| Summer League Analysis: Game 1, Vs. San Antonio Authored by J.T. Magee - July 6, 2007 - 7:17 pm
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Louis Amundson
By far, he and Louis Williams were the reason the 76ers were in the game. Starting off with this Louis, Amundson displayed the tenacity and hustle that earned him a roster spot at the end of the season with Philly. He was running the floor very well, he showed an improved and funky low-post game and his pick & roll defense was outstanding. He played within himself, yet continued to make plays on both ends of the floor. He was timing drives extremely well and blocking or altering shots like a post defender should. He was bullied around by Jackie Butler here and there, but considering he was giving up at leasts 25 pounds, he performed very well as the 76ers power forward.
Amundson played like he play in Orlando last year: like this game is going to be his last. Not many players ball with that instinct. It really shows in his play, despite being a litter small for being able to guard starting power forwards. He makes people work for the ball and it didn’t look like San Antonio was ready for that. If he keeps his play up, he’ll be on the SL All-Vegas team and on the 76ers as their back-up power forward. Player of the day so far.
Louis Williams
This Louis looked like the most poised player on the court. When he was aggressive, he made palys and set up his teammates with ease. He still looks to finish at the rim or shooting off the pick & roll. He was calm under pressure and looked like a point guard who could score like a combo guard. His defense was efficient enough to disrupt the opposing offense at sporatiuc times, keeping the opposition on their toes. His shot looks pretty enough to garnish some playing time next season, but his overall point guard play, looks pretty enough to garnish at least 15-20 minutes next season playing alongside Andre Iguodala. Very good game for Williams.
Thaddeus Young
Young showed bits and pieces of his potential on offense. He has an underrated handle and a fluid crossover to his right hand. He has a shot, although he tried to rely on pull-ups when his game is meant to attack the rim and keep the defense off balance. It seemed like every time he made a play, he tried to make another one, and, regardless of the result, would fade out for short to long stretches of time. His defense was average, but I’d rather see how he does against a Kevin Durant or someone more established on the perimeter. Marcus Williams, James White and co. were not good tests for Young’s defense. I look forward to seeing how this athlete and a half performs against better competition at the small forward spot.
Edin Bavcic
Same simple skill set, same results. Bavcic still needs at least 20-30 pounds of muscle because on three consecutive plays, he found himself on his arse in the post. His shot fell short a couple of times, and he played decent basketball, but Bavcic needs to be able to hold his own in the post, even against smaller players, in order to have a shot in the NBA. Right now, his effective skill set isn’t enough. I’d like to see him a little more in the post, using his size to shoot fadeaways on the baseline.
Jason Smith
Smith was a bit of a disappointment in his first action as a 76er. Everyone expects rookies to be able to come and produce right away. This isn’t the case, at least right now, with Smith. He didn’t show the assertiveness needed at the NBA level to succeed. He tried to post-up 15 feet outside the hoop on one play. He dribbled back and then spun into the lane for a jump shot. It was a decent move, but he has to know he should establish position in the post, within ten feet, before he makes a move. He gets up and down the floor with ease. His shots were falling short too often for my liking. Once he gets his feet wet in regards to the level of competition, he should be fine. But if Amundson keeps making plays that Smith should make with ease, then Smith may be playing behind Amundson during the season. He has potential in the post, just needs to be aggressive.
Rodney Carney
Like Young, he’s an athlete and a half. Unlike Young, he’s yet to piece it together. Carney would run the floro very well but when he got the ball in his hands, he would make a mistake more often than not. Whether it be a shot way too early in the possession, a floater that didn’t have the necessary touch, or his set shot, Carney wasn’t piecing it together like he should. He’s just coming off his rookie season, but as of right now, he’s Andre Iguodala’s back-up. His defense was just average, but if it’s average in Summer League play, how is it going to be during the regular season. I expect to see more out of him, but I have high hopes for him off the bench this season.
Bobby Jones
Perhaps “Sloppy” Jones fits his overall play today. Jones was everywhere on the court and not in the brightest light. There was one paly, that both he and I said, “Damn. I didn’t know he could drive and finish like that.” From there on, Jones forced the issue way too much for his own good. His handle is pretty shaky, but if he’s attacking the hoop at a direct angle, it’s good enough to get him there. If he’s trying to accomplish too much with the ball in his hands, then it results in bad play. Williams set him up beautifully on a fast break, but it hit him in his thigh as he was going up for the lay-up. Instead of going over to Williams and acknowledging he messed up the easy bucket, he went back on D like nothing out of the ordinary happened. Jones is good for his defense. His offense is coming around, but he should’ve been kept on a shorter leash with the ball. That should change when Philly plays again.
Herbert Hill
Hill was a bit of a non-factor today. He boxed out his man like he should and didn’t try too much. He looked like a role-player. I was too focused on some of the other 76ers, so I wasn’t able to get enough out of Hill as I would’ve liked. His interior defense was good enough to make the Spurs work for their hooks and shots down low. He performed well against bigger competition. I want to see him step out a little more and be a little more assertive. He may be on the team this season, but he’ll likely be a D-Leaguer.
Overall View
The Sixers let Bobby Jones control the ball and try too much. Aside from that, they played decent. Turned it over way too much, but it’s the first game of the first day. |
