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Shaquille
O'Neal: "When you are 60, hang out with 60-year-olds, not 20-year-olds.
That is all I got to say about Jerry Buss."
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HoopsHype.com Articles Good
week for Ainge
Phoenix Suns (3-0) The Suns had a strong week in Las Vegas led by guard Casey Jacobsen, who averaged 20 points in three games. Jacobsen was the best player on the team, but not the only one to make an impression. Second-year players Leandrinho Barbosa and Maciej Lampe looked pretty good too. Barbosa showed incredible quickness and scoring ability at the point guard position while Lampe proved how much he has matured in just one year. He scored (14.3 ppg) mainly from the outside but also hit the glass (7.3 rpg). Washington Wizards (4-1) The Wizards played like a team and only lost one game last week. Point guard Steve Blake and forwards Jarvis Hayes and Jared Jeffries had dominant performances. Blake averaged 9.0 points and a league-best 10.2 assists per game. He controlled the tempo of the game and proved he knows how to run a team. Jeffries was the leading scorer with 14.2 ppg, followed by Hayes (12.7 ppg). Among those without
a guaranteed roster spot, Laron
Profit was the most remarkable player. He surprised with
good point guard and two-guard skills, and finished with 13 points per
game. Also worth mentioning are Billy Thomas (great outside shot)
and former Laker
Ime Udoka,
whose well-rounded all-around game may land him a spot with some NBA team
come training camp. Orlando Magic (3-2) The Magic captured much of the attention in Las Vegas thanks to No. 1 pick Dwight Howard and fan favorite Jameer Nelson. Both looked good. Nelson seemed to always make the right decision. Howard struggled at times, but his athletic ability allowed him to put up really big numbers (17.5 ppg and 12.2 rpg). The star of the team was Keith Bogans, though. The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 23 ppg and looked like he could be more than just a role player for the Magic this season. Also very impressive was Jimmie “Snap” Hunter, an incredible scorer, who averaged 11.4 ppg coming off the bench. Boston Celtics (2-3) The Celtics were the most exciting team in Las Vegas. Led by local hero Marcus Banks and rookies Tony Allen, Al Jefferson and Delonte West, the Celtics put on a show. Banks, the quickest player in the league, scored at will (14.6 ppg) and ran his team well. Jefferson displayed a very good post game and more athleticism than expected. He averaged 18 ppg and 7.4 rpg while shooting 66 percent from the field and 88 percent from the charity stripe. Tony Allen was probably the most spectacular player in the league. He made several eye-opening dunks and scored in a variety of ways. Delonte West, usually considered a shooting guard, looked very good at the point guard spot. Danny Ainge should be happy. Denver Nuggets (1-2) The Nuggets were pretty much a one-man show by Nikoloz Tskitishvili, who finished as the leading scorer in the Vegas Summer League with 25.7 points per game. A big flop in his first two years in the NBA, Tskitishvili showed the all-around game and physical skills that made him worthy of the No. 5 pick in 2002. Francisco Elson was a force in the paint. He played good defense as usual, but also put some points on the board this time. Cleveland Cavaliers (0-5) The worst team in the league. Dajuan Wagner (16.0 ppg ) was their best player, but often looked out of place. The greatest surprise came with Lonnie Jones, a seven-foot center who averaged 11.8 points and 10.5 rebounds in the first four games. Talented Brazilian guard Guilherme Giovannoni, who scored 22 in the third game with the Cavs, was the only other player worth mentioning. Jordi Vila is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com Tell us what you think about this article. E-mail us at HoopsHype@HoopsHype.com _____________________ |
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