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.
