| Summer League Analysis: Game 2, Vs. Memphis Authored by J.T. Magee - July 11, 2007 - 6:58 pm
If this game was any indication of this season for the Pistons, then they will be very happy with the rookies and young players on their team. They played pass-first ball in the first half and let Rodney Stuckey take over in the second half. Their help defense on drives was better than expected, but these are, in essence, the Detroit Pistons, so that’s to be expected. Although they eked out a win, their control and patience throughout the game was evident.
Rodney Stuckey
We saw the point guard part of the combo guard in their first game. Against Memphis, we saw the shooting guard part of the combo guard. Stuckey simply took over the game and made the Grizzlies pay for trying to guard him with either Mike Conley or Kyle Lowry. He picked them apart, with or without a screen. He took more than this game and got to the line, but he still managed to find the likes of Jason Maxiell and Cheikh Samb on the rolls and near the hoop. He showed his quick hands on defense to strip drives and ignite the fast break. He sees the floor on offense like a point guard, but it’s surprising to see him have the same vision on defense. He seems to know where everyone’s at.
Stuckey is starting to become one of the steals of the draft. Along with Marco Belinelli, Stuckey is surprising everyone because he wasn’t regarded as one of the top guards. Although he was the second guard taken in the draft, there are a lot of teams that were above him who could’ve used his playmaking skills. Now that Detroit has him, he’ll be able to flourish behind and next to Chauncey Billups.
Jason Maxiell
Maxiell was very efficient inside for Detroit. He was showing his touch from outside but inside is where he showed why he was a factor off the bench in the playoffs. He was muscling his way to the basket, crashing the lane when no Grizzly big man was protecting it. He has a few highlight reel dunks, but it was the force he threw them down with that impressed. Maxiell deserves more playing time this season, but it’s up to Had Coach Flip Saunders if he’s worth playing 20 minutes and preserving Antonio McDyess for the playoffs. From a personal standpoint, he is.
Cheikh Samb
Samb is getting better and better each game. His positioning on defense is better each game. It looked like he hurt his hand in the first game and was wearing a wrap on his left hand. He wasn’t catching some feeds off of his team’s dribble penetrations and he wasn’t snagging rebounds with both hands, but his play around the hoop made up for his lack of being able to use both hands fully. He was comfortable shooting from the perimeter but made his day down in the low block. He was active trying to block shots and made it difficult for the Grizzlies to finish at the rim. Samb still struggled to be involved mentally on each possession, failing to be near the rim on a lot of plays where he should’ve stayed near the hoop. Samb is quietly impressing. The more he plays like he played today, the more he makes it harder for the front office to leave him overseas.
Arron Afflalo
Afflalo continues to play extremely efficient on offense. He’s driving to the hoop and making good passes or finishing at the rim. He’s not an elite athlete, so it makes it harder for him to get above even an average shot blocker. That’s a problem for now, but Afflalo adapts to how the game is played. With the Carlos Delfino trade, there’s room for Afflalo to get playing time. He’s strong enough to step in right away and showed it against Memphis, limiting Tarence Kinsey to make plays off the ball. He even played good defense against their point guards, staying in front of them more often than naught. Afflalo will likely be in the NBA for his defense, but if teams create a game plan where he’s not factored in offensively, they would be making a mistake.
Sammy Mejia
Mejia was strong defensively for Detroit. He was forcing Rudy Gay to settle for outside jumpers. When Gay drove, Mejia would play the angle towards the hoop and force Gay into a contested shot. Mejia was a little out of control when he had the ball on offense, but he was making the right off the ball cuts and producing when he was getting the ball. Mejia may not make the roster, but if he does, he’ll likely be a D-Leaguer while Amir Johnson, if he’s re-signed, gets the bulk of the minutes at the 3/4. Mejia was very impressive against Gay, a future stud at small forward.
Ibrahim Jaaber
Jaaber has the talent to play in the NBA. Defensively, he’s good, astoundingly good. He was constantly in the right position and making plays on the ball at the same time. He wasn’t giving up many drives despite both Conley and Lowry being two of the toughest point guard tandems to guard at the LVSL. He’s not a true floor general, but he does enough to run the team. Jaaber should find a place in the NBDL to play after his showing so far. If he can harness the nuances of running a team, he could earn a roster spot in the NBA.
Laron Profit, Ali Traore, Eddy Fobbs & Oren Cipriano
Each of these players were exceptional, but I was too glued to Stuckey and the rest of the Pistons above to make any room in my eye sight for them. Cipriano was a little out of control with the ball but showed a nice form on his jump shot. Traore wasn’t much of a factor, failing to successfully mix it up inside. Fobbs has soft hands and was active hedging the pick & roll, but there wasn’t much else there. Profit was so and so. He made strong plays without the ball and making good cuts. His defense was average for him.
Overall View
If this game was a sign of things to come for Detroit, Pistons’ fans will love Stuckey. He has the size, skills and will to dominate and make the right play at the same time. He’s simply one of the best combo guards at the Las Vegas Summer League and will be one of the better combo guards the second he steps onto the floor. Detroit’s bigs were a big part of their success, but it was Stuckey who turned corner after corner and found a way to score. |
