Another day, another win. Nobody can stop this Summer League Warriors team even without our 2 draft picks Brandan Wright and Stephan Lasme playing. I feel good about our chances in the regular season, we look really good right now. I mean really, really good. Just look at the boxscore!
Since I actually didn't get a chance to watch the game, I got some help from various sources around the web, check them out.
- Most importantly, I browsed through JRich 4 MVP's open thread to see what all the GSoM folks had to say.
- Our own GSoM community member, lightzOut's Scouting Report: Warriors vs Sixers.
Of course we start with Marco Belinelli. He picked up where he left off two days ago, hitting a couple of perimeter shots early on. He showed everybody for the 2nd game in a row that he can really light it up behind the arc. He also began the game very active defensively, something I didn't see much last game. He also read opponents better, tried to step into the passing lanes a couple of times and he was keeping his hands active in trying to swipe the ball. Although he lost it towards the end of both halves, I give him props for a better game defensively. He also attacked the basket more, although I want to see him finish those layups. (He got two layups blocked, and one clanged off the rim.)
JOSH POWELL
Good hustle from the get go. He's playing to feed his family. If he works on that mid range jump shot he`ll definitely have a spot in the rotation next year. If he was already hitting them with some consistency ala Juwan Howard or Udonis Haslem, I'll be quick to say NO to the proposed KG trade. Powell has also done a good job around the basket at both ends of the floor. Blocking shots and fighting for both offensive and defensive rebounds. Now, if only his confidence to take a jump shot translate into made shots....KELENNA AZUBUIKE
I like his hustle, he's the most active player for the Warriors (only Josh Powell can make a case for it). He's grabbing rebounds, pushing the ball, and attacking the basket. His long shot is falling as well. He will have the same impact that Matt Barnes had for us last year, maybe better.
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Adam Lauridsen @ Fast Break: Summer League: The Good, The Bad, and the O'Bryant
It's been nearly two months since we had the pleasure of watching Warriors basketball. The faces are (mostly) different in the summer league, but the style is the same. Run, scrap, and shoot. From the looks of the first two games, the Warriors may have stumbled upon a few more running, scrappy shooters.
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Yahoo's Summer League Report
This is a list of who's shining and who's struggling according to various front office personnel and scouts around the league. Unfortunately, Belinelli didn't get in the "Shining" section, but another Warriors did make the list. (Thanks to coma and dez4o8 who both posted this link in the diaries)Struggling
2. Patrick O'Bryant, Golden State Warriors - O'Bryant rarely looks like he wants to play or enjoys playing. The 7-foot-1 center logged a lackluster 15 minutes and finished with four points and three rebounds. It will be hard for O'Bryant to find the court as long as Don Nelson is coaching.
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Belinelli = Sensational
He's gettin' love from all over the Net. Marc Stein over at ESPN reports that Nellie's calling Belinelli "sensational"By now you've probably heard someone make the inevitable connection between Marco Belinelli and how his quick-trigger game is a Nellie Ball natural. Yet it should be noted that Nellie -- who has yet to publicly confirm that he'll be back on the Warriors' bench next season -- is making that connection, too.As a teenager in Italy who earned regular playing time at a younger age than 2006 No. 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani did, Belinelli was proclaimed by basketball officials and media experts in his country to be predestinato ... destined for greatness. No one is putting his NBA prospects in that category -- we haven't yet seen how this crafty 6-5 scorer will adapt physically and defensively to the NBA game -- but the famously hyperbolic Nelson has already seen enough, after two July outings, to declare that Belinelli has the ability to compete for spot minutes at point guard. Challenging Monta Ellis for the starting 2-guard berth left vacant by the deal that sent Jason Richardson to Charlotte is another possibility.
That last paragraph makes for an interesting discussion. Who's going to start at SG now that JRich is gone? The other is most likely first or second off the bench to relieve one of the guard spots. Check out BlueNgoldBlood's diary, Back-up PG minutes: Belinelli or Ellis
Who would you like to see the Warriors run at back-up point next season?After watching the second summer league game, I am now more impressed and hopeful about Belinelli's chances of making a serious impact for us next season.
His court vision and ability to thread the pass have been overlooked, in my opinion. Furthermore, his performances have aroused questioning within myself about the Warriors plans concerning he and Ellis.
There you have it. Right now, Belinelli is looking strong, but this is just 2 games into the summer league. I'm more excited about him now than when we first drafted him. Looks like Nellie and Mullin look like they got themselves a solid contributor for the upcoming year. Kelenna is looking solid too. From all the reports, he looks active and is going to earn his spot on the team this year. POB is a bust. He's not going to earn minutes on this team regardless of how well or poor he plays. The only thing his poor play does is hurt his trade value. I don't think anyone will even trade a box full of basketballs for him right now.
Just remember, this is the summer league. But today, the Warriors take on the San Antonio Spurs. If we can beat them, that should build our confidence for when we face them in the NBA Playoff Western Conference Finals.