2012 NBA Summer League

[awhom111]

With a few Duke players involved, I figured it would be a good time to start a thread for the Orlando and Las Vegas summer leagues. The good news is that both leagues will have all of their games on NBA TV this year. The Orlando one starts in less than a week, so rosters are starting to be revealed.

As was rumored for the past few days, Jon Scheyer will be playing for the 76ers. Their roster announcement is here:
http://www.nba.com/sixers/news/sixers-announce-roster-airtran-airways-orlando-pro-summer-league

As expected, Miles is playing for the Pacers and he will get some early practice being teammates with a Hansbrough. Here is their announcement complete with poor color choice (poor Matt Janning, Tyren Johnson, and Hamady Ndiaye):
http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/summer-league-roster-2012

The Nets have announced their roster with couple of intriguing names:
http://www.nba.com/nets/news/nets_announce_summer_league_roster_120703.html

The host Magic also have their team announced:
http://www.nba.com/magic/2012-orlando-magic-summer-league-roster

I believe that there are a couple of other rosters floating around (like Kyle and the Pistons), but they are not on the team websites yet.

[MHNOLADevil]

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Kyle is on the Piston's summer league roster and will be playing in the Orlando Summer League. The Pistons are probably waiting until Kyle officially signs, which is supposed to be on July 11, before his name appears on the roster on the official Pistons site. http://www.freep.com/article/20120702/SPORTS03/120702070/detroit-pistons-nba-summer-league

[awhom111]

The official Pistons site just seems to not want to put up actual news. The Utah Jazz have their squad here, although not in a convenient list format:
http://www.nba.com/jazz/news/jazz-announces-summer-league-camp-roster-and-schedule

Here is the list of the Boston Celtics, so the Oklahoma City Thunder are the only Orlando team that we do not really have any more information for at this point.
http://www.nba.com/celtics/roster/2012-celtics-summer-league-roster.html

The Milwaukee Bucks have their team for the Las Vegas Summer League here:
http://www.nba.com/bucks/release/bucks-announce-2012-summer-league-roster

Here is the one for the Sacramento Kings, which features a couple of player who were teammates with Duke guys this past year overseas:
http://www.nba.com/kings/news/summer_league_press_release070512.html

[awhom111]

Here are a couple more Las Vegas teams:

Golden State Warriors:
http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/warriors-announce-2012-summer-league-roster-tv-schedule

Houston Rockets (extremely fancy):
http://www.nba.com/rockets/sites/rockets/files/media/summerleague2012.pdf

[awhom111]

The Thunder have finally gotten around to announcing their team so we have all the players for tomorrow's Orlando League start:
http://www.nba.com/thunder/news/thunder-announces-summer-league-roster

The Trail Blazers have also announced their team for the Las Vegas League and Nolan Smith and Elliot Williams are both confirmed as being there:
http://www.iamatrailblazersfan.com/PressReleaseDisplay/tabid/297/ItemID/3165/Default.aspx

Here are the details on the Orlando League including the schedule:
http://www.nba.com/magic/news/magic_to_host_airtran_airways_orlando_pro_summer_l eague_2012.html

Monday action has Brooklyn and Orlando at 11, Boston and Oklahoma City at 1, Utah against Kyle and Detroit at 3, and Miles and Indiana against Jon and the Sixers at 5. All times are Eastern and all games will be on NBA TV.

[UrinalCake]

Thanks for the rosters, awhom. Putting this with the information you've gathered in the Olympic (non-US) thread, I think you should be the official DBR obscure roster guru ;)

[DrPhilTheThrill]

My boy Eric Griffin will be representing the Fighting Camels of Campbell University on the Atlanta Hawks this summer.

[juise]

Here's a good read (http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2012/07/smith.html#incart_river_default) on the new approach that Nolan's taking to summer league (thanks to a chat with Coach K).

[Billy Dat]

Kyle is tearing it up against Utah on NBA TV right now. He's also trending on Twitter because his hair is long and floppy, high school style. Sidney Lowe is coaching the Utah squad.

[ElSid]

Kyle is tearing it up against Utah on NBA TV right now. He's also trending on Twitter because his hair is long and floppy, high school style. Sidney Lowe is coaching the Utah squad.

I'm pretty sure his nickname in high school was "shampoo". It's a shame Coach K doesn't allow great hair like that on his team.

[Indoor66]

Does someone know which teams Duke players are on for the Summer League? If so, could you list them in this thread so that I and others can watch their games on NBA TV? Thanks - Indoor66

[CDu]

Does someone know which teams Duke players are on for the Summer League? If so, could you list them in this thread so that I and others can watch their games on NBA TV? Thanks - Indoor66

There is a thread on this. Not too many Duke guys are participating. There are the obvious (Miles with the Pacers, Singler Detroit, etc) and the not obvious (Scheyer on the 76ers).

[subzero02]

Plumlee is on the court right now on NBATV... Just had a dunk about 5 minutes ago

[dukelifer]

http://www.nba.com/magic/airtran-orlando-pro-summer-league-2012

Kyle played well- 14 pts,
Miles 9 pts and 10 boards,
Jon 3 pts

[SilkyJ]

nice dunk by Kyle (http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2012/07/09/20120709_orl_day1_wrap.nba/#) from yesterday's summer league game.

[hq2]

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120708/SPORTS04/207080345/Pacers-rookie-Miles-Plumlee-soaking-up-all-he-can

Nice article on Miles. They seem to see the same potential we have seen. Some interesting observations on the differences between the college
and pro games, some of which may help Miles. Further on down the Indiana guy makes an observation that sounds
like a line from Bull Durham; "Don't think, meat, just throw."

[Duvall]

A couple of Las Vegas Summer League rosters of note:

New Orleans (http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/hornets_announce_summer_league_2012_07_09.html), with Austin Rivers, Lance Thomas and Anthony Davis.

Cleveland (http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/releases/summer_league_roster_120710.html), with Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller.

No indication of whether Uncle Drew will be added to the Cleveland roster.

[fayfan20]

Here's a link from Monday about Scheyer still chasing his NBA dream

http://fayobserver.com/articles/2012/07/09/1189557?sac=fo.sports

[flyingdutchdevil]

Nice article on Miles. They seem to see the same potential we have seen. Some interesting observations on the differences between the college
and pro games, some of which may help Miles. Further on down the Indiana guy makes an observation that sounds
like a line from Bull Durham; "Don't think, meat, just throw."

Great potential on the court, not so great potential with the wardrobe. Miles - that tie is in Digger Phelps territory!

[dukelifer]

Another good showing for Miles today. Not has many boards (3) but 14 pts.

