Summer Pro League: Day 1

missmyzte · by **missmyzte** on Sat Jul 09, 2005 3:05 am

I need to get all my notes together but here's some quick highlights: 
 
In attendance were Jerry West, Phil Jackson, Mitch Kupchack and Tex Winter. Tony Bobbit apparently has some attitude problems, Dallas still doesn't know how to play D but played a great down-to-the-wire game (that went to OT) against Toronto. Oh yeah, and the Lakers lost to Memphis. <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://www.mistilynn.com/banner-clutch.jpg" style="border:0;"/></div>

ace3g · by **ace3g** on Sat Jul 09, 2005 3:22 am

Are you going to post pictures and recaps of each game misti? <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://img101.echo.cx/img101/6569/banner27copy3bg.jpg"/></div> 
 
<div style="text-align:center"><blockquote>Quote:<hr>Offense Wins Games...Defense Wins Championships<hr></blockquote></div>

missmyzte · by **missmyzte** on Sat Jul 09, 2005 3:34 am

Box Scores (I don't have the final one for the Laker game, I'll get that when I go tomorrow). 
 
<img src="http://www.mistilynn.com/spl/TORDAL.jpg" style="border:0;"/> It was a nail biter! 
 
I really liked the Toronto team, they have a lot of good big men on the team. Charlie Villanueva was big-time, his first chance he nailed a turnaround jumper, got an offensive board on the next possession then nailed the shot. Then he got an offensive foul and then a turnover. He was turnover prone but is strong and wasn't afraid to take it right to the basket. Also, he's unselfish. There was one play where it was a 2 on 1 fastbreak and he could have easily taken the basket but he made the extra pass and got his teammate a score. 
 
Nate Doornekamp is my favorite so far, except for the fact that he reminds me of Rasho. He looks so young, so laid-back and uninterested ... until play begins. Then he's totally focused, a good shot blocker, is good at getting position under the basket for his sweet hook shot or he can step out beyond the arc for a 3-pointer. I'll have to watch him some more. 
 
Uros Slokar looks a lot like Nate and Uros is from Slovenia so he REALLY reminds me of Rasho. He's good at drawing the contact and makes his FT's. 
 
I can see why Eric Chenowith got cut last year by the Lakers, yikes! He blew an easy layup, was walking up and down the court (his coach kept yelling at him to move) and was just overall bad. 
 
Toronto opened up a big lead in the 3rd quarter but Dallas caught up in the 4th, despite their apparent inability to grab a rebound. Took it down to the wire and it was sent into OT. Overtime was also close, always within a point or 2 of each other, but Toronto pushed ahead at the last minute to capture the win. Fun game except everyone was anxious for the Laker game to start. <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://www.mistilynn.com/banner-clutch.jpg" style="border:0;"/></div>

ace3g · by **ace3g** on Sat Jul 09, 2005 3:41 am

yeah Charlie Villanueva is a good player, he was an important part of UCON's Championship team last year, and he plays good defense; (and playing next to a guy like Okafor helped alot to) if Toronto plays Charlie Villanueva next season, they will finally have a reliable post player <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://img101.echo.cx/img101/6569/banner27copy3bg.jpg"/></div> 
 
<div style="text-align:center"><blockquote>Quote:<hr>Offense Wins Games...Defense Wins Championships<hr></blockquote></div>

missmyzte · by **missmyzte** on Sat Jul 09, 2005 3:54 am

<img src="http://www.mistilynn.com/spl/LALMEM01.jpg" style="border:0;"/> 
 
<img src="http://www.mistilynn.com/spl/LALMEM02.jpg" style="border:0;"/> 
 
<img src="http://www.mistilynn.com/spl/LALMEM03.jpg" style="border:0;"/> 
 
The Laker game ... it was definitely a Laker crowd tonight. Fans gave the team a standing ovation when they took the court for warm-ups and another standing O went to Andrew Bynum when he was announced in the starting line-ups. Bynum was the Lakers 1st round draft pick, in case you didn't know, the youngest draft pick ever (he's 17). 
 
Kurt Rambus was the head coach and did coach the game but assistant coach Brian Shaw was coaching the players. He spent a lot of time individually talking to them, especially Bynum and Douhit. 
 
