Yeah, he's as good as advertised. John Wall leads Wizards to a win in Summer League opener
by Mike Prada on Jul 11, 2010 11:25 PM EDT
in Recaps
Email
PrintIt took a while for John Wall to calm the obvious nerves he had entering tonight's game against the Warriors. His very first play ended in a turnover. His first jump shot bricked high off the backboard and ricocheted out to the three-point line. Not exactly the most impressive first four minutes by any stretch.
Sam Cassell noticed the nerves too. The Wizards' assistant coach didn't lie, basically admitting to reporters that Wall was a bit overwhelmed at the start. In response, Cassell kept checking in with Wall at nearly every dead ball, staying in his ear and just making sure Wall was calm.
"[I told him to] relax," Cassell said. "In the second quarter, he relaxed and just played basketball. He understood that the game doesn't change. The competition gets better, but the game doesn't really change."
Wall eventually did relax, and once he did, his game arrived. He scored 24 points and had eight assists, showcasing both his spectacular athleticism in the open floor and his much-improved mid-range jump shot. He also was a constant pest defensively and was able to set up many of his teammates - most notably JaVale McGee - for some easy shots.
"When you consider everything - the atmosphere, the first game - to come out and play like he did [was great]," Flip Saunders said afterwards. "I thought he settled down a lot more in the second half and made some good instinctive plays."
Other stuff:
- JaVale McGee had a great line tonight, scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. He still was caught out of position a lot, especially early on, but he also was incredibly active on both ends of the floor. Sure, Wall set him up with some nice easy lobs, but McGee was also doing a great job of rolling down the lane and making himself available. Getting all those dunks also really energized him, especially late in the game. All in all, he played well.
- Trevor Booker struggled a lot early on trying to find his niche. I think he wasn't quite sure whether to play more inside or hang on the perimeter. However, he got it going a lot more in the fourth quarter and finished with a respectable eight points and seven rebounds. He also had a vicious swat in the fourth quarter that had press row buzzing.
- Along those lines, I'm hoping to see the Wizards run more sets with McGee in the high post and Booker in the low post. They did it a little early on, but went away from it. With Booker's ability to finish inside, I think it'd be a good way to use his skills.
- I sat down with Cartier Martin after the game, so I'll talk more about him later. In general, I liked his effort, though his shot wasn't on today. Neither he nor Cassell would admit it, but I think the Wizards are really taking a close look at him at small forward. They both know.
- Hamady Ndiaye also impressed me today, particularly with his defense. I figured he'd be little more than a long shotblocker like JaVale, but he's really much more than that. He's got really quick feet, always knows where he needs to be defensively and is always talking to people making sure they're in the right spots. He played only eight and a half minutes for some reason, but I don't think I saw one defensive mistake out of him.
- The only so-so part tonight was how the Wizards defended Reggie Williams, who went off for 34 points. To be fair, Williams deserves a ton of credit, and he's rapidly emerging into a young guy we should watch. But the Wizards also allowed him to go left too often and left him open in transition for too many threes.
- I know you guys probably don't care, but the press scrum around Wall was insane. It was so big that I probably wasn't able to get as much of his voice onto my recorder as I would have liked. My bad folks.
168 comments
|
1 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Nice, nice, nice
His game was by no means perfect, but you could really see how he could develop the ability to dominate games in big stretches through not only his passing and scoring, but possibly his defense. He didn’t play a a great defensive game, but he was active. All in all, he looked great, really great, and it’s hard to not be excited about this kid. Just keeping thinking, “He’s only 19, he’s only 19….”
McGee
You say McGee “still was caught out of position a lot”. This statement has now become urban folklore.
How many times was he actually caught out of position? I thought it was only 3-4 times, compared to 15 a game in prior years, but it’s hard to tell on TV.
Seemed like it happened every other play early on at least
He also was doing a lot of running out on three-point shooters (though a couple times that guy was his man).
I’m anxious about how the guard play will look like behind Gil and Wall from the 1 & 2 spot’s as the summer progresses. The one thing that stood out for me about John is how quick he change’s direction. It’ll be fun to see how much of a problem he causes for guys not quick enough to guard him in the front court. I like this Jerome Randel kid and I wonder how much of a chance he has either with us or another considering his lack of size?
by purpleonblack86 on Jul 12, 2010 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions
Trade Arenas for Michael Redd ???
I heard Redd is upset they resigned Salmons and feel they don’t need him anymore.
Oh and in other news the Suns is about to acquire Childress and Turkoglu…
I wouldn't mind it
only if Redd didn’t have a bad knee or is it knees?
but I’m really pulling for Redd, he somewhat reminds me of Arenas and how he was a 2nd round pick and all. He was at that cusp of becoming an All-star type player when he got injured…
I thought about this the other day
It would be a good option if Ernie decides to dump Gil’s salary considering Redd’s deal is set to expire and he could bring some talent back in a deal. Redd’s actually an underrated defender too IMO
Why would the Bucks do it?
It doesn’t make sense for a team that has committed to give big backcourt minutes to Jennings and Salmons to take on four years of Gil…
Meanwhile, forget the Josh Childress rumors.
