David Thorpe ranks Jordan Crawford's Summer League performance 18th among rookies: Crawford is viewed as a pure scorer, and he showed that in Vegas. Although he didn't shoot well overall, he displayed his ability to shoot from 3 and exhibited solid court vision and feel. I also liked the fact that he looked to make plays on D. I liked him better than I expected to.
Crawford didn't shoot especially well (He missed all seven three-pointers he attempted over the last three games in Vegas.) but he was largely above the Vegas Summer League averages, which is probably what one should expect from a first round pick.| Name | 2PTFG% | 3PTFG% | FT% | eFG% | TS% |
| Crawford | 48.6 | 30.4 | 85.7 | 47.5 | 56.0 |
| League | 46.6 | 31.6 | 70.2 | 46.8 | 52.1 |
Hawks v. D-League Select BoxscoreHawks v. Timberwolves BoxscorePlayer-by-player, here's what I've learned from Summer League...Jeff Teague: No one could stay in front of him in Vegas. I think that'll be mostly true in real NBA games too though the execution of team defensive concepts will likely complicate matters for him. Given the uncertainty over what Larry Drew's motion offense will look like exactly, it's difficult to project Teague's sophomore season. It's fairly to easy to imagine him, if surrounded by shooters, being effective turning the corner on ball-screens and getting into the lane. Conversely, it's easy to imagine the shooters the Hawks employ having the ball in their hands rather than Teague. The slope of Teague's learning curve could further be influenced by how often the Hawks run which will probably have more to do with defensive rebounding than anything Teague can control. Patience is advised with regard to Teague just as much as it is with regard to Larry Drew.Jordan Crawford: Crawford can play. Given the composition of the roster, his youth, and his degree of physical development he probably won't get the opportunity to produce much in 2010-11. So, in the short term, Crawford might be reduced to shining in garbage time therefore breaking up the occasional monotony of the 82-game schedule or diminishing concerns over a serious injury to Jamal Crawford or Joe Johnson. Looking farther ahead, if he can convince the team that he can, at the very least, be ready in 2011-12 to replace the production Mo Evans provides, grant the organization some modicum of flexibility to improve at the point or at small forward next Summer.Sergiy Gladyr: He's clearly not ready to contribute at this point. It's difficult to gauge his skill level based on his performance in Vegas. Either he's not skilled or he was trying too hard to impress. I lean toward the latter as Summer League games tend to be ridiculously sped up and disorganized affairs. Either way, he's 20 (almost a full year younger than Jordan Crawford) and has time to develop. If, in three or four or five years, Gladyr can come over and knock down shots often enough to excuse the physical limitations that make him unlikely ever to be a plus defender or rebounder then he'll have been good use of a draft pick.Pape Sy: It's easy to see how Sy impressed in a workout setting. He's long and fast. Outside of that (and granting that he was limited by injury) Sy showed little in Vegas. Using one's speed to drive into the lane at the far end of being under control, running into someone, and drawing a foul works fine in Summer League but has negligible value in the NBA unless one possesses the strength and body control of Dwyane Wade or Corey Maggette. Sy does not. He never looked likely to finish. His ball-handling would be acceptable for a wing defender but he's no sort of point guard despite spending most of his time playing that position in Vegas. Were he Gladyr's age there might be reason for optimism. But he's not. To put things in perspective, he's only two years younger than the forgotten Viktor Sanikidze and a year younger than Cenk Akyol.Richard Hendrix: Hendrix is the only guy free agent on the Summer League roster who could add something to the regular rotation: post offense from the second unit. On the other hand, he would also be one more guy in the rotation whose value is primarily offensive. With no demonstrable organizational emphasis on finding complementary pieces, I doubt Hendrix will signed to be the fourth big guy in the rotation with a defensive caddy for him getting the fifth spot. Maccabi Tel Aviv seems more plausible.Alade Aminu: There's no way to evaluate Aminu's defensive ability in this context. His offensive skills are rudimentary at best. He's definitely long and active and would be a fine fifth big guy with a non-zero chance to develop into a rotation player.Jermareo Davidson: Davidson is not dissimilar to Aminu though he plays lower to the ground and, largely due to being three years older, has a lower center of gravity that could be more useful defending in the post in the short term. Given that Aminu has at least an offer to play in France and Davidson has some NBA experience, Jermareo might be the more likely member of the 2010-11 Hawks.Trey Gilder: Gilder would be a fine backup for Marvin Williams. Because he can't shoot and because the Hawks appear to be unconcerned with Mo Evans' struggles to defend small forwards, it's not especially likely he'll get the gig. If Gilder could shoot, he'd be a borderline NBA starter.James Augustine: He's another plausible fifth big man, one who would definitely provide support with defense and rebounding if little else. There's some potential entertainment value were Augustine and Zaza Pachulia to share the floor and give the team a two-headed hard-fouling monster.Randolph Morris: I don't believe anyone learned anything new about Randolph Morris.Landon Milbourne: Like Morris, Milbourne's presence on the team appeared to more to do with where he attended high school than his likelihood of making the team. I hope he caught the attention of a European scout in his limited minutes.Luke Jackson: Jackson's presumably headed back to Europe. His time as a potential NBA player has passed though having a professional basketball career after undergoing multiple back surgeries says something for his skill level.
