Lakers 2012 Summer League - Thoughts and :-(( Ratings
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DancingBarry
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 6:11 pm    Post subject: Lakers 2012 Summer League - Thoughts and :-(( Ratings

Summer League 2012. Yikes... This was the worst Lakers summer league team I've seen in the past decade. If it wasn't obvious from the first game, it only became more apparent in the next couple --- culminating in the record-breaking 50-point thrashing by the Heat.

I don't care what league you are in, if you get beat down that badly pride better kick in. The Lakers players and coaching staff stepped it to a semi-respectable level and finally won a game.

One thing to consider is how some of these guys would look when playing off teammates who command double teams. Playing with threats who collapse the D or who defenders hesitate to leave will give the role players a few beats more of time to set up. That can make a huge difference. And what we are looking at here is role player talent, at most.

Morris -- -- Darius had some ups and downs, but the most apparent thing was how little impact he had in getting the team to play as a team early on. Here is where you really miss those extra years of college ball -- that presence and ability to organize the game and turn some simple plays into something that benefits the whole team. Hopefully, he picks up a lot from Professor Nash. For the most part, Morris played more like a scoring PG rather than the playmaking PG that the rest of the team badly needed. He did a very good job getting to the rim off the dribble and a so-so job finishing when he got there. In one game, he should have had an extra 10 points with several plays at the rim just rolling off. The next game, he couldn't miss anything. He can generally get places with his dribble and was the only player on the roster to do that. Occasionally, they would throw him in the post, which with his length and agility could cause problems for opponents as he improves here. Nice to see from him when it happened. Morris also would be a much more effective player if he would work on the midrange game. If he can get that 7- to 15-foot range into a threat off the dribble, that would do wonders for him. He tries to a fault at times to get to the rim on every drive. Right now, he looks to be the Lakers third PG, behind the two Steve's. (Might be better off as a back up SG right now.) If the Lakers don't improve upon that back up PG spot, Morris probably plays a larger role than Laker fans want at the moment. His game seems to be progressing, however. Having a true PG now as a mentor should help a lot. DFish and Blake weren't the best role models.

Goudelock -- -- Glock had an awful summer league. If this was the first and only stretch of games you saw him, he'd have few fans (if any). To me, he looked Felton-esque in body type and both rushed and pressing to try to do a little more off the dribble than he's capable of. That seemed to hurt him when he did have those wide open looks. What we do know is he can shoot the ball. Given time to space the floor, he can hit from distance or drive past closing D to hit his floater. So summer league problems aside, that's not going to change. Shooters can have a bad stretch of games. He showed some ability to run a nice two-man game with Murphy last year. Perhaps, he could do the same with Jamison for some pick and pop. One area that did look improved was his defensive activity. He was getting more hands on balls and was more disruptive than he showed last season. Even still, he had lapses and theres's a lot of room to improve on. He has a non-guaranteed contract, but the Lakers still need some shooting off the bench and as things stand roster-wise he's got a chance of the team keeping him. If they go to some Princeton offensive schemes that could definitely be more in his wheel house to make a positive impact.

Eyenga -- -- The Lakers consider him like a first-round draft pick that they didn't have. He started off slow, but in his last game of summer league, he looked like a player. Some strong finishes at the rim and over people, as well as the ability to knock down a shot from distance. Unfortunately, that wasn't consistent throughout the the summer league. If he can make that consistent, the Lakers could use it. Defensively, you wonder why Eyenga's not more effective than he is. You want him to be. They need him to be. That's where he will carve out playing time. With the uber-athleticism, you'd expect to see him continually surprise opponents by recovering or shutting them off on drives and forcing them into bad plays. That just didn't happen with consistency. He's got to work on this end of the floor as much as possible. He has two things going in his favor, his athleticism and his work ethic. Jim Buss praised him for all the time he's been putting in and said he expects Eyenga to have a larger role this year. If so, Eyenga needs to spend all summer working on his D and his three shot. Defenses will leave him to collapse elsewhere. He'll have to prove he can beat them with the shot or on cuts. In his favor this upcoming season is the addition of Nash, who can set up an athletic finisher like few others. Eyenga can study some film of Matt Barnes off-ball work and transition play to take advantage of Nash's ability to get the ball to where he can do some damage.

Johnson-Odom -- -- Pretty invisible out on the floor. The Lakers paid $500K for the pick to get him, and will likely give him as much benefit as possible considering that. Still, Darius showed little impact. His perimeter shot started cold, missing everything and slowly warmed up to, maybe, luke warm. Defensively, he was average, when you were hoping for above average. On the plus side, he did show an ability to make the right play and find teammates on the move. If thrown in the mix with the Laker impact players, he might not hurt himself too badly. You might not even notice he was on the floor...which is good for a rookie, but bad for a career at this level. He'll need to bring it when camp comes. He's a major longshot at making the team after this summer league. As bad as Goudelock played, he won't be judged off just a few games here. DJO will. Additionally, the Lakers could end up moving McRoberts to bring in some more guard help, making a long shot even longer for DJO. Backup SG will probably be Ebanks and Eyenga right now anyway. Lakers could really use someone who could defend well at the 1 and 2.