And none of this matters when you keep what Wall did last night in your minds eye… that and the new wider bodied and maturing JVM… that ya gotta like.
What did you think about the also-rans?
Morgan, Randle, etc.
We're from the city with the highest murder rate in the country. Why WOULDN'T they call us the Bullets?
by Bullet Nation in Exile on Jul 12, 2010 12:10 AM EDT reply actions
That’s a good assessment but it’s something about Randle that makes me want too root for him but not necessarily apart of our team. It must be the undersized/underdog thing.
by purpleonblack86 on Jul 12, 2010 12:42 AM EDT up reply actions
Morgan Looked Good!
He seems like he could be an elite defender, get some rebounds and finish at the rim. He can’t shoot a lick, which will make it tough for him to stick with this (or any) team. But otherwise, I was impressed.
Bullets fan stuck in CO.
Yeah, Randle had a few nice moments, but jacked up too many for my liking...
Lester the Molester?
We're from the city with the highest murder rate in the country. Why WOULDN'T they call us the Bullets?
by Bullet Nation in Exile on Jul 12, 2010 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions
One thing i like a lot about John
is his character and love for the game. He gets excited when he makes a good play but he doesnt do the LeBron snarl type thing that annoys you. He also actually has some personality unlike DRose.
But what I like the most is that f**king spin move..gawwwwd….I know he got blocked but he has a great spin
Wall’s definitely got a twinkle toes in him.
by purpleonblack86 on Jul 12, 2010 12:39 AM EDT up reply actions
This game was incredibly encouraging
Of course its only one game, but it really bolstered my confidence in JaVale. I hope he gets starting minutes next year. Wall was great, but the turnovers really hurt him. That’s the one part of his game that I’m a little worried about. He had a pretty bad assist/turnover ratio at Kentucky, so this wasn’t an anomalous performance. But he’s young, and hopefully that will improve; it has to if he wants to be considered one of the absolute best point guards in the league.
Still not convinced on Javale...
I wanna see him defend a quality post player and see how he does…
but he’s dunks on offense could really help the team emotionally during games!
and sometimes that’s all it takes to win
I’ve given up on JaVale (thinking he can be a legit NBA starter). Still think he’ll be a valuable back-up, a spark off the bench… But he just doesn’t have the endurance or strength to guard other centers for 30 minutes a night. He never will.
We need a starting center. No way we make the playoffs with JaVale McGee our starting center. I’d take the extremely undersized DeJuan Blair over JaVale any day.
My swag was phenomenal.
Wizards are rebuilding
and you’re giving up on a 7ft atheltic 23yr old? I think it’s a little premature to jump the ship with JaVale and to say he will never have endurance or strength to guard centers. He didn’t seem to make much progress last year, but if that’s all your basing your reasoning on then thats not very strong.
Thank you
This time I didn’t have to say it.
Agreed... Don't give up on JaVale.
It took Jermaine Oniel several years to reach his level of dominance. Very few 7 footers have his speed and athleticism. He’s the perfect center for a speedy guard like Wall. I think his defense will improve with more playing time. Not to mention, a lot of centers in this league are not scorers so I think he won’t be a liability for us on defense.
by LiveByMySword on Jul 12, 2010 8:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Javale's gonna be good
He’ll be decent this year, then continue to improve. I don’t know how good he’ll become, but I think you should postpone giving up on him. Remember that a lot of people gave up on Blatche last summer.
Was just looking at the Washington Post's Unsigned FA list
and noticed a 23 year old unrestricted FA 6’11" Center named Ian Mahinmi (played the past 2 years with Spurs- originally from France). Literally know nothing about him, other than what I gathered from some web searches-
seems like a nice kid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z13XtqLNFhs
who has some talent from this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcggbD8EpAM&feature=related
Just a thought, but with Saraphin another French project on his way, perhaps it makes sense to look into Mahinmi as another big body (one who practiced against Tim Duncan) who probably won’t command top $ to add to the mix?
Mahinmi is considered something of a sleeper talent.
He has a lot of ability, but he’s been slowed by injury the last few years. He was excellent when the Spurs assigned him to the D-League, but that was three years ago now.
Ridiculous Upside, where developing talent and winning are not mutually exclusive.
Guarding Reggie Williams
Am I crazy, or was Wall defending Williams a fair amount? If I’m right, it seemed like an odd decision to me given that Williams has a couple of inches on him and is a smart scorer.
Ridiculous Upside, where developing talent and winning are not mutually exclusive.
Only early on, when Randle and Wall were playing together
Otherwise, it was mostly Morgan and Martin.
Wall was giving me flashbacks of Arenas out there
Lightening quick, kind of out of control…obviously looking to get others involved but always first looking for possible lanes to the hoop.
I basically buy the argument that there’s no reason to presume a Wall-Arenas backcourt can’t work on principle, given the success of the Arenas-Hughes duo. But then again, I don’t think Hughes and Arenas were quite this similar. Larry was great at driving and slashing and could take turns handling the ball, but he didn’t need to be in consistent “attack mode” in the same way as Wall and Arenas.
