Final (I think) Summer League Roster

[ATLBob]

Apologies if this has been covered in a thread that I missed:

"Al Horford will practice, but will not participate in the summer league."

Notable additions to the roster leaked by Sekou:

Justin Williams

Wayne Simien

summer league roster

Does the article make it sound like Speedy will play, or just practice?

[DJ_Money]

They'll practice in Atlanta for a few days, then cut a few guys before the head to SLC. You can't take all 18.

It would seem like there's four locks (Speedy, Acie, Mario, J-Rich), with all the other spots up for grabs. I don't expect Speedy to play on back-to-back days, so they may carry one extra guard.

If you remember the name Justin Williams...he was cut by the Kings when they had to clear roster spots after the Bibby trade. Some people here had a fit when we didn't pick him up...I never understood why.

Obviously, the four mentioned should dominate the team, but there's plenty of bigs to mix it up. I don't really expect any of them to hang around, though.

[Peoriabird]

Quote:

---

They'll practice in Atlanta for a few days, then cut a few guys before the head to SLC. You can't take all 18.

It would seem like there's four locks (Speedy, Acie, Mario, J-Rich), with all the other spots up for grabs. I don't expect Speedy to play on back-to-back days, so they may carry one extra guard.

If you remember the name Justin Williams...he was cut by the Kings when they had to clear roster spots after the Bibby trade. Some people here had a fit when we didn't pick him up...I never understood why.

Obviously, the four mentioned should dominate the team, but there's plenty of bigs to mix it up. I don't really expect any of them to hang around, though.

Why is Solomon Jones not on the team?

[coachx]

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/wayne_simien/career_stats.html

I really liked Simien when at Kansas. Thought he would have turned out to be serviceable bench player in the pros. He, Oyedeji, and Justin Williams may be going at it ffor the last roster spot.............or if Chillz and Smoove eat up all our cap scape then 2 of those 3 could easily make the roster.

Oyedeji is one of Sund's old stiffs in Seatlle:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/stats?playerId=627

Luke Jackson will get a chance to prove he can be a shooter off the bench....which we desperately need.

I will be interested to see how these guys do next week !

[DJ_Money]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

They'll practice in Atlanta for a few days, then cut a few guys before the head to SLC. You can't take all 18.

It would seem like there's four locks (Speedy, Acie, Mario, J-Rich), with all the other spots up for grabs. I don't expect Speedy to play on back-to-back days, so they may carry one extra guard.

If you remember the name Justin Williams...he was cut by the Kings when they had to clear roster spots after the Bibby trade. Some people here had a fit when we didn't pick him up...I never understood why.

Obviously, the four mentioned should dominate the team, but there's plenty of bigs to mix it up. I don't really expect any of them to hang around, though.

Why is Solomon Jones not on the team?

Typically, the Summer League is for rookies and 2nd year players.

Solo is a 3rd year guy now. He's been twice. There's nothing stopping him from playing again, though. (I believe Nate Robinson is playing for the 4th time now.)

Maybe he's got other training plans this summer.

[Admin]

I thought that Simien would have a good pro career and I really liked Williams in college as I thought he could be a Theo type of player. I believe that he just needs a chance.

Quote:

---

Continuing the trend of NCAA seniors who had better showings at the Orlando pre-draft camp after getting off to a good start at Portsmouth, we find 6-9 jumping jack Justin Williams from Wyoming, who gave players of all shapes and sizes fits around the basket with his combination of length and shot-blocking ability. Williams was impressive throughout the camp on the defensive end, displaying phenomenal timing and impressive leaping ability, being absolutely tenacious with his constant work-ethic, but managing to avoid foul trouble with his outstanding timing and cool, calm demeanor. Williams is capable of blocking shots both on the ball in the post or on the perimeter, as well by rotating over from the weak side. He was the top shot-blocker in the camp by far, and had a near triple double in his second game.

Williams showed off more offensive ability than we’d seen in his college career and at Portsmouth, stepping away from the basket and knocking down shots from 14-16 feet away from the hoop in the first game, and also wreaking some havoc around the hoop by coming up with offensive rebounds and going straight back up with his extremely quick second bounce. When receiving the ball in the high post, he was unselfish enough to make a pretty bounce pass into the post to his fellow big man. Continuing with the aggressive theme, Williams went out of his area on a number of occasions for long rebounds. Someone is going to want a defensive specialist with good size and a decent amount of upside that will be untapped as he continues to add strength to his frame, so Williams stands a very good chance of being drafted

Luke Jackson might have a real chance to make our team at the end of the bench. He is a good shooter with enough size to not be a liability so I could see him sticking.

