07-23-2024, 11:55 AM
(07-23-2024, 08:46 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: As a jumping off point, I'm not going to lie, the Summer League this year was hard to watch as a whole. Alex Sarr was a bricklayer. Risacher showed some flashes but overall disappeared on the court.You are not the only one who found it hard to watch. Here was another section in that article:
The only entertaining guy was Reed Sheppard to be honest. No one in the top 15 really showed much. Kalel Ware had a great game against the Mavs but I'm not really expecting anything from him this year.
Ron Holland and Rob Dillingham looked terrible. Edey was injured the whole time (but had a great 1st game). Clingan looked slow. Buzelis was ok.
Outside of the top 15, Tyler Kolek looked solid. And of course Scheierman for Boston looked lethal.
I'm left with the feeling much like I had on draft night that once these guys actually play against real NBA players they are going to look like a dear in the headlights. Only Sheppard and Edey looked "ready" by my eyes. Kolek and Scheierman also seem to have something (but good luck getting Kolek to play for Thibs).
Their struggles, at least, didn’t come under a hot spotlight. Normally, top picks command massive attention in Vegas, but this year wasn’t exactly Wembymania. The two Frenchmen at the top of the draft failed to resonate with the masses, and that was clear before a game was played: The marketing poster for Las Vegas Summer League featured Bronny James but didn’t include Risacher.
it went on from there. Consider the alleged marquee matchup of the top two picks on the first day of summer league. Its arrival was greeted by thousands of fans leaving Thomas & Mack Center, having just seen the Los Angeles Lakers and James. During Atlanta’s second game, against fourth pick Stephon Castle and the San Antonio Spurs, the TV broadcast bizarrely spent much of the third quarter interviewing Isaiah Thomas, who has never played for either team and appeared in 31 just NBA games over the past four seasons.
Part of the reason, of course, is that this was a different type of draft, with no obvious generational talent. It wasn’t even clear what the main prize would be when the Hawks won the lottery. Additionally, the top two picks are more renowned for their defense than offense; despite their lofty draft status, neither Risacher nor Sarr projects as a high-volume on-ball player.
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