I’m just having a hard time visualizing what Arenas would have been like on the court today while Wall was doing his thing…
The offense will look great with Wall and Arenas in there. However add on top of that McGee starting and this team looks like they will have a very tough time allowing under 100 a game. But maybe we can just sore 115 every game and everyone will be happy.
"However, the true greatness of the Ravens’ line lies in their malevolence, led by right end Haloti Ngata. Simply put, Ngata can’t be blocked by mere mortals. He is not a product of the human species. He is really a creation of a building contractor, made of cinderblocks and some type of flesh-like covering. Throw in Kelly Gregg at nose tackle and behemoth rookie Terrence Cody and you have something truly frightening."
Especially on the heels of seeing how well Cleveland's coddling to LeBron worked
One thing I’m concerned about is how Wizards coaches and management keeps fawning over Wall. Everything he does is perfect, he’s wonderful, “he’s from Heaven,” in Flip’s words. Now, I have no problem if in public they are complimentary, but in private and on the floor they are critical and pushing him to be better. (And unlike LeBron, Wall seems like a kid that would want to be criticized and pushed.)
Mike, could you comment on what you saw during the game, and maybe keep an eye on this going forward? Was Wall getting the necessary critical instruction that will help him be great?
Interesting point.
It does seem like he’ accepts coaching – even that the coaches enjoy coaching him – from what I’ve read so far, but Mike if you can keep reporting on this it would be great. Also, loved the inside dish on the journalist scrum around Wall. Thanks.
d
Good question!
There is much to learn from the LeBron fiasco.
I wouldn't be too concerned
At least until his boys start getting jobs and rides on the team plane.
If you're talking about in-game instruction
Those guys are all over John. Sam Cassell must have talked to him like 30 times, and right after the game, as the media scrum nearly surrounded him, Flip Saunders pulled Wall aside for about three minutes to give him some tips of his own. I think that, if anything, they’re pushing him harder than anyone else.
If you’re talking about off-court – I can see the concern. Certainly, they’re talking him up like crazy to the press (Flip said he could be the best all-around PG in the league), and it’s natural to be concerned that it’s getting to his head. I definitely think the organization, from ownership down to the coaches, are really selling him as a franchise savior publicly as a way to generate buzz and excitement around the team.
I’m hoping the former balances out the latter, but I guess we’ll see going forward.
I don't think we need to worry too much
After all, LeBron’s ego is not the typical NBA player’s. I’m sure players like Chris Paul and Deron Williams have faced similar amounts of hype as John Wall is now, and neither has become an egomaniac like James (if Chris Paul does end up leaving NO, it has more to do with the stingy ownership than Paul himself). Plus, Wall has given great interviews that have convinced me that he’s grounded and rational. Sure, he wants to be the best, like every great athlete, but he knows he’s got some work to do to get there. He just doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who can get lost in his own hype. Finally, you could choose a worse coaching staff to break Wall in than Flip Saunders and Sam Cassell; I don’t get the impression that Mike Brown ever really had too much control over the Cavs, and Leonsis has great charisma and experience with a highly hyped superstar in Ovechkin, qualities that make him qualified to deal with the hype surrounding Wall. I think there are definitely some reasons to have a little anxiety about Wall and his development, but Wall’s ego isn’t a big concern of mine right now.
"I'm George. George McFly. I'm your density... I mean, your destiny."
by mr. 91 on Jul 12, 2010 6:28 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Sorry, I should have inserted some paragraph breaks in this monstrosity
"I'm George. George McFly. I'm your density... I mean, your destiny."
by mr. 91 on Jul 12, 2010 6:43 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Sorry if that comment doesn't belong here.
Just went over to Mike’s site to see his take on the game.
Mike Jones
only launched that page as a resume after he got axed by the times. He’s now got a paying gig. Too bad it’s not running the Post’s blog.
Mahinmi, AFAIK, is being chased by Dallas. He may even have had an offer this morning. It looks like the Wizards will lose out on Childress—and now even Josh Howard is being mentioned in FA talks. The Hinrich trade, ironically, may have freed up Chicago to make him an offer. Our problem remains Arenas’ contract. It’s literally a franchise-killer—and after watching last night’s game, I really can’t see how two players with such similar playing styles and physical attributes can possibly share a back-court anyway. Arenas needs to go ASAP and by whatever means necessary. The team can’t even pretend to play defense as long as he’s a starter.
One player nobody here mentioned is Lester Hudson. He looks to me like a Quentin Ross who can play some point and actually shoot.
I don’t see Cartier Martin at SF. Or much of anything, really. But I love being wrong.
Definitely dont think he will be a long term solution
but will probably share time with Thornton until JHo is up to par. We will probably end up re-signing Howard since there aren’t too many other options at this point.
by TheRealBigMike on Jul 12, 2010 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Hello Wizards Fans
I’ve officially jumped off the Cleveland bandwagon and decided to go a little closer to my home-town for basketball. I’m now a Wizards fan. So what do you guys think about John Wall? Is he looking good in the summer league?
