Cleveland 91 @ Detroit 87: I knew I missed NBA basketball, but I didn’t even realize how much until I heard Pistons play-by-play guy George Blaha rattling off the starting lineups: Will Bynum, Damien Wilkins, Anderson Varejao, and “the high-scoring” Antawn Jamison were a few of the not-so big names that rounded them out… yet, upon hearing these names, I suddenly felt my heart rate pick up, and then I heard that NBA on FSN music and that was all she wrote–I was in the damn zone. I didn’t even give a f@ck if it was preseason, or who was starting, or that there were only about 12 fans at The Palace, because for the first time since June, it was NBA time, baby! I can honestly say I’ve never been so happy to see Antawn Jamison on my TV.
Duh-Duh-Da-Da-Da-Da…
I took so many notes on this game I don’t even know where to begin. I was clearly a bit over-excited, somehow managing to cover an entire piece of computer paper. I guess no one really cares about the results of a preseason contest, so I’ll focus on how players performed individually, beginning with Samardo Samuels.
Cleveland’s second-year F/C was the best player on the floor last night, scoring 15 points and grabbing 7 boards off the bench. In just 25 minutes of play he was able to scrap his way to the freethrow line 16 times. He was crazy active… Blaha was calling his name about every 10 seconds. Detroit has a couple guys in Greg Monroe and Jason Maxiell who can compete with him physically, yet he was still able to be very effective. Cleveland does not win this game without his energy and passion.
The players who I was most impressed by were probably Greg Monroe, Brandon Knight, and Kyrie Irving. I’ll begin with Monroe before moving on to the first-round PGs.
Monroe finished with 12 points, 13 boards, and a pair of blocks in 27 minutes. He scored the 12 points despite a tough defensive effort from the pesky Anderson Varejao, and his finest moments included a sweeping hook early on and couple of big baskets late in the 4th. I love this young man’s combination of size and skill, and he seems to be serious about a commitment to defense. I think this could be a big year for him.
Now, the match up everyone came to see: Kyrie Irving vs Brandon Knight; the #1 vs #8 selections. Both players came off the bench (Brandon Knight to a solid ovation considering how few people there were in the building) around the three-minute mark of the first. I was impressed by Knight’s composure right from the start, but Irving appeared to have a little nervous energy built up. He bricked the hell out of his first shot and didn’t get much closer on his second try. His handle on the ball was shaky, and the game appeared to be moving a little too fast for him. He’d collect himself as the second quarter came along, though. From that point on his comfort level steadily rose and he was very agressive in trying to score the ball. He broke the ice with a couple freethrows after ripping Knight and showed a some flair in the open court with a pretty spin move (did get his shot swatted on that play, but still a nice move).
Following being stripped and then scored on, Knight sgot his first bucket on a long three-pointer, then assisted on a triple on the following possession. He followed up the assist by stealing the ball and taking it the other way for a tough layup. This was easily the most impressive stretch from either player, although both had their share of promising moments. Each player showed a lot, but did so in different ways. Irving displayed a lot of ability, but was only looking to create scoring opportunities for himself, really (as his 21 points on 4-14 with 3 assists to 5 TOs would suggest), whereas Knight did an excellent job of running the show and picking his spots. As I mentioned a moment ago, I was extremely impressed by Knight’s composure. He didn’t look like a young man playing in his first NBA game… not at all. He finished with just 9 points and 4 assists, but I’d say he was equally as impressive as Irving, albeit in a different way. Despite his reasonable effectiveness, Kyrie tried to do too much at times. On one play he lowered his head and drove directly into a swarm of four Pistons. He’s going to have to learn when to get his and when to stick to the script… but you’ve gotta love how he’s already shown the ability to get his in just his first game on the professional level. Remember, this year’s kids didn’t even get a summer league.
Other players who had their moments included Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko, and Tristan Thompson. Daye knocked down three of four threes on his way to a team-high 18 points off the bench. He was very active as he swatted 5 shots and grabbed 6 boards. Knight seemed to have his eye on him and found him wide open for a few of those triples. Jerebko didn’t really put up any numbers, but I liked his activity. He collected a few floor burns and just generally looked good. As for Tristan Thompson, he was silent until the fourth quarter, but showed flashes of natural ability late as he dunked a few balls and swatted a few shots. He did look rather raw, and was denied in stone-cold fashion by Jason Maxiell on one poster attempt. I guess there’s no shame in that, though. It happened to Tyson Chandler once and he just got PAID. Speaking of Maxiell, he also had a nasty putback slam. It’s a new season and he’s dropped some pounds, but you still shouldn’t get in his way around the rim. Nothin’s changed there.
Detroit lost the game, but I came away feeling better about their team than I had felt before. I’d never fully realized how much young talent they have mixed in with those guys who haven’t lived up to their contracts. Monroe could become one of the better centers in the NBA. Jerebko and Daye are active athletes who will be productive wing players for years to come. Brandon Knight is clearly the real deal. I think Joe Dumars would be wise to build around these four.
