Let's see what the kids can do.


Rookies Amir Johnson, Alex Acker and Jason Maxiell will attend the team's summer camp in Las Vegas, and Dumars said one or two might be ready to make an impact next season.


Game 1 is July 8.
http://www.vegassummerleague.com/schedule.cfm?season=3

Here are the final stats from the 2005 squad (I wonder what Rodney Billups is up to?)
http://www.vegassummerleague.com/teams.cfm?team=6

Europe.

Europe.

-HV4yVKSTx0

If only you were as quick with the smilie requests. [smilie=punks.gif]

THank god we arent sending Delfino back.

I suppose our draft pick (#60) will be on the squad as well.

That is, if he's not a Euro-stash.

nice, i REALLY hope that Joe D was sincere about having a solid top 8 rotation, which might actually include some of the youngsters.

Amir played very well in the NBDL, so i hope he can tear up the summer league.

and Maxiell will devour the children of tourists in Vegas.

Good God. Watching Maxiell will be a treat.

I'd love to see Maxiell actually make free throws. He shot 60-odd% in college, which is serviceable, but caught Ben Wallace disease after we started calling him a mini-Ben.

I think that Max and Amir will have a shot at getting some clock next year. Like I have been saying for a while now, Amir is something special. I really really like his game. It will be interesting to see how he preforms in the summer league.

i think Amir needs to just work on one thing to become an asset on this team and rotation player: one-on-one ball handling and breaking down defenders.

easier said than done, of course, but if he can consistently use his quickness to penetrate, there's no reason why he shouldn't get PT this coming season. we've got plenty of spot up shooters, that he doesn't really need to perfect that part of his game. he can drive and dish/finish, and that'd be a huge addition to our bench.

IF Amir can grow into a legit NBA player, where does that leave Joe D in terms of "he sucks at drafting"?

Most will concur that Joe sucks drafting in the lottery only for the most part. Some will argue that Delfino's not been good, but you have to look at Tay, Memo, Max (looks promising, anyway) and Amir (same with him).

More on Rodney Billups:

http://www.duclarion.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=1896cd1e-8a70-4ed1-a42e-94de01886e96

More on Rodney Billups:

LINK (http://www.duclarion.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=1896cd1e-8a70-4ed1-a42e-94de01886e96)

"Honestly, I haven't played against any point guard that I can say was better than me," said Billups. "Last year there were many guards that challenged that statement. Here I feel like I am two steps ahead of my competition."
i think he stole Chauncey's confidence.......send it back home!!

very interesting interview with Joe Abunassar who developed & prepares KG, Tay and Chauncey for the NBA season, right now Acker and Amir are working out there...

http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1371



...Alex Acker is from Detroit is a guy I love, he’s another guy spending the summer down here with me along with his teammate Amir Johnson. They’re two young guys who pretty much entrust their summer to me and say “this is where I want to go, you tell me what I need to do to get there.” So now that I have the facility out here in LA, they’ll be coming in over the summer as well as going out to Vegas when we open there on August 6th.




But, you take a young guy like Alex Acker and Amir Johnson and we can really do a lot of things in the summer. We’ll consult with the Pistons staff and ask them, “Where do you need him to be next season?” Then I bring together my performance team and we sit down and say, “This is where he needs to be by the 4th Thursday in June to be where we need him to be by October.” So, we’ve taken it to a pretty scientific level. We’re trying to create a complete athlete.




When I prepare Chauncey and Tayshaun to have the type of seasons they’ve had, that establishes a good relationship with the Pistons to the point where they’ll call me and ask for my opinion about something and take it at face value, not like it’s etched in stone or anything, but the trust is there. I enjoy it and the way I think I’ve been able to do that is real simple. I’m for the player, that’s who I work for. I just train. I’m not trying to be anyone’s GM or anything like that. The player knows that I’m for him.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to lie though. If you’ve got Chauncey the last thing you want is to tell Joe Dumars or John Hammond that a draft player is good when he’s not good. Because they’ll look at you and it will make Chauncey look bad. So, I try and be honest. A lot of the guys that train players in this process are trying to get NBA jobs, or work for Adidas or something like that, I don’t want any of that stuff, I train, and that’s what I do. I’m aligned in the middle because of it. If the team wants something then I’ll help them out, if an agent wants something then I’ll help them out, but if a player wants something that’s my first priority. All I care about is making sure the guys I train have a great year, that’s really it. Look at Jay Williams, I’ve been thrilled by his workouts. People have been surprised, as you guys were with how much progress he’s made and that’s just…cool, it makes me feel great.



great news Amir and Acker working hard to get better, plus i hope we get a shot at signing Jay Williams, he could be the quick backup PG we desperately need for cheap money...

Nice find.

excellent article. great find. thanks!

it's so encouraging to see those 2 kids committing to improve their games. i have the most hope for amir as i think he can be more than just a decent bench player. i think, longterm, he can be a real player in this league.

we sure could use hi athleticism off the bench and the change of pace he would bring our offense. he's one of the 'new era' guys we need to help with the way the game is being played/officiated now. but yes, ballhandling is a huge thing for him.

as for acker...i had high hopes but he disappointed a bit with his nervous play. he has skills but i'd like to see a lot more improvement from him. he did really well in the D-league but then again, that was the D league.

let's hope both go on to become real players for us. goodness knows we need some young studs. there are few other opportunities to add young talent to this team. other teams around the league are bursting at the seams with young athletic studs; we need a few of our own or we'll eventually be left in the dust.

If only Amir could bulken up a little, he could also play the 4 as well.

The question still remains, do we sign them both?

Yes, Acker and Amir should be on the roster next season.

There will be a number of familiar names on the Detroit Pistons' summer league team, which begins play in Las Vegas July 8-14.

In addition to second-year players Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson and Alex Acker, others on the summer league team will include Rodney Billups, the younger brother of Pistons guard Chauncey Billups, and Wayne Wallace, center Ben Wallace's nephew.

Also on the team: 7-foot center Marko Jovanovic, point guard Frank Williams, guard Rashein Wright, 6-9 forward Sam Hoskin, who starred at Detroit's Bishop Borgess High School, and forward Nik Caner-Medley.

Should we start the debate on Frank Williams making the team now, or later?

Frank Williams had some decent starts in New York before they traded for Marbury. I dunno WTF happened to him after he went to Chicago.