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
No
During all of this drama I’ve realized that LeBron is a humongous douche..
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 12:16 PM EDT up reply actions
Ha ha ha you're just realizing that?
Well welcome aboard anyway. Glad to have you.
But I think your personality judging skills should be on probation for a while.
I've always thought Kobe was a douche too
So I think that’s a plus.
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions
I think that
He should’ve learned how to stay with a team for longer than 2 years.
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Please stick with LeBron.
"However, the true greatness of the Ravens’ line lies in their malevolence, led by right end Haloti Ngata. Simply put, Ngata can’t be blocked by mere mortals. He is not a product of the human species. He is really a creation of a building contractor, made of cinderblocks and some type of flesh-like covering. Throw in Kelly Gregg at nose tackle and behemoth rookie Terrence Cody and you have something truly frightening."
welcome! hes a keeper. should be very solid if not spectacular! fun to watch ;-)
by les boulez bomber on Jul 12, 2010 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions
from what I've heard
He has kobe-like abilities, any truth to that?
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions
kobe works harder than just about anyone in the league and has for 10 years. if john wall does that, then he might be just as special
by les boulez bomber on Jul 12, 2010 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Let's hope he does
Because I would like to see some wins this year.
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Because I would like to see some wins this year.
You may have just picked the wrong team to root for.
by MR on Jul 12, 2010 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh, I know that we...erm... aren't the best....
But I’ve learned patience for losing teams (See the orioles) And anything can happen, Look at the Cincinnati Bengals last year, they went from bottom of the league almost, to top of the AFC North.
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions
That's funny, because I'm now on the Cleveland bandwagon
There won’t be many people who will be cheering for the Cavs to do well this season harder than I will.
Yes, I hate LeKing that much.
My swag was phenomenal.
Thanks man
I don’t care about the backlash, I decided I might as well get most of my teams in Baltimore-DC area anyways,and I have always rooted for the Wizards. Hey you were one of the founders of SBNation weren’t you?
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions
Hah I wish
Nah I’ve been on board since 06 doing this, and now I’m also doing NBA stuff for SBNation.com and heading SB Nation DC.
I was just wondering
Because I was looking at your profile page, and you have a UID for almost every blog you are on.
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Former Cavs fan?
Banned.
Philly’s pretty close to Baltimore. Try your luck there.
by disgrunted on Jul 12, 2010 9:23 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
No My dad's
A 76’ers fan , since he came from Philly, I always thought they sucked. And I didn’t really feel anything when I was a Cav’s fan, but I always found myself rooting for the Wizards secretly.
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 9:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Our tent has plenty of room, I should think!
The more the merrier and all that…
Besides
I like the Orioles and Ravens, so I figured why not just get my Basketball team near the same area?
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 9:33 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah anyone from B-more is welcome
Still trying to find a bar in Charm City to watch with other wiz fans.
Yet to have any luck.
shine like bald head, smoke trees call me log head
Shouldn’t you be a Bobcats fan, they seem closer to Carolina than the Wizards are.
"However, the true greatness of the Ravens’ line lies in their malevolence, led by right end Haloti Ngata. Simply put, Ngata can’t be blocked by mere mortals. He is not a product of the human species. He is really a creation of a building contractor, made of cinderblocks and some type of flesh-like covering. Throw in Kelly Gregg at nose tackle and behemoth rookie Terrence Cody and you have something truly frightening."
Not Really
I lived in Baltimore until I was 8. So I’ve always liked teams from up there. But SInce I’ve moved down here, I’ve never really liked the Bobcats. I just don’t feel the magic when they play like when my other teams do like the Ravens, Orioles, and Hurricanes.
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Well you better start getting to know this team if you want to act like a fan. As of right now doesn’t seem like you even know anything about John Wall. But he is a monster if you care. Don’t go as far as saying he has Kobe like abilities. Kobe can drop 40 at any time where as Wall will probably have very few 40 point games in his career.
"However, the true greatness of the Ravens’ line lies in their malevolence, led by right end Haloti Ngata. Simply put, Ngata can’t be blocked by mere mortals. He is not a product of the human species. He is really a creation of a building contractor, made of cinderblocks and some type of flesh-like covering. Throw in Kelly Gregg at nose tackle and behemoth rookie Terrence Cody and you have something truly frightening."
I watched him play in Kentucky a couple of times
And I liked what I saw from him, I can tell he’s going to be an impact player right away. And I knew Arenas (Until you know……..) and the Cav’s ripped you guys off for Antawn Jamison. That’s all I know about the Wizards from last year…..
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd rec that ten times if I could!
In fact, I think the AJ acquisition was the last nail in the coffin for Lebron’s tenure in Cleveland!
So….. You’re welcome Cleveland!
MWaaahahahahahahahahah! Antawn Jamison and a Bunch of Stiffs! The IRONY!!!!
