Summer League 2010 Review
by Dave on Jul 19, 2010 12:05 AM PDT
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PrintI just caught up on watching the weekend games after being out of town. Since nothing revolutionary happened in Game 5 outside of Luke Babbitt busting out a little we're going to dispense with the blow-by-blow and get down to the Summer League capsule.
My first observation is also the easiest: this was the most energetic, fun, and free Portland Trail Blazers Summer League squad in years. Part of that boiled down to the situation. For the last few years the Blazers have featured Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Martell Webster, Jerryd Bayless...lottery picks around whom the Summer League team was centered. Those guys played with pressure on their shoulders. Other players watched and deferred, knowing who the focal points were. The result was teams heavy on talent and light on continuity. There were no featured players this year, just a few second-year guys plus three draftees who were introduced in the same breath and with nearly the same status. Everybody played like part of the team. No doubt coach Kaleb Canales was an integral part of that dynamic as well. He further cemented his reputation as a guy players like, respect, and want to play for. Summer League is Summer League, but this outing didn't hurt Canales any.
On to the individual remarks.
Armon Johnson was clearly the standout player of the week for the Blazers. His stock rose enormously. He played well on both ends, guarded a variety of players, kept his head in the game, and filled the boxscore on good nights and bad. His physical qualities were exciting. His production looked both solid and transferable. You never decide anything based on one week in July but Johnson has inspired hope, if not confidence, among observers and team officials both. As much as folks don't want to admit it sometimes, the Blazers point guard situation is still in flux. Johnson's performance was enough to pencil him in as a possible partial answer to that conundrum. "Possible" and "partial" aren't exactly ringing endorsements but given the lack of solid leads so far they look pretty good.
Luke Babbitt showed skills but he's going to have to re-invent himself if he's to make an immediate impact for the team. He's pushing his deep shot as much as shooting it. Even if he does make those shots opponents will quickly erase the time and space he needs to get them off. His lateral movement with the ball won't be enough to get him free. Based on what we've seen, nobody in the universe (particularly in red and black) is going to say, "Let's pass over Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Miller, Greg Oden, Jerryd Bayless, and Nicolas Batum (plus Rudy Fernandez if he's still here) to get Babbitt the ball." That's the most optimistic assessment possible of his rank in the offensive hierarchy. The one part of his game that could serve him well is his ability to take contact and still finish a play. That's what he should build upon on both ends of the floor. He needs to add core strength, get his conditioning to a superb level, and try to fashion himself in an Eduaro Najera mold, perhaps with a better long-range shot and more overall offensive ability. The quickest way to crack the rotation would be to beat people up, grab rebounds, and defend while hitting whatever open shots he got blessed with. He didn't give off the vibe of a gunner. The possibility is there. But it's going to take some self-realization and a lot of work from him. Otherwise he's strictly a project for this year at least.
Patty Mills had a nice enough week. His play will merit a second glance from the Blazers and other teams. But he shaded too heavily towards his own offense for a second-year player auditioning for point guard and that offense suffered when his shot wasn't on. His defense wasn't to Johnson's level either. If the Blazers keep four point guards then Mills should be on that list but I'm not sure he showed enough to make them keep a fourth guy at the position.
Dante Cunningham didn't set the league on fire but he did a slow burn with enough flare-ups to roast the opposition. His best contributions were hidden somewhat: helping defend the middle, getting his body in annoying places, intimidating opponents. He did hit shots when he had them. He also played with a deeper confidence than the bravado that typified his rookie year. The kid is going to be alright and Portland fans will be glad he's a Blazer. He's also apt to remind folks that Luke Babbitt will be getting in shape in order to be the second physical dominator in the Blazer lineup.
Jeff Pendergraph is a guy you're not ashamed to have on your side because he works hard, throws his body around, and shows no fear when he's trying to stop someone. This Summer League revealed that he has a long way to go before he can transfer those qualities into a secure rotation spot. He doesn't have enough sense of space, either personal or in the team concept, and he fouls too frequently and too awkwardly. His post moves are light years behind Greg Oden's when Oden played in his first Summer League. He's just not there yet. It's like watching a power line spark and spew out random energy because it isn't connected right. He's probably not a center in any case. He has another contract year to work on his game. It'll be interesting to see how much experience will smooth him out.
Ekene Ibekwe is the archetypal Summer League success story who won't be signed to the team he had success for because even though he played well he simply lacks the physical attributes to fit the NBA mold. His reach is too short and he's not thick enough to play power forward but he's nowhere near quick or athletic enough to play small forward plus he lacks the skill set. He did a great job this year and has a chance to get picked up somewhere as (essentially) a practice player but his true future lies overseas or in the D-League.
Bravo to the entire squad. They made July basketball enjoyable. While I don't think anybody we saw will be revolutionizing Portland's game soon I loved the attitude and approach and I'm comfortable that any players the Blazers choose to retain will fit the organization.
Ben will have more interviews and notes from the week in Vegas when he returns tomorrow. Until then feel free to share your own thoughts on Summer League 2010.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
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Me too
He was the guy I was most excited about as a pre-draft prospect and certainly for Portland’s S.L. team.
—Dave
easy to forget how much he confounds the roster
Roy, Bayless, Mathews, Fernandez, Elliot, Batum, Babbitt, Cunningham – all these guys for 96 minutes a game at the SG and SF positions….(assuming Bayless is on the floor both as a point and off guard)
Even if you don’t assume rotation minutes for the rookies, it’s still stacked….
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 19, 2010 12:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Easier if you assume Rudy is gone and rookies will not play without an injury or huge production when they get a chance.
Harder to figure where Dante fits. Will there be PF minutes for him without an injury? Will he see floor time backing up the 3? He seems like the 3rd option at 2 positions. Of course, that was Jerryd’s situation going into last season and he got plenty of opportunity before the year was over.
by 52therim on Jul 19, 2010 12:45 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Lot of swing positions
But I don’t see that many minutes at PF for Camby – leaving Cunningham some time there….
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 19, 2010 1:11 AM PDT up reply actions
So Dante gets some minutes, but Pryz doesnt?
It seems more likely to me that Pryz gets some run and Camby takes most of the backup PF minutes.
by 52therim on Jul 19, 2010 11:09 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
One thing is for sure.
We need to blow out teams more often…get these guys some playing time.
by Sabonis4Ever on Jul 19, 2010 1:49 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
That is the PERFECT solution!!!!! Way way better than the ...well if there are
injuries….scenario!!! Way to go with optimism!!!!
I hate to assume rookies won't play
It seems to be the Nate way, but it would be such a waste if any of these guys are really ready to go. I feel like Armon Johnson can make a contribution and he’s the only distributor-type point guard in the mix.
Go sign Ronald "Flip" Murray, as he's a journyman Elliot Williams. Y'all will love to hate Williams, yes.
