Post by FLHoya on Jul 29, 2012 18:11:52 GMT -5
A six-game Sunday at McDonough is simply too ambitious (and too difficult on my back) when the GU teams play games 2, 3, 5, and 6 (which is still going on as I finish this recap). I attended the Tombs-Team Takeover and Clyde's-Premiere Athlete games. Hoop Magic and DCX played during the later afternoon/evening.
Team Takeover 76 Tombs 74
Hall and Oates: I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) (1983)
Simply Red: Sunrise (2003)
We're getting the band back together!
Well, only sorta. Bradley Hayes and Stephen Domingo are likely DNPs for the summer, but their Tombs teammates Otto Porter and D'vauntes Smith-Rivera returned to action this weekend after
multiple games off. For the first time in over a week, Tombs fielded as close to a full squad as we're going to get for their game this afternoon against Team Takeover.
Can't say the same for Takeover, who were again without the services of Mikael Hopkins. We were almost without Team Takeover--when the scorer's table puts up anything above 10 minutes on the countdown clock between games, that's a good sign there's going to be a sizable delay.
Ten minutes after the scheduled 1:20 start time, and still no Team Takeover. Ultimately, Nat Burton doubled up after playing the opening game in order to fill out Takeover's roster. A good roster it was, actually, highlighted by a powerful all-around game from Indiana's Victor Oladipo.
Early on, it appeared Tombs would take full advantage of Takeover's smaller roster (both in numbers and size), as they led 24-15. But powered by Oladipo's athletic performance and extremely hot outside shooting, Takeover finished the half on a 23-7 run and led 38-31 going into the break, a lead they never relinquished.
In fact, they almost blew Tombs out of the building in the second half, building a lead as high as 16 points midway through the second half. Tombs' substitution rotation gave extra rest to Porter and Smith-Rivera, and it was evident down the stretch that both had more in the tank than might have been expected.
Tombs slowly chipped away at the lead--13 points with 10 minutes to go, 7 with 5 minutes to play, and 3 (72-69) with 2:46 to play. Tombs had several chances to close or tie, but David Allen and Smith-Rivera among others missed open shots, and Dwayne Wise missed a pair of free throws. Nat Burton and Otto Porter traded baskets, and with 33 seconds left Tombs still trailed by 3. Finally, Tombs cut into the advantage, as Allen answered Oladipo's dunk with a three pointer. 76-74 Takeover with 17 seconds left.
Trouble was, Tombs was still 7 fouls away from the bonus. By the time Tombs were a foul away from the penalty, only 4.2 seconds remained.
On the ensuing inbounds, Otto Porter stepped in front of a pass under Takeover's basket and tried to move the ball upcourt. He found Smith-Rivera, whose deep, contested three for the win at the buzzer drew iron.
Otto Porter: 18 points, 7-10 2FG, 4-4 FT, 15 RBs, 7AST, 2TO, 2STL, 1BLK, 3F
Another all-around performance from Otto, who is the unquestioned leader of Tombs. His assist numbers I think reflect the leadership role he takes on the court during summer league games. That'll pay dividends if he's asked to run offense from his position this season.
As good as his production was, he played fewer minutes than I've seen from him this summer. This may be a consequence of him tweaking his ankle last weekend and needing extra rest. Or perhaps Tombs coach is looking to challenge the other players or work on specific lineup combinations. In any case, in the closing minutes of the game, Otto hit his final three shots and four free throws, including multiple tough bank shots falling away in the post.
What was most impressive is something otto does normally--attack rebounds with relentless abandon and tremendous timing. He excels at getting into optimal spots for boards--it's not boxing out, it's intelligent positioning for the carom of a shot--and if needed tapping the ball up to keep it alive for himself. He actually got his offense going in the early minutes through the offensive glass.
Would've been quite the play had Smith-Rivera hit that miracle three at the end. The end game reminded me of how he (and Max Kenyi) took over the big comeback win in the semifinals last season.