Frank Williams had some decent starts in New York before they traded for Marbury. I dunno WTF happened to him after he went to Chicago.

I think Scott Skiles happened to him.

If Williams is as "worthless" to Skiles as Tim Thomas was, I'd sign him to a long term guaranteed contract this minute, and hopes he's does as many terrible things for the Pistons as Thomas did for the Suns.

IIRC Williams bulked up and that fucked him up.

If Williams makes the team then do we send Blalock overseas?

i think blaylock will stick. it's possible he might be sent to the D league, but i don't see him going to europe. he's not far from being able to contribute so i don't think it happens.

FWIW- i just read an article that said acker will be moving back to his natural position of SG. that's good for everyone- he clearly struggled as a PG and his handle/vision is not what it needs to be.

if there is ANY hope for him, this probably helps. he could possibly be a scorer in bunches someday down the line and he can't do that from the PG position.

ben
sheed
price
rip
billups
dice
delfino
wells? (MLE)
hunter
maxiell
atkins? (veteran's exception)
davis
amir johnson
blaylock
big man


just a quick idea of what our roster might look like. acker will struggle to make the final 15, but IMO blaylock makes it for sure. atkins is certainly not my top choice for a PG but i'm just wondering what else we can get for just the vet's minimum.

If chucky atkins is our only other PG option, i'd rather have delk. He's a better rebounder, more consistant shooter, and atleast tries to expand his game.

I'd also take Delk over Shatkins.

Delk seems to be getting overlooked in a lot of these scenarios. I don't think we'll find a better, cheaper offensive veteran PG/SG to bring off the bench.

The fact that he's decent defensively is only a plus.

I'd rather spend the MLE on Marcus Banks or Speedy Claxton.

They want a ton of minutes, you say?

PG: Billups 18/MLE 30
SG: Rip 33/Billups 15
SF: Prince 33/Delfino 15

OMG! No way! It can't happen!

Why not?

Dallas had Terry and Harris
Miami had Wade and Payton (or Williams)
Phoenix played Nash and Barbosa together a lot

The best thing about our team is our depth of quality bigs. They can erase many defensive mistakes.

Mmmmm, the more I look at it the more I like the idea.

NOTE: The rotation isn't exactly how it's gonna work so don't come at me with the typical "Banks can't handle 30 mins" bullshit.

Obviously whichever PG we signed would see plenty of playing time, though. Maybe not 30 minutes a night but at least 25.

Hey! What makes you think Banks can handle...


edit: nevermind

Yeah, you're a funny fucker GD.

Anyway, I don't even know how many minutes Banks or Claxton averaged last season, but that's always the excuse.

It's either "they want to start" or "they want more minutes"

My questions to those statements?

Why do they want to start and why do they want big minutes?

Let's assume Atlanta offers Claxton what would equal the MLE. We make the same offer.

Why go play for them, start and get 30 minutes and LOSE almost every fucking game?

Just come here and play 25 minutes off the bench and possibly win a ring.

At the very least you'll pick up some extra cash because of the playoffs.

banks is a potential guy whose never consistently panned out IMO. It would be nice if the celtics gave up delonte west. that would be a perfect fit. solid defender, decent shooter when given the open shot, can push the ball up the court, and can block shots at the PG position.

i'd LOVE to have a real 3 guard rotation, with another really good PG coming off the bench.

like you said, there would be at least 25 minutes for said guard to have, IN THEORY. however, that is assuming our buddy flip can distribute minutes sensibly, which IMO he has shown he CAN'T. if avery johnson was our coach, i'd feel confident we could make good use of a deep bench. but we have flip instead.

i don't want to hear nonsense about flip not being able to 'trust' certain bench players, etc. it's impossible to trust them when you never give them a chance!

i have to assume joe is having a SERIOUS talk with flip about his use of the bench- or lack thereof.

He's having the talk and interviewing former head coaches.

I think it's safe to say Flip will get the message.

Does this mean Wayne Wallace will be cut from our Summer League team??

Does this mean Wayne Wallace will be cut from our Summer League team??

Ha Ha! Vengeance is sweet!!

LMMFAO

It'd be sweet if Wayne Wallace made the team and Ben had to play against him every time he played against us.

Could we force Wayne to wear a fro?

Wayne is actually a little taller than Ben....

01 Rodney Billups G 5-10 165 Denver
05 Rasheim Wright G 6-3 190 District of Columbia
06 Alex Acker G 6-5 185 Pepperdine
07 Frank Williams G 6-3 212 Illinois
08 Sam Hoskin F 6-8 245 DePaul
09 Wayne Wallace C 6-9 215 Virginia Union
10 Will Blalock G 6-0 205 Iowa State
12 Nik Caner-Medley F 6-8 240 Maryland
17 Marko Jovanovic C 7-0 248 Serbia & Montenegro
18 Cheikh Samb C 7-1 195 Senegal
23 Rick Rickert F 6-11 235 Minnesota
25 Amir Johnson F 6-9 210 Westchester HS (LA)
54 Jason Maxiell F 6-7 260 Cincinnati

How about the irony of having another 7-foot serbian center on the roster...

Caner-Medly is known to me because of his Terp days, but he isn't very good. Rick Rickert should be interesting.

And how about Frank Williams?

Remember how we tried to get him from chicago two years ago, and wound up getting arroyo after they turned us down?

BTW, NBATV will air the following Pistons games at the following times:

vs PHX 7/10-airs 7/14
vs NYK 7/11-airs 7/17
vs LAC 7/13-airs 7/20
vs BOS 7/14-airs 7/21

..or you could shell out the $10 for the vegas summer league courtside live package, which doesnt show the whole games from what I can tell, but does include highlight packages.

[QUOTE=Kstat]Wayne is actually a little taller than Ben....

01 Rodney Billups G 5-10 165 Denver
05 Rasheim Wright G 6-3 190 District of Columbia
06 Alex Acker G 6-5 185 Pepperdine
07 Frank Williams G 6-3 212 Illinois
08 Sam Hoskin F 6-8 245 DePaul
09 Wayne Wallace C 6-9 215 Virginia Union
10 Will Blalock G 6-0 205 Iowa State
12 Nik Caner-Medley F 6-8 240 Maryland
17 Marko Jovanovic C 7-0 248 Serbia & Montenegro
18 Cheikh Samb C 7-1 195 Senegal
23 Rick Rickert F 6-11 235 Minnesota
25 Amir Johnson F 6-9 210 Westchester HS (LA)
54 Jason Maxiell F 6-7 260 Cincinnati

/QUOTE]

That team will tear down every other team in the summer league

I wouldn't be so sure...Sacramento has Ron Artest on their team, and Phoenix has Amare Stoudemire.

