Kenner League August 7 RECAP

The best shot of the night came from a bench player.

More accurately--the appx 9-10 year old son or relative of Beyond Belief's coach, who spent the game sitting in the second chair on the bench. As the clock wound down the final seconds of the halftime break, and with a huddle of BB players surrounding him counting down the seconds on the scoreboard, the little guy launched one from at most a step in front of the sideline next to the bench.

FTW.

DCX 68 Beyond Belief 58

Maybe they should've suited the kid up.

DCX struggled to find their form in the first half, entering the break down 30-27. But they took the lead quickly upon the start of the second half, and a big run took the suspense out of the game.

Except for this one thing...

Chris Wright: 8 points, 3-9 2pt, 0-3 3pt, 2-2 FT, 7 reb, 4A, 3T, 1STL

...With a couple minutes to go in the first half, Chris Wright appeared to come down awkwardly on his left ankle after a rebounding battle on his defensive end of the floor. He never fell down, but he was clearly hobbling around and audibly cursed at himself at least twice (when there's a smaller KL crowd, McD is a lot like Lauinger Library...without the people getting busy in the stacks).

Chris looked like he was going to take himself out of the game, and he only barely got himself over to the offensive end in time. But he stayed in the game.

Next offensive possession, Chris gets the ball and seems a bit slow. But he gets it to around the perimeter, then throws it into third gear and blows by his defender into a crowd of 2-3 defenders in the paint--we've all seen this Chris Wright drive before...

...and then, yikes. He hits some moisture and slides out verrrrrrrrry awkwardly under the basket. Looked a lot worse than it turned out to be, but he did take a break after that. I thought--okay there champ, why don't you just keep it in first gear out there from now on.

Course, he really didn't. Now, he didn't play the same level of attacking basketball he normally does--actually, he recast himself pretty well as an assist man in the second half, and really excelled involving Greg Monroe in two man games for easy assists. He also put his attention to the glass, where he flew in from out of nowhere on multiple occasions to snare a rebound.

But with about 2 minutes to go and the game not really in doubt, Chris went battling for a loose ball rebound...and came up hobbling AGAIN. This time he made a beeline for the training room, and emerged about 10 minutes later sporting an ice bag on his ankle. He'd lost the ice later on in the evening, but he sure gave us a scare going all Harvey Thomas on the Kenner League.

If he can combine the energy with the decision making, he'll do quite well. Dunno if the ankle tweak prevented him in the second half from being more aggressive going to the hole and turned his focus to involving other teammates, but I rather liked that aspect of the game.

Greg Monroe: 22 points, 9-11 FG, 4-4 FT, 8 RB, 1A, 4TO

You want it, you got it...a mini-running hook from the post with his right hand.

Okay, he banked it home straight on off the glass and it was kinda ugly. But it COUNTS.

Still doesn't exactly look comfortable on that right hand--and yet shockingly people still fall for it when he goes to the basket righty...360 spun someone out of there shoes on that move for an and-one opportunity.

Much more aggressive on the glass than I've seen him in other games this summer, and in the post as well. He may not have the full repertoire on display just yet, but on this night at least you can't fault him for not being aggressive. Can't argue much with 22 points.

Still possesses great vision out of the post--a few Globetrotter like attempts from back to the basket position didn't find their mark--but the fact that he knows his teammates are there is a big plus.

He's the point forward you wanted since 2007.

[AHEAD: Scenes from a former French-named restaurant]

A scene from the M Street Five Guys

11:00pm on a cool August evening.

A bar stool at what used to be the bar at Au Pied de Cochon, now the storage unit for Five Guys' condiments. A shelve of mayonnaise jars, conspicuously labeled "8/3". I immediately regret my decision to order that particular condiment on my cheeseburger.

At the register, a cougar emphasizes snarkily to the cashier for the third time, she wants here burger without the bun. She's built like Tayshaun Prince.

The peanuts are exceptionally salty tonight.

A gaggle of obnoxious high schoolers holds court, and I suddenly feel very old. Kinda feel like telling them to get off my lawn. One emerges from the bathroom area and rejoins his friends. Brown V-Neck letterman's sweater covering a skin-tight girl's t-shirt reading "OMG WTF". This appears to be a joke. Appears to be. I suddenly sympathize with everything an older relative has ever lectured to me about "today's youth".

