[外電] Breaking Down Summer League 2013
Top Rookie: Lorenzo Brown
Of the drafted rookies, guard Lorenzo Brown had the best overall week out of
a group that includes Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng. Brown averaged 8.3
points per game and shot 50 percent from 3-point range over the week, and he
saved his best statistical game for last when he posted 13 points, eight
rebounds and four assists against the Blazers on Friday. He also had 11
points and six boards in a blowout win against the Kings on Wednesday. Brown
seemed to improve and get more acquainted with the NBA game as the week went
on. He started Summer League with an eight-second back court violation in his
first game because he was still used to the 10-second college rule. He
finished the week by being on the court and making the right plays that
ensured the Wolves a six-point win.
“I feel comfortable, that was basically the whole thing I had to do was get
comfortable and try to figure out what type of players the guys are,” Brown
said. “That’s my job as the point guard. I thought I did a pretty good job
this last game.”
Muhammad and Dieng had their moments as well, and coach David Adelman said
all three of the rookies improved throughout the week. Muhammad’s best game
came on Wednesday against Sacramento when he scored 17 points on 6-of-10
shooting and hit 3-of-4 from 3-point range. His biggest task moving forward
is finding his flow in the offense and eliminating some of the shots he takes
early in the shot clock. Dieng saved his best game for last, scoring 10
points and blocking three shots against the Blazers. But he’ll be tasked
with learning to play defense at the NBA level without getting into foul
trouble.
Those are things that are expected out of rookies at Summer League. That’s
what this week is for.
“I like the progression of all our young players,” Adelman said. “
Sometimes progress is made through mistakes and failures. It’s just how you
learn from it day-to-day.”
The key is being able to add consistency.
“Let’s have success in short bursts and let’s learn to extend that and
play consistently solid and well for minutes at a time, not possessions at a
time,” Adelman said.
Top Veteran: Othyus Jeffers
Othyus Jeffers has spent time in the NBA with Utah, San Antonio and Washington
—even playing 16 games for Flip Saunders with the Wizards in 2010-11. Since
then, he’s spent most of the last three years in the D-League. You could
tell Jeffers has that veteran experience in his play this week. He’s a
tenacious defensive player who brings a ton of energy and impressed a lot of
people with his play in Vegas. He completely shut down lottery pick Ben
McLemore on Wednesday—holding McLemore to zero field goals on the day—and
continued that type of intensity and versatility throughout the week.
“We knew he was a professional—he’s been in the league—but the type of
shape he’s in, the way he competes, the way he guards three positions, he
just goes about his business the right way. It’s good for the young guys to
see him play.”
Jeffers might have worked his way into a Training Camp invite with his Summer
League play this week. We’ll see if that happens come September.
3-Point Efficiency
The Wolves’ biggest strength this week was from beyond the arc. They wrapped
up the week shooting 44.3 percent from 3-point range, and that includes
cooling off during their last two games against the D-League Selects and
Portland. Four players—Lorenzo Brown, Kee Kee Clark, John Holland and
Demetri McCamey—shot 50 percent or better from 3-point range during the
week. Those four combined to shoot 36-of-71 from beyond the arc, with McCamey
opening up the week shooting 8-of-11 from distance in his first three games.
Minnesota is stressing enhancing its 3-point efficiency on its NBA squad this
year, and bringing in shooters on their Summer League roster fits the
philosophy Flip Saunders and company are trying to follow. At the very least
they got a chance to see a collection of sharp-shooters this week to keep
tabs on moving forward.
Turnovers, Free Throws Were The Difference
The Wolves shot 47.7 percent as a team this week from the field, so scoring
wasn’t the issue. Minnesota actually led all Summer League teams with 51
percent shooting through their first three games. That’s the good news. The
bad news is Minnesota struggled with turnovers throughout the week, and it
cost them a couple games. The Wolves averaged 25 per game through three
contests and ended the week with 109 turnovers in six games. Again, that’s
what Summer League is for, but with the way the team shot from the field there
’s a chance the Wolves could’ve left Vegas with a winning record if those
miscues were limited. The Wolves also at times had trouble keeping opponents
off the line. They allowed 154 free-throw attempts in the six games,
including 38 to the D-League Selects on Thursday.
Speaking Of The D-League Selects…
The Wolves got two games against the D-League Selects this week, losing both
contests but hanging with the D-Leaguers in both. The Wolves actually had a
double-digit lead against them in their first meeting. The reason I’m
bringing this up is since the purpose of Summer League is development,
getting a chance to play two games against the D-League Selects is actually a
pretty good scenario for the Wolves. The NBADL brings their top players who
haven’t signed on to play with an NBA Summer League team, so they’re all
professionals and veterans who are fringe players trying to get onto an NBA
roster. They’re all playing for a chance to get a Training Camp invite. The
D-League brings a physical brand of basketball that will help these younger
Wolves players get acquainted with what life will be like in the NBA. The
D-Leaguers have a lot to play for, and they have a lot of experience.
Hummel Stood Out Early
Robbie Hummel looked far more comfortable and consistent in his second Summer
League stint with the Wolves. He started five games—he didn’t play in the
finale due to five straight nights with games and leading the team in minutes
per game—and he averaged 8.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting
47.1 percent from the field. He was versatile, and he helped the Wolves by
guarding multiple positions within games both on the wing and down low. The
Wolves certainly like his desire and his determination to make it at the NBA
level.
Balanced Scoring
The Wolves were about as balanced as you can be this week in the scoring
department. No player averaged more than 8.7 points per game (Kee Kee Clark
led the team), but six players averaged more than 8.0 points a night and nine
of the Wolves’ 13 players averaged at least six points per game. Adelman
rotated the starting lineup a lot as 11 players got a chance to start, and
really there wasn’t a big difference between having the starters or the
bench in during any game this week.
Stat of the Week
The Wolves finished 3-3 for the tournament, but their losses were more
competitive than their wins. The Wolves lost three games by an average of
four points a night. They won three games by an average of 17.7 points per
game. That number is skewed by a 38-point win over the Kings, but taking that
outlier out the Wolves won their other two games by an average of 7.5 points.
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