Golden State has a nice roster too...Biedrins, Bynam, Diogu, Ellis, O'Bryant. They definately have the most talent.

We should be one of the top 2-3 teams there though. Unfortunately we won't get the chance to play GS or Sacramento, but we will get to play Phoenix on Monday.

Max >>>>> Artest...:)

I'm glad some of these guys will have to defend a guy like Amare. It should give a much better idea of what they would really be like, to help offset inflated summer league stats.

Any Rodney White sightings so far? He's always good for 20+ in the summer league.

I actually thought it said Darko, but is not


17 Marko Jovanovic C 7-0 248 Serbia & Montenegro

i'm actually curious about wayne wallace. anybody got a background?

http://nbadraft.net/profiles/headshots/wayne-wallace-hd.jpg
http://www.onnidan.com/bcsp/945/wallace.gif
nevermind i got it.


Wayne Wallace
Birthdate:
NBA Position: Power Forward
College: Virginia Union
Class: Senior
Ht: 6-9
Wt: 187
Hometown: Selma, AL
High School:
One of the big surprises of the 2003 Draft field…from Division II powerhouse and NBA factory Virginia Union, Wallace has been taught the work ethic that his uncle Ben Wallace and VUU alumni Charles Oakley exemplify in their game…the long and lanky power forward’s strength, as per Wallace genes, is defense and using his length to block shots…doesn’t get in a hurry to swat shots, stays on his feet and is patient, waiting for the right moment to elevate…questions surrounded his shooting ability due to his 5-7 window around the basket at VUU, but in private workouts he has shown the ability to knock down the mid range shot and could possibly extend to three point territory, although he doesn’t necessarily need to…adding a baby hook would be a great addition to his offensive arsenal…has crafty footwork around the basket, can spin off a defender in the block to get to the hole…gets good position for rebounds and finds the open seam to get on the glass…has good stamina…one of the top rebounder and shot blockers in DII, ranking 10th in boards and fourth in blocks…physically, he must add weight and muscle to play the way he does at the NBA level…he can get frustrated by physical teams and lets the opponent get into his head when they throw players at him…not a player to build the offense around.

Season averages: 14.7 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 3 bpg led CIAA in rebounding and blocks, 53.8% FG

Notes: Measured 6-7.25 without shoes and 6-8.75 with shoes Has a 7-0 wingspan and a 9 foot standing reach.

-Justin Young
http://nbadraft.net/profiles/waynewallace.htm


CIAA HOOP STARS: Seniors Patrick Pope of St. Augustine's and Naomi Mobley of Shaw have been chosen respectively as Men's and Women's Basketball Players of the Year in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Pope, from Clinton, Md., leads the conference in scoring at 25.1 points per game, fourth best in the nation, and also is the leader in free throw percentage (176-203, 86.7%) and steals (3.0 spg.). He has been the triggerman of a 16-7 Falcons team that heads into the final week of the regular season atop the CIAA's West Division race. The smooth six-foot guard had a league-high 45-point outburst in a Jan. 25 win over North Carolina Central, part of an eight-game stretch that saw him average 32 points per contest. Pope spent most of his career as a playmaker but expanded his role this year to become more of a scorer. Seven other seniors were named to the 12-man all-conference team including 6-9 Virginia Union center Wayne Wallace, the first recipient of the CIAA's new Defensive Player of the Year award. Wallace, a senior from Whitehall, Al., and nephew to former VUU standout and current NBA all-star Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons, played last year under the name Wayne Taylor but changed his last name to his mother's maiden name (Wallace) this season. He has averaged a double-double at 14.2 points and 11.9 rebounds per game and added 2.8 blocks per game. The rebounding and block averages are the best in the conference though Wallace is not listed in conference statistics after missing several games early in the season after breaking his wrist. Wallace's inside presence has helped propel VUU (15-7) to the top of the East Division standings.
http://www.onnidan.com/bcsp/928/utb928.htm

Va. Union's Wallace shines at NBA Draft Camp
Virginia Union center Wayne Wallace was the only black college player to make it to the June 4-6 NBA Draft Camp at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

Wallace, who averaged 14.7 points and a conference-best 11.6 rebounds while earning all-CIAA honors for the Panthers this year, is the nephew of two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Ben Wallace, who also attended Virginia Union.

His numbers this year were better than his uncle's in his final season at VUU (12.5 points, 10.5 rebounds). Perhaps that's what got the younger Wallace a look-see at the camp. Scouts certainly don't want to pass on another Wallace after Ben, who was undrafted out of VUU, has become an all-star in the league.

Wallace was one of 67 players that came to Chicago for the annual camp to demonstrate their skills in front of coaches and general managers from every NBA team.

Wallace was impressive in the three games he played with Team 1. His team finished 1-2 but Wallace did distinguish himself.

Listed at 6-7 1/4 and only 187 pounds but with a 7' 2" wingspan in measurements at the camp, Wallace scored 13 points, had seven rebounds and four blocked shots in an 84-74 loss to Team 2 on the first day.

He played sparingly on day two as Team 1 defeated Team 4, 84-80. Wallace totalled only five points, two rebounds and two blocks.

His best outing was in Friday's final day in a 81-72 loss to Team 6. He had a double-double, scoring 14 points and snaring 11 rebounds while blocking two shots.

Sixteen-year NBA veteran Johnny Newman, who attended the camp as an assistant coach, runs a summer league in Richmond that Wallace has played in the last two years. He said the youngster improved his stock.

"He played well. He was aggressive, rebounded the basketball and blocked shots all weekend long," said Newman. "People wanted to see what he could do and he definitely showed them something."

Newman says Wallace has a good chance of playing in the league but needs to work on a few things.