Across the street, three folks about my age--two guys in Nantucket red Editeding pink shorts and boat shoes, their female companion in a small sun dress or cocktail napkin or something that's going to blow away in about ten seconds. Stop longingly at the entrance to Smith Point, stare up at the awning for good measure.

NUMBER 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bellows the cook into the microphone. Except he startles #10, and he crushes his full drink cup in his own hand before dropping it on the floor.

Some of it splatters on the cougar.

I'm lucky number 13, and if you don't read anything from me tomorrow, I got salmonella from that mayonnaise.

WE ARE ONE 72 Aquamarine Hunger Force 68

After trading threes and no-calls and lots of screaming, Rodney finally got his way, as Hollis Thompson of all people iced the game for WAO with two FTs in the dying seconds.

Good thing he finally got a chance to take a shot.

For the record, Rodney called his customary opening Timeout Scream-a-thon at 14:58 with his team down 6-2, and he broke up their fast break to do it.

Hollis Thompson: 11 points, 3-4 2pt, 1-4 3pt, 2-2 FT, 2RB, 3A

It's very hard to judge his offensive game because you get the distinct sense he isn't being allowed to actually do anything. With the competition for the ball (ahem) on his team, he's put into a lot of situations where it's either catch and shoot or go home.

He catches and shoots most of the time.

So lots of corner threes--at least we know that's his spot--but not a lot of quality looks, to be honest. Haven't been able to see him flash the slasher moves or athleticism much on offense, because he's basically adrift on his team.

Would like to see him compensate for this by being more active on the defensive end, but isn't really happening. Still think he tires from all the fast breaking and pressure defense. Trouble is, at least in summer league guys can take him on the dribble or back him down, and he isn't exactly throwing in hard fouls to check a guy.

One thing I DO like--even if he isn't getting the ball, he's making himself available and putting himself in scoring position, whether it's cutting along the baseline on drive and dish chances, or scoping out an open spot on the perimeter.

Eventually the pass will come.

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Song of the moment when I was sitting at the bar at Five Guys and watched all those stories unfold: Ohio Players: Love Rollercoaster:

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Three games tomorrow, starting with DCX and Clyde's at 2:10. Come and see who's still left standing of the Georgetown basketball summer students.

*** THIS IS NOT A KENNER LEAGUE REPORT ***


In Greg's defense when it comes to that right-hand thing, does anyone recall Zo developing a left hand? I don't. Alonzo is my favorite all-time Hoya but he was never any good at going left. I really didn't notice it much when he was at Gtown (perhaps because my understanding of hoops at the time wasn't sophisticated enough), but I became aware of it in the pros because it was brought up quite a few times by the media. For those unaware with Zo's big NBA contract came much scrutiny, especially during the post season. There was a stretch in the mid to late 90s when Alonzo was playing in the playoffs (for both the Hornets and the Heat) and ended up being regularly criticized for three things : 1)shoddy free throw shooting (percentage was worse than during regular season during this stretch), 2)too prone to picking up fouls (maybe overly aggressive -- it seemed at least half the fouls came on the offensive end especially when he was setting screens), and 3)no go-to move on offense.

The last part really led to some in the press dogging Zo a little bit. Unlike Ewing, Olajuwan, David Robinson and Shaq, Mourning wasn't as reliable on the offensive end. Sure at times he would show a sweet post-up move that would end with Zo putting the ball in the basket. But when it came to splendid footwork, great pivot moves, turnaround jumpers, kisses off the glass, hook shots, up and under moves, reverse pivots, etc, Zo didn't have enough in his bag of tricks that a 6-9 1/2 center probably needed. Zo didn't have the face up game and automatic jumper that his idol Ewing had either. Zo was always averaging a little over 20 points before the kidney problems, but he did so almost off of superhuman effort. He ran the court for dunks, from fourteen feet or less from the basket he would drive to the hole, he made himself available for feeds under the basket that would lead to dunks, and , as in college, he got fouled a lot by throwing his body around and into anything moving on the court. But in the playoffs those type of opportunities weren't as available as defenses became more stingy and possessions decreased in numbers. And Zo wound up getting exposed a bit on the offensive end, especially after his first early appearances in the playoffs which suggests NBA teams figured him out after awhile. (* Note --when John Thompson Junior said a few times on his show that Roy Hibbert as a college player had better skills on offense than Alonzo and Dikembe he meant it. Its not that that ended up always showing in the boxscore because obviously Zo put up better offensive numbers than Roy. But JT recognized that in terms of having a back-to-the-basket game and go-to moves to rely on as well as being comfortable facing the basket, Roy was more well rounded on offense than Hoya giants Mutombo and Mourning. Of course Roy doesn't necessarily show the tenacity to take advantage of his height and skills but that's for another discussion).

