homeytennis
Well-Known Member
The Jazz-Nuggets are playing the last game of Summer League Sunday evening. That is the true, real championship game.
Hey, you fools can laugh all you want. Bottom line is win or lose in tomorrow's championship game puts as the best or second-best team in the sport.
And you Jazz fans should definitely be watching. Three of our starters -- Grimes, The Walls Of Jericho, and McBride -- are the likely guys to be wearing Jazz jerseys when that Mitchell deal is completed. Your guy Ainge says those are the players he wants. Watch them tomorrow and you'll be saying, "Man, those three young guys are good. Grabbed the number one seed in Summer League play. I'll take those three."
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!!!!!! We are in it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We need Grimes so Butler can lead the second unit for tank commanderOne guy who is shooting worse than Bolmaro in Summer League is our very own Jared Butler.
Huge 10 point win for the Jazz over the Nuggs. Butler was the leading scorer and assist guy for the Jazz but needed a ton of shots to do that. Kofi started at center and was adequate. Bruno didn't miss a shot. The Eastern European guy rebounded like a mad man for us and Jeenathan Williams was quietly efficient. Johnny and Bolmaro each had their moments. Adonis Arms was the leading scorer in the game for the Nuggs with 20 and it sounds like he will get a two way deal with them. He is interesting as he started his career at Northwest Nazarene before transferring to Texas Tech eventually. Ok all you GMs out there, who gets to come to training camp?
Yeah I am surprised more people aren't talking about SImanic. I thought he looked pretty legit. Was blocking everything, and hit a nice three.I would give Borisa Simanic the second two way. Yesterday he had seven rebounds and four blocks in about 15 minutes. He could be a stretch player as he shot decently in SLC and Vegas. I think I would give Kofi, Jeenathan Williams, Moresell and Usher Exhibit 10s and give everyone else Karl Malone tshirts as a momento.
I’m down with keeping Simanic - although he seems more like an Exhibit 10 player to me. I’d probable give the other 2-way to Sneed simply because he’s already had that role before and he’s the right type of athlete I’m looking for the Jazz to start stocking up on.Yeah I am surprised more people aren't talking about SImanic. I thought he looked pretty legit. Was blocking everything, and hit a nice three.
I watched several of the games, including a couple SLC games in person. Here are my impressions of a few guys:
** Kofi Cockburn is athletic enough at his size to play at NBA speed and in NBA space. Strangely, he rarely moves to contest shots or actions outside the paint. It's as if he's been told to sit in drop coverage and not to move. He will make a contest if the player comes to him and challenges him, or if he's immediately involved in the play, but he doesn't make an effort to rotate defensively or chase down offensive players. This will be something to watch going forward. His size enables him to carve out space and grab rebounds. But again, he's used to people adjusting to him rather than having to adjust or go out of his space to get rebounds. He's good at catching the ball on the move and he has some touch around the rim to finish in a few ways other than just a dunk. He can score pretty well even if he catches the ball 10 feet out on the floor. I see him as a backup center project not unlike Tony Bradley a few years ago.
** Johnny Juzang is a floor-spacing shooter. He barely has enough size and athleticism to play in the NBA. He's not a particularly good shooter off movement. He needs to be solidly squared up and have time to take a natural shooting motion without being too rushed. He's a guy who can make three 3pt shots in a row if defenders leave him. He can also move the ball and play within a disciplined offense. He tries to stay in front on defense. I can see why he received a 2-way contract.
** Jordan Usher is a high-energy defensive player who can be disruptive guarding the ball and deflecting passes. He runs the floor well and is an underrated passer. He's the type of guy who will get a rebound in traffic, push ahead and get a hockey assist. However, he hasn't learned to score in the NBA yet. He needs reps on his shot from NBA distance and he needs to reevaluate how he's going to finish in the paint. He's not going to get to the rim like he did in the NCAA.
** Leandro Bolmaro is a long, high-energy, annoying defender who gets right up in the ball handler's business and has enough size to recover off screens and cut off the offensive player's play angles. He's a guy who can average 2 - 3 stocks if he gets regular rotation minutes. He's just a deterrent to have to move the ball against. On offense, he uses his long strides to get a bit past his defender and then uses his long arms to make big, sweeping passes to open shooters or cutters. He does a great job of delivering the ball right in rhythm to the shooting hand of his target, so the player can go right into a natural shooting motion. Offensively, you'll see him come off a screen and lean into a short, line-drive jumper just below the foul line. He can also finish with a layup if the angle isn't difficult. His 3pt shooting isn't very reliable, but he may be able to knock down ~33% once he gets comfortable with his teammates and picks his spots. He plays with non-stop energy and enthusiasm, which is refreshing.
** Jared Butler likes to play at his own speed, and I'm not sure that's always a good thing. It takes a while for plays to develop, and quite often he's left with the ball in his hands needing to take a tough look. For that reason, I actually prefer him playing off the ball and using his playmaking off a pass or a cut. He's a pretty reliable shooter if he doesn't have to dribble too much before the shot, which is another reason to use him as a floor spacer rather than a primary initiator. Think of the way the Rockets used to use Eric Gordon. He's a smart defender, albeit not a very rangy or athletic one. I could see him make a rotation as a backup 2-guard.
Based on this I think Butler is this season's Elijah Hughes or Jarrell Brantley. In other words he will not be with the Jazz at the start of his third NBA season.