I'm very excited to watch basketball again today. I know it hasn't been that long since the season ended, but I'm ready to move on and watch the Celtics Summer League entry and ready to start on our march to Banner 18 in 2011. It's also a nice break from all the Lebronapalooza that's going on, which I find totally ridiculous. Speaking of ridiculous, anything you want to know about the various SL teams and players you can find out over on Ridiculous Upside.
There are several players on the Celtics SL roster who are going to be playing for teams in the Vegas Summer League also. The list includes DeShawn Sims, Jaycee Carroll, Ryan Wittman, Ryan Thompson, and Matt Janning. There is also an interesting conflict in that Matt Janning is also listed on the Oklahoma City roster in Orlando. Since he is on both rosters, we may or may not see him on the Celtics.
Several former Celtics are on various Summer League squads. Gerald Green, after spending a year overseas is back trying to make an NBA roster by playing on the LA Lakers SL team. I always liked Gerald and he has all kinds of potential but just never could seem to get it. Patrick O'Bryant is playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Marcus Landry, who came over from from the Knicks in the Nate Robinson deal and then was waived is playing for both the Pacers in Orlando and the Knicks in Vegas. Michael Sweetney, who played for the Celtics last summer will be playing for the Wizards this year. Former Celtic Gabe Pruitt will be playing for the Nets entry. Another former Celtic, JR Giddens, will be playing for the Mavs this summer. Apparently, the Knicks aren't interested in bringing him back, even though they have plans to keep Bill Walker. And Darius Miles, whose comeback with the Celtics fell short last season, but not before costing the Blazers big bucks, will be playing for the Bobcats.
I think the player I am most looking forward to seeing is Vyacheslav Kravstov, the big center from the Ukraine. Eurobasket has this little blurb about him that totally caught my attention:
"A tough inside operator, who plays very hard and can bang with any opponent. Needs to improve some of his technical skills, but doesn't need to learn how to fight."
This guy sounds like my kind of center. He has played for BC Kyiv in Ukraine since 2005 and his game has improved with each season. This past season, the he averaged 14.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and a league-leading 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 70.4% from the field. The guy is very strong and can bang with anyone. He is a good rebounder and has a great attitude. He isn't the most polished offensive player but that will come and if it doesn't, the Celtics have plenty of offense but very much needs a guy who can rebound and block shots. And did I mention that no one needs to teach him how to fight? Yep, my kind of player. He is one of the best Euro prospects and may be a keeper. I'm really looking forward to watching this kid play. Here is the only clip I could find of him and it is an impressive block in the Bill Russell mold.
The Celtics have apparently signed former second round draft pick Semih Erden for this upcoming season. Erden seems to have a lot of potential, is athletic and has some skills. But, the knock on Erden has been his mental lapses and lack of intensity. I have always preferred the player with intensity, work ethic and motivation and maybe not quite as athletic because desire and work and intensity can overcome a lot of what is missing athletically. Just look at Larry Bird. He was slow, couldn't jump, and by all accounts, not very physically gifted. He wasn't a great athlete. But, his intensity, desire, and work ethic overcame all that to make him one of the greatest players ever. And then you look at a player like Patrick O'Bryant or Michael Olowokandi or Gerald Green, all of whom have great physical and athletic gifts. But without the work ethic and motivation, they just have not succeeded. So when I see Erden's intensity and concentration questioned, big red flags go up. I'd rather the big Russian center who knows how to fight and has the intensity and work ethic to back it up.
I've been hearing good things about Oliver Lafayette and Luke Harangody from the Celtics practices. Both Danny and Austin Ainge have been impressed with them both. I'm very interested in watching Lafayette and Gaffney play. Danny felt enough about these guys to lock them up the end of the season so he would have them for summer league and both appear to have what it takes to make the roster. I also can't wait to watch the 3 7 footers on the roster: Erden, Kravstov, and Parakhouski. I think one of the two, Kravstov or Parakhouski has a chance to make the roster. From what I have read about them, I like those two more than Erden. Again it goes back to attitude and mentality. I'll always go with the guy who works harder and has a tough basketball mentality than one who lacks concentration and motivation.