"He needs to push his body out, get bigger and stronger," Newman said. "He's not as big as Ben but just like Ben he's an outstanding shot blocker and rebounder. He's a little better offensively than Ben."
Charlotte-based scout Tim Anderson contributed to this story.
http://www.onnidan.com/bcsp/945/stry9452.htm

for the record that roster should dominate the summer league in defense(blocked shots wise atleast) and dunks.

though Wallace is not listed in conference statistics after missing several games early in the season after breaking his wrist.
what's up w/ that family and weak wrists?



there's a joke in there somewhere....

http://www.vegassummerleague.com/teams.cfm?team=21

Sat 7/8/06 2:00 PM Detroit Pistons Washington Wizards

Mon 7/10/06 6:00 PM Phoenix Suns Detroit Pistons

Tue 7/11/06 6:00 PM Detroit Pistons New York Knicks

Thu 7/13/06 5:00 PM Los Angeles Clippers Detroit Pistons

Fri 7/14/06 1:00 PM Boston Celtics Detroit Pistons

finally, some basketball!! i'm pumped to see what Maxiell and Amir can do. hopefully they've improved their games.

Four of Detroit’s five games will be televised by NBA TV on a tape-delay basis.
why can't nba tv be free on dishnetwork [smilie=sad3.gif] [smilie=grumble.gif] [smilie=grumble.gif]

We won Game 1 against the Wizards -- 80-67.

Here's more details:

http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1397
http://www.vegassummerleague.com/box_score.cfm?game=61

Jason Maxiell leads everyone w/ 11 FT attempts......muahahahhaa!!!

from draftexpress (uncle mxy's link):


Maxiell brought his offensive intensity up a notch in the 2nd half and virtually intimidated his way into points. Maxiell used a number of shot fakes from the baseline to drive hard at the basket. On one play, Maxiell unleashed a monstrous one-handed slam that brought the crowd to their feet and scared the daylights out of the Washington frontline. After that play, Maxiell got hacked before he could duplicate the feat and capitalized by getting to the free throw line. Maxiell does need to get better from the strip, but his midrange game and mobility will make him a nice complimentary player down the line. Maxiell has great hands and can use his wide shoulders to create space, after which he explodes quickly off the floor for the board.

Rodney Billups is the next Michael Curry. Every game he has 1 assist and 0 points.

Cheikh Samb getting it done with 8 personal fouls. Looks like Darko is back in the D!

Jason Maxiell leads everyone w/ 11 FT attempts......muahahahhaa!!!


Yea, he just needs to figure out how to hit them... oh yea, and rebound. If he went after rebounds like he goes after the rim he'd be a monster.

yeah unbelievable game by samb- just missed a triple double! 9 points, 9 boards, and 8 fouls!

j/k

Haha.

I'm going to guess there is no foul out in summer league play?

Blalock with 3-11 shooting?:(

Blalock with 3-11 shooting?:(

Will Blaylock can't shoot, period.

He'll play D and penetrate and dish, but don't expect him to knock down any open 20+ footers. That's why he went #60 as opposed to #30.

And no, you can't foul out in summer league.

Remember, the Summer League boxscores are shit. It's best to treat them as broad guidelines of what actually happened on the court. You're lucky if the points add up to the actual score of the game.

Jason Maxiell leads everyone w/ 11 FT attempts......muahahahhaa!!!

from draftexpress (uncle mxy's link):


Maxiell brought his offensive intensity up a notch in the 2nd half and virtually intimidated his way into points. Maxiell used a number of shot fakes from the baseline to drive hard at the basket. On one play, Maxiell unleashed a monstrous one-handed slam that brought the crowd to their feet and scared the daylights out of the Washington frontline. After that play, Maxiell got hacked before he could duplicate the feat and capitalized by getting to the free throw line. Maxiell does need to get better from the strip, but his midrange game and mobility will make him a nice complimentary player down the line. Maxiell has great hands and can use his wide shoulders to create space, after which he explodes quickly off the floor for the board.

He's learning from the alpacas.

I love a scary player.

Jason Maxiell leads everyone w/ 11 FT attempts......muahahahhaa!!!

from draftexpress (uncle mxy's link):


Maxiell brought his offensive intensity up a notch in the 2nd half and virtually intimidated his way into points. Maxiell used a number of shot fakes from the baseline to drive hard at the basket. On one play, Maxiell unleashed a monstrous one-handed slam that brought the crowd to their feet and scared the daylights out of the Washington frontline. After that play, Maxiell got hacked before he could duplicate the feat and capitalized by getting to the free throw line. Maxiell does need to get better from the strip, but his midrange game and mobility will make him a nice complimentary player down the line. Maxiell has great hands and can use his wide shoulders to create space, after which he explodes quickly off the floor for the board.

At least someone's being realistic.

I love Max, but how much does he, at this stage in his career, help you win games?

I'm worried people are going to get so carried away with his demeanor/scowls/rim shattering dunks, etc., they won't realize he's probably not polished enough to be a rotation player, yet.

The only thing that he needs to be a rotation player is to shoot 60%+ from the line to capitalize on all the fouls he can draw, something he was able to do in college but hasn't yet shown in the pros for whatever reason. I think he'll work better against some matchups than others (bigger SFs), but that's true for any number of other players. I remember when his number was called by surprise in Orlando because of Ben's pussy fit, and he made something happen.

man when did playing with brass balls become a band thing?[smilie=bullshit.gi: I love his unresolving effort and nerve to thump anything close to the basket or force you to follow him. Again i think his FT shooting can max out at 60+ percent with more playing time. And just drawing the fouls is big.

Like i said before, if he can improve his dribbling and FT shooting to 60 percent or better, he could be a pretty decent player for us right now.

Max could easily be a %60 FT shooter. he has a decent touch, he just needs repititions in game situations, and that means PT.

i think the point is that we need to find him the PT to see what he can offer. match him up against PFs and SFs, and see what happens. throw him into the fire, as they say. his tenacity to the basket is something that's sorely missing from the current roster. let him tear the rim down a few times and get on Sportscenter :D lord knows we're going to need something to be excited about this coming season.

fyi, Maxiell shot the following FT percentages in college:

67.2%, 68.1%, 64.5%

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=8015

like everyone has said above, there's no reason he can't shooting over 60% in the NBA. he just needs the consistent FTs to build up a rhythm (like Delfino, imo).

Hide your children.

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/d1/full.getty-71393685ge030_vegas_summer_6_56_26_pm.jpg

Yeah, you're a funny fucker GD.

Anyway, I don't even know how many minutes Banks or Claxton averaged last season, but that's always the excuse.

It's either "they want to start" or "they want more minutes"

My questions to those statements?

Why do they want to start and why do they want big minutes?

