Celtics (0-0) vs Utah Jazz (0-0) Jazz SL Game 1 7/6/15

[slamtheking]

Didn't get to see the game -- how did Jonathan Holmes look?  Of the non-draft invitees, he's the one I thought had the best chance at getting a roster spot this year if one opens up.  As a college senior who was projected as a late first/second round draft pick, he seems like someone who has a chance of being useful.  He was pretty absent from the box score -- was he also invisible on the court?

I hope he starts over CJ Fair the next game.

I thought Holmes would show something but he may as well not even have played.  Hope he starts over Fair as well because Fair played Kobe-ball out there (ball is mine and I don't share).

[Rondo2287]

Just saw the box score.  Smart put up stats, but 6-20?.... Woof.  How'd he look?  Still bricking ill advised shots?  Did he try penatrating at all?

How did Exum look?  Saw he was +31.  Was he looking more aggressive?

A look at Smart's FTA should answer that one for you - I think he hit over 10 free throws.  Was getting to the paint at will. His finishing ability once he got the has been questioned by some, but he was driving like a beast.

Exum looked...ok.

He looked like a solid NBA player, didn't see much that screamed "star potential" to me.  He still looks a bit awkward in the way he moves.

Based on Eye test alone, I felt like Smart was by far the more dominant of the two - even if the stats suggest it was much closer than that.

Good to know. 

And yeah, Smart should be better than Exum right now.  Smart had two years of NCAA basketball.  Exum is the only player in NBA history to transition directly from a foreign high school straight to the pros.  Exum's ceiling is believed to be higher.  Looks like he's showing some progress.  Last year Utah won with him in the starting lineup, but he was very passive..  He was shockingly good defensively, though (read some article about how his advanced defensive stats were arguably better than either Smart or Nerlens Noel).  It will be interesting to see what kind of player Exum becomes long-term.

No not really ......Exum played like 20 more NBA games last year , has tons more minutes .....even the biased Utah announcers admitted that .  Exum still looks college weak like to me ..soft ...Smart plays like a man .....

I was really surprised by the lack of definition in exum.  He was the least imposing player on the court physically IMO.  He had a quick first step but that was pretty much it.  I was disappointed at how he consistently beat rozier on the first step after hearing so much about rozier's defense the past couple weeks.  However after the first step Exum got out of control a lot and didn't really finish well when he did get to the rim. 

[Celtics4ever]

Quote
Didn't get to see the game -- how did Jonathan Holmes look?

  Mundane for the most part, I agree out of the non draftees, he most likely has the best chance.   Hit a three though.

I would cut Fair from the team, that guy is a knucklehead.  Kobe ball is an apt description.  He shot us out of the game with his zeroics.

[incoherent]

Quote
Didn't get to see the game -- how did Jonathan Holmes look?

  Mundane for the most part, I agree out of the non draftees, he most likely has the best chance.   Hit a three though.

I would cut Fair from the team, that guy is a knucklehead.  Kobe ball is an apt description.

How can you say cut Fair? He actually looked good out there IMO

[Cman]

If I have a 21 year old who has already shown flashes of skill and has clear potential tog et better...and a 19 year old who's shown no signs of skill and you just have to HOPE he can develop some...then I'm going to take the 21 year old every time.

Young has obviously shown skill.  And you would've missed out on some great NBA players.

Like who?

Can you make me a list of some players who put up first year stats similar to James Young, looked no better in their second year, and then went on to become great players?

Yeah, I think it's a LITTLE early to claim he's no better in his second year. He's played in 1 summer league game and scored 12 points.

Yes, but last year he didn't even play in the summer league - he might have scored 12 in his first SL game last year too.

Just looking at his game in general though, I don't see anything that I didn't see at the start of last year.  Still looks really bad defensively, still not much of a passer / ball handler.  Still didn't do a fantastic job gettign tot he basket.  Still looked lost and at times lazy out there. 

He's been in the league for a year, but I can't see any signs of obvious development.

I watched Smart play and the improvements in his aggressiveness, confidence and his ability to get to the basket are huge - night and day compared to his SL showing last year.

There were at least 2-3 guys on this team (Rozier, Mickey and arguably Hunter) who all IMO played significantly better than Young did on both ends of the floor - and not one of those guys has played a single NBA game yet.  That kinda concerns me...

Spot on!

I'd give it time.
Young is the youngest one out there. He's going to be buried on the depth chart this year, and will have more time to learn. If at this time next year, he doesn't look like he's made significant progress, then probably a lost cause. But, boy, way too early to write him off after a single SL game...

[Celtics4ever]

How can you say cut Fair? He actually looked good out there IMO

-21 +/-  yeah we did well when he was out there.  So did the other team.

http://www.celticslife.com/2015/07/jazz-100-celtics-82-summer-league.html

[Tr1boy]

nice rebound by Mickey