I'm ready for Summer League games to start! The only bad thing is that after Summer League there is that LOOOOONNNG time until training camp starts without any basketball. The free agent frenzy will calm down this month and then there is a long wait for any more basketball. But I'm going to enjoy watching the games. This season they are being broadcast live on NBA-TV along with being streamed online with a Summer League Pass Broadband which is much better than the online streaming from last year. My eyes and ears still hurt from trying to follow the bounding camera and listening to those two guys. I'm excited. How about you?
Here's the schedule in case you missed it:
July 5: Oklahoma City Thunder, 5 p.m.
July 6: Philadelphia 76ers, 1 p.m.
July 7: Charlotte Bobcats, 1 p.m.
July 8: Indiana Pacers, 3 p.m.
July 9: New Jersey Nets, noon
I must admit that it is rather intimidating trying to follow FlCeltsFan but I have tried to ferret out some information on some of the more unknown players with the Celtics in Orlando. Just how good of a job she does became apparent in the number of hours on the internet I spent trying to add anything noteworthy.
I'm really amped about the possibility that Clifford Ray may have some young talent with which to work. In my best of all worlds, all three of the "furriner" big men would pan out. Sheed's contract would bring back Wright, Azabuike, and Morrow from GS; KG, Baby, and Wright get us through November; one of the hefties would "arrive" in December; and Perk and another youngen are worked in after the new year.
Hope you enjoy and it whets your appetite for Monday (C's vs OKC Thunder 5PM EDT on NBA TV).
Vyacheslav Kravstov C, 7-0, 270, Ukraine
Strengths: One of the best post prospects in Europe He has great physical potential, is a supreme athlete; with an excellent attitude Plays with courage and desire, and has surprising maturity for his age A true center. At 7-0 260 and with a big frame, has the size to play center in the NBA Has a great attitude, and shows a high level of desire Has the toughness and demeanor that you want in a post player He's got the face of a child but a man's body and plays with a physical nature His instincts for the game and ability to play at a high level is rapidly improving Very strong rebounding the ball Really has an imposing physique and should get stronger He can be involved and make plays without having the offense focus on him Foot speed and agility is excellent for a player his size An aggressive, fearless player, unafraid of contact Has solid touch around the basket using lefty hooks and jumpers Defensive minded. A solid defender and shot blocker in Europe but probably just average by NBA standards, but has the physical attributes to be a solid NBA defender in the future Does a solid job managing his fouls
Weaknesses: Still unskilled offensively He must expand his offensive game and complete his physical growth Scores a lot of his points on garbage baskets Still needs work on his post up game. Needs to improve the speed at which he thinks the game and reacts to situations offensively The European style of play has less posting up and isolating bigmen NBA readiness is a ways off. Compared to countryman Kyrylo Fesenko, he has less offensive ability but better defensive skills
Semih Erden
A bit more on the Semih front (from 2007 without edits): Outlook: As far as Im concerned, the only person who can prevent Semih from being drafted is Semih Erden. The potential is undeniable, though at this point it appears he's wasting a good amount of his talent. Lets hope hes conscious enough of that and can tap into his outstanding potential.
As far as his more current progress reports, there seems to still be lapses in focus and effort. However his less than overwhelming numbers seem to be partially due to the fact that his coach favors catch and shoot basketball and the team has five centers.
Mat Janning
From a Phoenix Suns’ blog (Janning will play for their summer league team in Ls Vegas): Matt Janning: The Northeastern combo guard is 6-5 and makes plays off the pick-and-roll with a good handle and has the most athletic hands this side of Jared Dudley. Note: His height is listed at 6’2” and even with BIG shoes he isn’t going over 6-4 in spite of the fact that he was listed by the Huskies as a G/F.