Let's assume Atlanta offers Claxton what would equal the MLE. We make the same offer.

Why go play for them, start and get 30 minutes and LOSE almost every fucking game?

Just come here and play 25 minutes off the bench and possibly win a ring.

At the very least you'll pick up some extra cash because of the playoffs.

Do you ever think Mike James would be in demand like he is now if he were still in Detroit? Less time and better team is cool if your only goal is a ring. If you're goal is more money and more respect, you're better off getting as many moniutes as possible.

Yeah I personally think that Maxiell is very average. He looks like he is going to get a hundred fouls called on him when he has to guard bigger, faster PFs that get the refs love. Granted we have only seen him play a little, but that's my opinion. At best, I see him getting 15 mpg for us. And maybe drawing 3 fouls and making 4/6. I am not saying that in a bad way, just what I think. Did I mention that in those same 15 minutes, he will give up 3 fouls as well?

LOL@the pic Matt. Number 34 looked like he wanted no part of that.


@Big Ben's Fro: So who do you see stepping up for the record?

Max will draw more fouls than he commits.

That's the kind of player that other players fear.

http://badboysummercamp.com/2006/07/08/2006-vsl-game-1-det-vs-wsh/

Maxiell: a) Is outworking EVERYONE and b) just dunked on Ramos HARD!!! He is constantly attacking the basket and anyone in his way. He also is hitting the boards well. He got a nice dunk off a missed FT. He’s making a living in the paint today.

I don't think Max will ever be good enough defensively to be a starter on a quality NBA roster, but I think he can possibly be AWESOME off the bench, even on a championship team.

Maxiell is a unique player. He completely changes the flow of the game with what he does. Most teams just aren't used to a guy his size coming off the bench and attacking the rim like he does.

In a few years, hopefully Max can be a taller and defensively better version of Corliss, the former 6th man of the year, in his prime. But to expect anything more or anything faster from him is expecting too much, IMO.

Who the fock is Martin Cleaves?

Who the fock is Martin Cleaves?

Hopefully he's better than Mateen.

Do you ever think Mike James would be in demand like he is now if he were still in Detroit? Less time and better team is cool if your only goal is a ring. If you're goal is more money and more respect, you're better off getting as many minutes as possible.

Maybe, but is 5 mins per such a major difference, when you're playing into June every season?

Championship winning role players tend to get overpaid, simply because their contributions mean more than a role player on a Lotto squad.

Maybe he doesn't have 3 or 4 teams willing to pony up the full MLE.

Maybe he only has 1 or 2.

Either way, one would assume if he's already won a title or 2 that he'd take the biggest offer and slowly prepare for life after ball.

In my experience the majority of contributors on championship teams usually are veterans and were willng to sacrifice a little money in an effort to win a ring.

Obviously I'm not talking about a huge paycut like Malone and Payton, but giving up $2mil per season for 3 seasons isn't really that much IF you're only concerned about winning.

They'd rather take the larger salary and miss the playoffs.

And since you quoted my take on Claxton or Banks signing for the full MLE:

Claxton did sign with the Hawks for the full MLE.

Assume Ben stayed and we offered Claxton our full MLE. What are the chances he signed here to back-up Billups and Rip?

in fairness, i don't think it's always just about money. because while the minutes may be similar, many guys want more responsibility. the ability to start allows you to effect more change and to play a larger role, rather than a complimentary role. it is a greater challenge.

plus, a guy who a team invests in as a starter is a lot less likely to get his minutes cut back or benched with a poor performance or 2. a reserve doesn't have that sort of luxury.

being annointed as the starter is a way of saying 'we trust you to run the show' and is a sign of confidence and respect. everyone likes to be respected and for people to trust you enough to make you 'the man' in charge- whether it's on the court or in the office.

so it does go deeper than just money in some cases.

JMO

in game #2

Pistons 90
Suns 87
http://www.vegassummerleague.com/box_score.cfm?game=72

-Acker the mad gunner with 29 points on 24 shots. Clearly, he's a SG...

-Amir and Maxiell combined for 20 fouls. LMAO. Guess they were guarding AMare.... At least Max dished 14 points back, Amir only scored 2.

Acker and Cleaves with 8 fouls each. Who they were guarding, I don't know.

But if you think that all means Amare walked all over us, the big guy had 10 fouls and 8 turnovers of his own, to go with 17 points on 3-9 shooting (11-13 FT) and 9 boards.

-Acker the mad gunner with 29 points on 24 shots. Clearly, he's a SG...

looks like he made a living at the FT line. 9-24 FG and 11-14 FT

Maxiell still struggling to convert from the FT line. (9-22 in two games)

From the Box score, it looks like a foul was called on every single play. I've never seen foul numbers like this, even in summer league.

Can't wait to see the game tape friday. Looks like a monsterously physical game.

This is unbelievable:

-Alex Acker: 29 points, 8 fouls
-"Martin" Cleaves: 14 points, 8 fouls
-Amir Johnson: 2 points, 9 fouls
-Jason Maxiell: 14 points, 11 fouls
-Amare Stoudemire: 17 points, 10 fouls
-Tommy Smith: 0 points, 7 fouls
-Ruben Douglas: 18 points, 6 fouls
-Maciej Lampe: 19 points, 7 fouls

Cheikh Samb: Go-to guy?

http://www.vegassummerleague.com/game_recap.cfm?game=72


Pistons rally to beat Suns

Dennis Rogers drogers@vegassummerleague.com

July 10, 2006

After trailing for the majority of the game, the Detroit Pistons fought off a 16-point first half deficit to rally for a 90-87 victory over the Phoenix Suns in the Toshiba Vegas Summer League Monday evening. The Pistons outscored the Suns 57-38 over the third and fourth quarters to eventually take the game.

Detroit turned the game around in the second half, as the Pistons put down 65.4% (17-26 FG) of their shots for 29 points in the third and 28 in the fourth. The defense needs to be lauded, as well, as it only allowed nine field goals for 36.0% to be made by Phoenix's shooters.

The Pistons pulled to even at 6:47 left to play at 72-72, but let the Suns have their opportunities down the stretch to take the game.

Trailing 87-83 with 1:06 remaining in the game, Detroit reeled off seven unanswered points to take the game.

Detroit's Cheikh Samb scored eight points in the game, but his final two were the most important. With 15-seconds left to play, Samb hit a fall-away jumper from the right side to put his team up for good.