Five days and four nights* at Summer League, plus that West-to-East travel put me down for the better part of a day. Catching up...- Here's that Jordan Crawford piece I wrote for the Daily Dime (#9) yesterday:
In his first two summer league appearances, Jordan Crawford displayed good basketball instincts. That's not unusual to see in summer league, but rarely in this setting does that trait come with both the athleticism and skill to take advantage of good instincts. The results: 36 points on 27 shots, seven assists against just four turnovers and six steals in his first taste of professional basketball. In his third game, Crawford's youth betrayed him. Matched up against DeMarcus Nelson for much of the game, Crawford struggled to create space for himself against the similarly framed but markedly older and stronger defender. He still scored 12 points but he needed 12 field goal attempts and six free throw attempts to do so. Lesser numbers to be sure, but far from shameful for a 21-year-old facing an NBA-quality defender for the first time. The game wasn't a complete washout for Crawford. Those good instincts were still apparent. In transition, he looks to pass ahead as often as he looks to finish. When the Hawks' motion offense stretched the Bucks' defense in the half court (as it did often in the 83-60 victory) Crawford consistently made himself available, often with the next pass rather than a shot for himself in mind. He earned three more assists, committing just one turnover. It's unlikely that Crawford will get significant minutes for the Hawks this season. Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford and Maurice Evans all figure to slot ahead of him in the rotation. As time passes, and if his body matures to match his game, it's easy to imagine him proving to have been a tremendous use of the 27th pick in the NBA draft.
- Colleagues former (Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk) and current (Matt Moore** of everywhere) joined me courtside for the Hawks/Bucks Summer League tilt. Kurt focused on Jeff Teague. Matt offered thoughts on both Teague and Richard Hendrix.
- Word's out that ownership is not willing to go over the luxury tax line. I certainly don't think they should do so to sign Shaquille O'Neal (or any other veteran center). Nor do I believe that this demonstrates an unwillingness to spend money. I can think of four contracts that quite clearly demonstrate the opposite. The problem with this organization is an inability to spend wisely. I have no reason to assume they don't want to win, they're just not very clever in their efforts to accomplish that goal.
- Hawks v. D-League Select, for those of you without Summer League Broadband, can first be seen at 7am (EDT) Sunday on NBA TV.
*The events of most of those nights technically took place in the morning hours.**True story: the first thing Matt Moore said to me in person, "How does Alade look?" Furthermore, he meant it.