(not that I don’t feel bad for Cleveland fans – but they became about as douche-ish as their queen)
and now they are crying on national TV
mwuahahahahaha im with you Jones-y…the Cleveland fans can rot. I love John Wall but i wont spit on the 76ers because Evan Turner sucks. I wont spit on any other team in the league for that matter….besides Cleveland. Have fun at the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
You know what's even funnier???
Larry Hughes was the first in that long line of personnel blunders!
Lol seriously, no John Wall bandwagon with the Miami-Wade County All-Stars
We're from the city with the highest murder rate in the country. Why WOULDN'T they call us the Bullets?
by Bullet Nation in Exile on Jul 12, 2010 2:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I was just kidding.
But you are going to need to do some penance, I think, for your years rooting for the evil empire and LeBaby. Like 20 pushups everytime we tell you to, or something more creative that I’m sure someone on this blog will suggest.
Listen to an entire Soulja Boy album, perhaps?
"Guess you guys aren't ready for that yet... but trust me, you're gonna love it." ~Marty McFly
That's way too harsh of a punishment
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Start with an Abe Lincoln neck tat...
… temporary tattoos are acceptable.
by dgackey on Jul 12, 2010 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
It was only one year
I didn’t turn into a worshiper of LeBron like other fans did.
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Liked what I saw out of Booker. I agree that he looked lost at times and was not too sure what position he wanted to play. However, he was putting a body on guys and that block was vicious.
"However, the true greatness of the Ravens’ line lies in their malevolence, led by right end Haloti Ngata. Simply put, Ngata can’t be blocked by mere mortals. He is not a product of the human species. He is really a creation of a building contractor, made of cinderblocks and some type of flesh-like covering. Throw in Kelly Gregg at nose tackle and behemoth rookie Terrence Cody and you have something truly frightening."
Agreed
I thought he showed some great tools. Pretty active defensively, and it was nice to see him both attack the basket (he got a nice dunk and a foul) and hit a 20 foot jumper.
Gotta give the man credit for going 4/4 for 9 points. It might actually be a good thing that he was shifting between the paint and the wing because we could use Booker in many different ways as a mismatch on a #3 or body on a 4. Should be a good player for us.
"However, the true greatness of the Ravens’ line lies in their malevolence, led by right end Haloti Ngata. Simply put, Ngata can’t be blocked by mere mortals. He is not a product of the human species. He is really a creation of a building contractor, made of cinderblocks and some type of flesh-like covering. Throw in Kelly Gregg at nose tackle and behemoth rookie Terrence Cody and you have something truly frightening."
I thought Booker looked great.
I don’t recall 2 of his shots (probably putbacks?) but he attacked the basket nicely one time and hit a nice open jumper the other. He seemed to play hard D.
I could see him at SF eventually.
I wouldn’t say he is going to be a pure SF, but will be a nice guy to bring into rotation on certain. Only reason he will never be a SF is because he does not have an outside game too much. Can hit down the jumper here and there, but not exactly what I think this team is looking for at the 3. He will most likely be an undersized 4 throughout his career, but he has shown that it hasn’t been a problem so far.
"However, the true greatness of the Ravens’ line lies in their malevolence, led by right end Haloti Ngata. Simply put, Ngata can’t be blocked by mere mortals. He is not a product of the human species. He is really a creation of a building contractor, made of cinderblocks and some type of flesh-like covering. Throw in Kelly Gregg at nose tackle and behemoth rookie Terrence Cody and you have something truly frightening."
Speed
I know there have been more than a couple of sarcastic jokes on here about Michael Lee’s article on his speed, but he really IS fast. A few times he really stood out getting back on D, because he was moving with the speed of a guard in a much bigger body.
And honestly, after watching some of our project bigs loaf up and down the court the last few years, it was nice watching a young guy with a real motor.
by mfish on Jul 12, 2010 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I thought Javale revved the motor tonight...Wall really energized him.
We're from the city with the highest murder rate in the country. Why WOULDN'T they call us the Bullets?
by Bullet Nation in Exile on Jul 12, 2010 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Good to see summer league back
I always enjoy it. But man, I always forget how lousy the officiating is. Makes you actually appreciate the regular season refs. McHale couldn’t help himself by slamming a bunch of the calls.
Like someone stated in the open thread yesterday. “Female Ref?!?”
"However, the true greatness of the Ravens’ line lies in their malevolence, led by right end Haloti Ngata. Simply put, Ngata can’t be blocked by mere mortals. He is not a product of the human species. He is really a creation of a building contractor, made of cinderblocks and some type of flesh-like covering. Throw in Kelly Gregg at nose tackle and behemoth rookie Terrence Cody and you have something truly frightening."
lousy … u mean just like the playoffs!
by les boulez bomber on Jul 12, 2010 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Any chance we see Young tonight?
I would like to get a look at him and Wall in the backcourt.
"However, the true greatness of the Ravens’ line lies in their malevolence, led by right end Haloti Ngata. Simply put, Ngata can’t be blocked by mere mortals. He is not a product of the human species. He is really a creation of a building contractor, made of cinderblocks and some type of flesh-like covering. Throw in Kelly Gregg at nose tackle and behemoth rookie Terrence Cody and you have something truly frightening."