Alex Acker led all scorers with a 29-point (9-24 FG, 11-14 F) outing. Acker was one of three Pistons to collect double-figure point totals. Mateen Cleeves had 14, while Nik Caner-Medley had 10.

Phoenix had two near double-doubles with Maciej Lampe had 19 points (8-8 FG) and eight rebounds, while Amare Stoudemire chipped in 17 points (3-9 FG, 11-13 FT) and nine boards. Ruben Douglas kept the Suns in the game down the stretch as he scored 18, as well.

For the game, Detroit made 51.0% (26-51 FG) of its shots, while Phoenix hit 44.4% (24-54 FG).

The Pistons return to action on Tuesday at 6 p.m., as they face the New York Knicks. Phoenix opens Wednesday's play with a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at noon

it might be a good time to give Acker a shot at the backup SG spot before we cut him loose. It's obvious he isn't a PG, but clearly this guy can score.

Samb sounds nearer to being ready than I thought, might we put him in the NBDL?

I chatted with The Low on IM and he will probably reveal why the junior refs are calling fouls at such a high rate for anyone who wondered.

Acker is a SG. He was a SG in college. A shorter Delfino with a smooth jumper and a lot less nut huggers hanging from his jock.

His wingspan is sick too btw. 7'0" with an 8' 6-1/2" standing reach.

Maxiell and Amare do battle. Apparently Max held his own:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/marty_burns/07/11/vegas/1.html


"I think it was well worth it," Stoudemire said about his decision to play in this year's summer league. "I was able to come out and really get in shape work on things I needed to work on. It's just part of the rehab program. Just another way to try to get better, that's the way I look at."

That's not to say Stoudemire didn't have some setbacks. In addition to his 10 fouls, he committed eight turnovers. He also was on the wrong end of one of the night's highlight moments when he failed to stop Detroit's Jason Maxiell on a baseline drive. Maxiell threw down a dunk, and drew the foul, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers. Even Knicks players Nate Robinson and David Lee, who were waiting to play the next game, rose from their bleacher seats to hoot and holler.

But Stoudemire also had his share of moments, taking Maxiell off the dribble with a hesitation drive on one play and burying a 15-foot jumper over him another time. He also dished several nice passes, helping Maciej Lampe to a career night of 19 points on 8-of-8 shooting. Considering Stoudemire has undergone two knee surgeries since last season, has only been playing five on five for a few weeks, and still considers himself at "about 80 percent" healthy, the Suns have to be encouraged.

"He's improving every day," said Suns coach Mike D'Antoni. "He's just got to get his timing and everything down. But this has been beneficial for him. [His explosiveness] is not there yet, but it shouldn't be. [The important thing is] he's not swelling and he's feeling good. So it's just a matter of time."

I can't wait to see more of those moments from Maxiell come regular season play. He still can't hit a fucking free throw....his form isn't even that bad.

repititions, repititions.

Again I'll ask:

Did he hit 8-10 FT's in a game in SL?

I read that somewhere and no one seems to have seen it.

Maybe I made it up? This is weird...

For a detailed recap:

http://badboysummercamp.com/2006/07/11/2006-tvsl-game-2-det-vs-phx/

According to this guy, Max took Amare by surprise and got into his head.

I'll have my VCR rolling friday.

Do you ever think Mike James would be in demand like he is now if he were still in Detroit? Less time and better team is cool if your only goal is a ring. If you're goal is more money and more respect, you're better off getting as many minutes as possible.

Maybe, but is 5 mins per such a major difference, when you're playing into June every season?

Championship winning role players tend to get overpaid, simply because their contributions mean more than a role player on a Lotto squad.

Maybe he doesn't have 3 or 4 teams willing to pony up the full MLE.

Maybe he only has 1 or 2.

Either way, one would assume if he's already won a title or 2 that he'd take the biggest offer and slowly prepare for life after ball.

In my experience the majority of contributors on championship teams usually are veterans and were willng to sacrifice a little money in an effort to win a ring.

Obviously I'm not talking about a huge paycut like Malone and Payton, but giving up $2mil per season for 3 seasons isn't really that much IF you're only concerned about winning.

They'd rather take the larger salary and miss the playoffs.

And since you quoted my take on Claxton or Banks signing for the full MLE:

Claxton did sign with the Hawks for the full MLE.

Assume Ben stayed and we offered Claxton our full MLE. What are the chances he signed here to back-up Billups and Rip?

We agree on some pieces...IF a person is most focused on a ring. However, if it's money, I still say that you're best off getting as many minutes as possible.

In the Claxton situation he took the full MLE to go to the Hawks for a few years. Would he come to the Pistons for the same amount of money? Depends on his wants. If it's more money than no. Speedy still has some youth he could do well in atlanta, prove thathe can handle the job full time and command a deal that starts at 6+ mil after atl. If he were with the pistons, he'd live us in the same situation, still hasn't proven leading the team and he'd more than likely have another MLE type offer on the table.

So the question is, do you want to merely be a contributor on a winner or a leader on a bad team. Leaders tend to make more money when it's all said and done. I mean, who would you want to pay more for: 7th man Al Harrington in Indy or starter in atlanta? Personally, I knew he was talented in Indy, but i never knew he was THAT good until he got out of the shadows of the Reggies, Jermaines, etc.

I know it's only summer league, but Samb is among the league leaders in minutes, and he's shooting 67% from the field. He leads the league in bpg at 2.5, and he's putting up 8.5 & 7, though all of this is only through 2 games.

I wonder if there is any chance he gets signed and sent to the NBDL?

Also, Acker is 3rd in the league in ppg at 23.0

billups
rip
mohammed
prince
sheed
dice
delfino
maxiell
davis
hunter
johnson
veteran PG with our BAE
acker
blalock

that's 14. room for samb? with that roster there is. but do we add one more vet at the SF/SG position?

while he is a developmental project, it might do some good to have him close to home and not overseas. we could have him practice with our guys when he's not assigned to the NBDL. and he would be working with our coaches, which is a huge advantage.

and even when we do throw him down to the NBDL, he's close to home and being used/coached/trained the way WE want him to be.

i think it could be very beneficial to keep him on the 15 man roster. but like i said, it depends on what other moves/signings we make before the summer is up.