Matt was invited to a free agent mini-camp by the OKC Thunder and early on was listed on their Orlando roster. This excerpt from the UConn Men’s Notebook hints at the esteem/fear Matt inspired in college:
‘UConn closed its 59-57 first-round NIT victory over Northeastern with an 11-3 run and had to dodge a few bullets, mainly from guard Matt Janning.
Janning, who had 29 points in Northeastern's 69-60 loss at Gampel Pavilion two seasons ago, missed an open three-pointer from the left after Jerome Dyson gave UConn the lead with just under a minute to go. On the next possession, again with Northeastern trailing by two, Janning missed a contested runner.
With Kemba Walker failing for a second time to extend UConn's lead from the free throw line with 12.7 seconds left, Janning, chased by Dyson, could not get the ball on the final possession. Bataille Baptiste missed an open three-pointer at the buzzer.
"He can't touch the ball," coach Jim Calhoun said of Janning and the final possession. "Make someone else beat us."’
It’s always have to take with a grain of salt the accolades thrown at players from “directional” schools (I guess that goes double for “two-directional” colleges) in non-major conferences. Even so, the pre-tournament breakdown noted that “Janning is considered to be the best shooting guard” in the Colonial Athletic Association. Then again from the same Colonial Conference came #15 pick Larry Sanders from VCU.
Finally there are questions about Janning’s lateral mobility and defense in general. An assuring note comes from the Summer League Post Ups on the Celtics page of NBA.com (how neat is it to already have feedback from the first day of practice?): “One player who did stand out at the defensive end was Matt Janning, a lanky, 6-foot-4 guard out of Northeastern. He really seemed to have a fantastic feel on the defensive end tonight and was singled out by the coaching staff on a couple of occasions for his crisp rotations and anticipation on help defense. If he keeps that up, he'll surely leave an impression on these coaches when Boston's staff heads back north next week.”
Oliver Lafayette
May be in the early running for most often misspelled (and mispronounced) name along with Artsiom Parakhouski and Vyacheslav Kravstov. I’m not sure if is some kind of keyboard dyslexia but many articles have Lafayette spelled Layafette as well within the same piece, sometimes in the same paragraph. This will probably come as a huge relief to Semih Erden and Luke Harangody but is probably keeping Tommy Heinsohn up nights already. I can already see it as Oliver, Luke, Art, Semi, and VK.
From a basketball perspective Oliver is already well traveled having won NJCAA Div II player of the year at Brown Mackie, been named all-Conference USA as a Junior at Houston, and spent time with both the Erie Bayhawks and the Ft Wayne Mad Ants of the NBDL. How about a sbnation scouting report: Assets • Solid all-round at the point guard spot: a good passer & perimeter shooter and a capable defender who rebounds well and has a nose for steals. Can score when needed. Flaws • Needs to work on ball security. Lacks mass and will get posted up by bigger NBA guards. Career Potential • Backup point guard.
The Orlando Summer League is just a couple of days away now. I know it hasn't been that long since the season ended, but I am already anxious to see more basketball. The Celtics have announced their Summer League roster and there are some interesting names on it. Here's the list along with strengths and weaknesses from NBAdraft.net:
41 -- Jaycee Carroll -- G -- 6'2" -- 180 -- Utah State
Strengths: One of the top pure shooters in the college game ... Has the ability to spot up and shoot with tremendous range ... Also shows a solid ability to score off the bounce creating offense for himself against quality defenders ... Very competitive and clutch player ... An underrated athlete, can get up and dunk when the occasion arises, although he's never going to be confused with a physical freak ... His age is more of a negative than positive, but at 24 years of age, teams appreciate the fact that he's emotionally mature and more "NBA ready" than the average draftee ... Hard worker who keeps himself in tremendous physical condition (averaged 36 min per game as a junior) ... 88% free throw shooter is truly at an elite level ... Really hustles and fights for rebounds, leading the entire team at 6.3 rpg as a junior ...