BoxscoreThe Hawks raised both their energy and execution levels Thursday afternoon in Las Vegas, beating the Bucks 83-60. I hypothesize that the former had a little something to do with Randolph Morris being absent from the starting lineup. During his brief appearance later in the game, Morris contrived to get beaten down the court by John Bryant.Richard Hendrix replaced Morris in the starting lineup and again displayed the ability to get good post position and an array of effective moves upon receipt of the ball. He could be a fine undersized four off the bench, though it should be noted that the bulk of his damage was done against Tiny Gallon and Sean Williams rather than the delightfully and ridiculously long-armed Larry Sanders.Jeff Teague bounced back nicely from his disappointing second game. At this point, it's best to concede that Teague isn't going to shoot jumpers in Summer League. His ability to get past his defender or split the defenders on the pick-and-roll keeps him going to the basket on a consistent basis. That the majority of pump fakes (this works regardless of who is pump faking) succeed in this setting takes care of most other instances. Again, Teague attacked without forcing things (for the most part) and his assist-to-turnover ratio improved to 5:3.Matched up against an NBA-quality defender (DeMarcus Nelson) for the first time, Jordan Crawford struggled to score as efficiently as he did in the first two games. The three-year age difference between Nelson and Crawford was visible on their similar frames. Nelson has filled out. Crawford hasn't yet. Despite struggling to score, Crawford again displayed good basketball instincts and is a very willing passer. His on-the-ball appears at least acceptable already though he tends to lose contact with his man when he doesn't have the ball.Look for more from me on Crawford later at ESPN.com.Trey Gilder would not be playing in Summer League if he could shoot. He's athletic, active, and aware but no defender need pay attention to him until he gets within 15 feet of the basket.Alade Aminu came alive late with a couple of impressive blocks (though he only got credit for one) and strong work on the offensive glass.James Augustine recovered quickly from his left ankle sprain and did James Augustine things: defending hard, rebounding hard, and fouling hard.Luke Jackson alternated sharp shooting with ambitious, unsuccessful passing.Sergiy Gladyr struggled again but his grasp of the motion offense the Hawks are trying to run looked stronger. That goes for the whole team, really.Jermareo Davidson got his most extended run of Summer League so far. He was active, not dissimilar to Aminu. I doubt he's a candidate to make the roster but he'd be a better use of minutes here than Randolph Morris.Landon Milbourne broke his Summer League duck late but still doesn't look comfortable at all out there.Pape Sy was listed as a DNP-CD but he didn't even participate in warmups so I suspect it was again the sore achilles that kept him on the bench.
WHO: Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee BucksTIP-OFF: 8:30pm EDTTV: Summer League BroadbandCHAT: Daily Dime LiveTWITTER: @hoopinionConsider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.
For accuracy's sake, I should have limited myself to the signings teams had announced on their official websites. Lottomatica Virtus Roma have felt the need to dispute their previously reported signing of Luke Jackson: Regarding some news outlets these days, especially on the Internet, Virtus denies any kind of interest in the player Luke Jackson.
My contribution to today's dime concerns Jeff Teague: Despite being an organization that prizes continuity, the Atlanta Hawks are set to introduce a new element in their attempt to improve their record for a sixth consecutive season. That element: Jeff Teague's speed. While it's unlikely new coach Larry Drew shares Mike Woodson's aversion to young guards, Teague's larger role has more to do with Drew inheriting the same problems Woodson faced with the backcourt. Mike Bibby is aging, Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford both need the ball a lot, and none of the three can effectively guard opposing point guards.
Recognizing his necessity to the coming season, the Hawks built their summer league team around Teague to the extent they didn't bring a backup point guard. His performance in carrying a load both heavier and different than he'll have in the regular season has been mixed.
On Monday night, Jeff Teague more than held his own against O.J. Mayo, simultaneously exhibiting aggression and sound decision-making while scoring 16 points and earning three assists (several potential assists failed to materialize when his teammates missed open shots). On Wednesday afternoon, Teague failed to exhibit the same control and was outplayed by D-Leaguer (granted, Spurs-affiliated D-Leaguer) Curtis Jerrells. He repeatedly forced things when he got in the lane, and although that got him to the line 12 times, it also led to nine turnovers, slightly offset by three assists, this time a fair representation of his playmaking.
Teague wasn't pleased with his play Wednesday. "I didn't have a good showing tonight. I'm glad we've got three more games. If this was our last game, I'd go home frustrated," he said. That Teague was looking forward to his next opportunity soon after a disappointing performance has to encourage the Hawks who, as Teague put it, "want me to go hard every day and work hard and get better."