Sacre -- -- One thing he has going for him is Jim Buss is a fan and has been watching him the past couple of years. Frankly, at the end of the draft he wasn't a bad pick up. He showed a flat, slinging jumphook that he could manufacture some points on, a turnaround jumper from the low post and the tools to have an effective mid range jumper. Defensively, he could handle himself in the summer league. However, when he makes the leap to the next level where guys are faster, longer and stronger, he'll have his hands full. If he makes the team, it will likely be as a practice big with the hope that he can get that midrange game into enough of a threat that he won't need a post game. Honestly, even though it seems like he's got a chance at sticking, he didn't do much for me. His motor on the boards left a lot to be desired. His foot speed will hurt the D. I swear he must have also had a half dozen inbound passes that looked like he wasn't fully out of bounds. That just seemed lazy. When you draft in the second round, I think you need to take a player who does at least one thing freakishly well. He can depend on that, make that a specialty. I just don't see that one thing from him.

Khazzouh -- -- He looks a little like Pau in appearance and moves defensively somewhat like Vlade (not real quick, which is the major problem). As the summer league went along, his impact (and time on court) seemed to grow. When the Lakers played more like a team and less like individuals, his ability to space the floor for others and hit from distance became more and more apparent. He was a stand out in the Lakers win over the Clippers. This seems like a guy who would show a lot more of his game when surrounded by higher level players to keep things simple. He'd probably also get picked on defensively. The Lakers are stacked at the PF spot, however. This is the toughest spot to make the team from. Last year, he might have stood a chance against Troy Murphy, but with Pau, Jamison, Hill and McRoberts (and even Artest at PF) right now that's not going to happen. Still, if the Lakers move McRoberts maybe they look for one more cheap big and give him a shot as a floor stretcher. Guys like that can do a lot of damage with a Steve Nash out there.

Majok -- -- He showed some nice athleticism to go with his length, but he lacks the strength needed at the next level. He was getting easily pushed out of position and struggled to hold ground. Even the little guys at the next level could move him on the boards.

Somogyi -- -- The guys seemed to really pull for him whenever he made a play. He was always the longest player on the floor and could alter shots. Even showed some confidence hitting a jumper.

Nelson -- -- Another guy who seemed to show a little more as the team started to play more like a team. Some nice hustle. Got on the boards. Seems like the type of guy who could work the D-League or overseas.

Murry -- -- Horrible. May have had one or two positive plays the entire time. In the first few games, it seemed everytime he touched the ball bad things would happen.
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TooMuchMajicBuss
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 6:16 pm    Post subject:

FIRST!!

Thanks DB - Glad to see you're keeping in shape for the upcoming season! This is gonna be good....


Last edited by TooMuchMajicBuss on Sun Jul 22, 2012 6:18 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 6:16 pm    Post subject:

Keep Eyenga, flush everyone else down the toilet.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 6:20 pm    Post subject:

Welcome back DancingBarry. Missed your thought&rate.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 6:41 pm    Post subject:

I agree on Morris - he's good at some things but organizing an offense, particularly in half-court, is where he could use some serious tutelage from Professor Nash.

Christian Eyenga surprised me that last game. Where was Christian the first 4 games? Was that his confused and unskilled evil twin brother Devil out there masquerading? I want the Eyenga we saw Game 5 on the Laker roster, even if it's deep bench.

I thought DJO was OK the first couple games, but by the time the offense found some organization he was riding the bench.

I thought Sacre was OK for a practice big, Goudelock was pretty disappointing but we'll see come October.

I'm looking forward to training camp - the best additions certainly weren't at summer league.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 6:59 pm    Post subject:

DB great summary.

I am surprised the Lakers gave Morris a guarantee contract. He shows no natural ability to run a team.

Glock has shown no improvement.

Hopefully Lakers can use them as salary fodder in some trade.

Eyenga only possible keeper. Will at least provide a few breakaway highlights next season.

I think the Lakers should let the Defender coaching staff handle the summer league. Person and his staff should take some the blame for the SL teams poor showing. Little or no improvement in the team's execution over the two weeks.

Hope Mitch can find some youth and athletism in some small trade (ex. Ariza and Shannon Brown trades).
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 7:04 pm    Post subject:

I am disappointed with the way Morris and Goudelock turned out.

I hope Sacre makes it as well as Eyenga.

Thanks DB!
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 7:12 pm    Post subject:

The Laker 4, Eyenga, Morris, Goudelock, DJO just need to do things.

Hit 3s. Defend. The rest are bonus.

Do both, and they'd get PT.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 7:21 pm    Post subject:

DB - Great write up as usual.

Eyenga has the physical tools to be a decent SF but as you stated he needs to develop consistently.

Morris is an acceptable third string PG but I have doubts he will develop into more.

