Summer League Roster

[KB21]

 

[Hawkish]

Love the international flavor… I admittedly was interested in Kabengele during his draft.

[KB21]

 

[kg01]

@Spud2nique heavily approves of one name on that list.  (Kabengele) 

[KB21]

 

[NBASupes]

I like this squad. I really really like it. I'll do a small writeup

[KB21]

Yves Pons is athletic as all get out.  If he's developed his jumper, look out for him.  

[gurpilo]

I thought we would see TyTy Washington and Usman Garuba

[KB21]

3 minutes ago, gurpilo said:

I thought we would see TyTy Washington and Usman Garuba

That trade can't be announced till the 6th.  After that, they will probably be on the team.

[Hawkish]

8 minutes ago, gurpilo said:

I thought we would see TyTy Washington and Usman Garuba

Wow — the Summer League team is stacked.  I imagine AJ Griffin will play limited minutes if all of these players are expected to receive playing time.  Good problem to have…

[Mikey]

High level summer league roster with potentially more to come in TyTy and Garuba.

Will have good guard play with TyTy (who id imagine won't play all the games) and Kobe. AJ should be a too good to be at summer league guy and they got some good bigs wtih Gueye, Norris and Kabengele.

[Spud2nique]

36 minutes ago, kg01 said:

@Spud2nique heavily approves of one name on that list.  (Kabengele) 

Ohhhhh Meeeeeee oh myyyyy Mfiondu 

35 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

I'll do a small writeup

I’ll be waiting on the edge of my seat .

[KB21]

Kabengele was on a two way with Boston last year.  I'll be curious to see if he plays himself into a contract with Atlanta.  He's a great fit for what they want to do.  He can defend multiple positions and has some three point range on his shot.  Of course, a center rotation of Okongwu, Garuba, and Kabengele wouldn't appease the folks who think you absolutely have to have a 7-footer at center.  

[Spud2nique]

1 minute ago, KB21 said:

Kabengele wouldn't appease the folks who think you absolutely have to have a 7-footer at center.  

I love smaller bigs who fight like dirty dogs on the street against bigger dudes. Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, to name bigger stars Sir Charles.

Kab always been my dude. I’m really surprised he hasn’t caught on he plays with . Hope he catches on with us.

[NBASupes]

Part 1

0 - Norris - https://www.on3.com/db/miles-norris-89707/

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/miles-norris-1.html

An RSCI top 100 player (66) whose highest HS ranking was 69 (247). 

This player transferred from Oregon to UCSB (the same school as Gabe Vincent). Norris improved every single year. 

Strengths: Shooting, Range, Short Wing Movement (Spacer), Feel for the Game

Weaknesses: Defensive versatility, post-scoring, tools

Special notes: Guarded catch & shoot 3s: 29-63 (46%; 94th percentile), in the 84th percentile of catch & shoot efficiency, and He shot 42% on 78 contested catch & shoot 3s this season and is difficult to influence his shot via shot contest

Upside: AAAA potential. His player comp is a polished Channing Frye at 220 instead of 255 as Frye was. Doesn't seem to have much NBA upside but should be tremendous in the Gleague in time. The sell with him maybe if he could defend the perimeter better, could he develop into a Duncan Robinson type but he's not quite there yet and needs a lot of development and patience to get there. 

4 - Bukfin - https://www.on3.com/db/kobe-bufkin-75524/

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/kobe-bufkin-1.html

An RSCI top 100 player (40) whose highest HS ranking was 40 (ESPN). 

Played for two years at Michigan. Struggled on both ends as a freshman but was one of the best players in the nation as a sophomore. 

Strengths: Quick first step w/ craft, Projected to be a good finisher at the rim, High motor, A capable defender with excellent footspeed & good timing on contests, Good shooter with strong indicators and clean, repeatable mechanics, Strong feel for the game

Weaknesses: Needs to add strength, inconsistent as a shooter off the dribble, not toolsy, and needs to improve playmaking skills. 

Special Notes: 64.8% finisher at the rim

Upside: Depending on usage and role, he could develop into an all-star. Complete two-way combo guard with multiple ways to impact the game, with or without scoring. I am expecting him to struggle a bit early on in his career as he did in college due to the athleticism of the NBA players around him. 