Guys like Williams are medicore at best in the NBA, as well as oftentimes inefficient and very irksome to watch from afar.
Hatin' on a combo guard before you even see him play?
At least this is consistent.
by upper left corner on Jul 19, 2010 7:14 AM PDT up reply actions
me too
although him not being there probably helped draw an important contrast between armon hammer and mills
"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man
AJ1
I'm just not crazy about player nick names...
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jul 19, 2010 12:20 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
The number 1 thing SL has done for me this year
It made me excited about Armon Johnson. I checked out scouting reports and video on him after we drafted him. I couldn’t get at all excited about him. Now I’m really looking forward to seeing him play. I still don’t have super high expectations once he hits the NBA, but now I’m open to being pleasantly surprised.
Still on the Rex bandwagon.
I think he makes it eventually
I don’t necessarily have a call on this year, but a year or so down the road I think we’ll see him in the rotation.
—Dave
Armon and Dante DID seem like the two NBA-ready players, but it's just summer league
The rumor, and my impression of it too, is that Nate is slow to work new guys into the rotation. Armon could see rotation minutes into the season with an injury to Miller or Rex depending on how much point Roy plays. Could depend on the opponent, too, the defensive needs. Armon looks ready to contribute on the defensive end.
In KP I trusted!
Armon may know his Blazer future in 48 hours.
“Forty-eight hours,” McMillan said, before waltzing to the exits and away from a bustling Cox Pavilion.
Translation? Johnson is supposed to call McMillan on Tuesday night, when he could potentially discover his fate with the Blazers.
Funny what a couple years can do.
If it had been Rmon instead of Bayless… I know I would have been like: WaHoo!!! PGotF!!!
Now, the sauce is a little thicker and it’s not so easy to add a pinch of something new.
Stealth > Wealth
I think Bayless may be traded. And Rudy. I just hope Batum stays.
I think AJ has a longer wingspan. Jerryd can’t grow his arms at this point. Also I think Johnson has better court vision. Or maybe the same…NOW. And Bayless has played for 2 years in the NBA and Johnson has played one year in college.
AJ seems to be more of a natural distributor. And if he works on the 3pt shot…he MADE one last night. The end of quarter heaves do NOT count.
How will Armon Johnson’s game translate into the NBA?
We saw him in summer league, but how will this his game translate into the NBA?
He has trouble scoring from the outside. Johnson shot 24% from the 3-point line last season – and that was from the college 3-point line. We don’t know what his average might be from the NBA 3-point line (it’s a small sample, but he was 1 for 6 in summer league for 17 ). From the free throw line last year, he shot 68. The Blazers team average was 79% last season. So if he penetrates and gets fouled his FT average actually brings down the team’s average.
At the NBA level, to stop Johnson, teams will adjust by backing off to stop his penetration and daring him to shoot. So I’m probably in the minority, but I’m not sold on Johnson.
That's his biggest challenge, no doubt.
Caveats being Andre Miller and Rondo, neither of which rely on a perimeter game. Of course Armon is quite a ways from showing Andre’s passing and Rajon’s finishing in the NBA, but he seems to possess the tools to have at least a bit of each. If he gets a reliable jump shot and a year if experience under his belt he’ll be the best Blazer PG since Terry Porter.
I doubt we’ll see much AJ1, but his D is good enough to warrant spot duty.
I'm just not crazy about player nick names...
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jul 19, 2010 1:37 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
His jersey number is #1
I think he should be called Arm1.
Being a Blazer fan is not exactly healthy.
ahh..last night during the game Dwight Jaynes pointed out how good AJ1's
perimeter defense is..Dwight:.there he is again, trapping…in the corner….well it was NUMBER 0 who was in…Greene I think is that guy’s name. Barrett didn’t correct him…
I’m NOT saying Armon Johnson compares to Rajon Rondo at all, but in 09-10 Rondo shot 21% from behind the arc and 62% at the free throw line. Heck, Andre Miller shot 20% from 3-point land.
If we put Johnson in the corner and kick the ball to him with 2 seconds on the clock he’s not going to work. If we let him drive and create shots for our bench full of shooters he could be successful here. And having a guy who can come in and lock down the opposing PG would be a real asset. Adding Matthews and Johnson could give us some bench defense that was lacking in the past.
AJ1 (why the 1?) can DEFEND. That will earn him playing time. Pretty sure.
I’m also curious….seems as though the defenders have a harder time being shooters…and shooters don’t defend well. For the most part.
Is this because of where these players have focused or is it because playing tough defense takes a ton of energy and the player is then less likely to have the control or whatever it takes to be a great shooter?
If a player becomes strong enough to have the energy to do both does it throw off his shot?
Ray Allen and JJ Redick are both good shooters
who play scrappy defense pretty well. Also, Wes, Martell and Nic are all good shooters with great perimeter D. Bruce Bowen was also a lockdown defender who could hit the open 3 pretty well, as I recall. Brandon Jennings and Roddy Beaubois are both absolute gunners who play really solid defense. Nate McMillan and Gary Payton also both had the ability to hit threes and were great defenders.
Personally, I think you could represent shooters and defenders as a Venn diagram with two intersecting circles. Some defenders are not shooters, some shooters are not defenders, and some players are both.
Look at all aspect
The skills you say, rightfully so, that he doesn’t have, he can be achieve as he practice and learns. MJ didn’t have a three point shot either when he got to the league. He had an NBA body and played tough D. I am not comparing the two, but just showing just cause for supporting Johnson.
hg
by BBK on Jul 19, 2010 3:22 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
IMO
was more the fact he didn’t appear to want the rock in the only SL game that came down to the wire – was everywhere the ball wasn’t
I hear what people are saying about Johnson, but ..
Remember that people like Rajon Rondo, Andre Miller, or MJ are the small minority of players. Yes, Armon is a good perimeter defender. I agree that there’s value in that, because the Blazers can really use perimeter defense. The test will be whether Armon can stop small quick guards like Aaron Brooks.
I guess, especially for this team, I don’t believe in guards who can’t shoot. For example, Andre Miller was the Blazer who helped us win Game 1 against Phoenix, because he could penetrate and use his skills near the basket. But once Phoenix adjusted and stopped his penetration in Game 2, Andre was essentially neutralized for the rest of the series. So many times for the remaining games, they just left Miller standing unguarded at the 3-point line while the rest of the Blazers played 4 on 5.
Withe new players and hope;
Are you talking about Michael Jordon or Magic Johnson with your MJ. Remember Jordan couldn’t shoot the three when he came into the league.
When the time came at the end of quarters when opponents are pushing tempo for a quick run to increase their score, we could put in a lock down defensive unit of Johnson, Matthews, Batum, Camby and Greg. All are adequate offensive players and could be a game changer.
hg
lol .. you guys are more thorough than I am! .
It never even occurred to me that MJ was anyone else but Michael Jordan
I essentially agree with J-Fish...