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera: 12 points, 6-10 2FG, 0-6 3FG, 1A, 3STL, 3F
Like Porter, DSR also spent extended minutes on the bench in both halves. Again, unclear as to the purpose, but one probably can't complain about someone who took 16 shot attempts.
The jump shot wasn't falling today though. He was getting good looks and showed good form and rotation, just had a lot of 'em pop out. He made hay in transition though, which was a part of his game we hadn't seen much of this summer. In fact, he did a good job playing passing lanes when opposing guards would get trapped on the sidelines, leading to a few easy steals and transition buckets for Tombs.
He's not super-quick getting into the lane, and isn't as relentless attacking the rim as Markel Starks. What he did well today though was look to pass out of his initial move from the perimeter. This is a good addition, since his go-to move is pulling up for a mid-range jumper--that move is very Austin Freeman like--and it keeps the defense from over-playing it.
Had it been 1-5 from three, that would've been something.
Brandon Bolden: 5 points, 2-6 2FG, 1-2 FT, 1RB, 2TO, 2F
Bolden's performances with one exception (when he had a double-figure second half in a big victory) have tended to fall into a similar pattern.
He's tended to struggle down low catching the ball on the move. This limits his effectiveness in pick and roll situations and as a drive/dish finisher (areas where Nate Lubick, for instance, is strong), and has probably cost him at least a basket or two per game. He's
improved slightly over the summer in his post offense, but is still too one-dimensional to have consistent impact.
Defensively, he's struggle guarding his opponent when he's taken away from the basket. He doesn't stay in front of his guard well, and he tends to lose his man on switches. He's got to be better grabbing rebounds--too many times he's just not in position or chasing the play.
That being said though, he unleashes at least one athletic play a game that catches you by surprise. Today, he broke out an up and under move to maneuver around a defender on a fast break layup attempt. That's what has people curious--Bolden needs a lot of work on some fundamentals, but his athleticism is a good base to build on.
John Caprio: 4 points, 2-5 2FG, 3RB, 1TO, 1STL, 1F
David Allen: 11 points, 3-8 2FG, 1-5 3FG, 2-2 FT, 5RB, 1A, 2STL, 3F
Caprio has settled into a quiet and unassuming role with Tombs. Allen is much louder, but lacks consistency with his shot, which he isn't afraid to take.
Team Takeover 76 Tombs 74
Hall and Oates: I Can't Go for That (No Can Do) (1983)
Simply Red: Sunrise (2003)
We're getting the band back together!
Well, only sorta. Bradley Hayes and Stephen Domingo are likely DNPs for the summer, but their Tombs teammates Otto Porter and D'vauntes Smith-Rivera returned to action this weekend after
multiple games off. For the first time in over a week, Tombs fielded as close to a full squad as we're going to get for their game this afternoon against Team Takeover.
Can't say the same for Takeover, who were again without the services of Mikael Hopkins. We were almost without Team Takeover--when the scorer's table puts up anything above 10 minutes on the countdown clock between games, that's a good sign there's going to be a sizable delay.
Ten minutes after the scheduled 1:20 start time, and still no Team Takeover. Ultimately, Nat Burton doubled up after playing the opening game in order to fill out Takeover's roster. A good roster it was, actually, highlighted by a powerful all-around game from Indiana's Victor Oladipo.
Early on, it appeared Tombs would take full advantage of Takeover's smaller roster (both in numbers and size), as they led 24-15. But powered by Oladipo's athletic performance and extremely hot outside shooting, Takeover finished the half on a 23-7 run and led 38-31 going into the break, a lead they never relinquished.
In fact, they almost blew Tombs out of the building in the second half, building a lead as high as 16 points midway through the second half. Tombs' substitution rotation gave extra rest to Porter and Smith-Rivera, and it was evident down the stretch that both had more in the tank than might have been expected.
Tombs slowly chipped away at the lead--13 points with 10 minutes to go, 7 with 5 minutes to play, and 3 (72-69) with 2:46 to play. Tombs had several chances to close or tie, but David Allen and Smith-Rivera among others missed open shots, and Dwayne Wise missed a pair of free throws. Nat Burton and Otto Porter traded baskets, and with 33 seconds left Tombs still trailed by 3. Finally, Tombs cut into the advantage, as Allen answered Oladipo's dunk with a three pointer. 76-74 Takeover with 17 seconds left.
