I hope I didn't just lose all my readers.
Rook-Roll'd is going to be a recurring segment I do looking at how the current crop of rookies is doing. Currently we've only seen them in Summer League, which is definitely not enough to tell us how they will be through their career or even the season (Stephen Curry for example, had a pretty terrible Summer League last year, but managed to be one of the best actual rookies throughout the season). But its still a glimpse of these players playing for the first time with NBA rules and other NBA caliber players. This first segment of Rook-Roll'd is going to take a look at the players who played in the Orlando Summer League last week from July 5-9. On Wednesday and Friday, we'll be taking a look at the rookies that played in Vegas. After the Regular Season starts, Rook-Roll'd will occur weekly (time permitting)
Since this is the first Rook-Roll'd Post, let me explain the categories a bit. "Never Gonna Give You Up" is reserved for the Top Performers, "We Know the Game and We're Gonna Play It" is for the players that played about as well as was expected, and "Don't Tell Me You're Too Blind to See" is for the disappointments. After the jump, our impressions.
"Never Gonna Give You Up":
Damion James, New Jersey Nets, Drafted 24th18.8 PPG, .464 FG%, .400 3P%, 5.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, .8 SPG, 1.5 TO
James, although he missed the last game with an injury, was the breakout star of summer league for the Nets. Averaging nearly 19 points per game and over five rebounds (including one thirty-point performance), James showed off his solid jump shot and relentless energy. Avery Johnson said the Nets originally thought he'd go in the 12-14 range, so when they saw him drop to 24th they had to make the deal. It looks like they made the right move. -- D.K.
14.8 PPG, .733 FG%, 7.5 FTA 2.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 2.8 TO
With the Pacers desperate for a Point Guard, the Pacers plugged the 6'5 Stephenson here during the Summer League and he was a big bright spot. Extremely adept at driving the lane (Tyreke-like in that aspect) and getting to the basket, Stephenson was able to score at ease, either by getting free for a layup or getting to the line. What Stephenson is not though, is a pass-first point guard. He dribbles a tad too much and almost always looks to score, but Indiana wants someone that can get the whole team involved. Stephenson has a lot of work to do there. -- A.Y.
Magnum Rolle, Indiana Pacers, Drafted 51st13.4 PPG, .574 FG%, 7.0 RPG, 2.0 BPG, .8 SPG, 2.2 TO, 5.4 PF
The Indiana second-rounder needed a strong showing to solidify his position with the Pacers, and that's exactly what he provided. The 6'11" Rolle showed a deft touch around the basket, shooting 27-47 (57.4%) from the field and piling up rebounds and blocks. He found himself in a bit of foul trouble - he exceeded the NBA number of six in three of his five games - but he also put together some impressive performances, including a double-double with three steals in a one-point victory over Boston. Honestly, I'm just happy we'll get to hear the name "Magnum Rolle" this season. -- D.K.
Luke Harangody, Boston Celtics, Drafted 52nd16.6 PPG, .471 FG%, .500 3P%, 6.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.2 TO, 4.0 PF
It looks like the Celtics have found the perfect replacement for Brian Scalabrine in Luke Harangody, a big man with a nice stroke, and decent toughness. Harangody more than held his own in Summer League, carrying the Celtics squad at time, and scoring inside and outside, and he rebounded well too. For a team like the Celtics, trying to put one last championship run together with this current group, Luke is the perfect rookie. He might not get the minutes others will, but he'll likely be more effective than some. Don't be surprised to see this guy getting some minutes come next May. -- A.Y.
"We Know the Game and We're Gonna Play it":
Derrick Favors, New Jersey Nets, Drafted 3rd10.6 PPG, .467 FG%, 6.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, .6 BPG, 3.0 TO, 5.8 PF
Favors reminded everyone over the course of summer league that he is, in fact, a project. All of his weaknesses were on display: a lack of post footwork, timidness, and foul trouble plagued him for the first four games. However, once Favors began to put it together he had his breakout game - 23 points and 11 rebounds - and it wasn't by luck. You can check out my analysis of that game over at NetsAreScorching. -- D.K.
Paul George, Indiana Pacers, Drafted 10th15.2 PPG, .333 FG%, .115 3P%, 7.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.4 SPG, 4.8 TO
George is one of the higher "potential" picks in this years draft, and he showed flashes of it in Orlando this year, but he also showed why he has a lot of work to do as well. His handle is very loose, and he's pretty careless with the ball, as you can see by the 4.8 TO. He also tends to shoot quite often (he had 3 games with more than 15 shots), and with very low efficiency. But he also did some other things well (very well in fact). He led all the rookies in Orlando in rebounding, and he showed that he can be active on defense, one of the biggest knocks on him in College. He'll need to rein himself in on offense a bit, but the potential for George is there. He just needs to work for it. -- A.Y.
10.8 PPG, .619 FG%, .333 3P%, .929 FT%, 3.0 RPG, 1.4 APG, .8 SPG, .8 BPG, 1.4 TO, 21.0 MPG
Aside from quickly becoming the most eligible bachelor in Utah, Gordon Hayward had a decent if unspectacular performance in Summer League. While he was making his shots - he shot 62% from the floor and 93% from the line - he wasn't terribly involved in the offense. His playing time was somewhat limited and he only took 21 shots over the five games. He was getting to the line and converting - he actually took many more free throws (28) than he did shots. That being said, Hayward didn't have the impact you'd expect from a top-10 pick. His jumper did look sweet though, and it's a good sign going forward. -- D.K.
"Don't Tell Me You're Too Blind to See":
Evan Turner, Philadelphia 76ers, Drafted 2nd9.4 PPG, .333 FG%, .250 3P%, 5.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.6 SPG, 3.4 TO
Turner was by far the most disappointing prospect in Summer League, mainly because of the expectation that he was one of the more NBA-ready guys in this draft, after 3 years of college, and being the Collegiate Player of the Year, but he looked overmatched and out of shape in Orlando. On offense, his lack of athleticism showed a lot, as he dribbled too much trying to get around his man, and his shot was lacking. His all-around game showed a bit, as he was able to still be active on defense and on the boards, but he'll need to learn some new tricks to be an efficient NBA player on offense. Playing off the ball is probably his biggest weakness right now, and with Holiday and Iguodala on the Sixers, he won't be handling the ball as much as he's used to. It's all on him to make the adjustment. -- A.Y.
Daniel Orton, Orlando Magic, Drafted 29th3.2 PPG, .148 FG%, 1.8 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 2.4 TO, 3.4 PF, 17.2 MPG
Orton has a LOT of work to do to become an NBA player, because he isn't one right now. Orton was an absolute non-factor on offense for the Magic, not showing any ability to work in the post, and his jumper was iffy. He got to the line a bit, but even that was bad, as he barely hit 41% of his Free Throws. His rebounding was also atrocious for a guy projected to be a center. What Orton did show was a bit of shot blocking ability, but he rackedup almost twice as many fouls as blocks. If Orton wants to stick in this league, he needs to focus on the defensive end in my opinion, and bulk up. He can be a Kendrick Perkins type center, and he'll have his work cut out for him guarding Dwight (or even Gortat) in practice every day, but that's where he'll have to make his living. -- A.Y.
Magnum Rolle - that's a freakin' fantastic name. I wish my mom had named me that.
ReplyDeleteThere was a kicker that play for Univ of Texas and his name was Dusty Mangum. For the longest time I thought it was Magnum, which would then have made it infinitely awesome, instead it sounds a bit like a bad gay porn name.
Here ends my horrible pointless rambling.