You can’t say “Michael Jordan couldn’t hit the 3 either, he’s a lot like Armon though,” and then say “I’m not really comparing the two though,” LOL…
Mine as well compare Armon to Shaq or Wilt Chamberlain…they couldn’t hit the 3 either, and they turned out fine, lol….Jordan didn’t play the same position as Armon, he had a phenomenal mid-range jumper, and he was a descendent of Zeus!
Also, it’s not good when you can only find 2 pg’s, Rondo & Andre Miller, to say “look, they can’t shoot either, maybe Armon will turn out like them…”
Just saying look at the league, particularly championship level teams the last 30 years…in both cases, finding effective pg’s that can’t shoot but are really solid…is like finding a needle in a hay stack…
In my mind, whoop te do dah…Armon, at most, will be a “Tony Allen” like player off of the bench in about 2-3 years…if he doesn’t work out, finding a replacement for Armon is “a dime a dozen.”
We can just draft him next year, it might just be Eliot Williams, or we can just prolly pick that type of guy up next year on the FA market for about 2 million…
…I think PDX just gets a little bored in the summertime, so they hype up a player :)
I excited to see what a year can do...
Under NBA coaches, Armon might dial in that shot. Thing is, Armon has always had Babbitt so working out the kinks in that shot has never been a priority. I bet he’s been focusing on the parts of his game that he does best, and leaving the deadeye stuff to his pal Luke. That doesn’t mean he can’t learn. In fact, I bet Armon will have an easier time refining his shot than Luke will in locking down his defense.
Stealth > Wealth
I think it is way way way too early to proclaim what a player's NBA career will be after
seeing one 5 game stint of summer league. I doubt AJ will be a dime a dozen. Maybe…but too early to call.
Armon Johnson doesn't need to big-time 3 to succeed
Almost all rookies have limited range- that is just the way it is. Those few that can stroke it usually have other serious limitations (like Morris Almond).
Johnson plays good enough defense to stay in the game, keeps his head up when dribbling and keeps that dribble alive until he has a plan in mind. He has shown the ability to make little floaters in the key, get the ball to the bigs, and draw contact.
What more can you ask for from a potential back-up PG?
We really should just own our own D-league team.
Or European team, as has been mentioned here before in people’s jokes and comments.
I know Summer League only counts for so much, and is often sloppy ball, but I really enjoy watching these guys play. Even, and sometimes especially, the fringe guys who won’t be able to crack an NBA roster. They’re playing their tails off. And some of these guys have intriguing skill-sets. Or at least really one-sided ones, or they just don’t have the right “NBA Body” to go with it.
Still, it’s fun watching gangly rebound guy, earnest German guy, unfocused athletic guy, and undersized shooter guy form a scrappy band of misfits and try and lay it all out there. It’s like they’re their own feel-good 1980’s movie waiting to happen. Even guys like Luke Babbitt show crazy eyes, and feels the agony of being rejected for prom every time he misses a put-back.
Or maybe it’s just with all the front office drama, and reporting on the LeBronaroo festival that have dominated the summer storylines, it’s nice to watch some people actually play basketball.
It’s a long wait until the preseason starts up.
Kudos to the fans that made it out there to represent and cheer ’em on.
by HowlinJoeWolf on Jul 19, 2010 2:24 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I agree
and I think he will. Once we learn the details of the Rudy departure and how that will go, whats involved, etc…we’ll see it boiled down to 8-9 guys max this season, garbage time notwithstanding. BRoy is already talking in his interviews about running the point at times…I wonder if he knows something we don’t?
Interesting.
I wasn’t that excited watching Armon Hammer really, but I’ll admit I don’t know anything about anything. He can’t shoot from the outside and I didn’t see him blow past too many people on the way to the hoop.
The Blazers’ SL team played great team ball and it was fun to watch, but no one really stood out. I’d say Pendergraph actually hurt his future playing time this summer since he looked terrible. He got the rebounds he’s supposed to get and he played hard, but he has almost no touch around the rim and he doesn’t seem to have a go to shot. Even if you’re just the toolbox out there, you need to be able to knock down an open shot or you’re playing 4-on-5 on offense.
I’ll admit all this front office drama has soured me a bit on the team. I was pretty stoked at the end of the season for the next season to start, but now I’m not so sure. I’m not that thrilled with Portland’s draft either, but we didn’t get to see Williams and Matthews may turn out to be the perimeter defender Portland needs. If he and Batum can lock down the outside, Oden should be able to stay on the floor longer.
No worries though; I’ll catch the fever this fall, but I feel like the team lost some of the momentum of a playoff season in a year beset by injuries.
" I’d say Pendergraph actually hurt his future playing time this summer since he looked terrible."
Probably a bit. One thing that’s kind of hard to figure is: Are the Blazers really masters at finding talent in the second round, or is part of it that we just put too much hope in players that are actually borderline whether they have the talent to play in an NBA rotation. I have no doubt that Cunningham is the real deal. Mills I think is a borderline NBA-caliber player that will get a spot somewhere but not at Portland. Pendy I think is right on the borderline of whether he is an NBA rotation-caliber player. I do think he is definitely good enough to be an NBA “roster filler”. With both Oden and Pryz apparently doing well on their recoveries I would be surprised if Pendy gets any minutes other than garbage time for Portland. (but I believe he is on contract this season so he presumably will be on the roster unless they throw him in on a trade) Just like Mills, I think he could get some playing time on an NBA team that doesn’t have as deep a rotation as the Blazers.
“We really should just own our own D-league team. Or European team, as has been mentioned here before in people’s jokes and comments”
Or take the bottom half of the Blazer roster and make it into a Seattle NBA franchise.
It would start out as one of the bottom dwellers of the league, but give it a few years and it could become a contender.
Babbitt compared to Eduaro Najera ?????????????
Bruce Babbit has skills and size. I’m still perplexed by the views on this guy. You don’t find this kind of player very often who can bring so much to the court including a brain for the game.
Eduaro Najera
careeer FT 67% 3 pt % 31%………not sure i’m seeing the comparison here and his basketball brain…no comment
That was going to be my subject heading!
What a bizarre comparison, Dave! Babbitt = Chris Mullin is closer too it. (I speak as a former Bay Area resident & Warriors fan.) It’s true that rookies can look very different physically a few seasons down the line, and Babbitt is already a bit more physical (and athletic) than Mullin was. But your comparison requires a WHOLE lot of blurring of the eyes for me.
Babbitt just ain’t going to be a bruiser ala Najera. He’ll likely develop more power to go with his finesse, yes, but he and Najera will always be very different players.
The good news: Babbitt won’t HAVE to transform his body in order to be an effective NBA player—at least not in my opinion. Like Mullin, he has a beautiful shooting touch and a knack for drawing contact at the offensive end, and like Mullin he can make the resultant free throws (we finally saw that in Game 5). I do agree that Babbitt’s 3-point release is too slow to cut it in the NBA, but a season working with John Townsend—and Bobby Medina—is likely to fix that.