Less encouraging might be that, through two games, Teague has scored 16 of his 31 points at the free throw line. With no one yet able to stay in front of him in Las Vegas, he's had little opportunity or reason to the hone the jump shot that figures to feature far more prominently in his game during the regular season. Teague's speed could be a solution to part of the team's perimeter defense problem, but it might also keep him from thriving alongside either Johnson or Crawford if he too is most effective with the ball in his hands. No matter how Larry Drew's half-court offense differs from Woodson's isolation-heavy, it's unlikely to be centered around Teague and he'll have to find other ways to score.
BoxscoreA fundamental question regarding the evaluation of Summer League play is what to do about the free throws. Get in the lane here and you'll likely get to the free throw line. I'm not sure that doing so has much relevance when projecting performance from Summer League to the regular season. Thus I suspect that Jordan Crawford scoring just 5 of his 20 points at the free throw line bodes better than Jeff Teague getting 11 of his 15 points at the line.Yet, as for the game itself, the Hawks, following a dreadful first half, got back into the game by getting to the free throw line. The free throws did exhibit a will to win of sorts even if they didn't impress. So, I'll credit Teague and Trey Gilder for their 15 second half free throw attempts while also acknowledging that Teague's 9 turnovers (as well as Curtis Jerrells's stat line) and Gilder's 6 fouls are probably the more telling stats.Crawford was encouraging again, scoring inside and out and showing impressive court vision. He got some time at the point with Pape Sy out due to a sore right achilles. Richard Hendrix and his nice collection of post moves impressed as well though Lester Conner found his inattention to detail on the full-court press offense troubling. Randolph Morris wasn't bad himself, scoring 11 points. It says something of the standard he's set for himself that a three foul, four turnover performance is noticeably above average.Alade Aminu failed to replicate his fine performance against Memphis, scoring 4 points on 5 shots, grabbing just 2 rebounds, and generally failing to impact the game. Luke Jackson couldn't match the energy he added Monday night in a longer appearance. Sergiy Gladyr missed all 5 of his field goal attempts and got shoved around pretty good when he tried to hit the defensive glass. James Augustine left early with a left ankle sprain.
WHO: Atlanta Hawks vs. San Antonio SpursTIP-OFF: 6:30pm EDTTV: ESPN3, Summer League BroadbandCHAT: Daily Dime LiveTWITTER: @hoopinionConsider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.
BoxscoreJeff Teague, matched up against OJ Mayo most of the night, looked good. He was aggressive while remaining under control and didn't really force anything until he committed the two late turnovers trying to create a bucket which would tie the game. The silver lining of those turnovers was his genuine disappointment in committing them. The disappointment did not primarily manifest itself as frustration. He appeared to know both that he made mistakes and he can do better. Teague's assist total reflects the shooters he found for open shots more than his passing acumen in this game.Jordan Crawford also encouraged against a decent level (for summer league) of competition. I'm no great admirer of Sam Young but after watching games wherein Toney Douglas and Garrett Temple were clearly the best players on the court, Crawford's nice work against an NBA rotation player shouldn't be dismissed. He generally looked to spot up off of Teague's dribble penetration but also looked positive when he put the ball on the floor whether creating for himself or teammates.Michael Cunningham got Jeff Teague to speak about playing with Jordan Crawford after the game.Like many (if not most) of the guys in Summer League, Sergiy Gladyr played sped up and his high level of effort overwhelmed his ability to execute. His stroke looked good, though. I'd like to see him get some minutes alongside Teague at some point this week.Pape Sy backed up Teague at the point. He struggled with ball pressure, thus the team struggled to get into their sets (such as they were, this is Summer League) with him on the floor. He showed good quickness whenever he got space but almost exclusively used that quickness to put his head down and drive into traffic. He appeared to turn his right ankle in the second half. After the game, it was iced and he was being careful not to put too much weight on it.Among players not under contract, Alade Aminu easily did the most to aid his own cause by displaying the requisite athleticism take advantage of his size. It's difficult to judge his defensive and rebounding aptitude in this setting but based on this one performance, one wouldn't begrudge him a roster spot if the Hawks feel they can afford to carry a non-veteran big man.Richard Hendrix and James Augustine both got off to slow starts (It wasn't until late in the third quarter that someone other than Teague, Crawford, Aminu, or Trey Gilder made a bucket.) but were on the court for and contributed to the fourth quarter rally. Unlikely as it is that the Hawks will learn anything new about Randolph Morris (0-4 FGA, 4 PF, 2 TO in 14:11) this week, I suspect the team would be better off seeing more of Hendrix (who gets great position on both ends from which to score or rebound from below the rim) and Augustine (who could be a useful fifth big man if he corrals his aggressiveness in the service of solid defense).Gilder showed that if he could make an open jump shot he wouldn't be in summer league. He's still a plausible backup for Marvin Williams if the team wants to add size on the wing.Luke Jackson is probably not a plausible backup to Marvin Williams, but his insertion into the game ignited the rally. Memphis hadn't had to worry about either Gilder or Landon Milbourne spotting up. Jackson's presence created some more space for Teague and Crawford to operate.