Why is NY playing?
What can he possibly get from this? He needs to work on coming in and being very effective offensively/defensively for 20 minutes. Having him try to be the main scorer in summer league does not prepare him for the season at all. He needs to learn how to be effective without having everything run through him and where he’s the #3 or 4 option on O. I’d rather give those minutes to Martin.
by BayAreaBullet on Jul 12, 2010 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah.
I don’t see how playing basketball could help prepare him for playing basketball.
Well we know he can score alot of points as the focal point of a summer league team
How does this help him for the season? It’s like if they had Javale shooting 3’s all summer league. What NY hasn’t shown is that he can come off the bench with any consistency. I’m not sure him being one of the oldest(NBA years) guys at Summer League will really do much to prepare him for his role this season. But then again if your trying to showcase him for a trade……
by BayAreaBullet on Jul 12, 2010 4:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Here's how it helps:
He gets a feel for his new point guard and other new teammates. And he gets more reps running the team’s offensive and defensive sets…
But besides all that, its not like it can hurt (unless he… ummm… nevermind). What exactly should he be doing with this time that would better prepare him for the season?
by jones-y on Jul 12, 2010 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Working out with established vets instead of beating up on inferior/inexperienced players
How many 4th year players play in Summer League? Is the whole league stupid for not making every player play there? Do you think thats the only way to work on their game? It’s not like Vet’s aren’t improving each year just because they don’t get to play in summer league. I’d rather see him playing with established NBA players in DC or LA where his role will be similar to what he will do this season. I get your point I just don’t feel it will be as helpful for him as structured workouts or playing with/against better competition.
by BayAreaBullet on Jul 12, 2010 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Fair enough.
I understand where you’re coming from, but how do you know he hasn’t spent the offseason until now doing just what you recommend? Summer League is not all summer. How do you know he won’t return to (or begin) doing what you suggest after summer league? Won’t it help him to get some PT with Wall? Maybe the coaching staff wants to evaluate that duo on the court together?
I assume he is/has been doing that stuff
I just think it would be better to continue doing that stuff but I acknowledge your point about Wall. Maybe I’m giving him too much credit but I think he’s advanced to the point where he isn’t going to gain much from Summer League. I think him working out with Arenas, Hinrich and Thornton would be better. Or running with BAron Davis and other accomplished LA guys where hes guarding better guys and learning to be effective where hes the 7th or 8th best guy on the court. I respect and understand your point though.
by BayAreaBullet on Jul 12, 2010 5:03 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
And I yours. I guess I’m just really trying not to read too much into his presence in SL… I would imagine that he discussed it with the coaching staff, and that they all either decided it was a good idea, or at the very least it wouldn’t hurt.
i think it is a subtle nudge by the coaching staff and team that he is not there. and they view him more as a summer league talent with a year to improve before his contract is up. plus it is a chance to play with wall before the season because once training camp starts, it will be gil and wall together.
by les boulez bomber on Jul 12, 2010 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe it's not for Young, maybe it's for Wall.
Give him a good perimeter player to keep feeding. Prepare him to play with Gilbert.
Was the NBA Network blacked out for anyone else?
I would’ve watched it on CSN anyway, but NBATV wasn’t working for me. Then, once the game was over, it was back on.
I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE!
by OleksiyPecherovsHomeboy on Jul 12, 2010 12:56 PM EDT reply actions
And a swap of MIA and MN first rounders...
That should be pretty significant…and Kahn acquires ANOTHER SF
We're from the city with the highest murder rate in the country. Why WOULDN'T they call us the Bullets?
by Bullet Nation in Exile on Jul 12, 2010 3:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Wait...
You mean Miami has a (all but guaranteed) lottery pick next year? No f-ing fair…
not sure the details of the bosh trade. tor gets 2 in the next five years. dont know if they can pick em or not?
by les boulez bomber on Jul 12, 2010 8:33 PM EDT up reply actions
i dont think yi meant anything to us other than a roster spot for free with the hope something develops.
by les boulez bomber on Jul 12, 2010 8:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Evans is a 6-6 monster...
Evans is more Bron type…a bully
Wall is more comparable to DRose and Rondo
can anyone tell me how evans has actually been doing in the summer league?
have not heard much of him since the draft.
not that well in the first game. word was he was slow and people got around him easily
by les boulez bomber on Jul 12, 2010 2:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Minny aquired Beasley for a 2nd round pick
This was a dumbass move since they now have 10,000 and 1 forwards but the point here is would you rather have Beasley or Yi Jianlian
John Wall "Get me assists, Get me assists"
JaVale McGee seemed to the be primary benefactor of Wall’s dishes, with the two connecting for three alley-oop dunks, which looked so simple as Wall just tossed the ball near the rim and let McGee do the rest. The rest of the time, Wall was yelling to his teammates, “Get me assists. Get me assists.”
Love this guy already. Gilbert would be saying “get me points, get me points”
Assists don’t happen without points. All Gil wants to do is win. His perceived “selfish” desire for points is ridiculous. He works harder than anyone else on the team… and that type of work ethic would be a great example for Wall. Toxic effect my ass.