It'll be between Caner-Medley and Samb for spot #15.

don't count out rickert, dude from minny. but if we don't have samb on the 15 man roster, we can still leave him overseas and own his rights, right?

i think until we ink him to a deal, we can save the roster spot by leaving him overseas and keeping his draft rights. that would save us a roster spot as he would essentially be our '16th man'.

not sure on that though. anyone know for sure?

Yeah, Glynaidakis was on our summer league roster in 04 and we still let him stay overseas.

Personally I think I'd rather have Samb overseas. He has the game to play at this level, but not the muscle. He has ZERO chance of being ready this year or next. He needs at LEAST 50 lbs of muscle.

Of course, if we do keep him here we can supervise his nutrition, wheras overseas we have no influence on how he's being trained.

Pros and cons both ways.

highlights from the PHX game are up on NBA.com

-Samb looks like Ben Wallace on slim-fast with that big-ass afro of his. He had a nice rebound and follow-up dunk.

-Maxiell seems to be dunking with BOTH hands now. His dunk on Amare looked like it caught him by surprise. It got everyone out of their seats.

-Acker looks like a completely different player, confidence-wise.

EXACTLY- i think a healthy diet of mickey D's is just what he needs to pack on some weight!

:)

As for tonight's game...we got crushed 91-68 by NY.

Rodney Billups playing 18 minutes at PG may have had something to do with that. It seems he and Will split the PG duties tonight, and Cleaves too the game off.

Acker with 22 more points. He's the star of the team so far.

Also, Amir with 12 and 7 going against David Lee. Good for him.

-Max all over the place tonight. 11 and 8 on the good side, 3-12 FT shooting and 4-11 FGs on the other.

He was NEVER this poor at the line. It's gotta be a mental thing for him.

Will Blalock has yet to inject himself into a game. It's Mike Curry statlines for all three games. Come on kid, show us something.

yeah it looks like the switch back to his more natural 2 guard position is really helping acker. he never could;ve made it as a true PG.

i hope he can become a contributor for us. he's talented for sure, he just needs polish and confidence.

acker looks as dominant as Tay was when he was in summer league...hopefully that' a good sign and that he doesn't wish to join the Qyntel Woods All Stars.

i was actually able to watch much of the knicks game on MSG- they showed the abbreviated version.

from what i saw, billups is a waste of time. clearly he's trying to impress overseas scouts.

the little bit i saw of samb- he made a nice move in the post against a double team and had a little turnaway hook that he nailed. he has some skills (although he looks as skinny as manute bol) but he's clearly not in basketball shape. he looked tired out there at times.

blalock is talented enough to be an nba PG but he's not asserting himself at all. in a league like this, that means he'll fade into the background. he needs to be more agressive and not run the point as if he's trying to win. i know that sounds silly because he should be trying to win. but i'm just saying, in a summer league game you should be a bit more risky and take chances, not play as if the division title is on the line and you want to play conservative and 'not lose'.

acker goes hot and cold and i was mostly unimpressed actually. he's gunning the ball all over the place and almost doing too much. i like his approach but his shooting percentage is way down. i think he has the potential but we'll see if he can be consistent at the nba level.

maxiell also was inconsistent in the bits i saw. but i liked his aggressiveness.

just a few thoughts...

Game 3 box score: http://www.vegassummerleague.com/box_score.cfm?game=77

Game 3 recap: http://www.vegassummerleague.com/game_recap.cfm?game=77

http://badboysummercamp.com/2006/07/12/2006-tvsl-game-3-det-vs-nyk/#more-61

I'm glad that I was dead on about Acker being a SG and that he'd NEVER play PG in the NBA consistantly. I never doubted his scoring when he played here, just that he's a terrible PG.

Hopefully he can keep it up and be a nice backup to RIP some day. If Flip was smart and played Delfino behind Billups, we might be able to develop a tall and athletic playmaker to backup Billups.

Pistons vs Suns video highlights, courtesy of NBA.com


http://nba-boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nba/nbacom/recaps/summer06_phodet_060710.asx

Maxiell is nasty. Can't wait to see him get some PT. Acker did look smooth out there with some nice buckets. Samb does look like a stretched out Ben Wallace.[smilie=sad3.gif]

We lost 89-73 to the Clippers.

Acker went 2-11 for 4 points. Not a night he needed to have.

the entire lineup sucked except for Max and Amir.

Max was 5-10 for 13 points and 5 boards.

Amir was 6-10 for 15 points and 9 boards. FINALLY he has an Amir-type game that we saw so often last year in Fayetville.

Rough outing. It's been a bit disappointing this summer. I thought we might see some outstanding play and instead it has been average, or slightly above average for most of the team.
Tomorrow afternoon is the last chance a number of these guys will have to do anything. Acker, Amir and Max will have a chance in the exhibition season, MAYBE, to play some minutes and work their way into the rotation if they're impressive in camp, but for the rest of these guys it's probably NBDL or nothing. Samb and Blalock seem like they'll be lucky if they play in the D-League.

I wouldn't say disappointing.

We had one two very good games and two shitty games.

The game where we beat phoenix with Amare and came backf rom 16 down was a great effort.

Acker has been a surprise, hasn't he? he's averaging 19 pts and 5 rebs a game, despite his poor game vs the Clips. although, a good part of his points seemed to come from the FT line. that could be aggressiveness to the hole or just the refs calling things real tight. or both, of course.

Acker's been a surprise, Max has been as-expected, Amir and Blalock have been a disappointment.

Caner-Medley may have earned himself a spot on the preseason roster.

http://vegassummerleague.com/box_score.cfm?game=85

Acker certainly fizzled out

BTW, the full Pistons-Suns game is midnight tonight on NBA TV.

Acker goes 6-20!

As for our summer league roster, you gotta look at it this way. Maxiell is on the roster, Amir should be as well. Hopefully, we can get Caner-Medley so that we have someone who can play behind Delfino. If this happens, it will basically be a BAE PG vs. Delk vs. Acker vs. Blalock. My early bet will be on Delk.

Samb looks so much like a skinny ben wallace...his afro is almost identical.

Samb looks so much like a skinny ben wallace...his afro is almost identical.

he really does......it's weird.[smilie=grumble.gif]

Caner-medley looks a lot like harpring...but his footwork blows.

yeah samb's legs are all too reminiscent of manute bol though.

i knew he would be thin but he is fragile thin! his legs look like a small twig i could snap.

Acker looks REALLY good out there.....