Weaknesses: Size creates a big hurdle for him ... Strictly a 2-guard, he lacks any real point guard skills despite solid passing and ball handling ability ... At 6-2, it's hard to imagine him as more than a role shooter on the NBA level ... His size will obviously create match up problems at the 2-guard position as the average 6-6 SG on the NBA level will be able to exploit him shooting over him or posting him up ... He'll be 25 on draft day having gone on a 2 year Mormon Mission. While he's not seen as an athletic freak with physical attributes left to develop, his age suggests he has less upside left to tap ... At 175 pounds, he lacks a great NBA body, adding some strength would be a plus but it's unlikely he can add much at his age ...
50 -- Semih Erden -- C -- 7'0" -- 240 -- Turkey
Strengths: Arguably Turkeys top current prospect, Semih Erden offers a long and lean body frame with good athletic skills, long arms and good legs ... He can run the floor very well for a guy his size and has good agility and quickness ... Especially right handed, he also has penetration possibilities to go with decent hands and passing, as well as acceptable body balance ... Even enjoying a good rythm on his outside shot (3 pt range) with a high release, hell have to work hard to make his percentages rise, become confident in himself and gain confidence from teammates to shoot from the perimeter ... Considering his size, ballhandling and dribbling are surely acceptable, and his shotblocking as well due to a good leaping ability and solid timing.
Weaknesses: Most influenced by his often poor mentality are his defense and rebounding ... Although in both aspects his instincts and awareness arent bad, his lack of intensity and concentration dont allow him to be a steady intimidating force in the middle ... Does need some work on his timing when executing rotations and double teaming from help side ... It would also be interesting to see him bulk up and gain more arm strength ... Should also try to impose himself at the low post in half court offense, better developing his post moves.
27 -- Tony Gaffney -- F -- 6'8" -- 215 -- Massachusetts
Strengths: Mostly known in college for his tremendous defensive presence and effort level, Gaffney wasn’t asked to do much scoring for UMass, making the most of the touches he earned coming from his hustle and ability to run the floor. Tony brings an unbelievable enthusiasm and energy to the court every day. He's a very, very high energy athlete who plays above the rim. He is a great shot blocker and rebounder.
Weakness: Needs to get stronger and put on more muscle so that he can bang inside with bigger NBA players.
45 -- Rodney Green -- G -- 6'5" -- 190 -- La Salle
Strengths: A-10 senior guard with nice package of offensive tools ... Has shown a steady improvement in many areas during his college career becoming a strong defender and ball hawk as well as an efficient scorer ... Has logged time at the point guard position effectively in college but is a natural 2 … Has a nice release and the ability to create shots with fakes... Also has an excellent pull up off the dribble ... Good quickness and a solid athlete with the ability to finish at the rim ... Has a sturdy body with a stocky build which he uses well to create and withstand contact ... Has improved his ball protection (positive A/TO ratio as a junior) and passing ability throughout his career at LaSalle ... Does a good job of protecting the ball ... Comfortable creating offense for himself in ISO situations and forced to do so without the benefit of a quality PG ... His experience has given him excellent patience in the half court set ... An excellent rebounder from the guard position maintaining a 5 reb. per game average throughout his college career ... Big hands allow him to palm and control the ball with ease ... Moves well without the ball showing a solid understanding of using screens to get open ... Displays the ability to post up and is comfortable using his strength in the paint against opponents with his back to the basket ...
