Put a bow on it: NBA SUMMER WRAP

Records were set ..

Opening Weekend at this year's NBA Summer League was off-the-hook and wall-to-wall ..

..people

The arena was already filled by halftime of the previous game to watch the Lakers

Last Year, the Wiggins vs Jabari contest blew people out of the gymnasium, literally.  It was over-booked for a capacity 2500 gym versus this year's "One vs. Two" contest and ALL the rest of the "larger" games were seen in the 19,000 capacity Thomas & Mack Center.



Word was that 12,500 (+/-) saw D'Angelo Russell, the number 2 draft pick, square off in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Karl Anthony-Towns (#1 Overall draft pick 2015).

Problem for the Lakers was this..


LaVine was on a mission vs the Lakers: 24 pts on 4-8 from Deeeep y'all

Lakers got the dub in the next one that featured Jahlil Okafor.  Larry Nance Jr. got the crowd pumped

"THIS is getting good, people" _Reggie Miller NBA TV


Ended up finding some cool fun stuff..

Does Size REALLY Matter?
Sometimes small hands make things appear larger...

                         Tark was there..

Fans grabbed their towels and paid tribute to Jerry Tarkanian...



St Jude had their annual event which featured items on silent auction:

You could also donate...

Always nice to support a great cause.  St Jude is helping so many people, kids and families and NBA players, like Pau Gasol are helping to raise awareness.

One in five children diagnosed with cancer in the US won’t survive. That’s why our mission is so urgent. https://t.co/7KPMrjsLEx

— St. Jude (@StJude) July 21, 2015

Last year I walked away with a signature from Trailblazer's Ower, Paul Allen.  This year, Towns sat down at the Panini Table and before you knew it he was out, so I missed out, but fans like this young fan were stoked!




The Spurs, Suns and Pelicans were making some noise in the tourney.  Each featured a top player, statistically, going into the final 4: Kyle Anderson, Devin Booker, and Seth Curry.

But there were other players from those teams like Jonathan Simmons (Spurs) and TJ Warren (Suns) that played huge roles in their team's success.  Other players making noise?  Alan Williams, Myles Turner, Norman Powell, Larry Drew II, Mike James... etc.

There were guys like Tony Mitchell for the Lakers who may NOT have received the best opportunity in minutes provided by maxed his efforts out like those were his last.

And,

..THAT is the beauty of the NBA Summer League

You have guys.. from all over.  All over the world, the league and from colleges.  You have talent that is seeing the hardwood as an employee and not a student, for the very first time.  Top draft picks..ALL draft picks..PLUS you have many second year players.. some 3 and four and maybe a guy in his eighth or night season that has made a career just hanging onto a roster spot and is finding out there may no longer be any room left.  

There is nothing else like it.

Ahhh...Summer League Ball

Dear NBA Summer League, Thanks for creating this league and this opportunity for the new and younger players in the league to meet us "fans" for the first time.  And, for allowing us fans to meet, greet, watch, interact and have fun.

Let's hope there's enough room for EVERYONE at the next one.. D'Angelo/Okafor/Towns year 2?

YIKES                                        

Walked away from this one pretty happy... until next time...

Just a suggestion:

 ..think about adding some high-top tables near the concessions, like the Dodgers have at" top-deck" park.  There is a huge area opposite of the main entrance that could serve as a place where people could stand, set their food down and pause for a moment...

                                   

Hey, last time "they" listened and we got the bigger games into the bigger venue this season 

OTHER ARTICLES ON THE SUMMER LEAGUE ACTION:

LAKERS GAME ONE

LAKERS GAME TWO 

Game TWO vs Three: Lakers and 76 ers square off in NBA Summer League Action

I overheard a local news reporter ask a random Lakers Fan at Thomas & Mack,

    "so, do you think THEY (The Lakers Management) did "RIGHT" by drafting D'Angelo over Okafor?"

This will no doubt become a pervasive and ongoing topic.  

When I sat there watching Okafor I could not help but think about what it WOULD be like to SEE him out there for the purple and gold as opposed to D'Angelo Russell...

When you take a look at "leaders" for their respective teams you see "Okafor" with 19 pts, 11 Boards.  For the Lakers?  Russell had 8 Boards and 3 Assists.  He also led EVERYONE in the contest with 7 Turnovers.  Russell has 12 TOs through two.  BUT, for a young guard that handles the rock as much as he does that is to be expected right now but certainly has to be corrected.

Okafor looked solid.  A legitimate Big that can hold it down on the interior.  A go-to guy.  There were a few occasions when the Lakers' Defense sent three to him and Okafor scored on two consecutive possessions when they tried the trip-team.  

ADVANTAGE: Okafor

The what "would have been" between Russell and Okafor will continue and the comparisons will be there all season.  Okafor, as we have already seen in Vegas, will have dominant games.  Russell?  For him it is much different and will be much harder.

The Lakers needed both positions and went for the Point Guard from Ohio State.  Emmanuel Mudiay might be the "other" comparison to the Lakers' Russell.  If given the same type of opportunity that Russell gets it will be interesting to see how THEY compare.  Mudiay went for 19 pts and 10 assists on Sunday (July 11, 2015).

Julius Randle sat this one out as part of his rehabilitation process.  The Lakers don't want Randle playing in back-to-back contests yet.

Nance Jr. got the start in his stead and much more opportunity than in game 1: 26 mins, 8 pts on 4-6, 5 Boards, 3 steals and two ridiculous blocks including one on the Big Fella from DUKE:

"You've gotta appreciate it..." _ Reggie Miller on Nance's block

Larry created excitement and the adulation of FANS with his play in game two that warranted chants of, "LARRY, LARRY, LARRY" several times including this "cut" at the end of the game:

Click here for a bad recording of the crowd chanting for NANCE

Meanwhile, Dwight Buycks who got 19 minutes in game one only got 5.  It was Xavier Munford who got some PT and put up ok numbers on limited play:  7 pts, 2 board in 12 minutes

c'mon UPshaw, we need you !

Tony Mitchell, BTW, WANTS A JOB!  THE numbers may not be overwhelming but dude is going after it.  He has shown up in BOTH contests and is helping the team in any way he can. 

Robert Upshaw seems to get the crowd amped with his Blocked Shots.  He had three in game 1 and only one in game two.  An undrafted player like this CAN match up against an Okafor, but at the end of the day Upshaw does NOT have the skills to hold a player like Okafor down.  

He is BIG.  Very Long.  BUT.. He also seems awkward and has horrible positioning on screen-setting.

JC, Again, remaining consistent: 19 Pts (8-16),4 Bds, 1 A, 3 TOs, and 3 steals.  He's just a solid, solid player...

Clarkson Remains Consistent



and...LAKERS got the DUB 1-1 in Summer League Play going into matchup vs Knicks 7/13/15

Other Things worth Noting...

Pierre Jackson who was the D-League's Top Prospect averaging over 30

per contest in 2013/14 finally got his "shot" last season when he was 

traded BACK to the franchise that selected him, the Philadelphia 76ers.

Unfortunately, Pierre ruptured his achilles and he missed the entire 

2014/15 season.

He's baaaaack

and dude looked good: 15 Pts, 5-11 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT

Dude can shoot... Dude can PLAY..Dude can FLY...

Bonjour Pierre!

Action Jackson? Pierre looked good for the Sixers

Articles on Pierre:

Pierre 1

Pierre 2

#NBASUMMERLEAGUE

Gotta LOVE it!