San Antonio Spurs literally last second sales from dropping close to the Golden State Warriors (85-86), abandoning the 17-point third-quarter lead and winning the first win in Las Vegas Dropped. The good players in the Summer League are 0-2, but especially in the defensive end, they showed more unity as a unit.
San Antonio enters the packed Thomas and Mac Center as a team underdog featuring a recent Top 10 pick pair of James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga, providing support for the audience to listen to the 2022 NBA champion. Did. Despite the difficult battle, the short-handed Summer Spurs competed from start to finish.
Head coach Mitch Johnson has trotted a rigorous nine-man rotation to get young people such as Joshua Primo, Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham and Dominique Barlow to handle the decline and flow of the match. His team wasn’t upset, but touted them for resilience on both sides of hardwoods and high-level outlook.
“I think defense has taken a step forward today, which is good in most cases,” Johnson told reporters. “You give them credit. They are big, strong, and athletic. Wiseman and Kuminga are monsters, especially at this level.”
The match felt more like a group effort than the first Summer League match, but there were some impressive personal performances worth seeing. So, without any further effort, here’s what makes Game 2 stand out in Las Vegas.
Blake Wesley (22 points, 5 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 7-of-20)
Blake Wesley led the Spurs for the second time in a row, scoring 22 points in the team’s best 30 minutes. The 19-year-old guard had no problem breaking through the first layer of defense, but he was constantly blocking or changing layups, forcing him too much. The next step is to learn how and when to change gear effectively.
Poor shot selection and uncontrollable play were Wesley’s comprehensive themes. Reaching the spot on demand is a rare talent, but it’s not worth it if you force a low percentage of attempts at the expense of a better opportunity. Head coach Mitch Johnson said slowing things down is part of the development process.
“You work on it, show them movies, read, walk, talk,” Johnson said. “For experienced people, the game slows down. You see the pattern, and when you see the pattern over time, you recognize the pattern faster. And you really get better. When you can manipulate those things. “
Wesley took some head scratchers early in the shot clock, but spliced together some nifty sequences as self-creators, including multiple pull-ups 3 from the bounce. Notre Dame graduates need to excite all Spurs fans that they may be in front of him as someone who can launch an immediate attack.
The rookie ended the match without assistance, but it’s lazy to suggest that it shows selfishness. Wesley created some great baseline wraparounds and skip passes, but in the end it didn’t pay off because his teammates missed the wide open looks. He was able to stand to make better decisions, but there is potential for legitimate playmaking.
Three-point shoots are one of Wesley’s amazing developments, with a 6-5 Swingman crossing the arc in two Summer League games at 7/11 (63.6%). His jumper has some useless movements, especially off the catch, but working with assistant coach Chip Engelland can improve some of his bad habits.
Darius Days (17 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals, 5-of-10)
Darius Days has been stable for two consecutive games and may have recorded the best performance in the Spurs vs. Golden State. There is something fresh for players who are completely within their role in the Summer League setting. The 22-year-old forward did not try to steal the show, but stood out in the crowd.
Every day looked like a perfect professional. He ran the floor in transitions, moved to corners, installed sturdy screens, cut in a timely manner, reached the free throw line, and took advantage of post mismatches. A good team can always find a place for low-utilization, high-efficiency people, and Darius understands what he can bring to any organization.
“My energy is on the glass, just talking about defense and making others accountable,” Days said. “The guy in the changing room, breaking the flock is what I really do, and I can shoot a little ball.”
Defensively, there are legitimate concerns about the speed and lateral mobility of his feet. Anyway, his frame and motor can cover some of his shortcomings. Days have active hands, fight each rebound and rarely miss a basic rotation. He has already shown to the franchise why he should draft last month.
Josh Primo (10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2-of-15)
Sunday was the worst shooting night we’ve witnessed since Joshua Primo entered the NBA. Coaching staff again used the Canadian combo guard as a secondary ball handler for most of the contest, but did not dribble anywhere in a one-on-one situation. And generating separations was a problem throughout the game.
Primo forced a lot of pull-ups, sidesteps, and stepbacks when the space couldn’t be created. Mac McClung and Quinndary Weatherspoon have panicked a 19-year-old kid. In the 2021 draw, his cold spells didn’t shake his confidence. Head coach Mitch Johnson was pleased with his relentless aggression.
“The shot didn’t fall, he had some difficulties, but he stayed on with it,” Johnson said. “If he was 2 to 5, I would have been more angry if he was crazy enough to hear it. I’m glad he took 15 shots.”
Unfortunately, Primo has excellent drives and kicks around, but he also made some silly mistakes. In the second year, Spur had only three turnovers, but if you often leave without a plan, that number should be much higher. Primo has been bailed out several times, but he wants to see a better deal from him.
There was no big difference in his defensive output. This is great news for everyone who is tracking his Summer League progress. Primo was one of the best team defenders on the floor of San Antonio, slipping with the players on the back court to block the drive. If he makes a consistent effort, he should be a net positive for this purpose.
Malaki Branham (6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 of 6)
Ohio State University products never found an opening to leave a mark on this slope, taking only 6 shots in nearly 27 minutes. Malaki Branham is the scorer first and foremost, but he seems unsure of himself, misses some open looks and hesitates to attack the lucrative windows.
Bramham quickly got out of pick and roll a season ago. By force-feeding his personnel, he can become more aggressive and aggressive. Head coach Mitch Johnson says the rookie is thinking about how to choose his spot with a talented team full of talented ball handlers.
“Maybe part of that is that Bramham isn’t a selfish kid trying to play the right way,” Johnson said. “I’ve been yelling at him several times to shoot it, so I’ll come.”
His defenses on and off the ball are weak, so if he wants to make a difference on the court, his attack must outweigh his flaws. Of course, 19-year-old Swingman has plenty of time to learn how to maximize wingspan and frame when the Spurs begin a full-throttle rebuild.
Dominique Barlow (4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers, 1-of-2)
Box scores can only tell much of the story, and Dominique Barlow was solid despite what his numbers might indicate. The signer of the 19-year-old two-way contract went toe with James Wiseman and got a lot of possession. He enjoyed the opportunity.
“He was the second pick,” Barlow said. “It’s those people you want to compete with. You want to prove yourself. You want to show that you can contain them and give them problems too.”
Barlow, on this slightly smaller list, may be mistaken for a more traditional rim protector, but when combined with the smaller players around it, it showed unique maneuverability.He jumps for all the pump fake, but the physical tools are fascinating
The undrafted giant has a long way to go to reach his high-end results. But if you squint, he can start making outlook photos of the switchable front coat with the possibility of shooting and the athletic ability to act as a lob target.
Check me out Previous article More Courtside Spurs Summer League coverage live from Las Vegas.
I’ll be on the sidelines of Sin City for another two days, so stay tuned for tracking San Antonio’s top outlook.