Weaknesses: A little on the small side at 6-5 (possibly 6-4) and without great length (wingspan) ... Should look to improve on his 3 point accuracy (35% as a junior) ... Free throw shooting dipped between his sophomore and junior years from 78% to 70%. Raising his FT % back up would benefit him as he's very adept at getting to the foul line ... A rhythm shooter, better at pulling up off the dribble than catching and shooting ... Seems more comfortable playing in the half court than making plays on the break ... Playing in the A-10 doesn’t do him any favors as the level of competition isn’t that of one of the BCS schools …
55 -- Luke Harangody -- F -- 6'8" -- 255 -- Notre Dame
Strengths: Luke is an elite scorer at the college level ... Averaging over 20 points a game in each of his last 3 years, he at times carries his team on his back in the toughest conference ... Crafty around hoop, he finds a way to score and finishes well around the rim, moves well in the paint and reads what he has given to him ... One of the hardest working players around, hes gritty, strong and persistent... absorbs contact well and gets to the line quite frequently ... Has the ability to face up to the basket and shoot, and occasionally can take the defender off the dribble from the elbow ... Positions himself well for rebounds, good nose for the ball on the offensive glass ... Sees plenty of double-teams, and his passing has improved as a result ... Has a great feel for the game, and regardless of how unorthodox his game is, he's one tough competitor who finds a way to get it done ... Measured well in the predraft camp combine with excellent length (standing reach for his height - 8'10") and strength numbers (combine leading 23 bench press reps at 185) ...
Weaknesses: Luke's biggest weakness and toughest obstacle to overcome will be his lack of athleticism, explosiveness and height, resulting in a lack of a true position at the next level ... Too slow to guard the 3, undersized at the 4 ... He has the ability to square up and shoot medium to deeper range jump shots, but can't hit them nearly consistently enough to call them a strength, and without improvement will struggle to make it in the NBA ... Takes a ton of shots, although thats just a product of him being on a team that lacks alternative scoring threats ... Defensively his lateral movement is a liability, and he will struggle to keep up against taller and quicker athletes at the next level ... 4s in the NBA will shoot over him down low, and 3s will blow by him on the perimeter ... A low release and not much spring in his knees on his shot, combined with his lack of height, will cause problems for him on the offensive side of the ball when being guarded by true power forwards in the NBA
46 -- Matt Janning -- G -- 6'4" -- 198 -- Northeastern
No profile available.
60 -- Vyacheslav Kravstov -- C -- 7'0" -- 270 -- Ukraine
Strengths: One of the best post prospects in Europe He has great physical potential, is a supreme athlete; with an excellent attitude Plays with courage and desire, and has surprising maturity for his age A true center. At 7-0 260 and with a big frame, has the size to play center in the NBA Has a great attitude, and shows a high level of desire Has the toughness and demeanor that you want in a post player He's got the face of a child but a man's body and plays with a physical nature His instincts for the game and ability to play at a high level is rapidly improving Very strong rebounding the ball Really has an imposing physique and should get stronger He can be involved and make plays without having the offense focus on him Foot speed and agility is excellent for a player his size An aggressive, fearless player, unafraid of contact Has solid touch around the basket using lefty hooks and jumpers Defensive minded. A solid defender and shot blocker in Europe but probably just average by NBA standards, but has the physical attributes to be a solid NBA defender in the future Does a solid job managing his fouls
Weaknesses: Still unskilled offensively He must expand his offensive game and complete his physical growth Scores a lot of his points on garbage baskets Still needs work on his post up game. Needs to improve the speed at which he thinks the game and reacts to situations offensively The European style of play has less posting up and isolating bigmen NBA readiness is a ways off. Compared to countryman Kyrylo Fesenko, he has less offensive ability but better defensive skills
40 -- Oliver Layafette -- G -- 6'2" -- 190 -- Houston
No profile available.
58 -- Art Parakhouski -- C -- 6'11" -- 260 -- Radford
Strengths: A center with good size and a solid frame … Still a fairly young player in terms of experience, he has a decent amount of upside … He is a high percentage scorer inside, he establishes good low post position and has the ability to finish using his strength and height … He has good weight on his frame and can create space and muscle his way inside ... Turns to both shoulders and uses his body to shield the ball from defenders ... Has good hands and makes tough catches in the paint and in traffic ... Shows a good touch around the basket, and can shoot a fairly soft turnaround jumper ... Uses his height and keeps the ball high on his release, making it difficult to challenge his shot … Has decent shooting mechanics when stepping out to midrange and shows the potential to turn into a solid pick and pop option ... A very good rebounder (he holds his boxouts and clears space on the defensive end, and he hangs around the rim on the offensive end and gets his hands on a lot of missed shots) ... Has a very good motor for a player his size, has the endurance to play long minutes and is also disciplined enough to avoid foul trouble ... He is a fairly good straight line runner, getting up and down the floor at a good pace … Effective shot blocker, he has decent timing and is able to alter and block a good number of shots inside ...