Jeff Teague will be the focal point. Jordan Crawford, Sergiy Gladyr, and Pape Sy will intrigue. Richard Hendrix, James Augustine, Jermareo Davidson, and Alade Aminu should each have a real chance to augment the frontcourt rotation this season. Trey Gilder and Landon Milbourne may be test cases as to whether or not the team recognizes the need for a backup small forward. Randolph Morris apparently has a chance to serve (again) as a redundant (though perhaps more importantly a bulky* and redundant) center and/or a manifestation of the organization's separation anxiety.*Does every public mention of the need for a big guy, a "true center," or someone "bulky" cause Zaza Pachulia pain?Jeff Teague: 2009-10 Season Review: Jeff Teague
Boxscore from the 82nd game, wherein Teague scored 24 points and earned 15 assists
Jordan Crawford: Pre-draft assessment of Jordan Crawford: "He scored at a higher rate last season than any other shooting guard in this draft and he and Andy Rautins are the only shooting guards (in this draft) to make more than half of their two-point attempts and over 37% of their three-point attempts last season. Factor in Crawford's age, athleticism, and his acceptable passing and ball-handling and you've got a reasonable NBA prospect."
Let's not forget in the disappointment of how picks 31 and 53 were used that Crawford was likely a good use of the 27th pick if perhaps slightly redundant from a short-term roster construction standpoint.
Post-draft assessment of Jordan Crawford, including more complete college stats.
Sergiy Gladyr: 2009-10 league stats
Pape Sy: all Hoopinion posts tagged "Pape Sy"
Michael Cunningham on Sy from this weekend's rookie camp: "Pape is legitimately 6-7 and quick with long arms. Those are the tools for a good defender and Pape also seems to have the tenacity for it. 'He’s a good defender,' L.D. said. 'Ask Jeff Teague. Took [the ball] from him. [Teague] got a little lackdasical with the ball and he just took it from him. He’s a gritty defender. He’s got good size, he’s got long arms and he’s got an aggression about him. You can’t be lax around him.'"
Don't expect either Gladyr or Sy to join the logjam in the backcourt this season. Dave Pendergraft: "Now is not the right time. We brought them over here to get experience. The game plan is for them to learn the system and get them some exposure to some NBA-level players.
[Spain] is a perfect place for [Gladyr]. It is a good league, arguably the second-best league in the world, and he gets to play."
Richard Hendrix: 2009-10 league stats
2008-09 D-League stats
DraftExpress on Hendrix (12/28/09): "He’s a brute force underneath the basket with his terrific body, huge hands and 7-3 wingspan. He’s not a terribly skilled offensive player but is regardless fairly effective around the paint, particularly with his back to the basket. His main virtues lie in his rebounding ability, as he boxes out opponents extremely well and does an excellent job pursuing loose balls with his soft hands and long arms. He is yet to develop much of a face-up game and still a liability from the free throw line, two things he must address as his career moves on, but is a highly efficient player (leading the ACB in field goal percentage) who understands his limitations and comes off as quite an intelligent and fundamentally sound player. Defensively, Hendrix is an undersized center who is effective guarding the post thanks to his strength, smarts and tenacity, but loses effectiveness the more he steps away from the basket."