Sacre ceiling appears to be DJ MBenga type so I am OK with keeping him around. Also is more of a jump shooter so will not clog things up around the rim. Plus he is cheaper that any vet you could bring in.

Glock and DJO showed me nothing. Trade McBob for a decent backup SG (Raja Bell?) and cut Glock and DJO.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 7:49 pm    Post subject:

Thanks for the writeup DB. I purchased the S/L package for $5 figuring it would easily be worth that. This team made me think twice about that .

I thought the struggles were mainly caused by a lack of playmaking from our guards. Most disappointing in that regard was Morris who decided to press his scoring (even though he was one of only two guys on the team with a guaranteed deal). In stark contrast you saw Bledsoe work on setting up his teammates in our game against the Clippers even though you knew he could take Morris any time he wanted.

Goudelock is working to get his one year minimum deal guaranteed and he didn't do himself any favors. He also pressed for points, though that's more his natural role. He looked overmatched defensively and didn't play well in any particular area. I hope he recovers.

DJ Odom was clearly the better defender of the Morris, Gouds, Odom trio. He showed nose for the ball on the rebound and pushed the ball in transition well. He didn't get good results on his shooting but shot with confidence and didn't force anything. I saw several good offensive moves with the crossover and a willingness (though not necessarily proficiency) to find open teammates. I guess I was a little more pleased with his performance.

I'm happy with Sacre as a 3rd string Center. Hit your free throws, bang in the post and deliver a hard foul when needed. It's a low standard but for a practice/emergency big, I'll take it.

As much as I try to convince myself Eyenga's athleticism makes him a potential contributor, he really doesn't know how to play the game. If I'm Brown I try to get a doctor to swap his brain with Tony Allen's.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 8:00 pm    Post subject:

Eyenga was a revelation vs. the Clips...
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 8:03 pm    Post subject:

We've got a horrible summer league team...
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 8:17 pm    Post subject:

Tex Winter dreams of players like Royce White.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 8:33 pm    Post subject:

Mike@LG wrote:
The Laker 4, Eyenga, Morris, Goudelock, DJO just need to do things.

Hit 3s. Defend. The rest are bonus.

Do both, and they'd get PT.


Pretty much. Sounds simple enough, yet...
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 8:49 pm    Post subject:

DancingBarry wrote:
Mike@LG wrote:
The Laker 4, Eyenga, Morris, Goudelock, DJO just need to do things.

Hit 3s. Defend. The rest are bonus.

Do both, and they'd get PT.


Pretty much. Sounds simple enough, yet...


At least it sounds like Eyenga turned the corner working harder during the offseason. His improvement was very evident game-to-game, especially considering he received consistent minutes.

Morris did improve as well. Still a bit ball-dominant, but a lot more decisive about attacking the basket, whether the play called for it or not. I actually think he needs to gain upper body strength to shed defenders off him once he gets a step on dribble penetration.

Goudelock worked on his weaknesses at the PG position and didn't show much improvement there. I recall reading that he lost weight to improve quickness, but that isn't an issue with him. It seems that he lost the weight, along with the jumpshot. People thinking he's going to flip to PG like Stephen Curry should change their mind again. Curry was a defacto PG for Dayton during his senior season. Goudelock wasn't. It's not working for Jimmer Fredette either.

Sacre is Sacre. Ideal 11th or 12th man.


The Houston Rockets really did draft my favorites this year.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 9:17 pm    Post subject:

That summer league crew sucked. I would go so far as to say they were abysmal. Great notes DB, thanks for what you do in the regular season as well, it takes a lot but you always provide solid analysis.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 9:23 pm    Post subject:

Oh c'mon guys this was our first win in the summer league since 09 lol. Couldn't have been against a more suitable opponent either!
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 9:25 pm    Post subject:

Scott Machado > Darius Morris.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 10:20 pm    Post subject:

Nice writeup as usual DB. Thank you.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 4:35 am    Post subject:

busym wrote:
Nice writeup as usual DB. Thank you.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 4:51 am    Post subject:

We're not the baddest in the decade if we won for the first time in five years, right?
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 5:07 am    Post subject:

Eyenga is a beast
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 5:19 am    Post subject:

ForrestHump wrote:
Eyenga is a beast


Let's have him jump on griffin's shoulders and choke him as he dunks! It's not a flagrant foul, it's a highlight play!
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 5:26 am    Post subject:

Chronicle wrote:
We're not the baddest in the decade if we won for the first time in five years, right?


I guess that makes this our best SL team in 5 years!

Ugh....

Nash, AJ, JHill - these guys should cure any depression caused by watching summer league games. I also look forward to seeing if and how much players like Morris, GLock, Eyenga and DJO develop their games between now and October.
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PostPosted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 7:39 am    Post subject: Re: Lakers 2012 Summer League - Thoughts and :-(( Ratings

DancingBarry wrote:

Johnson-Odom -- -- ...His perimeter shot started cold, missing everything and slowly warmed up to, maybe, luke warm.


Luke warm as in Luke Walton warm? That's not gonna cut it.
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