Sixers 103 @ Wizards 78: Seventy-eight points? The Wizards are going to have to re-sign three or four Nick Youngs. Anywho, one preseason game in I’ve got John Wall making me look pretty stupid. Flip Saunders effectively described the first performance from what I expect to be Wall’s break-out season in just one word: “terrible.“ Eight points, three assists, and six TOs on 3-12 in a 25-point loss don’t really allow me to argue with that assessment. However, he did do this…
…and how many players in the league are capable of making that play? That’s what I’ve chosen to take away from this game as I continue to anticipate a huge season for Wall (but probably not for the Wizards).
Also, how ’bout some “one-handed devestation” from Jan Vesely…
A studly European high-flyer is something the league’s lacking… but not for long? This Vesely kid had a pretty solid debut with 7 points, 3 boards, and 2 steals in about 22 minutes of play. The fact that he only had one turnover in this mess is also a rather impressive feat.
A handful of guys put in work for the Sixers: Spencer Hawes looked not-sucky early on as he scored a variety of buckets inside on his way to 14/9. Jrue Holiday out-played John Wall with 12/4/5, Lou Williams led the squad with 19 points, and ET phoned home for 16/7/3. I’d like to see the Sixers find a way to get Thad Young more involved this season; he scored 10 points on 4-7 in 19 minutes.
Chicago 95 @ Indiana 86: Psycho T picked up where he left off in last season’s playoffs with 19 points and 11 boards, both game highs. Unfortunately for the Pacemakers, Hansbrough’s performance wasn’t the only aspect of their showing that was somethin’ like the opening round of the 2011 postseason. Let’s see… how ’bout 60% shooting and an 11-point lead at the end of one ——-> 26% shooting the rest of the way in a nine-point loss? Sounds kind of familiar to me. I didn’t get to see any of this game, so that’s all the insight I’ve got. Hope ya liked it. Derrick Rose and Luol Deng went 16-16 from the stripe as they shared team-high honors with 16 a piece.
Hornets 97 @ Grizzlies 90: He’s no Chris Paul, but Jarrett Jack can play. Hopefully I can snag him in the later rounds of my upcoming fantasy draft, ’cause I’ve got a feeling this won’t be the last time he drops 24 (and 6/6) this season. Speaking of PGs who can play, how ’bout Jannero Pargo’s little brother Jeremy going for 15 and 7 in his first NBA game? The low-key Grizzlies signee out-played first-round pick Josh Selby, who had just 2 points on 1-5.
As for the Grizzly loss… these weren’t the real Memphis Grizzlies. Brian Skinner started at center. That doesn’t count.
The Memphis Flyer’s Chris Herrington on MEM’s logjam at PG…
Guards: Second-round pick Josh Selby had a rough first outing, getting routinely abused by veteran Hornets point guard Jarrett Jack early and shooting 1-5 from the floor, including some bad misses. He never looked comfortable and certainly didn’t look like he had a position. Selby had some high-scoring performances in many of the all-star pick-up games held during the lockout, but as I tweeted late in the game, Selby learned tonight that even a preseason game against a bunch of non-roster invites is much more serious competition than a summer exhibition against stars.
Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins essentially said the same thing afterward. “He’s young and has a lot to learn. He saw tonight that the NBA is a lot different than those charity pick-up games he played in during the summer,” Hollins said.
It’s only one game, obviously, but Selby’s performance underscored my prior sense that he would benefit from some heavy D League minutes, but I wonder if Xavier Henry’s injury will impact the team’s willingness to send Selby away for seasoning.
While Selby was struggling, the team’s other new addition, rookie free agent Jeremy Pargo, was shining in his first NBA game. After playing two seasons of professional ball in Israel, the 25-year-old Pargo comes in with more experience than most rookies, and it showed. He was comfortable on both ends, attacking offensively and staying with his man defensively. A stocky, powerfully built 6’2” point guard, Pargo has a good chance to be the team’s best defender at the position. If he proves viable offensively — and tonight was a good start, as he scored 15 points on 6-12 shooting, including 1-2 from three-point range, and notched 7 assists and zero turnover — Pargo could be a bargain on a cheap (for the NBA) two-year contract. There’s a long way to go, but this was a terrific first step in Pargo’s NBA career.
The competition between Pargo and second-year incumbent Greivis Vasquez for minutes behind Mike Conley could be interesting because they’re totally different players. Pargo is a quick, physical small guard who seems to excel guarding on the ball and breaking down defenders off the dribble. Vasquez is a bigger guard who struggles with man-to-man defense but is a strong floor leader with excellent court vision and passing ability and emerging effectiveness as a scorer and shooter. Vasquez was good tonight too, hitting three of four shots inside the arc (his only long-range attempt rimmed out) and delivering 6 assists to one turnover.
Looks like Selby could be collecting bench splinters this season.
Quote of the Day: Brandon Knight on his own preseason debut…
“I didn’t really pay much attention to the match ups. I tried to get everything else right as far as running the team, making smart decisions, trying to compete and getting defensive schemes down. That was really my main priority. It was fun to finally play again; it’s been a while since I’ve been able to run up and down the court in a game.”
This young man knows what’s up. I thought he accomplished all of that.
