shooters and scorers, however — we have plenty of those, maybe too many. We do need defenders and distributors, especially off the bench.
Baltimore boy Donte Greene, picked 28th in the draft, went off for 40 points last night! Hickson, picked by the Cavs right after we nabbed Javale, had 26 points and 9 boards.
July 15th, 2008 at 9:54 AM
To me, the only rookie players who looked like they belong in the NBA were Koponen and Bayless in that order. Koponen was easily the fastest player on that court, with excellent ballhandling. If the Blazers don’t intend to sign Koponen, EG should inquire about a sign n trade, or a trade for cash and/or future picks. The Wiz probably don’t need next year’s second round pick. I’m pretty sure a bunch of other teams are thinking the same thing.
On our side, I thought Wallace has some promise and Elegar is a high energy guy similar to what Dom showed last summer.
If he’s a gym rat, Blatche needs to spend a little more time in the weight room.
Veremeenko needs to get some power in his legs, though his timing is ok, defense is ok.
July 15th, 2008 at 10:47 AM
hey i told yall donte greene was a hooper. we should have snagged him up
July 15th, 2008 at 10:50 AM
mcgee shoots 3’s????? wow
July 15th, 2008 at 11:53 AM
Don’t forget that on Thursday we finally get a showdown between McGee and Speights!!
rgz — I agree w/ your assessment, but I don’t think Kaponnen is available for a 2d round pick. Whether Pritchard signs him or not won’t depend on *wanting* him but on other roster issues. Portland is pretty stacked w/ young talent.
If PK would be willing to sign another short-term contract in Europe, they could stash him. But, of course he’ll get offered long term contracts in Europe and for more money than he’d get via the rookie scale in the NBA.
Blatche’s conditioning seems like a long-term problem. He may not be capable of more work — maybe not physically or maybe he just get himself to do it.
July 15th, 2008 at 11:57 AM
Dee Brown is a pure point guard but i don’t know why people got excited when we signed him. I hope they keep the 3rd point guard slot open so D. Brown & J. Wallace can compete for that spot. I agree with you Tom that we don’t need any more scorers but i would like to have a point guard who the defense cannot lay off of. Now i will state this again, i may be biased because i am a Hoya fan but people can leave Jonathan Wallace open if they want to and they will pay the price. I know it was just one game and they were tired but i hope Dee shows some kind of offense, jump shot, or something.
July 15th, 2008 at 11:59 AM
I’m ready for Wednesday to see how Blatche and McGee handle Speights or vice versa. It should be a good game and tha Wiz Kidz nerves should be calm, and they should be rested (but hey, it is Vegas!) so i’m looking for them to play a lot better than they did last night.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:15 PM
I have no problem with how Dee played. Thats exactly what he’s gonna be asked to do, get in people’s face and hurt the flow of their offense. He really didnt get many oppurtunities to push the break but that will come. As for him not taking a shot, so what? If he knows he’s not the best shooter on the court, and the shot clock isn’t running down, he doesnt have to shoot. We’re talking about a guy who isn’t likely to play more than 8-10 minutes a game. He’ll be on the floor for defense and tempo, not shooting.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:22 PM
McGee last night:
Good — no turnovers (and the ball was in his hands a fair amount), 3 blocks, 1 steal, 1 assist.
Bad — a lot of stupid shots (black hole behavior), only 2 rebounds in 26 minutes, missed both his free throws, 6 fouls (but it is summer league…)
July 15th, 2008 at 12:24 PM
gtown87 — you are on the money.
July 15th, 2008 at 1:03 PM
Last night’s box score is very interesting. Why’d we lose, when:
1. we shot a higher fg percentage (and made more field goals).
2. we shot a higher 3 point percentage (and made as many overall, too)
3. We had many more assists.
4. We had many more steals.
5. We had no more turnovers
6. We had more blocked shots.
We lost for 3 reasons.
1. We committed 6 more fouls
2. this gave them 9 more FTAs
3. they made all 9 of them
In other words, they shot more fts at a higher percentage. What about rebounding? They outrebounded us by 5, but got only 3 more shots on basket — and overall made 2 fewer than we did. Rebounding might also have affected the number of ftas they got, of course.
Ok, of the 37 fouls we committed, 19 were by Andray and Nick. Javale committed another 6, but he is a kid not a player in his 2d or 4th year and well into his 20s.
Of the 11 free throws we missed, 8 were by McGee, Elegar and Vereemenko (combined, they went 4-12 from the line).
That’s why we lost a game we should have won.
July 15th, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Good job Tom- also the refs gave bayless every call, HE SHOT OVER 20 FREE THROWS AND MADE MOST OF THEM.
July 15th, 2008 at 2:41 PM
I think Hopla has to work with McGee on FT’s. He wasnt good in college and if he got haywood better he should get McGee because he has a good jump shot already.
July 15th, 2008 at 3:41 PM
I just hope that Wallace gets a fair try, Ireally think he can do all the theings Dee can do but has a better shot, to me he is the sleeper.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:19 PM
We don’t need a defensive player or an offensive player. We need a couple more players who can do both. Whether already on the roster or not. I’m increasingly frustrated by Arenas doesn’t play D or McGuire doesn’t score. If we’re going to another level our guys need to learn to do both. This is the NBA.
July 15th, 2008 at 8:25 PM
neal, it seems ok to me to have role players come off the bench. Arenas not playing defense (almost not knowing *how* to play defense, it sometimes seems!) is another story.
July 15th, 2008 at 10:18 PM
The Clippers just picked up Camby for a future 2nd rounder, WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 15th, 2008 at 10:42 PM
yea terrible decision by denver, dont get it, he lead the league in blacks the last 3 years
July 15th, 2008 at 11:57 PM
yea the clips basically just used up their cap space on camby. They could of made a push for iggy or josh smith, but camby.
July 16th, 2008 at 1:39 AM
Camby is a really good player and has stayed healthy lately, I think it’s a real good move by the Clipps
July 16th, 2008 at 7:38 AM
I was hoping they’d grab Iguodala to weaken Philly a little — they are going to be a force next year. I don’t think they can beat out the Celtics, but they are now the 2d best team in the East.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:46 AM
James Gist won’t be mentioned anywhere, because he is not a big scorer, and *only* scorers are noticed, but he is tearing up the Summer League for San Antonio. In 45 minutes, he has 16 rebounds and has gone 8-12, along w/ 3 blocks and 3 steals. He might sneak himself into the league if he keeps this up.
July 16th, 2008 at 10:07 AM
so will there be a new blog tonight?
July 16th, 2008 at 10:23 AM
it’s up Gtown! This will probably be the last blog of summer league since the other games will only be on NBATV.
July 16th, 2008 at 10:56 AM
James Gist, you are correct looked very athletic on the floor, and I really wish him well. Also another MD Alum, DJ Strawberry again is looking good in the Sumer w\ the Suns. SportzWiz, will Pech be available to play tonight?
July 16th, 2008 at 11:26 AM
i am hearing he won’t be. The Wizards aren’t goin to rush him back for a summer league game, I’m guessing they will make sure he’s 100% healthy in order to get back on the court.
July 16th, 2008 at 11:28 AM
Hey fellas there is a great article on DeShawn Stevenson in the September issu of the SLAM magazine.
Tom there is also a article on the Education of Tim Hardaway.
There is a picture on the back page of Gil’s new b-ball shoes.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:33 PM
Thanks Sportz Wiz