Cacok surges on day two of NBA Summer League

Devontae Cacok, an undrafted free agent from North Carolina Wilmington, was the most efficient player on the second day of NBA Summer League 2019. The Los Angeles Lakers utilized Cacok properly as a small-ball Center, and Cacok responded with 16 points (8-12 FG), 12 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocked shots in just 19 minutes off the bench. The Lakers defeated the summer version of the Golden State Warriors 100-90. Joining Cacok on the HoopObsession All-Summer League Team for Day Two...

Tony Bradley - Utah. 26 points (9-13 FG, 0-1 3-pt, 8-10 FT), 16 rebounds, 3 blocked shots in 26 mins. 

Keldon Johnson - San Antonio. 29 points (10-17 FG, 3-4 3-pt., 6-6 FT), 7 rebounds, 3 steals in 25 mins. 

Thomas Robinson - San Antonio. 14 points (6-8 FG, 0-1 3-pt., 2-2 FT), 7 rebounds, 4 assists in 19 mins. 

Ben Moore - San Antonio. 16 points (5-9 FG, 6-7 FT), 7 rebounds, 2 steals in 22 mins. 

Zach Norvell Jr. - Lakers. 20 points (7-10 FG, 3-5 3-pt., 3-3 FT), 5 rebounds, in 27 mins. 

Eric Paschall - Golden State. 18 points (6-8 FG, 2-2 3-pt., 4-6 FT), 3 rebounds in 23 mins. 

Damien Jones - Golden State. 10 points (3-3 FG, 4-6 FT), 8 rebounds, 2 blocked shots in 27 mins. 

Paris Lee - Memphis. 13 points (5-10 FG, 1-3 3-pt., 2-2 FT), 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals in 23 mins. 

Hollis Thompson - Sacramento. 18 points (7-12 FG, 3-6 3-pt., 1-1 FT), 5 rebounds in 23 mins. 

Kendrick Nunn - Miami. 27 points (9-20 FG, 4-8 3-pt., 5-5 FT), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals in 35 mins. 

Jordan Barnett - San Antonio. 9 points (4-5 FG, 1-1 3-pt.), 6 rebounds in 22 mins. 

Nunnally noticeable. Day six NBA Las Vegas Summer League report.

Nunnally is making NBA teams notice

James Nunnally scored 18 points in 20 minutes with four made three-point shots to earn the nod as the most efficient player on a winning team during play Wednesday in the NBA Las Vegas Summer League.  Nunnally's Miami Heat clobbered the New York Knicks summer entry 113-66.  Nunnally, who played for the Bakersfield Jam of the D-League in 2012-13, is a 6'7" small forward with deep shooting skill. He shot 40.6% from beyond the arc in the D-League, and he has continued to wow scouts with his consistent scoring ability. 

Quincy Miller showed his best form in Summer League play to date with a 17 point (6-10 FG, 5-5 FT), five rebound effort in Denver’s 87-82 victory over New Orleans.  …Josh Akognon continued his outstanding efficiency in Dallas’ 95-89 triumph over the Clippers. Akognon scored 24 points and shot the ball like a all-star. He was 6-9 FG, 8-8 FT, and 4-7 3-pt FG. …Demetri McCamey came off the bench to lead Minnesota’s complete domination over Sacramento. The final score was an ugly 92-54. McCamey had 15 points (6-9 FG), with three made three pointers. …Memphis beat Washington 90-83. Portland used overtime and another solid game from Thomas Robinson (13 points, 17 rebounds, two blocked shots) to beat Atlanta 70-69.

Our All NBA Las Vegas Summer League Team for day six (July 17, 2013)… Point guards: Jerome Randle, McCamey. Shooting guards: Akognon, Travis Leslie. Small forwards: Nunnally, Q Miller, Jordan Hamilton, Eric Griffin. Power forwards: Jackie Carmichael, JaMychal Green. Centers: Jack Cooley, Jeremy Tyler. 