[Billy Dat]

While Singler plays, it is very funny to search Twitter for "Singler" to read the combination of excited Detroit fans, Duke fans, Duke haters and, mostly, people commenting on his flowing locks. Here's a quick sample:

Steve ‏@imdoper
@eyemDOPE watching the Pistons summer league game. Is Singler the new Ladies Night? #BringBackHermann
Expand

Rob Powell Rob Powell ‏@robballa09
These pistons recent 2nd rd draft picks are very good #watchout #singler #middleton #english

Nick Lengyel Nick Lengyel ‏@nlengyel15
@ScoobysLog true. That English kid isn't bad either. I'm hopin that singler's gonna kick.... but that hairstyles gotta go

Kimothy Jones Jr Kimothy Jones Jr ‏@K_Slice70
Lol watching NBA summer league, and saw Kyle Singler with his long hair 

Khaily 2 Cold Khaily 2 Cold ‏@Renegade_Khails
I knew Kyle singler was on the Detroit pistons where tf he been on 2k

/\Brandon Miller/\ /\Brandon Miller/\ ‏@AmenMiller369
Kyle Singler looks so different from when he was at Duke #NBA #summerball

Kristopher Young Kristopher Young ‏@KrisYoung12
With all due respect and at the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, get a damn haircut, Kyle Singler. #WatchingAN44

Landon King Landon King ‏@Landon_king30
Kyle Singler working out with the Detroit Pistons! #Duke

[awhom111]

Shavlik Randolph is in camp right now with the Washington Wizards:
http://www.nba.com/wizards/wizards-open-summer-mini-camp-monday

Congrats are in order for Cole Aldrich for being the first player this year to get 7 fouls in a game (something even Brian Zoubek could not do). Shame on the coach for not leaving him in the game longer to pick up numbers 8 and 9 (benching players before they hit 10 is a good idea).

Here are some more rosters:

Atlanta Hawks:
http://www.nba.com/hawks/news/2012-hawks-rookie-camp-and-summer-league-roster

Charlotte Bobcats:
http://www.nba.com/bobcats/charlotte-bobcats-announce-roster-2012-nba-summer-league-las-vegas

Denver Nuggets:
http://www.nba.com/nuggets/news/denver-nuggets-announce-summer-league-roster

Miami Heat:
http://www.nba.com/heat/news/heat_announce_summer_league_120709.html?rss=true

New York Knicks:
http://knicksnow.com/videos/1560/knicks-2012-summer-league

Phoenix Suns:
http://www.nba.com/suns/news/summer_league_120710

D-League Select:
http://www.nba.com/dleague/summerleague/roster_set_for_nba_dleague_summer_league_select_te am_2012.html

If your team still has announced its roster, it is a little late to the party considering the D-League has announced theirs (I am assuming the D League had to wait to see which of its players were picked up by NBA teams before it could pick for itself).

[hq2]

Miles had 14 points, 3 rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot in 26 minutes of action. Not bad.

[elvis14]

Shavlik Randolph is in camp right now with the Washington Wizards:
http://www.nba.com/wizards/wizards-open-summer-mini-camp-monday

Congrats are in order for Cole Aldrich for being the first player this year to get 7 fouls in a game (something even Brian Zoubek could not do). Shame on the coach for not leaving him in the game longer to pick up numbers 8 and 9 (benching players before they hit 10 is a good idea).

Here are some more rosters:


Is it just a coincidence that you have a paragraph about some guy picking up tons of fouls right after a you give us a Shavlik Randolph reference or was that on purpose?

[gwlaw99]

Plumlee with 18 pts 8 rbs today. Had two monster dunks. One over Fab Melo. Videos on top right.
http://www.nba.com/summer-league/games/20120711/INDBOS/gameinfo.html

[subzero02]

Plumlee with 18 pts 8 rbs today. Had two monster dunks. One over Fab Melo. Videos on top right.
http://www.nba.com/summer-league/games/20120711/INDBOS/gameinfo.html

nice game and moves by Miles... Hopefully his play will serve as inspiration for Mason and Marshall

[dukelifer]

nice game and moves by Miles... Hopefully his play will serve as inspiration for Mason and Marshall

Not that this is playing against the best in the NBA- but it is such a different game- and a game that really benefits athletic big men who play hard. Miles should do well if he can stay aggressive. That will be the key. He definitely looks like he belongs- much more that Fab Melo does at this point.

[awhom111]

Is it just a coincidence that you have a paragraph about some guy picking up tons of fouls right after a you give us a Shavlik Randolph reference or was that on purpose?

Duke big men and fouls just seem to go together, although Miles has done an exceptional job avoiding them so far.

Congrats to ex-Boston College player Reggie Jackson for being the latest entry in the 7 foul club.

I think these are the rosters that we were missing as any team that could not get an official release out before the NBA main site is a bit slow. No worries though, every single NBA team seems to be able to get information about cheerleading/dance team tryouts out there in a timely manner.

Dallas Mavericks:
http://www.nba.com/summer-league/2012/teams/mavericks

Los Angeles Clippers:
http://www.nba.com/summer-league/2012/teams/clippers

Los Angeles Lakers:
http://www.nba.com/summer-league/2012/teams/lakers

Memphis Grizzlies:
http://www.nba.com/summer-league/2012/teams/grizzlies

Minnesota Timberwolves:
http://www.nba.com/summer-league/2012/teams/timberwolves

San Antonio Spurs:
http://www.nba.com/summer-league/2012/teams/spurs

Toronto Raptors:
http://www.nba.com/summer-league/2012/teams/raptors

All of the teams are linked up here:
http://www.nba.com/summer-league/2012/teams/

[hq2]

Not that this is playing against the best in the NBA- but it is such a different game- and a game that really benefits athletic big men who play hard. Miles should do well if he can stay aggressive. That will be the key. He definitely looks like he belongs- much more that Fab Melo does at this point.

As we know, they let you play rougher in the NBA. Miles will benefit from not having to worry about getting cheap fouls. Also, he's not projected
as anything more than a 15-20 minute a game player, so once he realizes he can go out there and play hard both ways without fouling out, he's
going to start getting confidence in doing the things he can do- bang, run, and defend. In the end, Mr. Bird's assessment of Miles' NBA ability may prove
to be more accurate than that of his detractors.

[sagegrouse]

Plumlee with 18 pts 8 rbs today. Had two monster dunks. One over Fab Melo. Videos on top right.
http://www.nba.com/summer-league/games/20120711/INDBOS/gameinfo.html


nice game and moves by Miles... Hopefully his play will serve as inspiration for Mason and Marshall

Miles was interviewed by the announcers afterwards -- a "big honor" they said, because his team lost. He was asked which established NBA player that he would compare himself to. Miles hesitated a bit and then said, "Blake Griffin, because I think I can run and jump, although I am not saying I am as good as he is." The announcers (one was Dennis Scott), of course, wouldn't let him off the hook and wondered what his teammates would say about the comparison. It was all in good fun.

By the way the three blocks were very impressive; one against Sullinger.

I saw the beginning of the Pistons game, but only got to check out Kyle's swept-back mane. I thought it was "awesome," as my grandchildren would say. His shorter haircuts just ended up scraggly. I'll have to consult Ms. Sage Grouse, but I thought he looked handsome in the new locks.

sagegrouse

[Greg_Newton]

I think this article about Kyle (http://www.nba.com/pistons/features/truebluepistons_120708b.html) has been posted somewhere, but I didn't realize there was video evidence:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuEQPZy5D8s

[crote]

Miles was interviewed by the announcers afterwards -- a "big honor" they said, because his team lost. He was asked which established NBA player that he would compare himself to. Miles hesitated a bit and then said, "Blake Griffin, because I think I can run and jump, although I am not saying I am as good as he is." The announcers (one was Dennis Scott), of course, wouldn't let him off the hook and wondered what his teammates would say about the comparison. It was all in good fun.