Willl Blalock looks like Lindsey Hunter with court vision.

He plays fantastic defense. Absouutely awesome.

His jumper looks EXACTLY like Hunter's.

His handle is average, but he does pass very well.

If there were assists given for passes that set up an assist, Blalock would have about 12 right now. The kid knows how to play on both ends. I'm very happy we got him.

Samb really impressed me.

If he ever put on 50 lbs, he's going to be a nice backup center in the NBA, possibly more.

He's got the skills to be a heck of a lot better than the 51st pick.

Acker looks REALLY good out there.....

6-20 against summer leaguers. Really good? His number belongs in the rafters.

What are the chances that Acker, Blaylock or Caner-Medley make the roster now that we signed Flip Murrey? One article called him a combo-guard but I've never seen him play pg. If we can keep 15 on the roster (like i've heard), we could still keep Acker, Blaylock and Caner-Medley on the roster and put them in the NBDL. Also, what was with Caner-Medley not playing in one of the LVSL games?

C - Nazr, Davis
PF - Sheed, McDyess, Maxiell
SF - Prince, Delfino, Amir, Caner-Medley
SG - Hamilton, Murrey, Acker
PG - Billups, Hunter, Blaylock

murray played backup pg in cleveland. to give you an example of his talent level, lebron was handling the ball more when he came in. he can pass for shit. he also will try to be dwayne wade sometimes going to the hole with less than desirable results overall.

i think our roster will look like this:

billups
rip
mohammed
prince
sheed
dice
delfino
murray
hunter
maxiell
davis
dupree
johnson
blalock
acker?

that's 15. we keep samb overseas so we don't have to sign him yet. it's possible we could add another vet, either through a trade or signing one more guy with the vet's minimum.

in that case i think acker would be the odd guy out.

otherwise, i think that's our roster.

If we do sign a guy for the vet's minimum, send Blalock oversees!!

I think Pharoahmentioned in another thread that Fino could be traded for a pick, which would open up a roster spot for us.

There are several teams with trade exceptions big enough to take Delfino, or we could send him to a team under the cap (Toronto, Charlotte, Atlanta).

If we want to clear up a roster spot we could send him off for a future pick (though I doubt we get a decent pick for him)

I'm going to investigate this "Can't trade a TE + a player" thing further, because if it's possible to deal Delfino and the trade exception we got for Mo Evans it opens up a lot more possibilities for us.

There are several teams with trade exceptions big enough to take Delfino, or we could send him to a team under the cap (Toronto, Charlotte, Atlanta).

If we want to clear up a roster spot we could send him off for a future pick (though I doubt we get a decent pick for him)

I'm going to investigate this "Can't trade a TE + a player" thing further, because if it's possible to deal Delfino and the trade exception we got for Mo Evans it opens up a lot more possibilities for us. You CAN trade a player and a TE. But the 125% + $100,000 doesn't apply to the TE.

Player "A" ~ Salary $1,000,000
TE ~ $800,000

Tradeable value, $1,000,000 x 125% + $100,000 = $1,350,000 PLUS TE $800,000 = $2,150,000

I thought that was the case. JS posted that exact thing the other day.

But some people keep shooting that down.

I'm gonna take this as confirmation that it can done.

So, just for the record:

Trading Dale Davis + Carlos Delfino + Mo Trade Exception means we can take back a salary that is equal to (but not greater than) $7,171,600.

Al Harrington? Bonzi Wells?

pity that will never happen, as davidson doesn't want to pay ANY tax at all

Actually it's not the case, according to the FAQ:

http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#68

It's pretty complicated for most and one guy asked for clarfiication on RGM from the cap gurus.

Here's the exchange:


Can the Pacers trade a player making 3 million, and the 7.5 million trade exception to acquire Brown?



No. That would be combining TPEs from two different trades (one non-simultaneous, from Peja S&T, and one simultaneous, from player making $3 mil) and that is not allowed.

Which means that we can only trade the Evans TE and take back a salary no greater than $1,600,000.

That sucks, but such is life.

just to resurrect a dying thread, i found this tidbit from ESPN:

"The Pistons got a pleasant surprise from last year's second-rounder Amir Johnson. His length and athleticism had several scouts saying he's another year away from being a big-time prospect.
Last year's first-rounder, Jason Maxiell, was solid though his shooting and free-throw percentages were eerily reminiscent of Ben Wallace.

Last year's second-round pick, Alex Acker, had a few good games scoring. But he didn't shoot the ball particularly well.

This year's second-round picks, Will Blalock and Cheik Samb, were a mixed bag. Samb was surprisingly solid rebounding the ball and blocking shots. He has to get stronger, but he could be a sleeper. Blalock led the team in assists but didn't shoot the ball well."

BTW, Maxiell was named a Vegas Summer League All-Star:

http://www.vegassummerleague.com/

Maybe that was already reported, but I didn't recall seeing it.

interesting. it would be nice if he could become a real allstar one day. :)

not gonna happen but i do hope he can at least become a solid contributor for us.

BTW, Maxiell was named a Vegas Summer League All-Star:

http://www.vegassummerleague.com/

Maybe that was already reported, but I didn't recall seeing it.

nice! didn't Maxiell get similar honors in last year's VSL?

aLL I KNOW IS THAT maxiell is a thumper. he's trying to smash it at all costs. i dont care if he shoots 50 percent. he'll get to the line enough times to even out at a 50 percent clip or better.

[QUOTE=Matt]

Actually, he got the first team last yr. He, Diogu, and Nate Robinson were the only rooks to do so.

for a little perspective, just how meaningless summer league is.

based on one poster who will remain nameless, you'd think will blalock was on his way to a starting role in this league, rather than ??

there is nothing to be taken away from summer league. 90% of the guys out there arent even good enough to sit at the bottom of an nba bench and never will be. lighting them up means nothing.

The thing you can take from the summer is simply heart and hustle. The numbers can lie, but you can measure effort from those games.

for a little perspective, just how meaningless summer league is.

based on one poster who will remain nameless, you'd think will blalock was on his way to a starting role in this league, rather than ??

there is nothing to be taken away from summer league. 90% of the guys out there arent even good enough to sit at the bottom of an nba bench and never will be. lighting them up means nothing.

I think that you are confusing summer league with the NBDL. I would guess that about 20% of the summer league players are on the NBA rosters and a few of them are starters.