The big question mark for Babbitt is his defensive ability. Yes, as his body matures, his strength will increase. But quickness is another matter. Like Chris Mullin, Larry Bird, and numerous other slow-ish white forwards, Babbitt will never be a defensive stopper, but he may learn to compensate for his athletic shortcomings with craftiness. I wouldn’t bet against him at this point, but only time will tell.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
I know what you mean, but
what does white have to do with anything? Haven’t we moved past those stereotypes?
apparently, it's a real physical phenomena predicated on position of the navel
according to this article, West-African’s have a navel higher on the body due to longer legs, raising their center of gravity and affording a running advantage via a higher effective height.
“It so happens that in the architecture of the human body of West African-origin runners, the center of gravity is significantly higher than in runners of European origin,” which puts them at an advantage in sprints on the track, he said.
Individuals of West African-origin have longer legs than European-origin athletes, which means their belly-buttons are three centimeters (1.18 inches) higher than whites’, said Bejan.
That means the black athletes have a “hidden height” that is three percent greater than whites’, which gives them a significant speed advantage on the track.
“Locomotion is essentially a continual process of falling forward, and mass that falls from a higher altitude, falls faster,” Bejan explained.
In the pool, meanwhile, whites have the advantage because they have longer torsos, making their belly-buttons lower in the general scheme of body architecture.
“Swimming is the art of surfing the wave created by the swimmer,” said Bejan.
“The swimmer who makes the bigger wave is the faster swimmer, and a longer torso makes a bigger wave. Europeans have a three-percent longer torso than West Africans, which gives them a 1.5-percent speed advantage in the pool,” he said.
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 19, 2010 9:14 AM PDT up reply actions
I hesitated to make the obvious racial comment
Now that I’ve read the “West African naval analysis” below, I wish I’d left it out. Yikes!!
Who knew that West Africa had a navy?
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
by hurryup09 on Jul 19, 2010 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Is that really fair to Mullin?
Comparing Babbitt to Mullin just feels gross to me! Mullin was off the charts skilled and had unlimited shooting range and a super quick release. Babbit is much less skilled than Mullin (his shot at the 3 point area was like watching a child try to shoot out past his range) and has nowhere near the range or the beautiful, quick release of Mullin. Babbiit it also bigger than Mullin as Mullin was about 6-6 to 6-7.
Maybe there is no comparison for Babbitt since we’d need to think of a 10 minute a game role player to compare him to…
I'm old enough to recall the early reviews of Chris Mullin
Lots of folks questioned whether a guy that slow & unathletic could be productive in the NBA. I mean, Chris Mullin moved like mollasses, and he could hardly touch the rim. But those people were wrong. I predict you’ll prove to be wrong about Babbitt.
I’m not saying he’ll be as good as Mullin. I’m also not saying he’ll have exactly the same game. For one thing, as you point out, Babbitt is bigger. For another, he’s somewhat quicker & more athletic. But I do think there’s something to the comparison. Babbitt DOES have an exceptional shooting touch (the college numbers don’t lie), and he’s clever at drawing contact. Plus, he’s left-handed, which, as others have pointed out, gives him a definite advantage in a league that has always struggled defending lefties. That was an important part of Chris Mullin’s edge, in fact.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
I thought that comparison was off-base as well.
Najera is an enforcer type without much game.
Babbitt seems to be more of a slasher.
I thought Babbit was the most impressive SL player
Luke (not Bruce) was trying to learn a new position, get used to shooting from NBA 3-pt range and had the most pressure to perform.
I liked what I saw- as the week went along he found ways to be effective. He got to the line, started making shots, improved his defense and became a bit of a play-maker. He ran the floor very effectively and was in the middle of a lot of action.
Yes he has a long way to go to be a main option, but I think we will see more of Babbit this year than many critics here are willing to concede.
Great analysis.
I liked Dante and that’s about it personally.
I had hoped to see Jeff improve more, but dang… (I’d actually give his roster spot to Ekene Ibekwe even though he’s not as beefy as one would like – he just plays, well, a bit smarter.)
Patty, well, would love to have you as insurance, but who goes to take your spot?
Babbs? Where’s the shot? It showed up last night for a bit. Anyone get the feeling he’s lacking in most of what he was billed? He does not seem NBA ready to me. I was hoping for a Chris Mullin…
Armon, I like the skill set on D, but a lot of his offense looks like it’s going to get blocked into the 200 level (along with Babbitt’s shots). He’s a lot closer to NBA ready than Babbs though.
If Mullin played summer league, I bet he tore it up...
Mullin would have torn it up in summer league I bet. Why do we keep insulting Mullin by comparing Babbitt to him? I don’t get it. Mullin was more than a little good. Babbitt will never be Mullin and that’s ok because guys like Mullin don’t come around often.
Mullin came into the league
overweight with a drinking problem. Eventually went to rehad, got in shape, and turned into a great NBA player. Criminally underrated — one of a relatively small number of guys to have a 25-5-5 season.
Babbitt’s not much like CM, who was a better player and a smaller guy. He’s not much like Najera either, but I guess we’re running out of insulting comparisons to recent players with light skin.
by Hawthorne Wingo on Jul 19, 2010 9:13 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
In all likelihood Babbit will not surpass Mullin's accomplishments.
However, there are some salient characteristics shared by the two of them: good shooters with a motor, able to make plays, but slow defenders. Babbitt seems to have better leaping ability than Mullin.
#52
I'm plenty old enough and I lived in the Bay Area when he was drafted
but I don’t even remember being conscious of anything called “summer league” until around 2000. Not to say it didn’t exist, but without the ubiquitous TV coverage and blogging and so on that we have today, probably most fans didn’t know about it or care about it. Heck, 10 years ago, I still got most of my sports info from the daily newspaper.
#52
Getting into trivia now...
As I recall, Mullin was very displeased at first to be going to a west coast team. He was an east coast gym rat all the way. He was lonely & developed a drinking problem, but eventually he got it together and was terrific for the Warriors. His chemistry with guards Tim Hardaway & Mitch Richmond (“Run TMC”) was great fun to watch.
Mullin always had that shooting touch, and a knack for getting off shots in traffic against far more athletic players. It was almost as though he was so slow that quicker guys couldn’t adjust to his tempo. He was also a clever passer. Overall, Mullin resembled a smaller Larry Bird in a lot of ways.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
I was following you until the najera -> babbit comparison
That’s a complete headscratcher. There’s nothing remotely similar between their two games, Babbit will never be a bruiser, and the blazers certainly aren’t going to try to make him into one. They didn’t draft him to be a bruiser or defensive enforcer.
His passing/ballhandling skillset already exceeds Martell and outlaw, and the rest is completely up in the air. His best role would be a threat to pass, shoot or drive off of the kickout pass, something that martell and outlaw were not able to do. (for the most part they only succeeded at one of those) .