Here's video of the interview:

http://www.nba.com/pacers/video/2012/07/11/1421200009_ind_Plumlee.nba/index.html

[UrinalCake]

Here's video of the interview:

http://www.nba.com/pacers/video/2012/07/11/1421200009_ind_Plumlee.nba/index.html

Complete with mandatory dig at Duke and how their system was holding him back.

[CDu]

The Bulls have named their summer league roster for the Vegas tournament:
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/powe-included-chicago-bulls-summer-league-roster-fan-232300543--nba.html

Jimmy Butler, SF, Chicago Bulls;

Marquis Teague, PG, Chicago Bulls;

Olek Czyz, SF, University of Nevada;

Demetri McCamey, PG, Mersin (Turkey);

Leon Powe, PF, Atleticos de San German (Puerto Rico);

Jamie Skeen, PF, Ironi Ashkelon (Israel);

Jermaine Taylor, SG, Rio Grande Valley (D-League).

Ramone Moore, SG, Temple University;

Malcolm Thomas, PF, Los Angeles D-fenders (D-League);

Chase Simon, G, University of Detroit;

Henry Sims, C, Georgetown University;

Edwin Ubiles, G/F, Dakota Wizards

Charles Abouo, G/F, BYU;

Jake Anderson, G, Illinois State University.

From a Bulls perspective, I'd be interested in Ubiles/Abouo and Sims as additions to the end of the bench. Powe was a solid reserve player a few years ago, so he might be interesting as well. Although PF is one position where we're fairly set (Boozer, Gibson). And obviously Butler and Teague (as 1st round picks in the past two years) will be on the Bulls roster.

[UrinalCake]

Nice to see Czyz getting a shot. Hope he makes it.

[CDu]

Nice to see Czyz getting a shot. Hope he makes it.

Yeah, totally forgot to mention him. I don't hold out much hope for him (these teams are 75% guys who won't make the league), but you never know.

[MChambers]

Yeah, totally forgot to mention him. I don't hold out much hope for him (these teams are 75% guys who won't make the league), but you never know.

Maybe you'll finally get to see him play.;)

[gwlaw99]

Slightly off topic, but here is a video of Mason and Ryan at the Amar'e camp. Mason hits a catch and shoot jumper from just inside the 3 point line and looks very smooth doing it. Later he hits a nice 15 footer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBN2yLzR0Q4

[BD80]

... (these teams are 75% guys who won't make the league) ...

Generally true, but the Pistons are playing SEVEN guys in their summer league that will be on the roster - including, of course - Iron Man Singler (if he iron, he must be Iron Man).

Three other Pistons vets went down to Florida to practice with the summer league squad. Sounds like the mutinous lockerroom of tar heel kuester is a thing of the past.

I would be getting giddy if this loaded summer squad wasn't struggling so much.

[CDu]

Slightly off topic, but here is a video of Mason and Ryan at the Amar'e camp. Mason hits a catch and shoot jumper from just inside the 3 point line and looks very smooth doing it. Later he hits a nice 15 footer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBN2yLzR0Q4

I like that Kelly had a little fake jab fadeaway mixed in there. I'm expecting big things from those two guys this year. I see both of them making All-ACC this year. Once again, I think the offense is going to be very strong. It's just a question of defense.

[CDu]

Generally true, but the Pistons are playing SEVEN guys in their summer league that will be on the roster - including, of course - Iron Man Singler (if he iron, he must be Iron Man).

Three other Pistons vets went down to Florida to practice with the summer league squad. Sounds like the mutinous lockerroom of tar heel kuester is a thing of the past.

I would be getting giddy if this loaded summer squad wasn't struggling so much.

Yeah, generally speaking the worse the NBA team, the more NBA guys you'll see on the summer league roster (sorry!).

[phaedrus]

Yeah, totally forgot to mention him. I don't hold out much hope for him (these teams are 75% guys who won't make the league), but you never know.

Do the Bulls message boards have threads devoted to his playing time yet?

[Ichabod Drain]

Anyone know why Kyle didnt play today? I assume theyre just trying out all their players and what not.

[Billy Dat]

Anyone know why Kyle didnt play today? I assume theyre just trying out all their players and what not.

As you say, I think they need to take a longer look at some guys that are on the fence. Now that Kyle is signed (yesterday), he's definitely going to be with the team. That's my guess.

[Bojangles4Eva]

Have not got a chance to reply to this thread yet, but I'd just like to say congrats to Miles. He has done exactly what he needed to do, and it amazes me that people still critique his game the way that they do. As many said during his SL games, his body is NBA ready, and he has shown that he can a) defend NBA sized PF's and maybe C's b) rebound c) block shots d) play the pick and roll e) has a decent turnaround jumper f) has good footwork for his size and g) can hit FT's. Seriously, why are people still discrediting him (not on this board obviously) as not being a valuable asset to the Pacers? Unless he improves dramatically, he's never going to be a star big man, but he can and will be an immediately effective reserve in the NBA, which is exactly why he was drafted as high as he was. Due to the shock of his first round draft status, he may be one of the most scrutinized rookies at the start of this NBA season, but if he continues what he has started in the SL I think he will gain some respect as an asset to an NBA team.

As for Singler, I was surprised how bulked up he got over the last year in Spain. He seemed very fluid and very consistent, and I too think that he can be a valuable reserve behind Prince next year.

As for John, he seemed to play a little tentative (passed up a few open shots) in the games I watched, and I’m thinking he may be D League bound. I just hope that he keeps at it and one day gets back to where he was before the eye injury.

[ohiodukefan]

Miles destroyed Syracuse's Fab Mello last night in the NBA Summer League. Miles had 18 pts and 8 rebounds and two ESPN highlight dunks over Fab in the Pacers/Celtic game last night. I think Mello had 5 pts.

Makes you wonder why we didn't get more out of Miles. How did Lehigh, with their 6'6" and 6'7" front line, hold Miles to 4 pts last March and he's outplaying NBA talent now?? Maybe we should have been dumping the ball into the post to Miles and Mason more than having them 25 ft from the basket setting picks!!!

[elvis14]

Miles destroyed Syracuse's Fab Mello last night in the NBA Summer League. Miles had 18 pts and 8 rebounds and two ESPN highlight dunks over Fab in the Pacers/Celtic game last night. I think Mello had 5 pts.

Makes you wonder why we didn't get more out of Miles. How did Lehigh, with their 6'6" and 6'7" front line, hold Miles to 4 pts last March and he's outplaying NBA talent now?? Maybe we should have been dumping the ball into the post to Miles and Mason more than having them 25 ft from the basket setting picks!!!

I can answer your question. Miles would set a pick roll to the hoop be wide open and not get the ball. Over and over again and it wasn't just the Lehigh game.

Looking forward, I really hope he does well with the Pacers and it's really nice to see him get off to such a good start. Of course the better he does with the Pacers the more we get to hear the media harp about how we didn't use him. So be it. Go Miles!

[BD80]

Anyone know why Kyle didnt play today? I assume theyre just trying out all their players and what not.

Announcers said that he was being rested. I think he had the most minutes played so far. So far, it looks like he is the guy the coaches most trust. There is a logjam at SF, and I think the Pistons are trying to showcase Austin Daye for a trade and are deciding if Khris Middleton deserves a roster spot.