My swag was phenomenal.
by se7en on Jul 12, 2010 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
How about 23 and 7 per game? Is that toxic? And you can’t blame 26 wins on Gil. His punishment didn’t fit the crime, and he only played 32 games.
My swag was phenomenal.
23 and 7. Sweet shooting percentage, turnovers, and defense....lol
Doesn’t matter. They both dominate the ball.
You can’t ask some guy who has created off the dribble his entire LIFE to become some sort of off the ball guard, especially one of Gil’s ego.
And if he works harder than anyone on the team. Why is he the worst defender in the league? He never rotates, always gambles in the passing lanes, and is never committed to on the ball defense?
Tell me Mr se7en? That is the ultimate commitment to winning. explain? Maybe he will magical become unselfish?
I am excited
About the prospect of having dual point guards in the back court.
Obviosuly, Gil is somewhat a combo guard, but make no mistake, he has good handles and is a good passer. We need to be a fast break team. Having two point guards on the floor at all time will only help. In the half court, Gilbert can take some pressure off of Wall, while being a shooting outlet for him as well. Wall and Gilbert will both be able to get theirs in the half court. But we will always have a top flight point guard leading the break, even if Wall or Gilbert start the break by a rebound. And if they are both running, the speed game will be dangerous. Someone will be open. We need to be 5 seconds or less, not even 7. We need to make the Suns look slow.
dual point guards have never worked
there is a reason why there are 5 unique positions.
bball 101.
if gill turns into ray allen catch and shoot all day. Then I’m down.
If not, then it’s gonna be ball hog disruption offense all season.
Trust me. I know all.
No you don't
It worked for the Bad Boy Pistons (Isiah and Dumars). It works for the Spurs (Parker and Manu). It worked for the 1973 Knicks (Frazier and Monroe). It worked for the 70s Celtics (Don Chaney and Jo-Jo White).
Your trollness does crack me up though.
Also
Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge for the ’80s Celtics, Magic and Norm Nixon for the 1980 Lakers.
West and Goodrich on the early 70s Lakers
Part of Pech's Posse since 2007.
by OleksiyPecherovsHomeboy on Jul 12, 2010 6:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Trust me. I know all.
Hah!
I personally think Gil’s role will be more like ‘catch and score,’ but close enough, I’ll take it. And as we all know, Gilbert Arenas is not a point guard… So, moot point (pun intended lol).
Besides, Wall isn’t gonna play all 48, so at least theoretically, there will be no dropoff in PG play for the entire game.
I think Gil will be fine
Not all 2 guards are Ray Allen.
by BayAreaBullet on Jul 12, 2010 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions
Gill will benefit from guarding 2s.
Gil could not stay in front of all the speedy point guards in the in the nba. He is 6-4 strong and long which is plenty for guarding the majority of 2s in the nba. The only guard who will really take advantage of posting him up is Kobe and there is only one Kobe Bryant. He will be guarding scorers so he has to make a commitment to fighting through screens and always getting a hand up. With his long arms he should have no problem contesting. He shouldn’t be afraid to get his foul count up because the team can rely on Wall if he is in foul trouble.
All the guys who returned from Gill’s surgery got better in their second year. I wouldn’t be surprised if Garnett was a little better next year than he was this year. 23-7 was just the tip of the ice berg.
by forthepeople on Jul 12, 2010 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions
we might just see JW run a lot of fast breaks and defer to gil SOME on half court sets? i think gilbert is gone first legit chance we get
by les boulez bomber on Jul 12, 2010 8:35 PM EDT up reply actions
catch and shoot
I hope Gil is smart enough to work on nothing but this over the offseason. If he can adapt, he’ll get shots on the wing all day with how easily Wall gets into the lane. If he doesn’t, it won’t work. I think it’s as simple as that.
by mfish on Jul 12, 2010 2:41 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Agreed...
Gil’s efficiency is well documented, and he did what we asked him to. Can’t crucify the man over that…
We're from the city with the highest murder rate in the country. Why WOULDN'T they call us the Bullets?
by Bullet Nation in Exile on Jul 12, 2010 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions
When he was healthy he was efficient
23 and 7 looks good on paper but was ugly on the court. Not the vintage Arenas. But with his knee stronger I think he will be fine and we won’t be having someone with an atrophied leg and 2 years of rust be the focal point of our offense. I don’t think he’s as selfish as people make him out to be but I wished his work ethic extended to defense. But hopefully the days of him going over the coaches head when asked to play D or complaining to the press that being forced to try on D was hurting his offense are over.
by BayAreaBullet on Jul 12, 2010 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Holy Shit
This guys a freak athlete.
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
by Zachary Beard on Jul 12, 2010 1:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Hey do we have any nationally televised Summer league games?
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
On a more random note
My sister goes to Clemson and she got Trevor Booker to sign an autograph.