8 - Seth Lundy - https://www.on3.com/db/seth-lundy-106042/recruiting/

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/seth-lundy-1.html

A top 200+ player (207) whose highest HS ranking was 207 (247) and a four-star (ESPN). 

Played for four years at Penn State. Improved each season and understood what he needed to provide. Professional mindset. Easy to buy-in prospect. 

Strengths: Shot Selection, Shooting upside, Long movement guard skills (think Korver),  Good rebounder and feel for the game, Low turnover rate, Long arms & a good frame with an NBA-ready body, good vision where he's able to see open teammates on cuts to the rim or teammates at the rim well, potential to defend the opposing team’s best player 

Weaknesses: Loose handle, a bit robotic & stiff of movements defensively in isolation at times, passing needs improvement, doesn’t create for others well off the dribble, and defensive fit with Trae?

Special Notes: Here's a post from an article I really liked: 

Defensively, Lundy has the tools to hold his own but has struggled with footwork and balance, limiting his on-ball ability. Additionally, he can get absorbed in screens, which will make him a question mark against the NBA’s most commonly run play. In a quicker tempo, Lundy took a dip defensively as a senior. As a junior, he would guard the opposing team’s best player and help Penn State’s defense be a top-50 defense. Here is what Dylan Burd of House of Highlights had to say about Lundy’s defense:

“In his junior year, he was elite on defense. He shut down nearly everyone in the big ten including Keegan Murray. The team's defense was good as a whole that year but he always guarded the best guy. 

This year his defense fell off and the team defense was way worse. Not sure if their play style/identity of being more 3-point shooting focused and less defensive-oriented changed his mentality and he was worse because of that, or if it was just worse because the team defense wasn’t as good, I’m not really sure. 

I think he has it in him to defend at a high level like he did his junior year but it was definitely very on and off this year.”

At the Combine, Lundy had a mixed-bag performance on day one. While he found a rhythm in some of the drills, he had some room for improvement in the live-game drills. For example, the elite defense of Kevin McCullar, who was selected to be in his group, made it difficult for him to score against him. He showcased a few reverse finishes, which is something he improved on as a senior at the rim.

In the two days of scrimmages, Lundy found rhythm shooting in a variety of ways, making himself more marketable in front of executives that had never seen him play before. He thrived in a role that replicates what his role will be when he gets onto the floor: a reliable fourth or fifth option that won’t make a bad decision by forcing shots, and can keep the ball moving within the flow of the offense.

The intel on Lundy is strong. When I spoke to him, he talked about the accountability as a senior to improve his three-point percentage, shown in the video below. This highlights his work ethic and commitment to improve an area from good to great, and great to elite. He also has a strong desire to win, ultra competitiveness, and an overall clear understanding of goals and how to meet them.

Overall, Lundy will have to prove two things to NBA scouts: high-level shooting that can stick and translate, proving that his senior year was not a one-off, and that he can impact the game without shooting. If the shooting is real, Lundy profiles as a quality depth piece that can serve as an emergency shooter next to a good playmaking core. Lundy would fit well with most NBA teams, being able to provide shooting deep off the bench, potentially as a two-way contract option.

Upside: AAAA guy if he doesn't develop his strengths into high-end strengths - Movement shooter with potential as a defender. While I don't think he has the footwork to be a good man defender in the NBA, I see a lot of Kyle Korver if he hits. 

I'll post part 2-4 later. 

[ShooterSays]

Wonder if we’ll see TyTy and Garuba once that trade is official?

TyTy

Kobe

Griffin

Gueye

Garuba

This would be fun to watch!

[KB21]

2 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

I love smaller bigs who fight like dirty dogs on the street against bigger dudes. Carl Landry, Chuck Hayes, to name bigger stars Sir Charles.

Kab always been my dude. I’m really surprised he hasn’t caught on he plays with . Hope he catches on with us.

In the modern NBA, I think as a big, you have to be able to do more than just rim protect as a defender.  You have to be able to step out and guard on the perimeter, switch and guard multiple positions.  Okongwu can do this.  This is why I feel Atlanta needs to commit to him as the starting center.  Kabengele has the potential to do that.  So does Garuba.  No, none are 7-foot tall, but I'll take an Atlanta 2014 Al Horford defender or a Bam Adebayo over a Mo Bamba or DeAndre Ayton any day of the week and twice on Sunday.  

[KB21]

Trae Young and Brady Manek:

 

[KB21]

 

[KB21]