[MIKESJ73]

http://www.hornets247.com/blog/2012/07/08/exclusive-catching-up-with-lance-thomas-in-vegas/#more-30737

I didn't think Lance was going to be able to play for the Hornets summer league team because of his involvement with the Select Team, but apparently he will be playing for a spot on the team. This video interview is from a Hornets site and may have been posted already, but I hadn't seen it before. Most NO fans are hoping that he makes the team again this year. He isn't their answer for a PF, but he is well liked and can help the team.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Announcers said that he was being rested. I think he had the most minutes played so far. So far, it looks like he is the guy the coaches most trust. There is a logjam at SF, and I think the Pistons are trying to showcase Austin Daye for a trade and are deciding if Khris Middleton deserves a roster spot.

Oh, Austin Daye. Of all the players drafted in the last 3 years, I still remember Austin Daye as the biggest surprise, more so than Sullinger dropping to the Celtics (Daye was drafted with the 15th pick). He could score and is tall, but at 6'11", he weighted only 192lb (he's now up to a whopping 200!). For all the crap that we give John Henson, Henson is 30lb heavier than Daye at the time of their respective drafts (although Henson is expected to play PF). Can you imagine Daye trying to guard LeBron? Ouch... On top of that, Daye isn't quick and only shot 43% with Gonzaga his sophomore year.

Anyway, shipping Daye is probably the right strategy, but I really don't see any takers. His body (or lack thereof), will get him crushed in the NBA.

[Ichabod Drain]

Miles finished today with 15 points and six boards. His average for the first four games is 14 points and seven rebounds. Not too shabby, he's definitely showing he'll be able to fill a role for the Pacers.

[DukieInBrasil]

Makes you wonder why we didn't get more out of Miles. How did Lehigh, with their 6'6" and 6'7" front line, hold Miles to 4 pts last March and he's outplaying NBA talent now?? Maybe we should have been dumping the ball into the post to Miles and Mason more than having them 25 ft from the basket setting picks!!!
Wonderment only occurs on this issue if you didn't watch the guards' complete lack of a) ability b) interest or c) execution to make quality passes to the big men. In the Lehigh game specifically, the Plumlees were destroying them inside early, and then they made a defensive adjustment and Duke's guards had no answers, either passing the ball or shooting it.

[gwlaw99]

Miles finished today with 15 points and six boards. His average for the first four games is 14 points and seven rebounds. Not too shabby, he's definitely showing he'll be able to fill a role for the Pacers.

He did that on 6/7 shooting too.

[hq2]

Makes you wonder why we didn't get more out of Miles. How did Lehigh, with their 6'6" and 6'7" front line, hold Miles to 4 pts last March and he's outplaying NBA talent now?? Maybe we should have been dumping the ball into the post to Miles and Mason more than having them 25 ft from the basket setting picks!!!

The problem was that for a long time we did do that and what did we get from Miles? Nobody knew what to expect. For the first three years or so at
Duke when you threw the ball to Miles down low it was twirl the spinner and see where it landed.

Highlight reel dunk?
Dropped ball?
Charging call?
Nifty reverse layup?
Pass to teammate?
Turnover?
Free throws (made, missed?)
Jump hook?
Traveling violation?

Nobody ever knew. And, in addition, both Mason and RK (on occasion) appeared to be better low post options than Miles. So, by the time
he had finally (somewhat) got things working his senior year (including a useable jump shot) the other two players appeared to have passed him
in scoring ability, and the guards and the coaching staff had lost confidence in him. Now we see what might have been, but maybe it's just that
people also have limited patience, and the Duke guards and coaching staff had lost patience with him.

The Pacers are seeing Miles as he is now, not the exasperatingly inconsistent player he was for most of his
Duke career. It's the advantage of fresh, unprejudiced eyes, not affected by three years of inconsistent play,
giving him a chance to show the things he can do now. Hopefully, Miles can surprise us just like Lance did.

[Jderf]

I'm struggling to understand all the attempts at hindsight regarding Miles. Is he really doing anything right now that he didn't already do at Duke? We always knew he could defend, rebound, and run. And we also knew that he is better in pickup/practice/free-flowing games than he is in a complicated half-court offense, which is what we featured during his four years at Duke. Not only is it not surprising that he's excelling in the NBA Summer League, it was actually predicted by quite a few posters on this board (though not myself).

[subzero02]

It's not overly surprising but it is nice to see it happen live rather just hear sound bites from K about Miles being the best big man in practice.

[OldSchool]

For one thing, Miles is benefiting from the pace of the NBA game.

As one would expect with NBA talent, the other players he is playing with are for the most part moving the ball around sharply and quickly.

When the ball is rotated to where Miles is, either there is a quick, crisp pass to him or the ball is quickly passed to the other side or there is a shot or a quick move to the basket.

There isn't a lot of holding on to the ball for a few seconds by the guards while staring down the defense while a defender pushes Miles out from the basket.

The ball is not moving around the perimeter in a merely pro forma effort to satisfy the coaches.

They are playing with a determined urgency and looking to score quickly.

So when Miles gets the ball, he is getting it quickly with only a single defender on him. And he is making a quick move with the ball.

He even showed off a nice left-handed hook shot today.

[TampaDuke]

The type of game played in the NBA is vastly different than the college game. Some thrive in one and not the other; very few thrive equally in both. Watch the offensive game of the Heat, Lakers, Celtics, etc., and tell me where you see anything remotely similar from a college team.

Keep it up Miles!

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

The type of game played in the NBA is vastly different than the college game. Some thrive in one and not the other; very few thrive equally in both. Watch the offensive game of the Heat, Lakers, Celtics, etc., and tell me where you see anything remotely similar from a college team.

Keep it up Miles!
Exactly.

And consider the flip side of this. I've said it before... think about how many guys were incredible scorers in college and never came close to getting drafted.

I like others here do not understand the continuous rant about Miles not being used "correctly" in college. It's not like we have a bunch of dummies on the sideline...

[OldSchool]

Watch the offensive game of the Heat, Lakers, Celtics, etc., and tell me where you see anything remotely similar from a college team.


Actually, the way our offense developed last year into a reliance on Austin attacking using various angles off of a high screen by the 4 or 5 is something very much like what you would see with a number of NBA teams. Letting a talented guy like Austin break down the defense either using screens or just a clear-out is a bedrock of many NBA offenses. Obviously our guys do not execute that play as well as guys like Wade and Bosh or Rose and Noah, which is not a knock on our guys, they just aren't as proficient as NBA guys.

[riddle me this]

Actually, the way our offense developed last year into a reliance on Austin attacking using various angles off of a high screen by the 4 or 5 is something very much like what you would see with a number of NBA teams. Letting a talented guy like Austin break down the defense either using screens or just a clear-out is a bedrock of many NBA offenses. Obviously our guys do not execute that play as well as guys like Wade and Bosh or Rose and Noah, which is not a knock on our guys, they just aren't as proficient as NBA guys.

Also Austin and the other guards did not pass as much as a savvy NBA player would. Rose and Wade pass a ton more than Austin ever did, and they pass more accurately. It seemed to me that Austin would try to break down defenses but would often not pass out of a double team, until too late, or not at all and then force up a bad shot, or a bad pass. Many people will tell you that point guard is the most important position on the floor, and I definitely agree. If the point guard is not playing well, or does not distribute efficiently, I think the whole team struggles, including and especially, the post players.

NBA offense runs way faster, with a much shorter shot-clock. So a lot of the isolation plays are more reactionary rather than one player holding the ball for 3 seconds and then driving as Austin often did. Miles is also showing he has a good jumper and has been hitting it consistently in the summer league games. This will really help him if he establishes he can knock down shots. I even saw him make 1 or 2 heavily contested jumpers. If he can knock those down, he will be a threat on pick and rolls, in which he can either pull up, go to the basket, or fake and go to the basket. I think he'll do very well in those situations, but this is all coming from someone who only watches basketball.

[BD80]

Scheyer playing with protective goggles AND FLOWING LOCKS LONGER THAN SINGLER'S !!!!!

OK, I'm kidding about the hair, but it sure is good seeing Jon on the court again. He just doesn't seem to fit in in the summer league, unwilling to jack up shots just because he has the ball.

[awhom111]

Is it just a coincidence that you have a paragraph about some guy picking up tons of fouls right after a you give us a Shavlik Randolph reference or was that on purpose?

So Shav picked up 4 fouls in less than 14 minutes...

His game was so foul-plagued that he was far from the main storyline. Paul Carter joins the 7 foul club (in less than 10 minutes, which has to be some kind of record). Then Jan Vesely beats everyone and decides to collect 10 fouls.

The other interesting thing about that game was that there was one Mike Scott on each team.

[hq2]

Miles made first team all summer league (5 teams involved) OVER JARED SULLINGER. Certainly off to a strong start
(and how about a couple of those dunks? Total facials!). Now if he could just play this way CONSISTENTLY.....

[Krzyzewskiville]

http://www.nba.com/summer-league/2012/players/sl_miles_plumlee/index.html


Not bad, glad for miles.

[FerryFor50]

Barnes had 23 pts, 2 rebounds, 0 assists. About what you'd expect.... scoring and little else.

[awhom111]

Welcome to the 7 foul club Ater Majok and Chinemelu Elonu! (I am starting to think that I should create an actual club)

As for the Bobcats and Kings, I thought Mullens was supposed to be so injured that he could not participate in any of Great Britain's preparation for the Olympics? Also, it was good to see a few teammates of Duke players overseas get a chance. Josh Akognon, Shav's teammate from China, had a solid game.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

Miles made first team all summer league (5 teams involved) OVER JARED SULLINGER. Certainly off to a strong start
(and how about a couple of those dunks? Total facials!). Now if he could just play this way CONSISTENTLY.....
Good grief! Can we get off his back already? First it was the draft... no way he would crack the top 40 b/c he was way too inconsistent in college. Then it was... no way he would crack the first round b/c GMs see him as too big of a risk. Then it was... well, we'll see if he can actually make it in summer league. Now it's seemingly back to... well, he's just too inconsistent for this all-summer-league achievement to have real meaning. I mean, isn't it enough already? Can't we be fans and celebrate what he is doing instead of continually seeking to marginalize his abilities and accomplishments? Yeesh! Right about now, Larry Bird must be smiling just a little.

[hq2]

Good grief! Can we get off his back already? First it was the draft... no way he would crack the top 40 b/c he was way too inconsistent in college. Then it was... no way he would crack the first round b/c GMs see him as too big of a risk. Then it was... well, we'll see if he can actually make it in summer league. Now it's seemingly back to... well, he's just too inconsistent for this all-summer-league achievement to have real meaning. I mean, isn't it enough already? Can't we be fans and celebrate what he is doing instead of continually seeking to marginalize his abilities and accomplishments? Yeesh! Right about now, Larry Bird must be smiling just a little.

Hey, I was actually applauding him (not sarcastically) ; he outplayed Jared Sulllinger, IN CAPITALS. The reality of Miles, however, is that he was a great practice player at Duke too, but wasn't as CONSISTENTLY good in games. So basically, from our point of view, the jury is still out until we see him show it CONSISTENTLY in actual NBA games. Otherwise, it's what we've seen from him already.

[FireOgilvie]

http://www.nba.com/summer-league/2012/players/sl_miles_plumlee/index.html


Not bad, glad for miles.

It's interesting that they are listing him at 7'0" now. He was 6'10" a few months ago at Duke... they grow up so fast! :rolleyes:

[SupaDave]

Good grief! Can we get off his back already? First it was the draft... no way he would crack the top 40 b/c he was way too inconsistent in college. Then it was... no way he would crack the first round b/c GMs see him as too big of a risk. Then it was... well, we'll see if he can actually make it in summer league. Now it's seemingly back to... well, he's just too inconsistent for this all-summer-league achievement to have real meaning. I mean, isn't it enough already? Can't we be fans and celebrate what he is doing instead of continually seeking to marginalize his abilities and accomplishments? Yeesh! Right about now, Larry Bird must be smiling just a little.

Actually most fans don't understand the role player concept. They want to see EVERYONE be a star but the truth is that it doesn't go like that. GMs know that. Coaches know that. Fans, family, and friends however don't tend to get it.

I knew Miles was a pro player after watching him in Pro-Am last year. He just had the LOOK - and I told the other mods this. But, most of the board have no idea what NBA GMs look for - a team is not built with Kobes.

You guys just watch. Miles will not only have a long career but it could be just as successful as many other big SECOND contract Devils - cause that's the one that counts. And so far - our boys are looking pretty good with second contracts. Hell, Shav is on like his 10th contract - think about that...

[sagegrouse]

It's interesting that they are listing him at 7'0" now. He was 6'10" a few months ago at Duke... they grow up so fast! :rolleyes:

Better than old guys, Jay Buckley and Hack Tison, the shrinking twin towers of the mid-60s. Jay was listed at 6'11 as a freshman. Hack was listed at 7'0 a year later. But a year after than, when both were on the varsity, they were listed as 6'10.

sagegrouse
'The official Duke stats say 6'10, but are you gonna believe me or your lying eyes'

[Newton_14]

Hey, I was actually applauding him (not sarcastically) ; he outplayed Jared Sulllinger, IN CAPITALS. The reality of Miles, however, is that he was a great practice player at Duke too, but wasn't as CONSISTENTLY good in games. So basically, from our point of view, the jury is still out until we see him show it CONSISTENTLY in actual NBA games. Otherwise, it's what we've seen from him already.

In fairness to Dr R, you are Miles biggest critic here, and the few times you have complimented him you always throw in the qualifier "but". Miles has accomplished a lot and people tend to forget that. He had a very strong year in 2010, and that was the year he showed he could hit the midrange jumper consistently, even through the tournaments. He started a lot of games that year, and still remained solidly in the rotation after Zoubs kicked it into high gear.

Miles is in a great place right now, with his game, and state of mind. The Pacers drafted him to play a role, not to be a star, and they feel he has the ability to play that role as do a lot of people including K. Like any other player, he will have his ups and downs, but I think he will have a good NBA career.

[awhom111]

Well, Shavlik Randolph picked up 4 fouls in the first half and only ended up playing 11 minutes, but there were a few other great moments in summer league fouling history today. Draymond Green gets his welcome to the 7 foul club and Chinemelu Elonu must have liked his last trip because he decided to hit the double-digits foul mark. At this rate he will be the president of the club.

Shav's old teammate in China, Josh Akognon, had another nice game for the Kings.

Starting tomorrow, there will be 7 games per day at two different Las Vegas venues. Since games are going on at the same time, only some will be live on NBA TV. Here is the schedule as near as I can tell for the live and tape-delayed games (all times Eastern):

4:00pm: Knicks vs Suns (live)
6:30pm: Raptors vs Heat (live)
8:30pm: Cavaliers vs Bobcats (live)
10:30pm: Hornets vs Blazers (live)
4:00am, Monday: Nuggets vs Mavericks (delayed, game at 6:00pm)
9:00am, Monday: Wizards vs D-League (delayed, game at 10:00pm)
12:00pm, Monday: Spurs vs Hawks (delayed, game at 8:00pm)

[Greg_Newton]

Kyrie's injury sucks for his development first and foremost, obviously, but selfishly, I'm bummed we won't get to see him tear up some rookies for the next week. I was looking forward to that.

The AR@PG experiment should be interesting to watch for NOLA though, especially if Lance gets any time. I assume Nolan will be playing with the Blazers team, too?

[hq2]

In fairness to Dr R, you are Miles biggest critic here, and the few times you have complimented him you always throw in the qualifier "but". Miles has accomplished a lot and people tend to forget that. He had a very strong year in 2010, and that was the year he showed he could hit the midrange jumper consistently, even through the tournaments. He started a lot of games that year, and still remained solidly in the rotation after Zoubs kicked it into high gear.

Miles is in a great place right now, with his game, and state of mind. The Pacers drafted him to play a role, not to be a star, and they feel he has the ability to play that role as do a lot of people including K. Like any other player, he will have his ups and downs, but I think he will have a good NBA career.

Miles is what he is; a good rebounder, defender and full court player. He still needs to prove to be a reliable half court offensive option, and that's why he averaged
less than 7 points a game as a senior, and was not the first low post option. (Zoubs replaced him in 2010 because Miles was not producing consistently.) I believe I have been very fair to him, and even pointed out that he could be a first rounder for the right team, which many people thought he wouldn't be.

He is at the exact right place in Indiana; they have had many similar players (Jeff Foster, Handsblow (yuck!) and McBobs) who have done well in their system, and I have no doubts but that Miles skills will be appreciated there. I totally agree that they will find him to be a quite valuable NBA player. Enough said.

[nmduke2001]

The Darren Collison trade sent Ian Mahinmi to Indiana. I would guess that this trade really hurts Miles in his effort to be the back-up to Hibbert. Mahinmi had 12 starts last year and averaged 18 minutes for Dallas. I wish Miles would have slid to Miami. He would have been perfect for them.

[Jim3k]

The Darren Collison trade sent Ian Mahinmi to Indiana.

The Pacers also sent Dahntay Jones to Dallas along with Collison. (Nothing to do with Miles, of course, but since Dahntay is one of ours, I thought it should be mentioned.)

[FerryFor50]

Watching the Blazers/Hornets game....

- Rivers started out trying to play PG, but reverted back to gunning after he hit a 3. Turned it over a couple times... once on a walk on his jab step move, which I always felt was a walk in college, too. Still needs to work on passing....

- Nolan looks great. Some nice scoring moves and handles the ball well

- Lance also looks solid. Looks like he has a niche spot in the league.

[MIKESJ73]

Nolan looked real good. He was really attacking the basket taking 8 shots in about 13 minutes. He had 10 pts and even had a Kyrie spin move for a layup. Unfortunately he tweeked his ankle guarding Austin and is doubtful to return.

[awhom111]

Jan Vesely is now a two-time member of the 7 foul club along with his teammate Chris Singleton. Also joining the club today were David Harrison (in only 15 minutes), JaMychal Green (incredibly in only 9 minutes), Tyler Zeller, and Meyers Leonard.

Here is what I think is the schedule for the next day's NBA TV games:

4:00pm, Hawks vs Celtics (live)
6:30pm, Rockets vs Kings (live)
8:30pm, Lakers vs Heat (live)
10:30pm, Bucks vs Hornets (live)
3:00am Tuesday, Cavaliers vs D-League (delayed, game at 8:00pm)
9:00am Tuesday, Clippers vs Timberwolves (delayed, game at 10:00pm)
Not listed: Mavericks vs Raptors, 6:00pm

[awhom111]

The 7 foul club got bigger today as Mike Scott, Thomas Robinson, Brian Butch, and Larry Sanders (who got all 10) joined in with the heavy fouling.

Here is what the NBA TV schedule looks like for tomorrow's games:

4:00pm, Nuggets vs Knicks (live)
6:30pm, Spurs vs Lakers (live)
8:30pm, Cavaliers vs Suns (live)
10:30pm, Timberwolves vs Bobcats (live)
1:00am Wednesday, Blazers vs Rockets (delayed, game at 8:00pm)
4:00am Wednesday, Wizards vs Grizzlies (delayed, game at 6:00pm)
12:00pm Wednesday, Bulls vs Celtics (delayed, game at 10:00pm)

[juise]

Barely into the second quarter (http://www.nba.com/summer-league/games/20120717/PORHOU/gameinfo.html) and Nolan's got 14 points (of Portland's 34) on 5-7 FG against the Rockets' summer squad. There is no player that I'm pulling harder for this summer (though I definitely wish Jon and Shav the best on opening some GM eyes).

[riddle me this]

Nolan having a very good game with 27 points 5 rebounds 5 assists, but just got injured. No one knows what is up yet, but he is on the ground. Doesn't look good right now...

[riddle me this]

Nolan having a very good game with 27 points 5 rebounds 5 assists, but just got injured. No one knows what is up yet, but he is on the ground. Doesn't look good right now...

He is going out on a stretcher it looks like. Not good, not good. From the replays it is unclear what happened.

[riddle me this]

But to be clear he is moving his legs and arms, he just looks like he is in some pain. Announcers say its possible its a "stinger"

[moonpie23]

bummer....hope he ok....


what is wrong with me? i found myself pulling for zeller to have a good game...

[jacone21]

Looked to me on the replay that Nolan caught an elbow from Dragic on his way up. They said he hit his head on the basket support, but you can tell he was already hit before then. You have to worry because Nolan has already had a concussion in college. Man, I hope he's okay.

[awhom111]

The 7 foul guys were both in the early game today as Kenneth Faried and Evan Fournier join in the fun.

Here is tomorrow's NBA TV schedule as near as I can tell:

4:00pm, Bucks vs Wizards (live)
6:30pm, Kings vs Raptors (live)
8:30pm, Hornets vs Suns (live)
10:30pm, Warriors vs Heat (live)
4:00am Thursday, Hawks vs Mavericks (delayed, game at 8:00pm)
9:00am Thursday, Spurs vs Clippers (delayed, game at 10:00pm)
2:00pm Thursday, Bulls vs Rockets (delayed, game at 6:00pm)

[FireOgilvie]

I hope Nolan is okay. I think it looked worse than it was. He's looked great lately, which is clearly due to his competition with Lillard for future minutes. I'm glad to see him step his game up; he needed this spark. He has a ton of talent.

After seeing Dion Waiters in 3 summer league games so far, I will stick with what I said before... Huge mistake, Cleveland. It's obviously way too early to really make any conclusions, but when you see all of the other guys they could have had doing well, it doesn't look good. The competition is pretty weak in the summer league and I still don't see him playing well with Kyrie. Zeller is doing fairly well, but I still question his defense.

Other summer league thoughts:

The Rockets are going to be very good in 2-3 years and nailed the draft, in my opinion. Great young talent on the team (Terrence Jones, Jeremy Lamb, Royce White, and now Jeremy Lin and also Donatas Motiejunas).

Fab Melo looks terrible.

Perry Jones III looked really good, and then immediately hurt himself. Story of his life.

Beal, Kidd-Gilchrist (for his one game), and Lillard look really good. Thomas Robinson looks okay.

Lance Thomas is killing it. Rivers is struggling. The Hornets are going to be fun to watch.

Also, I am liking my picks from the mock draft: Jones III, and second-rounders Orlando Johnson (once he stops taking so many bad shots), and Kim English (45% from 3, 11 pts). All averaged double-digits.

[BD80]

... I am liking my picks from the mock draft: Jones III, and second-rounders Orlando Johnson (once he stops taking so many bad shots), and Kim English (45% from 3, 11 pts). All averaged double-digits.


I was very pleasantly surprised by English. It is a fools errand to predict NBA success based on summer league play, but I think he has a shot (pun intended) in the League. He has a stroke and can get the ball out of his hands quickly. Sure, in the bigs they will close out more quickly and higher, but he looks like he will still get his shot off. He also looks like he belongs on the floor even when the ball isn't in his hands. Great pick-up by the Pistons.

[awhom111]

Unfortunately, Lance is now also a member of the 7 foul club. Other guys to reach the mark today include Chris Singleton, Royce White, Terrence Ross, Charles Garcia, Dexter Pittman, and Terrel Harris.

Here is the NBA TV schedule for tomorrow's games:

4:00pm, Knicks vs Raptors (live)
6:30pm, Celtics vs Kings (live)
8:30pm, Clippers vs Lakers (live)
10:30pm, Bobcats vs Nuggets (live)
3:00am Friday, Cavaliers vs Timberwolves (delayed, game at 8:00pm)
9:00am Friday, Blazers vs Hawks (delayed, game at 6:00pm)
12:00pm Friday, D-League vs Bucks (delayed, game at 10:00pm)

[brevity]

I attended some of the Summer League schedule Tuesday: parts of Nuggets-Knicks, Grizzlies-Wizards, and Spurs-Lakers. Strange experience. The first two were at Cox Pavilion, which is like a high school gym in size, but way quieter. The third game was at the Thomas & Mack Center, which was cavernous with a minimal crowd that didn't speak either. It was pin-drop quiet. Smith Center quiet. It was like everyone was scouting. Meanwhile, you have NBA TV cameras and an army of laptops and behind the scenes tech people. You got the feeling a lot of money was put into this so that the GMs and owners back home could see the games with the high production values to which they were accustomed. I'd never seen anything that was so small-time and so big-time at the same time.

Notes:

1. It's easy to pick out the player on the floor who probably has no business being in the Summer League because they're too good. Kenneth Faried (Nuggets) and Kawhi Leonard (Spurs) fit that bill.

2. I saw a few first-round draft picks: Bradley Beal (Wizards), Evan Fournier (Nuggets), Tony Wroten (Grizzlies). Fournier probably looked the best, because he had a lot of floor time and much to prove.

3. Shavlik Randolph (Wizards) sighting! He started in a tall front line with Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton, but then I saw less of him.

4. I got to see Deon Thompson (Grizzlies) in action, and I would have called out "Don't Miss, Deon!" (which he and everyone else would have heard) but he didn't get to the foul line while I was there. You know, neutral referees and all.

Time constraints kept me from seeing the other games that day, but had I stayed, I could have seen all or part of 7 scrimmages for $28. (Less had I not purchased the tickets that day.) I highly recommend the experience, which combined much of what I knew about the college game which much of what I didn't know about the NBA. Probably worth the trip if you're into this sort of thing; it's a much better education than what they show on TV.

[awhom111]

I have no idea what happened to this thread since I last posted in it. It looked like we were not going to have any 7 foul players today but Gani Lawal and Evan Fournier came through in the last game of the day.

Here is tomorrow's NBA TV Schedule:
4:00pm, Knicks vs Cavaliers (live)
6:30pm, Grizzlies vs Bobcats (live)
8:30pm, Bulls vs Warriors (live)
10:30pm, Mavericks vs Hornets (live)
1:00am Saturday, Nuggets vs Blazers (delayed, game at 6:00pm)
4:00am Saturday, Heat vs Sputs (delayed, game at 8:00pm)
9:00am Saturday, D-League vs Suns (delayed, game at 10:00pm)

[awhom111]

Highlighting the 7 foul club for the day was Ahmad Nivins and his 9 fouls in 15 minutes. Evan Fournier is a repeat offender after a foul-plagued contest, Justin Hamilton joined in, and Charles Garcia is there again.

Here is the rest of the NBA TV schedule:

Saturday Games:
4:00pm, Blazers vs Heat (live)
6:30pm, Warriors vs Hornets (live)
8:30pm, Bulls vs Clippers (live)
10:30pm, Bucks vs Celtics (live)
1:00am Sunday, Grizzlies vs Suns (delayed, game at 10:00pm)
4:00am Sunday, Mavericks vs Spurs (delayed, game at 6:00pm)
10:00am Monday, Timberwolves vs D-League (delayed, game at 8:00pm)

Sunday Games:
6:00pm, Celtics vs Clippers (live)
8:00pm, Grizzlies vs Timberwolves (live)
4:00am Monday, Bulls vs Bucks (delayed, game at 4:00pm)

[dcdevil2009]

Highlighting the 7 foul club for the day was Ahmad Nivins and his 9 fouls in 15 minutes. Evan Fournier is a repeat offender after a foul-plagued contest, Justin Hamilton joined in, and Charles Garcia is there again.

The no foul out rule in summer league play is an interesting rule variant, which I'd be curious to see how much players take into account. I wouldn't be surprised if the coaches are telling their bigs to keep playing aggressively, as the the individual penalties are eliminated for shooting fouls. Even though guys would normally back off on defense to avoid unnecessary fouls, there's no reason in summer league ball not to challenge easy baskets and makes guys earn them from the charity stripe. It also allows coaches to leave guys in for evaluation without having to sacrifice trying to win. For example, if there were a foul out rule, you might see something like Plumlee with 5 fouls in 12 minutes and his backup with 3 fouls in 7 minutes or Plumlee with 5 fouls in 19 minutes with 7 minutes of passive defense. Instead, the Pacers get to see Plumlee play aggressively for 19 minutes. In both cases, it's 8 team fouls, but as long as Plumlee's 7th and 8th fouls are shooting fouls, there's no added team penalty.

[awhom111]

The no foul out rule in summer league play is an interesting rule variant, which I'd be curious to see how much players take into account. I wouldn't be surprised if the coaches are telling their bigs to keep playing aggressively, as the the individual penalties are eliminated for shooting fouls. Even though guys would normally back off on defense to avoid unnecessary fouls, there's no reason in summer league ball not to challenge easy baskets and makes guys earn them from the charity stripe. It also allows coaches to leave guys in for evaluation without having to sacrifice trying to win. For example, if there were a foul out rule, you might see something like Plumlee with 5 fouls in 12 minutes and his backup with 3 fouls in 7 minutes or Plumlee with 5 fouls in 19 minutes with 7 minutes of passive defense. Instead, the Pacers get to see Plumlee play aggressively for 19 minutes. In both cases, it's 8 team fouls, but as long as Plumlee's 7th and 8th fouls are shooting fouls, there's no added team penalty.

