| Summer League Analysis: Game 1, Vs. Portland Authored by J.T. Magee - July 7, 2007 - 3:35 pm
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Leon Powe
Powe was the muscle on the inside, making life very, very difficult for Oden and Aldridge. He was simply making sure the post was his and that Portland had no place in it. Powe was fighting for each rebound like it was a guaranteed dollar from an NBA team. He played with a fire lit under his arse and it showed. He was ready to play, stepping in with a decent handle and a knack for getting to the stripe. Powe used his girth to make sure no Blazer near got the rebound. Many shots he had his hands on were tipped out to the perimeter, starting a fast break. Powe was the best big man on Celtics’ squad. Looking at their team, he will have to be from here on out.
Rajon Rondo
He and Sergio Rodriguez are linked and will be linked for the rest of their careers. Both played against each other in amateur competitions and both were drafted by the Suns last season. Rondo came out the victor in their battle, making plays constantly and consistently. His ability to drive into the lane, both in the half court and in transition, was clearly apparent. His jumper was nowhere to be found, but it’s not like Portland pressed him in the backcourt on every possession. Wait, they did, causing easy opportunities and strain on their big men? Yeah, and Rondo took advantage of it. Great all-around point guard play from him. Now, if he would only shoot when he has an open shot in the lane.
Gabe Pruitt
Pruitt was the true definition of a combo guard: a guard who can run the team while the point guard rest and still have the abilities to score with ball, either in the lane or on the perimeter. Although some of his play off the ball wasn’t much to drool over, his decisions with the ball were on point. He didn’t take many shots, but the shots were within the flow of the game. I want to see a lot more of Pruitt, this time with Rondo as the point. Both of them could cause some havoc in the backcourt and making life difficult for opposing guards. Pruitt’s size is the main reason why Portland had trouble with him. If he continues to go up against smaller guards, he’ll start to really impress.
Allan Ray
Ray has the size of a point guard but the chucking mentality of a volume shooter. I’m guessing he took at least ten shots because he got to the line a few times. (Sure enough, 3-10 from the floor and 5-7 from the line.) Most of his shots were rushed and the type coaches cringe at. His defense was pretty steady since Portland went with two point guards. (Big mistake. They should have some sort of swingman here, like James Singleton, to help play small forward.) Ray looked okay. I want to see him try to run the team a little bit.
Gerald Green
Green’s defense on Webster is why he’ll get a lot of minutes next to Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. He was all over Webster. Poor Martell. He rarely got any good looks and converted most of his points late in the game. Green got off to a hot start, but faded out of the offense. His defense was more than reason enough to rave about. It was really, really, really, really and really amazing. If he plays the opposing swingmen like that the rest of the LVSL, he could earn the defensive player award. He was that good. It was suffocating. Boston’s game plan worked, but Green’s hustle off screens to contest shots were the main reason Boston was able to slowly get a big lead on Portland.
Brandon Wallace
Ah, yes, the former Gamecock. Wallace was a scrapper. I first saw him when watching Renaldo Balkman and Tarence Kinsey footage in their last year with the team. Wallace stood out as an Andray Blatche-like athlete, one who makes plays with the ball. He has the duty of guarding Aldridge and the like of Webster, even blocking one of his jump shots. It wasn’t the block that was so sweet, but the fact Wallace knew it was coming. He won’t be the type of guy that gets a lot of stats, but he’s a sparkplug off the bench and would be a great practice player. I see him sticking with the team. No doubt in my mind, even if he’s assigned to the NBDL. He’ll have more of an impact than Ray did his rookie season.
Overall View
Boston had a game plan and they stuck to it. If they are this prepared against the rest of the teams and match up as well as they did against Portland, they could surprise a lot of people. They have some issues in the frontcourt, but considering Oden was playing the first game since the National Championship, it’s hard to fully say Boston should be reckoned with. If Rondo and Green play like they did, and Powe continues to batter foes in the paint, then they could end up with one of the better records. Look out for Wallace, though. He was swell, oh so swell, to watch. |