Anyway no NBA team "figured out" Zo more than the Chicago Bulls. Even with no standout big men the Bulls had enough big bodies (almost all taller than Mourning) to throw at him and keep him contained. And the Bulls didn't really trap or double-team Mourning much unless they were trying to force turnovers.. Other than that the Bulls seemed more than willing to cover Mourning with a single defender because of Zo's height and most of all because Zo did not have a left (you see how I eventually got back to the point? ;D ). The Bulls in fact were very brazen about discussing to the press how Mourning wasn't good at going to his left so they decided to concentrate on taking away his right hand. Now that I think about it that same mastermind running the Bulls, Phil Jackson, also exposed another talented big man with no true go-to move and over-reliant on one hand, Dwight Howard, in the recent NBA Finals.

If the internet had been around during Zo's college days would we too be picking apart his inability to go to his unnatural hand as we do with regard to Greg? Possibly. But in my years on this message board I have rarely ever seen anyone criticize Zo's for his underdeveloped offensive game or his almost exclusive reliance on his right hand. Why is that? Revisionism? Is it perhaps that because the vast majority of us are right-handed ourselves so we, in the back of our minds, are less able to accept any guy not having at least somewhat a reliable right hand? Or maybe it was because at least Zo exerted so much effort on the court (on both ends) that one could excuse his deficiencies.? Whatever the reason again I stress we need some perspective when bringing up this issue when it comes to Greg. Without a doubt for Greg (and the Hoyas) to realize his true potential he needs to develop that right hand. But we also need to remember that other successful Hoya big men were also not as ambidextrous as we may have hoped or (re)imagined.

good summary on hollis one point also i think HES been a good maybe great passer to his teamates even tho they dont do it to him with two md teamates wonder what going on but also i believe he was gonna be on the tombs but since he was in school last year they couldnt do that so he ended up with no hoya friends and im sure THATS been hard HE WILL BE A GREAT HOYA in my humble opinion .yup great

Rodney calls his "customary opening timeout scream-a-thon's" no matter what the score is. I'm assuming he does that as part of his ACT, there is no way he could be serious with that. Every year Rodney picks out one player to scream at the most, this year it is #3 Mike Creppy.

DCX had West Virginia forward John Flowers(#40) playing with them yesterday.

ZO is also my favorite hoya player and actually its because of him and Mutombo that I became a hoya fan in the first place. When everyone was starting to jump on the uconn ban wagon here in ct i chose the hoyas. Your totally right back then who cared about zos left hand your right maybe we were young and didnt realize it. We saw Zo's passion for the game and how he had to carry the team his last few years. I never seen anyone with a bigger will to win, something this current group outside of CW at times might lack.

Actually as far as rookies mourning had a better year than shaq and should have been rookie of the year.. Maybe i was biased though!! go hoyas

Hey, if Monroe started playing defense like Alonzo, you would here zippo complaining out of me. The reason people complain so much about Monroe's right hand is that if he had one, not even a reliable one, he would be so much more difficult to guard. Its his biggest weakness, just like people critize Chris decision making, Clarks handle, Austins weight etc etc.

I think we are all aware why people complain about Monroe's lack of a right hand (and I'm in agreement with his really needing one). My point is lets put this in perspective because other big men at GU didn't develop their off hand either. And, no, playing great defense is not an excuse to overlook that inability. I not only want the Hoyas to win I want its former players to go on to the NBA and have champioship-level success. Tim Duncan played great defense too. He also developed his off hand and he learned how to make the correct passes out of the post (something that Pat, Zo and Deke also were never great at). Perhaps that's a main reason why Duncan has four championship rings. He certainly didn't have more athletic ability than Ewing or Mourning....or even Mutombo.

Greg needs a right hand because he's a finesse player. If Monroe brings pain to opposing centers, forwards, spectators, janitors (anyone who might be in the way of the basket essentially) like Zo did, nobody will mention his right hand again.

But that doesn't seem to be Greg.