Summer League: Winners and Losers

by Fantasy Junkie on Jul 16, 2007 1:26 PM PDT in Links Comment 8 comments

We all love the fact that Marco Belinelli played well during the NBA Vegas Summer League. He's got a chance to make a big impact on the squad this coming year if he can keep dropping his jumper. Yahoo Sports asked NBA scouts and front office personnel who were the winners and losers of the Summer League. At #1, Marco Belinelli:

Belinelli can really shoot and will fit in nicely at Golden State. He had some big games, including a 37-point effort, and he shot over 44 percent from three-point range. He also proved he can take it to the hole in averaging 22.8 points per game. He looks like he'll be ready to contribute immediately for the Warriors.

Another Warrior did make the list, but certainly was not on the winners side. Mr. Patrick O'Bryant not surprisingly made an appearance on the losers section of the article. He struggled big time while more and more looking like a flop. Oh what it would be like to be tall and have millions of dollars.

O'Bryant had a disappointing summer league and it looks like he will never pan out in Golden State. The ninth overall pick in the 2006 draft is lethargic and seems to not enjoy playing. He averaged almost as many fouls (four) as points (5.6). O'Bryant has a lot of work to do before he ever sees the court for the Warriors, especially considering their run-and-gun system.

Lastly, Yi Jianlian of The Yi Movement fame, joined POB on the losers team. Does this at all change how the Milwaukee Bucks view him? It might but I don't think it will. I'll be following this closely over the next few months to see if he'll indeed report to Bucks training camp or somehow force a trade to a different team. If he does force a trade to a different team, I can imagine the warm reception he'll get from the Milwaukee fans.

Besides a few stretches here and there, Yi struggled. He had difficulty being guarded by athletic players, and that was evident by his 26-percent shooting from the floor. Yi did average 12.4 points, but was hardly impressive. He also averaged 4.6 turnovers, which was a weakness in his game coming into the draft. Yi does have a great deal of talent, as he has a good-looking jump shot and he is athletic. Hopefully for the Bucks' sake, he fulfills his potential.

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Not getting too hyped about Summer League

Its fun to follow during the off-season, but they're little more than scrimmages. The Dubs are in serious flux right now, and I hope the roster takes shape for another run. I'm not excited about Pierce or Ellis as a back up point guard right now. If and when Baron goes down, I would like to see the pivotal role manned by a veteran that has the respect of the other players.

by eshock on Jul 16, 2007 1:55 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

word!

which former warrior marco is tied for second most points in a nba summer league game? its that big guy we traded away last year that might someday end up being a good player, but could not cut it on nelson's roster. whats his name? well, i guess i need to look it up since i cannot remember the guys name, but then again that was my point. :p

by stedanko on Jul 16, 2007 2:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

We just signed the Italian!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/07/16/sports/s132120D31.DTL&feed=rss.sport s

by weekendwarrior on Jul 16, 2007 3:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

look one blog post below

Atma already dropped the story.

by OptionZero on Jul 16, 2007 3:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I personally thought

that POB got better as the SL progressed. His first two games were terrible, but then he started playing a lot harder and started affecting the game in ways that don't show up in the stat sheet. He runs the floor 1000X better than last year and really can protect the lane with his length. He is a project and still very young. I think by the time he is 24/25 (like Chandler this year) he could really be a defensive force in this league. he didn't play as much bball growing up so he still has a lot to learn to allow him to react quicker. I just like the way he protects the lane and his shot isn't so bad.

by yehyeh82 on Jul 16, 2007 3:21 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Yi's performance

He had a lot of turnovers due to quite a few uncalled fouls.

He got elbowed in the nose, come on...give me a break!

I think it's the same motivation as when Yao first came into the league. Everyone wanted to outshine him because he was getting all the attention and big money. Part of it is probably racial just the case was with Yao.

by ballerjl on Jul 16, 2007 6:00 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree..

on POB. He seemed to get stronger as the summer league went along. While he never,ever, seemed to dominate, he seemed to have a presence in that last game. He was blocking shots, challenging others, and even spread the floor when he hit a couple Twenty footers (I had no idea he had that shot). I think he needs a mean streak sometimes though, cuz he seems so passive.

As for Yi. I really don't think it has anything to do with race. He has very hi expectations put on him, as do Durant and Oden and others and people were hot and cold on them just as much. As for the fouls, it is not about the hard foul but what you do after. So he got elbowed... great. It happens. There are plenty of rookies that get the same treatment he does in every game. The fact is he had trouble with quick, athletic defenders. Belinelli had trouble with Durant (athletic and fast). Hopefully, they will both become acclimated to the most physical and athletic league around.

by Tango Time on Jul 16, 2007 6:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs