Summer League Thread

[BN 44]

Payton seems to have a nice personality for interviews and media. Now just to learn those... ummm... words.

[ClockDodgers 9]

Gordon and Payton looked much more comfortable today and showed tons of potential. Marble and Curry had decent games again and showed flashes of smooth offensive players.

 

For some reason not many guys are mentioning Dedmon but he looked really good today and extremely active on both ends of the court. Rebounding, blocking and scoring. I think he will be great depth at C this season.

 

English and Batts also had there moments and were productive but I doubt they have any chance to make the team as it seems we are filling up spots quickly.

 

Overall this summer league team is light years ahead of last years summer league team.

[jjasso007 6]

Gordon and Payton looked much more comfortable today and showed tons of potential. Marble and Curry had decent games again and showed flashes of smooth offensive players.

 

For some reason not many guys are mentioning Dedmon but he looked really good today and extremely active on both ends of the court. Rebounding, blocking and scoring. I think he will be great depth at C this season.

 

English and Batts also had there moments and were productive but I doubt they have any chance to make the team as it seems we are filling up spots quickly.

 

Overall this summer league team is light years ahead of last years summer league team.

 

I really liked how Marble was able to get to the stripe. Nine shots from the line and made seven of them. He shot poorly overall this game, but he's a scorer one way or another. As for Gordon, he's going to be a consistent work in progress offensively. Payton will also have to work on his offensive game at the NBA level, but I like what both players bring to the team defensively. Solid defense creates offensive opportunities in transition, so we'll see how they continue to progress

[LaVar 108]

I really liked how Marble was able to get to the stripe. Nine shots from the line and made seven of them. He shot poorly overall this game, but he's a scorer one way or another. As for Gordon, he's going to be a consistent work in progress offensively. Payton will also have to work on his offensive game at the NBA level, but I like what both players bring to the team defensively. Solid defense creates offensive opportunities in transition, so we'll see how they continue to progress

 

i believed payton played a good floor game today. gordon is forcing things to much. He does not need to take shots off the dribble. marble does look good. he reminds me of keith bogans from a few years back. he was another solid second round player that impressed.

[NYCmagic 15]

i believed payton played a good floor game today. gordon is forcing things to much. He does not need to take shots off the dribble. marble does look good. he reminds me of keith bogans from a few years back. he was another solid second round player that impressed.

Totally agree on Gordon but I have been really impressed with his handle so far.

[HeHateMe 697]

Wait! You mean to tell me Payton isn't going to be a bust and we didn't waste a lottery pick on him? That's great to hear because based on the comments from a couple days ago I could have sworn he was done.

[Catman 380]

Gordon dancing around on the perimeter is a classic "look at how versatile i am!" move, he's got no jumper and while his handle is good but he does nothing with it. Letting him screw around out there just wastes time when he should be doing work by the rim.

 

Here's the thing - they aren't running plays half the time. Just iso's and no one is moving or spacing at all. I mean, you can see that right? This is one step from pick up ball.

[LaVar 108]

Wait! You mean to tell me Payton isn't going to be a bust and we didn't waste a lottery pick on him? That's great to hear because based on the comments from a couple days ago I could have sworn he was done.

 

 

not a comment from me. it is sl.

[Bauncey Chillups 288]

Fair enough.... Where I get this stuff is that you and Chillups seem to want to grade this kids career before it even gets started.... I totally understand your concern, but we have to remember that players CAN develop.... some do and some don't....... You can't teach athleticism.... You can teach everything else.... Some players figure it out and others don't.... I understand that.......... We have to wait and see what we have....

 

There's much greater chance of Gordon developing into a strong PNR finisher playing the 4 than there is at him being a perimeter player who slots in at the 3. I'm very concerned (especially after the signing of Frye who will likely start at the 4) that the team is going to allow him to play the 3 just because he perceives himself as a wing even though he has a catastrophically horrible jumper. I realize it's summer league but this crap where he dribbles out rebounds and then dances around the perimeter with the ball is stuff I hope the coaching staff tells him to stop doing immediately.

 

I keep saying this but Gordon needs to be developed much in the way Amare Stoudemire was. He's really good at finishing at the rim and has a good first step. Letting him pretend to be a guard is a simple waste of his strengths.

[Catman 380]

There's much greater chance of Gordon developing into a strong PNR finisher playing the 4 than there is at him being a perimeter player who slots in at the 3. I'm very concerned (especially after the signing of Frye who will likely start at the 4) that the team is going to allow him to play the 3 just because he perceives himself as a wing even though he has a catastrophically horrible jumper. I realize it's summer league but this crap where he dribbles out rebounds and then dances around the perimeter with the ball is stuff I hope the coaching staff tells him to stop doing immediately.

 

I keep saying this but Gordon needs to be developed much in the way Amare Stoudemire was. He's really good at finishing at the rim and has a good first step. Letting him pretend to be a guard is a simple waste of his strengths.

 

I keep saying this, but the magic believe in developing players to play multiple positions. If you think his first step looks good at the 3, wait until he applies those moves when he is a little bigger and can play the 4 more often. He needs to put a little weight on before he can start banging down low full time.

[ball junkie 277]

ESPN Interview after today's game.....

 

Projecting his upside, scouts have compared Gordon to Blake Griffin because of the way he runs, attacks the rim and finishes with emphatic dunks. But there are also similarities between Gordon and a younger Shawn Marion because of their length, build and ability to defend multiple positions.

 

Gordon was projected to be taken in the middle of the lottery, but Orlando surprised many teams by drafting him in the slot after Wiggins, Parker and Joel Embiid.

 

"Once he figures out what he's doing out there, Gordon has a chance to be a hell of a player in this league," an Eastern Conference executive in Orlando said. "He's a guy that has a tremendously high ceiling, with all the talk about Blake Griffin. But there's also a chance there's a very low floor."

 

Considering his age and lack of a defined position, Gordon knows there's a downside to his upside. But this week in Summer League gives him a chance to take his NBA transition all in stride. Gordon said his best NBA skill set at the moment is his motor and relentless energy on the court.

 

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11189626/nba-elfrid-payton-aaron-gordon-give-magic-youth-movement

[~O~ 565]

Summer league team dominated. Expected.