"All those who look down on me, I'm tearing down your balcony." -Eminem
Another impressive thing
about Wall is his ability to block shots. Just when the opponent thinks he’s safe Wall slaps him off the backboard. Check out 5:18 of this video where Wall blocks a three pointer with seconds left. Olley oops to your point guard…wow!
it was fun seeing Wall with other Wizards. JaVale looked like he was working hard to become the Tyson Chandler to JW’s CP3.
Morgan was invisible. Booker had a few moments but otherwise slipped into the background. Part of the reason was that JaVale wanted every board. I’d like to see how he plays next to Hamady.
I like Cartier’s chances at making this roster as a glue guy.
I rather enjoyed Hamady's play
Even in the short amount of time on the court. I think he easily can be a back-up big who plays defense. More then just six fouls, someone who can make an actual impact. Not bad for 56th pick.
Not sure I'd call Morgan invisible, just uneven
Dude was invisible in the first half, for sure, but I liked what he was doing in the second. Pretty sure most (maybe even all) of his points were in the second half. Plus 7 boards (3 off) in 28min from the 3 spot. I still like him as my inevitable “longshot that I moan about not signing” for this year’s SL squad.
Maturity
It will be fun and interesting to watch these young guys develop. Here is what I like- our young guys all seem to be excited about working hard and playing ball. Nothing has been more frustrating than watching AB, JM, NY literally waste years acting with such immaturity- as if they had actually earned the right for such behavior. Who knows what it was, but they just looked lost at times (which is normal for young guys), but the lack of fundamentals is simply a byproduct of not taking this seriously enough.
I think we will look back at the Gilbert incident as the positive turning point for a number of reasons- the biggest being that the loss of Butler and AJ forced our young guys to mature at a rate that they seemingly were not willing to before. The crop of talented rookies, who look eager to work, also places AB/JM/NY in new positions of “grizzled vets.” Would be great to watch them run with that…
As for Gil, I think he is going to adapt nicely. The pressure to be the man to create nightly is now off his shoulders and that should be refreshing. They used to say that Jordan could not deliver either without the ball- but eventually Phil Jackson’s Triangle constantly put him in a position to deliver- whether it was Pippen, Paxson, whoever delivering the ball. Hopefully some of these pieces come together so a system can come together putting our talented scorers, Arenas/AB/Wall in a position to best deliver.
Nothing has been more frustrating than watching AB, JM, NY literally waste years acting with such immaturity- as if they had actually earned the right for such behavior. Who knows what it was, but they just looked lost at times (which is normal for young guys), but the lack of fundamentals is simply a byproduct of not taking this seriously enough.
Such a strong assertion deserves supporting evidence, don’t you think? Aside from Blatche, there simply has been no evidence of McGee or Young “not taking things seriously enough.”
And quite frankly, I’m tired of reading that statement made as if its proven fact. Its not.
By the way, its not possible to “earn the right to act with immaturity.” That’s an oxymoron or something.
Just ask Gil about “earning the right to act with immaturty.”
by purpleonblack86 on Jul 12, 2010 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions
JaVale showed up to camp fairly out of shape last year
He weighed less than the coaching staff wanted, and Flip on more than one occasion expressed that he was pretty far behind in the player rotation.
Really?
Was he out of shape of was it the asthma thing, which was revealed later in the season?
Not sure what you mean by ‘the player rotation’…
Everything I read last offseason said McGee was busting his butt… And should we assume, since you didn’t mention him, that the book on Nick Young is that he is a hard worker???
I don't know about Young
But I do know the Wizards’ staff was not exactly thrilled with how JaVale showed up to camp last year. He got in better condition by the end of the year, but there’s a reason he barely played at the beginning of last season.
I’m sorry if I offended, but seriously, these are number one draft picks who seemingly spent more time cutting youtube videos and clever Twitter updates for 2-3 years than bulking up in the gym or learning how to catch and shoot. On defense, Young is still lost half the time.
It’s amazing how patient coaches, fans, and the organization have been, really. Would be great to see them both reach their potential- because they are needed. I hope they are ready to step into their new roles as team leaders.
Seemingly is the key word.
and no you didn’t offend me at all, its just a little pet peeve of mine…
When does Arenas return?
Is Arenas set to start training camp and the season opener or are there any legal issues still postponing his start? When is the first Wall-Arenas pairing we will see on any court?
by JaVale McGiggity Giggity on Jul 12, 2010 5:09 PM EDT reply actions
Not trying to be insulting to Gil
But I’m curious about one thing. It seems he will not be able to enter Canada. So I’m assuming he sits out games in Toronto. I know they have been preventing MLB guys and even mistakenly detained an Oriole. Doubt it would happen but seems we would be screwed if we ever played Toronto. Not to mention the Raps just traded Calderon so that might have been a potential trade partner. Have you heard this addressed Mike?
by BayAreaBullet on Jul 12, 2010 5:28 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Bullets Forever
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Days of NBA Lives: Wherein Jodie Meeks made a terrible mistake
- Rockets adjusting to lockout schedule with typical Rockets approach
- Tim Duncan wears a pretty nerdy Punisher knee brace
- Every NBA box score/SLAM Magazine cover is online because the Internet is great
- The 10-man rotation, starring Allen Iverson
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