And if you’re hoping for an NBA ready chris mullin with the 16th pick on the draft (who I’m sure played all 4 years in college)…I don’t know what to tell you. You won’t get something like that outside of the top 5 and lucky to get in the top 10, so to expect it at 16 is a little odd.
Now let us resume our disappointment at his efficient 22 pt 4 stl 4 reb 3 ast ‘performance of the day’.
by Pheesh on Jul 19, 2010 9:18 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I don't see Babbitt driving
to the hoop against NBA competition, but we won’t really know until this fall.
I think that, in time, Babbitt WILL be able to penetrate against NBA competition
He won’t necessarily make it all the way to the hoop. NBA defenders are too quick with their help. But Babbitt should penetrate far enough to draw those defenders, allowing him to pass to open teammates.
The reason is that his shooting ability will force defenders to run out at him. Martell & Trout could shoot it too, but they had no handle whatsoever, and if they DID get past their man, they weren’t adept passers. So if they couldn’t get all the way to the hoop, they were in trouble.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
AJ: I have to confess to some mixed emotions about Armon.
On one hand, after years of lousy PG defense, he is definitely a sight for sore eyes. Dude can play. NBA ready body, outstanding footwork, long arms, he has the total package on defense.
OTOH, I think he has a long way to go on the offensive end. Dave and Ben raved/drooled about his ability to get separation, and I can see some of the reason for excitement. But he has a long, long way to go as a shooter. It is one thing when a guy like Bayless, who was a great shooter in HS and college, has some problems adjusting to the NBA game and has to retool his shot mechanics. Usually, those kind of guys get it worked out and go back to being good shooters. AJ has never been a good shooter. In fact, he starts out in Miller territory. Will he get better? How long will it take? I have no idea what to expect.
Secondly, while he looks effective off the dribble and able to find seems in the defense, he does not look exceptionally explosive going to the hoop. I can still remember how Bayless looked in that first summer league; he simply blew by people. I don’t see AJ having that same explosive first step. It will be interesting to see how effective he will be getting to the rim and the line against real NBA players.
Third, I can see that he has court vision, but to me, he looks like he is a long way from being ready to run an NBA team. I think he is going to make a lot of TOs, and we all know how much Nate loves those.
Maybe I am being too hard on him, but I am pretty skeptical of fans who anoint players off of a few SL games. To me he looks like a bit of a project who is going to need a season to work on his shot and reduce his mistakes. It is a long way from the WAC to the NBA.
Finally, I find it extremely ironic that many of the same folks who are highly critical of Bayless, seem extremely eager to jump on the AJ Bandwagon. I see the two players as having a lot of similarities, and I think it is going to take some time for AJ, just like it has taken some time for Bayless to adjust to the NBA game. AJ appears ahead of where Bayless was as a distributor, which is not surprising that he had two years of collegiate PG experience whole Bayless played out of position at SG for only one season. On the other hand, I think AJ has much further to go as a scorer.
I am genuinely curious to hear other opinions.
by upper left corner on Jul 19, 2010 9:27 AM PDT reply actions
as you note
projection opinions are effectively meaningless, right now. Every shot from inside 3-point territory looked quick and effective. Johnson was able to use quickness and deception and and explosive jumping ability to get to the rim – I don’t see any problems there. Plus, when he was dribbling – his head was up.
Maybe that is why so many are higher on Johnson than Bayless – he played with options on all his moves – whereas Bayless developed the rep as a guy committed to scoring once he took it inside. A lot of what I saw out of AJ was a difference of approach – rather than ability.
That said, he still has a long way to go to apply that approach to the rigors of top NBA skills and athletic ability – but he is starting in a good place.
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 19, 2010 9:33 AM PDT up reply actions
Your comparison seems very out of date
Bayless may have had his head down in that first SL, but that was two years ago. We have seen him use penetration to draw defenders and create open shots for teammates with increasing regularity over the last year. Unfortunately for the team, and for Bayless’ assist numbers, Rudy and Martell hit fewer than 35% of the resulting open jumpers in the months after the All-Star break. His increasing success is reflected in his increasing AST %.
Every shot from inside 3-point territory looked quick and effective
I may be mistaken, but I don’t remember him hitting more than two shots over ten feet. I know he was 1-6 from 3 pt range. That isn’t enough to keep your defender honest in the NBA.
by upper left corner on Jul 19, 2010 9:44 AM PDT up reply actions
I'm not trying to knock Bayless
But you asked a question and my hypothesis on the answer is that first impressions are hard to overcome.
Just as Bayless getting to the hoop at will impresses someone like torsoheap (below) more than a PG playing within himself and the game – others label scoring guards as 2’s in the bodies of 1’s, assign the “combo” moniker, and dream of picking up the same kind of guard in Parker or Harris (except those guys have some “pedigree”).
I’m with you on Bayless – he has both the athletic ability and the necessary experience to apply that ability effectively. I just happen to see a lot of potential in AJ to be an effective point guard, eventually.
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 19, 2010 9:54 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, 1st impressions can be hard to shake
Also, I am not trying to knock AJ. I have been begging for better PG defense for years, so his defense is something I truly value. I also agree that he has lots of potential on the offensive end. My comments are simply that I think it is going to take a year or two for him to become a rotation PG, and all of that is going to depend on him become at least a good enough shooter to keep his defender honest.
by upper left corner on Jul 19, 2010 10:00 AM PDT up reply actions
Bayless gets to the rim easily, but
does not finish well so he does not impress me and, obviously, impressing me is the goal to which all Blazers should work.
my comment sounded snarkier than I meant
once I read it again.
Just as Bayless getting to the hoop at will impresses someone like torsoheap (below) more than a PG playing within himself and the game
should have read
“some fans value dominating (Bayless) over understated (AJ) performances…”
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 19, 2010 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions
I was just messing with you.
You bring up a good point about the difficulties in evaluating summer league.
Bayless got to the line better than all but a handful of players over the past two decades.
He is built to absorb contact, and he seeks it out on his way to the rim. That means he gets blocked more often than some other players, but it also means he gets to the line 6.7 times per 36. There are only nine second year guards who have exceeded 6 FTA per 36 in the last two decades the list includes: Kobe, Wade, V Carter, D Harris, R Pack and Bayless. I’m not saying that Bayless will become the kind of scorer that most of the guys on that short list did, but the potential is there. Bayless’ ability to get to the line puts him in very fine company and folks should be willing to live with a few blocked shots.
by upper left corner on Jul 19, 2010 10:21 AM PDT up reply actions
I can live with the blocked shots, but
it seems like he drives only to create contact to get to the line. What happens if a ref doesn’t give him the call? He doesn’t have star foul cred.
That happened to Bayless a lot last season.
Bayless regularly got creamed going to the rim and didn’t get calls. It really hurt his FG %.