I was disappointed in Bynum, but I'm sure much of it had to do with the nerves that accompany his first ever game as a Laker. He didn't move on offense and didn't look to get good position. When he did get good position, he couldn't catch any of the entry passes that were sent his way, a turnover almost every time. The rare cases where he did catch the pass, he threw it back out. He did rebound well and got the jump ball. Despite his claim to be better than Shaq at FT's, he sucked pretty badly on those. It's just Day 1, it has to get better. 
 
Ronney Turiaf is already a fan favorite, they were chanting for him to come in and cheering every time they saw him. He has a lot of heart and a lot of energy, he's all hussle but also a little out of control with a tendancy to pick up offensive fouls. He's 6-10 and solid, he's got muscles to go with his size and he wanted to use his muscles except that the kids he's playing against are smaller. It may be different against a real NBA team. He seems to be a great teammate, always cheering for the guys and supporting them. You should have seen one of the blocks he had, he stuffed the guy (rejected!) but got called for the foul. 
 
Reports had said that Sasha Vujacic gained 10+ pounds of muscle, I beg to differ. He looks just as skinny as he did last year and just as useless. In fact, I think he did better in last year's SPL than he did tonight. 
 
I liked Marcus Douhit last year and still do. Starting the game, he took it upon himself to be the center of everything. He was grabbing rebounds on the defensive end and hitting shots on the other side. He got position, called for the ball, took a couple dribbles while backing towards the basket then either a fade away, a dunk or a hook shot to get it in. 
 
Von Wafer in instant offense, the dude can hit some shots. He is the reason that the Lakers stayed as close as they did, down by as much as 15 Wafer would come in and hit a few shots to close the gap. 
 
Smush Parker's real name is William Parker, which is funny because that is also TP's real name (William Anthony Parker). Interesting note. I liked the kid, he did a better job of running the point than Vujacic. 
 
There was one funny moment, the Lakers had 2 seconds left on the shot clock. The ball inbounded to Sasha who dribbed went up to shoot and the buzzer sounded, shot clock violation. Rambus and B-Shaw were up in arms, no way that was a full 2 seconds. The ref stood there and said, "I agree, it was quick, but I can't put more time on the clock." 
 
Those are my notes from today, lots more action tomorrow including James Worthy being inducted into the SPL Hall of Fame. I will be there and will bring my camera (I didn't bring it today). <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://www.mistilynn.com/banner-clutch.jpg" style="border:0;"/></div>

ace3g · by **ace3g** on Sat Jul 09, 2005 4:07 am

thanks for the info misti. glad to see a .4 similar situation happening to the Lakers 
 
 
lol lol <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://img101.echo.cx/img101/6569/banner27copy3bg.jpg"/></div> 
 
<div style="text-align:center"><blockquote>Quote:<hr>Offense Wins Games...Defense Wins Championships<hr></blockquote></div>

by **kralelippi 9** on Sat Jul 09, 2005 4:15 am

yeah my friend told me about it 'cuz he went. he got couple of autographs... i would have gone but i have stupid work... anyway glad u had fun misty! i might go to other games, who knows i might see u tehre misti! <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://super-sweet.net/mia2.gif"/></div>

missmyzte · by **missmyzte** on Sat Jul 09, 2005 4:17 am

If you see me, come say hi Mia! I'm going to go to as many of the games as I can, but I'll be out of town next week at a meeting. I'll actually be closer to Long Beach but my work hours are usually pretty long at these meetings so we'll see. <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://www.mistilynn.com/banner-clutch.jpg" style="border:0;"/></div>

NZ Spurs · by **NZ Spurs** on Sat Jul 09, 2005 9:57 pm

Good read Misty. 
 
<blockquote>Quote:<hr>...if Toronto plays Charlie Villanueva next season, they will finally have a reliable post player <hr></blockquote> 
 
*cough*Chris Bosh*cough* <div style="text-align:center"><img src="http://www.sahoops.net/banners/lock12.jpg"/></div> 
 
Edited by: <A HREF=http://p204.ezboard.com/bsanantoniospurs62937.showUserPublicProfile?gid=nzspurs>NZ Spurs</A> <IMG HEIGHT=10 WIDTH=10 SRC="http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/flags/nz.gif" BORDER=0> at: 7/9/05 9:05 pm

Summer Pro League: Day 1