It is no fouls in Orlando, but 10 fouls only in Las Vegas. I would guess that players are encouraged to try to see what they can do. Most of the players that collect a lot of fouls tend to be the starters as the coaches are trying to get them a good amount of minutes. Miles Plumlee is probably a bad example for this since he managed to stay pretty foul-free in Orlando.

Today's club includes Tyler Wilkerson, Kent Bazemore, and Larry Sanders.

[awhom111]

Nobody decided to mark the last day of games with 7 fouls. Guess they will all have to get used to having only 5 or 6 fouls to play with.

Is it a bad sign for the NBA that I watched more summer league games than NBA regular season games not involving my team or Jeremy Lin?

[CDu]

Is it a bad sign for the NBA that I watched more summer league games than NBA regular season games not involving my team or Jeremy Lin?

I think that might be more a reflection on you than on the NBA. ;)

Seriously, though. Summer League games are awful. I can't believe you'd rather watch those games than real NBA games. The quality of play is like night and day.

[BD80]

I think that might be more a reflection on you than on the NBA. ;)

Seriously, though. Summer League games are awful. I can't believe you'd rather watch those games than real NBA games. The quality of play is like night and day.

Brandon Knight and Austin Daye played for the Pistons summer league team. When I'd hear Knight and Daye, I kept hoping for Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise - mostly Cameron Diaz.

[elvis14]

mello keeping the us team in the game...23 pts at the half

Moonpie was so excited about Melo lighting it up that he went ahead and posted in the Summer League thread because he couldn't wait until he moved over to the Team USA thread :p

On another note, I hate to admit it but CDu is right, these summer league games are just awful basketball games. When there aren't Duke players playing, I find it hard to watch. But it's good to have on while I read DBR and do a little late night work!

[moonpie23]

DANG!!!!!!! brain fart....sorry

[ohiodukefan]

Look at how well former Blue Devils played in the NBA Summer Leagues. Miles was named to the all-league team in Orlando playing for the Pacers. Shav and Singler are back in the states and played well. Lance was solid and Nolan Smith had huge numbers for the Trailblazers until the concussion. Even Scheyer looked like he played well for the 76ers. I'd love to see Scheyer and Shav stick.

http://www.goduke.com//ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4200&ATCLID=205562318

[CMARTZ]

The development of Lance Thomas is really pretty amazing. I know he's been steadily improving in the D-League but I haven't seen him play recently. Here's one of the more recent clips featuring him I was able to find:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi0i-Vmupk0

[ohiodukefan]

Gotta make you wonder why we didn't more out of Miles and Shav when they were here 3 and 4 years after seeing how well they play against NBA caliber players who you know are doing everything they can to get a contract?

[DukieInBrasil]

Gotta make you wonder why we didn't more out of Miles and Shav when they were here 3 and 4 years after seeing how well they play against NBA caliber players who you know are doing everything they can to get a contract?

A: wrt Miles, the guards. wrt Shav, his own attempts at self-orthopedic care.

[hq2]

A: wrt Miles, the guards. wrt Shav, his own attempts at self-orthopedic care.

A little more complicated than that in both cases. The guards weren't crazy about Miles relative to Mason due to his inconsistency.
Shav was also carrying too much upper body mass, per coaching staff instructions. When he dropped it, he got his quickness
and leaping ability (as such) back, and became the player he was his freshman year. That's why he made the NBA.

As always, however, their (apparent) relative success in the NBA still gives us doubts about how we are developing our bigs
at Duke. But, I don't want to go there; that's a separate (and well traveled) thread.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

My god... how many times must we have this discussion? Miles did not make it into the first round b/c of his offensive skills. He made it based on his athleticism and ability to play a specific role on an NBA roster. That is, as an extremely athletic big man who can run, rebound, play defense and finish at the rim. Does he have raw offensive skills that will hopefully develop into something more? Sure. But that's not what the Pacers were looking for when they drafted him. Why must "development" be synonymous with 17 ppg as a senior? That's narrow minded.

Accepting this, the argument that Duke does not develop it's big men is a bogus one. Miles did great things at Duke even if he didn't put up big offensive numbers. So let's quit the old "why didn't K and staff get more out of him while he was here" nonsense. They asked him to play a role at Duke and he did it well. And guess what... that's what he's going to do at the next level and get paid well to do so.

[ohiodukefan]

Offensive numbers aside, you'd think with that with his mad athleticism, Miles would have averaged more than the .8 blocked shots a game in his 4 year career at Duke. I complained for years that having Miles go out and guard his player 20-25 ft from the basket was making Miles strength for your team a weakness. It will be hard to imagine if Miles can play 20 mpg in the pros, that he won't average at least a couple blocked shots a game because he will be stationed in the paint and not roaming around the 3 pt line on defense.

[hq2]

Offensive numbers aside, you'd think with that with his mad athleticism, Miles would have averaged more than the .8 blocked shots a game in his 4 year career at Duke. I complained for years that having Miles go out and guard his player 20-25 ft from the basket was making Miles strength for your team a weakness. It will be hard to imagine if Miles can play 20 mpg in the pros, that he won't average at least a couple blocked shots a game because he will be stationed in the paint and not roaming around the 3 pt line on defense.

They let you play rougher in the pros. In college, Miles had an issue with picking up cheap fouls, but they don't call them in the NBA.
He'll be able to have enough fouls to use to allow him to defend more aggressively and block more shots. Actually, however, one of
Miles' issues as a shot blocker is that he doesn't have particularly good "rejumpability"; once he gets faked up, he goes up aways
and doesn't jump that quickly again when he comes down. The offensive players in the NBA will know that, and try and get him up
in the air. Once they do that, it's just a quick pivot for an open shot.

[flyingdutchdevil]

They let you play rougher in the pros. In college, Miles had an issue with picking up cheap fouls, but they don't call them in the NBA.
He'll be able to have enough fouls to use to allow him to defend more aggressively and block more shots. Actually, however, one of
Miles' issues as a shot blocker is that he doesn't have particularly good "rejumpability"; once he gets faked up, he goes up aways
and doesn't jump that quickly again when he comes down. The offensive players in the NBA will know that, and try and get him up
in the air. Once they do that, it's just a quick pivot for an open shot.

Does that mean Miles should be an Olympian? They never call fouls in FIBA ;)

[elvis14]

Does that mean Miles should be an Olympian? They never call fouls in FIBA ;)

That'll only work if he can get dual citizenship and play against team USA

[BD80]

Gotta make you wonder why we didn't more out of Miles and Shav when they were here 3 and 4 years after seeing how well they play against NBA caliber players who you know are doing everything they can to get a contract?

They HAVEN'T yet played well against NBA caliber players.

[ohiodukefan]

Miles played very well in a couple games against the Celtics team with a front line of Jared Sullinger, Fab Mello and Kris Joseph. All of those players are NBA caliber and will be playing quite a bit for the Celtics this year

[BD80]

Miles played very well in a couple games against the Celtics team with a front line of Jared Sullinger, Fab Mello and Kris Joseph. All of those players are NBA caliber and will be playing quite a bit for the Celtics this year

I doubt any of the 3 will play "quite a bit" but this will be interesting to revisit in January.

I'm not saying that Miles won't do well with the Pacers, just that we shouldn't judge his NBA experience based on summer league play. His success in the NBA will better reflect his efforts at Duke.