I think over time, as he builds more of a rep in the league, he is going to get and increasing share of the whistles. It was interesting to compare the treatment Bayless got with the way Miller got a very high percentage of the whistles.
by upper left corner on Jul 19, 2010 10:37 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, while I was bangin' out my reply
I remembered him not getting many calls. I think the problem is he looks like he’s out of control when he heads towards the hoop and the refs don’t like to bail out non stars.
"Out of control"
I have never really figured out what that means. Barrett uses the term a lot and it seems to be true that guys who are moving aggressively to the hoop sometimes don’t get the call even though the defender clearly does not have there feet set. To me, it comes across as one of those catch all phrases used to cover the fact that the refs don’t treat everyone the same.
by upper left corner on Jul 19, 2010 11:05 AM PDT up reply actions
Out of control
usually implies head down, dribbling right towards someone. I don’t know. It’s hard to explain, but some dudes just look like they’re not in fully control of the ball.
or sufficiently off balance that they have only one course of action
get a guy moving to the hoop with all his weight forward – and he is effectively “out of control” because he won’t be able to change directions or make another play….
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 21, 2010 8:05 AM PDT up reply actions
I don't remember Hammer
getting to the rim that often, certainly not like Bayless did in his SL stints. SL is kind of funny in that the competition is uneven. However, I would expect good players to dominate and I didn’t see anyone on the Blazers’ team who stood out. You could find good things to say about some of the dudes, but there weren’t too many wow moments.
I watched a couple of Washington’s games and you could tell why they drafted John Wall. He turned the ball over quite a bit, but he was able to blow past just about everyone (except Jeremy Lin for some reason).
AJ played under control and didn't force the issue
I’m loathe to knock someone that helped his team win without needing to dominate play to show his “stuff”.
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 19, 2010 9:55 AM PDT up reply actions
I hear what you're saying, but
I think Portland lacks dudes who can get to the rim. Roy can do it, but who else?
Roy, Miller, and Bayless are all good at getting to the rim.
by upper left corner on Jul 19, 2010 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions
....and having four guys who are good at getting to the line is a real advantage
I would love to see the Blazers get opposing big men in foul trouble on a regular basis.
by upper left corner on Jul 19, 2010 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions
Interesting observation
Where do you draw the line between “forcing the issue” and “being aggressive”?
Bayless got to the rim 6.7 times for ever 36 minutes of PT and made 83% of his shots when he got there. This was the key to him having a pretty good TS%, better than Miller’s last season and better than Roy’s second year, even though his shooting numbers were pretty mediocre.
Your comment seems to imply that this kind of aggression is a bad thing. On a second unit that was struggling to score and when Bayless started in place of Roy, we needed scoring. Obviously, a PG needs to involve his teammates, but if he can score efficiently, is that a bad thing?
In my mind, overall efficiency is the point. I don’t care where the points come from. I do care how many points the team scores per possession. If a PG can’t score efficiently, they need to get the ball to teammates in places where they can. If a PG can score efficiently, they should do so and then use the threat of their scoring ability to create openings for teammates.
by upper left corner on Jul 19, 2010 10:12 AM PDT up reply actions
As you point out,
the issue is forced only when the net result is a negative. If Bayless drives to the hoop, gets trapped underneath it and dribbles out of bounds, he forced the issue. However, if the refs bail him out with a call, then he was being aggressive.
I think Portland has become a passive team the past couple of years. They need some more nasty. I thought Pendergraph could bring some, but he’s too limited on offense.
I’m talking about the Karl Malone kind of nasty that is on the foul-fence rather than the Reggie Evans kick you in the junk kind of nasty.
I think there were distinct differences between rookie Bayless and rookie AJ
When Bayless got himself into the lane – it was at full speed with a singular purpose – get to the basket and score. AJ seems a bit less aggressive and plays into space differently – with more options to his purpose.
But mind you – I’m commenting on rookie Bayless – not 2010 playoff Bayless. I’m all for aggressive – and a Bayless fan. I think as a point guard, Bayless has improved in the “options” part – which is what I think all points (guards/fowards/centers) need – the option to score multiple ways, the ability to break down the defense off the dribble; pass to teammates in their “sweet spot”, etc.
AJ, when he made moves to the paint, had his head up and options open. Bayless has improved in this regard – and has had far less time at the PG position to develop those instincts. Plus, Bayless has few peers in terms of scoring efficiency as an inverse function of height.
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 21, 2010 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions
However, I would expect good players to dominate and I didn’t see anyone on the Blazers’ team who stood out.
This was my assessment too. I watched a lot of the other teams play, b/c I have NBA TV, and there were several players who stood out more so than anyone on our roster. If Babbit could’ve shot better throughout, I would’ve put him up there, but since he didn’t I cannot.
I don’t know if any of you had a chance to watch the Wizards, Kings, or Mavs but guys like John Wall, Javale McGee, Cousins, and Dominque Jones looked so superior to anyone on the Blazers summer league roster. If you look at the players who were standouts, they had had one or more skills that set them apart such as Wall with his elite speed, ability to finish and court vision and Cousins and his brute strength in the post. The problem as I saw it, was that we didn’t have a player who had one or more skills that set them apart. We had a bunch of guys who were ok, but not anything that stood out for me.
I have NBA TV as well (hooray for Time Warner out in the 518)
and caught other teams’ games. I agree with your assessment. Wall and McGee looked to be miles beyond their teammates and opponents. I thought Morris Almond looked pretty good as well. He looked better than the Blazers’ dudes, but he wasn’t even really in the Jazz’ rotation.
I thought Jones was a bit of a ballhog, but I didn’t catch too many games with Cousins.
Jones' game and body remind me of Rodney Stucky
That is a good thing.
Spot on.
I knew he reminded me of someone. They’re both pretty strong and want the ball in their hands so they can shoot, not pass.
When Jones got the ball, the Mavs on the perimeter would shade towards the hoop because they figured he was going to shoot it.
I agree that AJ looks like a project
But he has enough tools—tools that even Bayless lacks—to be worth a long look, I think. I’m less enthused about Patty Mills. Guys that small need to be deadeye shooters to make it in the NBA, and I’m yet to see consistent outside shooting from Mills.
Mills may be a bit better at the offensive end than AJ, but AJ’s superiority at the defensive end is dramatic. And perimeter defense has long been a Blazer sore spot.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
We may not agree much about Bayless, but it sounds like we agree about AJ
I don’t mean to be too hard on the guy. I think he is a good prospect and a great find for an early 2nd rounder. I wouldn’t be shocked if he eventually turns out to be a better PG than Bayless. OTOH, I wouldn’t be shocked if he didn’t.