James Augustine: 2009-10 league stats
career NBA stats
2006-07 D-League stats
2010 Orlando Summer League stats
Jermareo Davidson: 2009-10 league stats
career NBA stats
career D-League stats
2010 Orlando Summer League stats
Alade Aminu: 2009-10 D-League stats
Trey Gilder: career D-League stats
2010 Orlando Summer League stats
Landon Milbourne: 2009-10 college stats
Luke Jackson: 2009-10 league stats
career NBA stats
career D-League stats
Randolph Morris: 2009-10 Season Review: The End of the Bench
2008-09 Season Review: The End of the Bench
career NBA stats
My summer league roster analysis probably won't be finished today. Tiding you over...
There are some potentially useful players on here in addition to Jeff Teague (of whom we should see plenty as there is not another lead guard on the roster): Richard Hendrix and James Augustine foremost among those whose rights the Hawks do not own. The roster (as reported by Michael Cunningham) below. Analysis to follow in a subsequent post.Alade Aminu, F, 6-10, Georgia Tech (R)James Augustine, F, 6-10, Illinois (2)Jordan Crawford, G , 6-4, Xavier (R)Jermareo Davidson , F, 6-10, Alabama (2)Trey Gilder, F, 6-9, Northwestern State (1)Sergiy Gladyr, G, 6-5, Ukraine (R)Richard Hendrix, F, 6-9, Alabama (R)Luke Jackson, F/G, 6-7, Oregon (4)Landon Milbourne, F, 6-7, Maryland (R)Randolph Morris, C, 6-11, Kentucky (4)Pape Sy, G, 6-6, France (R)Jeff Teague, G, 6-2 Wake Forest (1)
There are two venues for the Vegas Summer League: COX Pavilion and The Thomas and Mack Center. The Hawks are playing all of their games in Thomas and Mack Center (surely in tribute to Stacey Augmon). NBA TV is only broadcasting the games played at COX Pavilion.
That's where Summer League Broadband may come in for Hawks fans. $14.95 for the full schedule* of summer league games live and an on demand game archive. Budget accordingly, if applicable. For those on the fence about shelling out to watch scrimmages, I'll be attending the first three summer league games and covering them in this space for the price of free. Definitely a get-what-you-pay-for scenario.*I've asked for confirmation that this package does include the games in COX Pavilion and will update once that is confirmed or disconfirmed.
UPDATE: confirmed
A few small items of note so far today:*The Hawks send out press releases?
I didn't get to sit and watch the summer league action yesterday (that'll have to wait until next week) but here are some notes of possible interest...James Augustine may play for the Hawks in Vegas. He's playing for the Jazz in Orlando and impressed Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside: Boy oh boy did I like Augustine's game (and semi-fro hair) today. When breaking down the Jazz Summer League roster, I opined that "If Augustine actually asserts himself, he moves up a couple of spots on my invisible ranking system of free agent power forwards - he's got good size, he's athletic and he knows how to play basketball. Unfortunately, he never really seems to put that all together." The 6-foot-10 big man put it together today, though, as he scored 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting while playing just over 21 minutes of action. He also had the highest +/- on the Jazz with +12 while rendering second round pick Jeremy Evans and RU favorite Rod Benson useless on the bench. If the unstoppably awkward lefty-hook is indeed part of his expanded arsenal and he's able to perform this well every game, I'd be surprised if he's not on an NBA roster next season.
I've always like Augustine as an end-of-the-rotation NBA big and would support his acquisition to be the fourth or fifth big in Atlanta next season should the Hawks fill out the roster with minimum salaries.Garret Siler continues to be huge, unproductive. He made one of two field goals for the summer Nets but grabbed just one rebound in 9:52. He's just too slow and grounded to compete against NBA players.PJ Tucker, second only to Nick Fazekas in my estimation and wonder about what might have been, is on the Charlotte team. He played just 1:56 yesterday but I'd like to see the Hawks bring him in as a possible defensive-minded 3/4 in the vein of Diamon Simpson.
Two-thirds of the way into Michael Cunningham's fine piece in the AJC about the franchise's abysmal drafting and player development record, I spotted this gem: The Hawks will have an entry in the Las Vegas Summer League this year. Teague, 2009 second-round pick Sergiy Gladyr and the player whom Atlanta drafts on Thursday all are expected to participate.
It will be great to get a first-hand look at Gladyr.