Trouble was, Tombs was still 7 fouls away from the bonus. By the time Tombs were a foul away from the penalty, only 4.2 seconds remained.
On the ensuing inbounds, Otto Porter stepped in front of a pass under Takeover's basket and tried to move the ball upcourt. He found Smith-Rivera, whose deep, contested three for the win at the buzzer drew iron.
Otto Porter: 18 points, 7-10 2FG, 4-4 FT, 15 RBs, 7AST, 2TO, 2STL, 1BLK, 3F
Another all-around performance from Otto, who is the unquestioned leader of Tombs. His assist numbers I think reflect the leadership role he takes on the court during summer league games. That'll pay dividends if he's asked to run offense from his position this season.
As good as his production was, he played fewer minutes than I've seen from him this summer. This may be a consequence of him tweaking his ankle last weekend and needing extra rest. Or perhaps Tombs coach is looking to challenge the other players or work on specific lineup combinations. In any case, in the closing minutes of the game, Otto hit his final three shots and four free throws, including multiple tough bank shots falling away in the post.
What was most impressive is something otto does normally--attack rebounds with relentless abandon and tremendous timing. He excels at getting into optimal spots for boards--it's not boxing out, it's intelligent positioning for the carom of a shot--and if needed tapping the ball up to keep it alive for himself. He actually got his offense going in the early minutes through the offensive glass.
Would've been quite the play had Smith-Rivera hit that miracle three at the end. The end game reminded me of how he (and Max Kenyi) took over the big comeback win in the semifinals last season.
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera: 12 points, 6-10 2FG, 0-6 3FG, 1A, 3STL, 3F
Like Porter, DSR also spent extended minutes on the bench in both halves. Again, unclear as to the purpose, but one probably can't complain about someone who took 16 shot attempts.
The jump shot wasn't falling today though. He was getting good looks and showed good form and rotation, just had a lot of 'em pop out. He made hay in transition though, which was a part of his game we hadn't seen much of this summer. In fact, he did a good job playing passing lanes when opposing guards would get trapped on the sidelines, leading to a few easy steals and transition buckets for Tombs.
He's not super-quick getting into the lane, and isn't as relentless attacking the rim as Markel Starks. What he did well today though was look to pass out of his initial move from the perimeter. This is a good addition, since his go-to move is pulling up for a mid-range jumper--that move is very Austin Freeman like--and it keeps the defense from over-playing it.
Had it been 1-5 from three, that would've been something.
Brandon Bolden: 5 points, 2-6 2FG, 1-2 FT, 1RB, 2TO, 2F
Bolden's performances with one exception (when he had a double-figure second half in a big victory) have tended to fall into a similar pattern.
He's tended to struggle down low catching the ball on the move. This limits his effectiveness in pick and roll situations and as a drive/dish finisher (areas where Nate Lubick, for instance, is strong), and has probably cost him at least a basket or two per game. He's
improved slightly over the summer in his post offense, but is still too one-dimensional to have consistent impact.
Defensively, he's struggle guarding his opponent when he's taken away from the basket. He doesn't stay in front of his guard well, and he tends to lose his man on switches. He's got to be better grabbing rebounds--too many times he's just not in position or chasing the play.
That being said though, he unleashes at least one athletic play a game that catches you by surprise. Today, he broke out an up and under move to maneuver around a defender on a fast break layup attempt. That's what has people curious--Bolden needs a lot of work on some fundamentals, but his athleticism is a good base to build on.
John Caprio: 4 points, 2-5 2FG, 3RB, 1TO, 1STL, 1F
David Allen: 11 points, 3-8 2FG, 1-5 3FG, 2-2 FT, 5RB, 1A, 2STL, 3F
Caprio has settled into a quiet and unassuming role with Tombs. Allen is much louder, but lacks consistency with his shot, which he isn't afraid to take.