[coachx]

Why is Solomon Jones not on the team?

Good question. He seemed to regress last year in summer league. He would get a foul every 30 seconds. Maybe they are trying to protect him form that again. That is the wrong approach if you ask me.

I guess they figure Solo has a guaranteed spot on the roster and they need to find a CHEAP $400 K big. So without Solo these guys get more playing time for evaluation.

[gutz]

Don't know about anyone else but I really like this summer league team. There are several guys on this roster that i clearly remember from college. I mean Simien, Jackson, Randle, Williams, Hunter and even Jamal Sampson. I would really like to see Simien, Jackson and Williams make the team on the cheap to fill out the roster. We need to let West go since he cant do anything but give us some energy. We need a shooter and someone that can give some real help.

[DawsonsCreek]

Quote:

---

Why is Solomon Jones not on the team?

Good question. He seemed to regress last year in summer league. He would get a foul every 30 seconds. Maybe they are trying to protect him form that again. That is the wrong approach if you ask me.

I guess they figure Solo has a guaranteed spot on the roster and they need to find a CHEAP $400 K big. So without Solo these guys get more playing time for evaluation.

I hope that was the Hawks decision for him not to play and not his. With so many players competing for a spot through the SL and maybe a signing or two through Free Agency you just never know if you have a spot, especially on that end of the bench.

Jackson is a shooter that you get on the cheap at the very least if their is not anyone left to sign. We need some beef underneath at the 5 but Im not real sure where that will come from. I guess Butch from Wisconsin didnt make it for one reason or another (from the peliminary list that Sekou posted).

[sturt]

Looking at the other younger bigs on that list, I dug up this on a couple of names...

First, Kevinn Pinkney from Draft Express 1/07...

Kevinn Pinkney’s story is like that of quite a few players in the D-League. After a decent college career at a decent enough school (12.5 points, 7.7 rebounds as a senior at Nevada), he went to Europe for a decent contract, signing with Clermont in France. After not looking overly impressive in his first two months there (6.2 points, 4.4 rebounds in 14 games), he was cut and signed the next month in Poland, where again he did not set the world on fire (12.2 points, 6.1 rebounds for Turow). Pinkney came back to the States that summer and played in the summer league with the Portland Trailblazers, where he actually played well enough to earn himself a non-guaranteed invite to training camp with the Washington Wizards.

In college, Pinkney was known mostly as a big, bruising rebounding type, possessing a promising but unpolished mid-range shot, but not being athletic enough to really draw much interest from the pros after his college career. Since then, he has dropped plenty of weight and has become quite a bit more athletic, while his face-up game has become simply a thing of beauty.

Pinkney showed a sweet arsenal of step-back, fadeaway and turnaround jumpers from mid-range, converting some very difficult shots and looking like a potent weapon on pick-and-pop plays. He created his own shot nicely from the high post, putting the ball on the floor and elevating off the dribble like a classic modern-day forward would. He fell in love with his jumper a little too much at times, but he still really separated himself from almost every big man here thanks to his advanced skill level. In transition he showed good hands and nice ball-handling skills, getting to the free throw line by being extremely aggressive, looking for his own shot at all times. In the mid-post, he continued to show off his soft touch, throwing in a gorgeous turnaround hook shot (ala Tim Duncan) off the glass that really left a lasting impression. A one-handed floater here, another pretty jump-hook there…it’s safe to say that Pinkney made the most of his time here by displaying his entire offensive arsenal.

On the negative end, he probably could have done a better job hitting the glass and playing defense, but that seems to be the kind of finesse player that Pinkney has become. It’s not entirely clear that that is exactly what NBA coaches are looking for when they dig into their bench for a backup power forward, but it wouldn’t surprise at all if someone gave him some very hard looks as the season rolls on and we move into summer league. What’s for sure is that he secured himself a very nice six-figure contract in Europe whenever he decides to take that route. And it surely won’t be in Poland.

Second, Marcus Hubbard from Draft Review 11/2007....