Both guys have nice bodies, excellent physical abilities, and real observable skills. Neither is a complete player. Bayless needs to continue to improve his shooting, his decision making, and his defense. AJ, based on the little bit that we have seen so far, remains unproven as a facilitator and needs major work on his shooting. I doubt if AJ will ever be the type of scorer that I think Bayless is in the process of becoming. I question whether Bayless, with his limited reach, is ever going to become as good a defender as AJ.
My main point is that a bit of patience is advised. Drawing definitive conclusions from SL play is folly. Let’s see if AJ’s defense looks as good when he gets to camp and has to guard real NBA players and run a real NBA team..
by upper left corner on Jul 19, 2010 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions
Yeah, the NBA is a whole different world than summer league--no question
We can try to extrapolate, but even real experts get fooled by summer league booms (Quintel Woods) & busts (Nic Batum).
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
heard Qyntel looking for a comeback
Cleveland, I think
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 21, 2010 8:07 AM PDT up reply actions
Dave
Any thoughts on how the BP oil spill may cause NO to trade CP for Patty Mills?
by tominhawaii on Jul 19, 2010 9:29 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Unless Patty drinks oil and craps shrimp,
I think we’re going to have to live without that trade.
Stealth > Wealth
by 500dogs on Jul 19, 2010 10:11 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
I like...
I like most of Daves evaluations and find myself generally agreeing. However, I would be a little higher on Patty Mills and a little more conservative in my praise of Armon Johnson. Seems like Johnson is going to be The Blazers pick, and the competition between the two is close enough that whether you support Johnson or Mills you can build a strong enough case for either.
Mills just impressed me a little more than he seems to have impressed some. I like Mills shot better and he seems to have more of what I will call the “Kersey Factor”- that is the ability to make his presence in the game translate into things happening. I like that in a bench player.
But if it comes down to either/or Mills or Johnson, I’m willing to trust in the evaluation of Blazer staff.
It certainly might not be the best thing for the roster, it absolutely isn’t the way it currently stands, but I find myself wishing their was a way we could offer both a place. What bothers me is that Mills more or less lost a season with his foot injury, and it really seems like he has made great strides in his game since, I think we are breaking ties with Mills at exactly the wrong time. My fear is he becomes a popular role player for an opponent. Not the end of the world if Johnson is as good, or becomes better, but not something I really look forward to seeing happen at any time. Given the sacrifice, and gamble the Blazers took on Mills, just seems such a shame not to get what appears to be the payoff, now that he is healthy and seems to be rounding into shape as a player.
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
by Krang on Jul 19, 2010 9:30 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I wish the Blazers could at least get something for Patty
It does seem like the Blazers have invested a lot of time and energy in a number of talented young PGs and don’t have much to show for any of it.
I doubt if they could do a sign and trade, but it would be nice.
Overall, I agree with the general opinion that sees AJ as a better overall prospect with more upside potential, but i agree with you that Patty is probably closer to being a consistent rotation player than AJ. He is a much better shooter, and I think he is a better all around distributor. The bottom line, however, is that the odds of teaching AJ to shoot are better than the odds of teaching Patty to defend bigger stronger PGs.
by upper left corner on Jul 19, 2010 11:17 AM PDT up reply actions
Real GM analysis has Patty over Armon
This is the only source not local or affiliated with the team to make mention of the battle between Parry and Armon that I could find. For what it’s worth:
Patrick Mills had an up-and-down showing in Portland’s VSL finale. Armon Johnson held his own in their mini-Vegas battle, but Mills appears to have the edge. Johnson can have a greater impact without the ball in his hands, but Mills is the better facilitator. As the game wore on, Mills took some poor chances, including a three-quarter court lob pass that hit the right side of the rim.
Ekene Ibekwe's reach?
Dave, not to contradict you or anything, but “His reach is too short”? Draftexpress on his predraft measurements has his wingspan as 7’6 (with his height in shoes at 6’9 and a max vert of 39 inches). A serious condor.
He is too thin and at 25 years old tomorrow (the 20th) time is moving along. He’s definitely a summer league guy and he should be at some NBA team’s fall camp … just not the Blazers.
He can jump, too
I believe Barrett said (during a broadcast) that they had to put the vertical jump measuring stand on another stool because Ibekwe was outjumping it….
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 19, 2010 9:57 AM PDT up reply actions
Ibekwe looked pretty quick laterally on several plays.
I assumed he was slotted to be a 3/4, like Ime Udoka without a 3 point shot.
I'm just not crazy about player nick names...
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jul 19, 2010 10:05 AM PDT up reply actions
Ibekwe could be the next Pendergraph
You know, the crazy dude that beats people up, using all six of his fouls before retiring to the bench to gnaw on his last victim’s bones.
Stealth > Wealth
Agreed, Hoopsfan
I saw nothing wrong with Ibekwe’s reach. He’s just too slender and offensively-challenged to play power forward in the NBA, and he’s definitely no center.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
Dave usually love your stuff but....
from now on when I see the name babbitt i am gonna stop reading. The Najera name drop was that last straw on that one. They are completely players with nothing in common….. well except that they are both not African American. I guess close enough right?!?
Sensy
I'm just not crazy about player nick names...
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jul 19, 2010 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions
energetic, fun, and free Portland Trail Blazers
More, with the whole team, please.
No doubt coach Kaleb Canales was an integral part of that dynamic as well. He further cemented his reputation as a guy players like, respect, and want to play for.
Coaching does matter.
Can Nate do this ? Will Nate do this ?
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
What's next?
Hoping that Greg Oden will reinvent himself as a point guard ala Chris Paul?
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
Just having a little fun, Dave
I love the site and agree with 90% of your analysis.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
I shall explain the reasoning then
When he was young, before injuries erased his career, Najera was a valuable, coveted player. His game could best be described as “deceptive” and “predicated on physical contact”. He was never a main focus on offense. He could hit an open shot when given it, which is something Babbitt should be able to do even better. Other than that he played off of contact on offense which is the one attribute Babbitt has which should directly translate to the next level. Facing up or back to the basket, you never knew how Najera would score. That’s how Babbitt needs to be. Draw a body blow and then take what’s available to him.
Najera also worked for rebounds…a characteristic which would greatly lift Babbitt’s game. Ben already mentioned his intense attitude. He needs to translate that attitude into conditioning, strength, and then leaving his heart out on the floor for 10-12 minutes per game, throwing himself wherever the ball demands.
Babbitt will not likely be as respected of a defender as Najera once was but again he can use his body, annoy people, and grab boards. Scrap will be his ticket onto the court this year…translating his intensity into scrappy play being the key.
If he tries to take the other route—the offense-only game—opponents are going to derail him. His shot and his moves take too long to develop. He can’t play straight to his strengths. He has to use his current strengths to add value to another mode of play that will translate better into the league. He’ll never be Chris Mullin-esque. But if he can play more of a physical, sneaky style with a little Mullin on the side he’ll find a place in the league.