Vesely breaks through as a Center. Day five NBA Las Vegas Summer League report.

Vesely as a Center makes some sense

Jan Vesely had a breakout performance playing the center position for the Washington Wizards Tuesday during play in the 2013 NBA Las Vegas Summer League. Still filling out his frame (age 23), Vesely is now 6'11", 240, and he used his combination of size and terrific athleticism to score 18 points (9-11 FG) in 22 minutes in the Wizards drubbing of Denver 97-69. Vesely was the most efficient player on a winning team during day five action on the UNLV campus. 

John Holland scored 12 points (5-9 FG), grabbed five boards, and dished three assists in 19 minutes for Minnesota. The summer Timberwolves took care of Miami 80-71. ...Toronto kept Sacramento without a win (0-3) by defeating the Kings 81-70. Jonas Valanciunas continued his fine summer league play with 18 points (6-12 FG, 8-8 FT) and 8 rebounds. ...Kent Bazemore led the Warriors to a 84-72 victory over the Bucks. Bazemore had 11 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in just 23 minutes. ...Chicago needed overtime to beat Portland 80-78. In the loss, Thomas Robinson had 12 points and 18 rebounds. ...Phoenix remained unbeaten (3-0) with a 100-88 triumph over Memphis. P.J. Tucker scored 18 points (7-10 FG, 4-4 FT), and snatched five rebounds for the Suns. ...And finally, the D-League Select Team stayed perfect at 3-0, with a 82-75 win over Dallas. Kyle Weaver came off the bench to provide 15 points (4-8 FG, 6-7 FT), and four rebounds for the D Leaguers. 

Our All NBA Las Vegas Summer League Team for day five (July 16, 2013)... Point guards: Weaver, Bazemore. Shooting guards: Holland, Archie Goodwin, Josh Akognon. Small forwards: Tucker, Chris Singleton. Power forwards: Arinze Onuaku, Chris Wright (Dayton), T. Robinson. Centers: Vesely, Valanciunas. 

Time for me to overreact

JT and T-Rob are not small forwards

Yesterday I blogged about the tendency for media to overreact at this time of the NBA calendar. There are no scores to report, or real games to cover - so every nuance is accentuated and exaggerated. That written, it is time for me to overreact to a small bit of Twitter information I read today from Jason Jones who covers the Sacramento Kings for the Sacramento Bee. Jones tweeted, "At #nbakings practice. Lineups are interesting. One had JT, Robinson and Cuz up front. Smart plans to experiment with matchups in preseason". 

This sounds like an experiment that will not work. There is no way that Jason Thompson can effectively play small forward in the NBA. So why experiment with it? Robinson, the Kings draft pick from Kansas, can guard opposing "threes" but offensively - Robinson is not a good enough deep shooter, ball-handler, or play-maker. Robinson did make 7 of his 14 three point attempts last season at Kansas - so I do not want to write him off as a potential perimeter threat. But Robinson historically has more turnovers than assists, and his 68% free throw shooting - to me is a better indication of his true shooting touch. In short, I don't think Robinson is small forward.  

Jason Thompson has no small forward in his game at all. Zero. His feet are too heavy to guard opposing SF's and offensively - Thompson lacks all skills needed in a SF. 

If you were really reaching you could say - Cousins, given his three-point shooting ability, could act as a perimeter player in certain offensive sets - moving J.T. to center, and keeping Robinson at power forward. But if you did that - you are taking your best rebounder and moving him 20-plus feet from the hoop. 

So I do not get it. Why waste valuable repetitions in practice with a lineup that will always prevent you from presenting your best spacing? Why waste time with a lineup that will allow teams to simply "pack the paint" against you - given Thompson and Robinson's lack of perimeter shooting? Is it because you are just not familiar enough with Robinson's game? Is it a "someone said I couldn't play this lineup" - pride kind of thing?