SummerKings 75, SummerWizards 64

by Mike Prada on Jul 11, 2007 1:18 AM EDT in Recaps

So the SummerWizards dropped their first summer league contest to the SummerKings 75-64 earlier today, and didn't look very good doing it. With the exception of one nice stretch in the third quarter, the SummerWizards trailed the entire game, and they were outscored 23-8 in the fourth quarter. The Kings took the lead on a fast break dunk by Justin Williams and never looked back.

Only one of the Summer League Big 3 impressed me at all. Dominic McGuire looked fantastic, and I really wish he shot more than 6 shots. He looked like he could defend the wing, particularly when matched up with Francisco Garcia. He also can really board on both ends, and I was also impressed at his ability to finish in traffic. In short, I can guarantee you that he gets some burn this season as a backup to Caron. 25 minutes and 6 shots isn't enough for this guy.

The two marquee players, Nick Young and O-Pec, really struggled. Young shot only 3-11 from the field, but while he missed open shots I know he can make, he also demonstrated some of the concerns scouts had about him. It seemed like he wasn't engaged unless he had the ball, as he struggled defensively and only grabbed one rebound. I also noticed he hung his head a lot, and stopped taking the ball to the basket after a certain point. I hope he isn't this easily rattled in the future.

O-Pec had a couple nice plays, but missed all his jumpers and was beaten numerous times on the glass. It really didn't seem like he was willing to mix it up inside.

Beyond the Big 3, the only guy that really stood out to me was Danilo Pinnock. I liked his athleticism on both ends of the court, and I could totally see him taking Donnell Taylor's spot.

To be totally fair, we're talking about summer league here. Not only that, but we're also talking about a really weak summer league roster. Most teams have at least one guy with legitimate NBA experience. Sacramento had Francisco Garcia, Justin Williams, and Quincy Douby on their roster, for example. But this Wizards roster has a couple rookies and a bunch of guys from the scrap heap. It really did show today with their ragged offense.

Dave from Blazers Edge was in attendance and sent me this postgame report.

--Nick Young looked like he could get his shot off, but hitting it was another matter. Maybe it was an off day for him. For some reason he seems small to me. I think he CAN elevate but he doesn't seem to on most of his jumpers. That will get his shot blocked in the league. I assume he'll adjust but I'm curious how accurate he'll be from outside in the short term.

--Oleksiy Pecherov is not what I'd call a banger. He seemed to be able to hit the outside shot when given space but his release is really s...l...o...w. He has a nice enough first step on offense but that didn't seem to translate into guarding quick guys on the perimeter on defense. When he he defended inside thought it seemed like the old "stay in front of the big man, throw your arms up at the last moment, and pray" routine. He looks like a tweener to me...not big or physical enough to defend inside but not quick enough to defend outside. That said he has fundamentals and seemed to know where he should be on the court.

--Dominic McGuire looked really impressive in this game. Obviously you saw the offensive production inside and out. He seemed more athletic than most everyone on the floor today. He looks like he can stay with people on the perimeter, which is where they had him defending today. He stayed in front of quicker guys. He got a couple of bogus interior fouls called while defending drives too. That's what happens in Summer League. All of these speed demons get automatic whistles every time their feet hit the lane. It'll be different in the actual games. McGuire rebounded too. I like him from what I saw.

The next game is tomorrow against Rodney Stuckey and the SummerPistons. Tip time is 6 PM Eastern.

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On McGuire

Like everyone else I was blown away by his performance yesterday, I mean you hear it a lot but he's a very athletic player and on top of that he doesn't seem to make the mental errors that some "athletic" players make from time to time. He should be a great fit for the Wizards and provide defense and intangibles off of the bench but let's not rush to draw up a bunch of plays for him. While he probably should have had more shots yesterday, the point of the matter is he only averaged 14 ppg in the WAC last year, so I'm guessing he probably isn't the most gifted offensive player the Wizards have available. But as long as he capitalizes on the opportunities that he gets to score, he'll be fine.

The four branches of American government: -legislative -executive -judicial -Gilbert Arenas

by Jake Whitacre on Jul 11, 2007 7:17 AM EDT reply actions

Summer League

To draw conclusions from ONE, (1) Summer League, SUMMER LEAGUE game to me is amazing...the only thing I look for from Summer League games is that no one gets hurt and what type of physical ability a player I have never seen before, has...That's it...Saying that, McGuire and Young physically look like upgrades over the back end of the Wizards Roster from last year.

by LoneWiz54 on Jul 11, 2007 8:36 AM EDT reply actions