“Intriguing” may the word that best describes Marcus Hubbard. Despite his 6-9 stature he really can’t be classified as a power forward. His body type doesn’t suggest he’ll be able to add serious weight necessary for post play, but what does makes Hubbard a standout is his perimeter shooting. He owns solid range 17 feet from the basket and has developed into a more reliable shooter from three point range. Hubbard’s downside revolves around inconsistencies in play and aggressiveness when attacking the basket. He’s a year older than most college seniors, and although it’s not damaging, it may cause observers to question his potential. Ball handling and improved defensive play from the premier is a must for Hubbard to play the small forward position on the pro level, whether in the NBA or NBDL.

[TanAdam]

I personally like Othello Hunter. He is only 6'8" 1/2 but has a mammoth wingspan (7'2"). He is very athletic and seems to make plays on both ends of the court and is very athletic and fits into our system (thinking we try and run the floor next season).

Here is a snipet from DraftExpress:

He has done everything he can to help his stock in this draft process, consistently playing well in all the games at both Portsmouth and Orlando. In addition to showing the things he’d already shown at the college level, he’s also displayed an improved mid-range jumper and looked a little better with his back to the basket. He hasn’t hurt himself in the measurements either, (6’8 ½ in shoes at Portsmouth with a 7’2 ¾ wingspan) while also looking to be amongst the best here in Orlando in the vertical leap department by our naked eye.

Hunter showed a consistent motor and ability to impact the games with his length and athleticism. The first thing that stands out is his mid-range jumper, which actually improved for him as the season went on at Ohio State. Looking at video from the first few games of the year and the last few games of the year, some noticeable changes occurred with his shooting form. The most obvious change is more deliberate mechanics in general and more consistency holding his follow through. He also altered his mechanics themselves slightly, bringing the ball up over his forehead before the release. He doesn’t get much elevation off the ground, but his length compensates for that as release point is high. These changes have increased his effectiveness significantly on spot-up jumpers from the mid-range, which he’s shown at both camps and towards the end of the college season. He’s done a good job knocking down 15 footers when getting open off pick-and-pops or drive-and-dishes, while even showing flashes of college three-point range in the NIT Tournament Finals. His skill-level isn’t anything to write home about at this point, but it may give NBA teams some room for optimism regarding the future.

Hunter also has looked better in the post, showing slightly crisper execution and footwork along with better accuracy on his hook shot and turnaround jumper. He also seems more comfortable in the post in general, not really rushing much, and making better use of countermoves. A lack of strength and balance, along with still undeveloped footwork, definitely gives him problems at times, especially when establishing position, but he’s making improvements.

On the defensive end, Hunter benefited here by not being matched up with many powerful post players that could take advantage of his slight frame, something that has hurt him in the past. He also only blocked two shots on the week, but contested quite a few more. Hunter did really well on the boards, though, and actually was the 10th ranked offensive rebounder per 40 minutes pace adjusted in our database on the season.

Hunter’s performance here, along with his physical tools and the learning curve he’s shown over the past two years, has made a decent case for him as a late second round pick in the draft, despite his less than ideal size for a power forward. The fact that he’s only played competitive basketball for six years definitely helps his case, as does the way he came out here and distinguished himself from other players with similar stocks heading in, while also showing strides in some of his weaker areas. He still has to add a significant amount of weight to his frame to compete effectively in the NBA. While not a lock at all, Hunter should get some consideration late in the draft.

[Read Full Article]

[coachx]

Is Kevin the son of former NBA PF Ed Pickney ?

[ATLBob]

Quote:

---

Is Kevin the son of former NBA PF Ed Pickney ?

Naw, he's Ed Pinckney.

Nice thought though.

[Zone034life]

I think Hunter could be our version of Carl Landry if he makes the team.

[WraithSentinel]

I could see Simien and Williams making the roster. I don't think Solo is a lock for next year roster.

[exodus]

All i want to see in summer league is Acie and Horford scoring a lot of points.

[Cwell]

Horford is practicing but not playing

[Chris18]

Quote:

---

Horford is practicing but not playing

Al shouldn't be practicing with the summer team very long becasue he is eventually going to leave to be with the olympic team. I still look for Acie to dominate the SL and hopefully Mario can play well enough to keep his spot on the roster.

[exodus]

Quote:

---

Horford is practicing but not playing

I don't like that. I want to see him develop a scorers mentality and beating up on summer league rosters would be a good place to start.

[Cwell]

Quote:

---

Quote:

---

Horford is practicing but not playing

I don't like that. I want to see him develop a scorers mentality and beating up on summer league rosters would be a good place to start. hey,he might pop up one game like Durant did