This guy is a bskball.com reader who wrote me. I thought this was so good I'm posting it here...I've also encouraged him to join the group.
Josh
You have to wonder if the Celtics still feel good about sending NBA-experienced players like Milt Palacio and Mark Blount to the Shaw’s Summer League. Last night’s action at UMass Boston’s Clarke Arena was so dominated by battle-tested point guard and big man play that one could almost forget that the C’s spent their three first round draft picks on swingmen last month.
Celtics fans expecting to see Kedrick Brown dunks, Joe Johnson no-look passes, and the deadly mid-range game of Joe Forte, instead saw clunky-but-effective post moves from Mark Blount and long-range bombs from Milt Palacio and Khalid El-Amin. This latter trio of young NBA-experienced players so dominated action, in fact, that they combined to score 58 of the Celtics 100 points and take nearly half of the team’s shots. Such ball hoggery is tolerable from a guy like El-Amin who is trying (quite successfully, it seems) to make the squad, but to me, Summer League minutes would be better spent testing the strengths and weaknesses of Brown, Johnson, and Forte then padding Blount’s numbers.
Still, all complaints aside, Clarke Arena is a great place to watch a game. There’s not a bad seat in the house, and you won’t be seeing NBA players up this close for less than $66 a pop in the regular season. Moreover, watching a game from this vantage point provides fans with opportunities to see some things that simply don’t come through the TV set. Here are some reflections from my experience:
There are two kinds of confused: Kedrick Brown confused and Joe Forte confused. Kedrick Brown confused consists of a puzzled, overwhelmed expression signifying a player’s inability to follow the pace and flow of a game that moves faster then any he’s ever been involved in. Joe Forte confused consists of a puzzled, overwhelmed expression signifying a player’s inability to follow the pace and flow of a game that is more disorganized, frantic, and unstructured than most of the games he’s been involved in. Which is confused worse? Well, Kedrick scored 8 points on 3-8 shooting, and Joe scored 7 points on 3-8 shooting. Each player looked lost amid the confusion of the summer league style, albeit for very different reasons.
Judging from the buzz surrounding Brown, I think it’s safe to say he’s going to be a successful pro. But judging from his body language and movement without the ball last night, the learning curve is going to be steep for this guy. There was a smooth crossover here and a sky-scraping rebound there, but in between these moments of beauty, there was Kedrick simply watching the action, unable to step in and do much. On the one hand, I think this means the real NBA is going to be incredibly fast paced for a JUCO star like Brown – but on the other hand, a stripped down, simplified role might work well for him. If the C’s ask him to come of screens, make a simple read, and either drive, shoot or pass, he may be fine. I have a feeling it won’t be this easy, however. His fundamental quickness, ups and shooting stroke will let him get away with a lot, but it’s going to take Kedrick a few months to get acclimated to the big game.
Forte was similarly flummoxed. This guy won co-ACC player of the year last season by operating within a highly structured offense designed to take advantage of his herky-jerky, cerebral game. He’s all about spacing, angles, and decision making…and the total disorganization of the summer league format stymied all of his attempts to dissect the defense. Basically, it’s impossible to outthink the defense if the defense isn’t thinking. Forte will improve in the more structured pace of the NBA half-court game. Like Brown, the C’s will likely run him off screens, allowing him to catch, read the defense, then shoot, drive or pass…much like they did with Ron Mercer.
The one-on-one style that dominates the summer league (and plays so well to a guy like El-Amin’s strengths) is just not a strong component of Forte’s game. My guess is, if you put him on the weak side while Walker and/or Pierce are holding the ball and let him move around, Forte will suddenly become a heady player, capable of finding open spots on the floor and knocking down mid-range jumpers with his quick release. Last night he showed he was a good on the ball defender…though his ball handling skills appear far too weak for any time at point guard. Not that the C’s need any more point guards anyway…
…El-Amin looked very good again last night. He pushed the ball, demonstrated good instincts, and he knocked down shots. The most impressive PG demonstrations, however, were put on by Mr. Jamaal Tinsley. Tinsley, whom the C’s passed on to draft Forte, displayed an incredibly impressive handle and his ability to dish the rock was better than anyone else’s last night. He was cocky and aggressive, and completely unimpressed by the Celtics’ attempts at full-court pressure. From the resounding CLANG we heard every time he shot the ball, we also got a glimpse of why the C’s may have passed on the guy, but I’m telling you, his ability to control the game was extremely polished and professional. In 20 minutes of play, I don’t think I saw him lose the dribble a single time without wanting to…even when he fell to the floor after being hammered by Blount...the ball just kept dribbling.
Old friend Adrian Griffin also looked good. It appears that the gimpy ankle that slowed him so badly last season (along with the difficult death of his father) has healed completely, and he was out there showing his "old man" game to all the kiddies. Without ever getting more than six inches off the floor, Griffin was able to slow the game down and actually make it watchable every time he touched the ball. He’s really a guy you can root for. Had the C’s not drafted two guys who play his position, I’d be on the Griff bandwagon, lobbying for him to get one more shot with the C’s…but it appears the roster is just too full. Regardless, the man appears to have regained the poised, versatile and competent style that impressed everyone around here two years ago. I still say he’s got one of the quickest sets of hands of defense I’ve ever seen. Slow as a turtle on the run, but those hands are like lightening.
The only other guy on the court with "old man" game last night just turned 20. Joe Johnson’s presence last night seemed…inappropriate. His classy, unselfish style of play is ill suited for the shoot-it-when-you-get-it attitude of summer league players. Like the demented love child of a young Penny Hardaway, Jalen Rose, and Lamar Odom, Johnson has an uncanny understanding of how to work a basketball court from top to bottom. I can see why this guy frustrated the hell out of Arkansas fans: he’s the type of player who keeps trying to "make everyone better" even when it’s obvious he’s the only one on the court with any talent. Luckily, he’ll be surrounded by guys named Pierce and Walker this season, and I’m telling you, watching this guy in action is going to be a nightly treat. What hasn’t he shown? He’s got great handle, a solid first step and crossover, a textbook jump shot, and as smooth a passing game as I’ve seen on a 6’8’’ guy his age. The only chink in his armor may be his "tweener" size. He’s a little too skinny to play NBA small forward, and with the glut at shooting guard, that looks like his spot. With him and Antoine on the floor, scoreboards will light up…and maybe not just for the Celtics. Someday, he might be an incredible point guard. I’ll tell you this: I’d rather see him there than Antoine.
Some final thoughts: Jerome Moiso does not appear to have improved much at all. As a UMass alum, I didn’t think I could ever be more frustrated by a player then I was by Lari Ketner. But when I saw old Lari beating up on Moiso last night, I realized anything was possible. When Moiso runs, he goes fast. When he jumps, he goes high. But when Jerome Moiso touches a basketball, bad things happen. I don’t know what else to say about this. I was disappointed Ed Cota didn’t play for Indiana. The two virtually identical European/white guy centers for Indiana were both decent. They each held their own with Blount, which is pretty good for this league. Ketner was still infuriating. To think he was the same exact size at 18 and he hasn’t improved a lick. We were SURE he would be better than Camby after watching him that first year. Kris Clack looked like a bad ass. He still can’t play, but I like his style. Anyway, that’s it.
Peace.
Jason Owens
Newton, MA