Weaknesses: Not a great athlete, he has limited leaping ability and struggles finishing inside against bigger players ... He is fairly stiff in his movements, he doesn't have a live body and is not very agile ... Does not finish with his left hand (even when turning to his right shoulder he looks to get the ball in his strong hand for awkward finishes) ... His low post repertoire is limited and he lacks effective counter moves ... Does not have great footwork, which leaves him off-balance when making moves inside … A poor foul shooter ... Even though the form on his shot is fundamental, he needs to improve the results and gain more consistency … Not a good passer out of double teams, he waits too long to move the ball and often gets caught up in traffic ... Played in a weak conference, and had a distinctive height advantage on a nightly basis, he needs to show that he is able to battle with players his size to succeed at the next level …
47 -- DeShawn Sims -- F -- 6'8" -- 225 -- Michigan
Displaying a terrific mid-range jumper, Sims continuously punished defenders who left him open in order to rotate and help on the weakside. Showing a great knack for spotting up to open space, his smooth jumpshot made him a very efficient scorer. On a number of occasions he stepped out beyond the arc and looked very comfortable shooting from the (partially) extended three point line. His stroke is very smooth and his high release allows him to get shots off even when closely guarded. He also took his game down in the low post, using a turnaround jumper and mini jump hooks to both shoulders to score inside. He doesn’t have great size or strength to muscle his way in the paint, but his agility and quickness allow him to beat defenders to the spot and get into good scoring position. His biggest issue for the next level is the question of who he can defend - not nearly strong enough to push power forwards off the block or quick enough to contain wing players on the perimeter. He matched up mainly with inside players at Portsmouth, but aside from a couple guys, there was very little depth at the position in this setting, which did not put his ability to the test all that much. He has springy legs and a live body and he may have just enough athleticism to be able to adapt, but he will need to use the workouts to prove his case more.
48 -- Ryan Thompson -- G -- 6'6" -- 220 -- Rider
Strengths: Wing with great size and strength for the position. Possesses a versatile offensive repertoire. Intent on taking his defender off the bounce and attacking the rim. Does a good job cradling the ball, absorbing contact and finishing plays. Displays good body control, using step around moves at full speed to avoid charges. Attempted 6.5 free throw attempts per game as a Senior, converting at an excellent 82% clip. Excels in the transition game with his long strides and speed in the open floor. Is routinely the recipient of breakaway hoops, beating the opposition down the court. Has a comfort level in the mid-range game and shoots effectively off the dribble. Shot 36% from three for his college career. Percentage dropped to 32% as a senior due to deterioration in quality of looks. Active without the basketball. Terrific rebounder for a guard (5.7 for career). Provides an instant fast break option. Handled the majority of playmaking duties for Rider. Good court vision (3.1 assists for career). Very keen defensively. Excellent defensive awareness, jumps passing lanes effectively (1.5 steals career).
Weaknesses: Limited quickness and explosion off the floor. Extremely right hand dominant off the dribble. Predictable moves. Opponents increasingly sat on his right as the season wore on. His response was to take more jump shots. Does not possess the quicks to overcome his lack of variation. Finishes with his strong hand on the left side of the hoop. Liable to get shots sent back if he doesn't strengthen his left. Mechanics on his jump shot are sound, but lacks elevation. Range out to the NBA 3 line is questionable. Ability to stay in front of his man on D is a concern. Does not display encouraging lateral agility. Will be unable to rely on length and strength advantage at the next level. A bit hefty at 220 pounds, could shed some weight.
49 -- Ryan Wittman -- F -- 6'7" -- 215 -- Cornell
Positives •Amazing shooter
•Deep, deep range on his jumper
•Can shoot it in the clutch