—Dave
Thanx for elaborating, Dave
And apologies for us piling on. But really, the analogy isn’t one of your stronger ones. Even the youthful Najera was so unlike Babbitt in physical make-up and game. Not that Najera couldn’t play. You know I love my “Maxsaps,” and Najera was a terrific one.
To tell the truth, I wouldn’t mind seeing Najera on the Blazers’ roster even in his present condition. He’s still got that wide body, feel for the game, and—most of all—that toughness. He ain’t out there to make friends with the opponent, that’s for sure. But I haven’t seen him cross the line into dirty play either (ala Bruce Bowen).
BTW, at the risk of employing my second racial stereotype in the same thread….I once played against a Native American guy in a pick-up game. At the time, I prided myself on being a very good rebounder for my size, and this guy wasn’t much taller than me. But I don’t think I got a single board in that entire game. This guy had that Najera build—wide, strong lower body and long arms—and he was a rebounding machine. He couldn’t jump a lick, but it didn’t matter. Not only couldn’t you get a board away from him, you couldn’t get CLOSE.
My point: Babbit may be somewhat physical. He certainly doesn’t shy from contact, and he has a knack for using his body in traffic. As he matures, he should be able to develop that ability. But he’s never going to be an Eduaro Najera. He doesn’t have the body for it.
The good news: Babbitt doesn’t need to become a Najera; he clearly has his own special qualities. The guy appears to not only be a shooter, but a scorer—someone able to find a way to put the ball in the hoop. He also has ballhandling and playmaking ability. Najera wasn’t the clumsy goon he might have appeared at first glance. But Babbitt, even straight out of college, has plenty of finesse.
In short, comparing these guys is like comparing apples & oranges.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
Babbit is not close to Najera, Mullin, etc...
Can we try out Keith VanHorn comparisons for a while, please? That one actually makes more sense – lefties, good outside shooting, bad D, good interior play. If Babbit starts wearing knee-high tube socks, then the comparison is spot on.
by Pooh Richardson on Jul 19, 2010 12:02 PM PDT reply actions
Not a bad comparison, actually
Though as I’ve said above, there is something about Babbitt that immediately reminded me of Mullin. It’s not so much the shot (that release will have to become much quicker) as the craftiness in traffic (and of course, the pastiness & lefthandedness). Babbitt also seems to have a nose for the ball, another Mullin-esqe quality.
We always do this when we first see a hoopster: think of what current or former NBA player they remind us of. The fit is never perfect, of course. But it’s usually closer than Babbitt/Najera! (Sorry for harping so much on that one, Dave.)
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
Keep Hammer,
I think the team should keep Hammer, he’s got more defense, better ball control and rebounding compared to Patty. Not that I don’t like Patty too, he’s more energetic and shoots better (esp. from 3pt distance) but he doesn’t seem to know how to play within himself. He turns over the ball too much for a PG and it felt like he was trying to make the play that has 15% chance of succeeding but 85% wow factor instead of the other way around.
As for Luke Babbitt – he was finally getting comfortable in the last 2 games, I think he’ll carry good confidence over to camp and be just fine – I’m impressed (as much as SL can impress) with how “Bugs” (like the WB cartoon, + his last name sounding like Rabbit…not really feeling “Babbs” since it’s what young girls named Barbara chose to go by) came back to post 2 of his better games after missing a crucial freethrow late and the buzzer beater chippy in the Clippers game loss.
I think the defensive differences are key.
Portland’s perimeter “defense” is terrible. Batum is great and Matthews should help, but it would be nice to have a dude to lock down dudes like Brooks and Wall.
I agree - unless Roy is playing the PG (another discussion entirely) we don't really need much scoring from that
position, but definitely need to be able to defend.
Looks like AJ is about to throw down a sick dunk.
Anyone have the video?
Clyde the Glide, the greatest player ever
Cliff Robinson got mad at my brother who was trying to sell him a cellphone when my brother called him Uncle Cliffy. Apparently, he doesn't like that name very much.
by BeaumontTXBlazerFan on Jul 19, 2010 8:01 PM PDT reply actions
The big stiff messed up the dunk by fouling AJ
But the attempt was impressive nonetheless.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
To be honest
I don’t think there was an NBA on this year’s summer league roster. Cunningham was the closest, but he isn’t anything to write home about either.
Cunningham is an NBA player. He proved it last season, and he demonstrated it again in summer league
Is he an NBA starter? No, at least not yet. What in the world would an NBA starter-caliber player be doing in summer league? The only summer league players with that kind of ability are a handful of lottery pick rookies, And even those guys are generally too raw to be truly impressive.
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
Oops--that was a reply to ratzo
I was born in '52, and I believe in #52. Hang in there, GO.
You too, Przy: everyone knows you're the heart & soul of the Blazers.
It was fun watching Summer League
and came away hopeful, however nothing seemed to be answered for me. Armon and Patty both played well, with Armon having the edge. But neither really separated himself. Neither looks like a starter yet and I don’t think either will break into Nate’s rotation next year. I thought Dante was the best player overall showing a lot of offensive improvement with the addition of the dribble drive and increased range. He reminded me a bit of Jerome Kersey. I was disappointed with Jeff’s offensive performance, it was hard to watch. I thought Luke had an interesting league. He started bad and finished with a flourish. Its hard to know which was the real thing. Maybe both. I’m hoping for the latter Babbitt. I don’t think he needs to reinvent himself, just get in the weight room. Oh and he needs to learn to jump when going for a rebound. All in all I don’t expect much from any of these guys next year.
Summer League was a blast to watch
I was new to Summer League this year, having never watched it previously. It is also something that is relatively new for long-time NBA fans. Wasn’t it created within the last decade? I don’t remember it being around all that long, even prior to the information highway.
I enjoyed watching the guys play, and thought we looked quite a bit different out there than a lot of other teams. The article hit it on the nose about being a team rather than a showcase for a lottery players (as Washington was this time). Sure, Wall was delightful to watch, but for me, I enjoy the steadiness of a team effort far more.
I think Dante was the best guy on the floor. His maturity was evident and it is really encouraging to see how much he has grown in a year. I think he makes his way into the rotation for sure, especially with Martell and Howard gone. Jeff was a disappointment to a degree, but I think he was trying too hard, and has yet to realize reality doesn’t quite match his aspirations. Patty Mills was fun to watch, but I don’t think he makes it with the Blazers. He was apparently forced onto the roster last season, over Ime, and I don’t think Coach Nate is ever going to utilize him in his system. He just doesn’t fit. Armon is a much better fit, even if he might not necessarily be a better PG. His defense will be coveted, and is likely the most transferable piece of his game. He’s quick, crafty, solid, and strong. I think he is NBA ready, but will likely only find time in the rotation if both Rudy and Bayless are gone. Ibekwe was fun to watch, and unexpected. I think he would make a decent role-player, but agree that his future is likely not in the NBA. He just looks too small.
Anyway, this is my first post here. Hope it went okay :)
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