Apricot’s Live Reactions to Game 1
First, the Bronny vs Kings B Squad
Bronny checks in to a round of 75% cheers and 25% boos. Only the best analytics for you
I was there for Bronny’s first pro bucket. Looked competent. I think he’s missed 4 jumpers though. Has to keep his rep
Bronny and Knecht looked adequate, if you were already assuming Bronny can’t hit jumpers. Bronny is actually pretty disruptive in the passing lanes.
Also looking at Castleton to try to compare him to Post in a few days. Similar size and game.
Keep in mind these are teams with very little practice and also this is the B-team SAC summer league. Every serious prospect or pro is playing on the A team in front of the home fans in SAC.
As advertised, Blake Hinson can score. Antoine Davis and Hinson get into a pretty fun scoring duel. Knecht gets a three shot in his face and tries to go right back with a step back. Clank.
Blake Hinson with the comradely move of putting up the premature three when Tommy Kuhse shoots. (Kuhse was a Saint Mary’s alum.)
Hinson again with a three, guy is automatic in this shambly scrimmage. He also has 4 fouls but that shows commitment I guess?? Recall that Hinson was worked out by GSW and in our Tourney.
Now the Good Guys vs our Heat friends
Super defender Beek [Reece Beekman] immediately breaks up a fast break.
Pelle Larsson launches a runner that nearly goes into the upper deck. Pat Spencer stones Pelle next time. Next shot airball. I think in three shots he has not come within two feet of the basket literally.
And Beek with nice outlet on the break. From what I saw at Virginia he was actually good running the break. Will love to see him showcase that part of his game.
Next play. REECE WITH THE DUNK. I believe he screamed in my direction WHO’S TOO SHORT NOW
It’s about 75% full in the lower bowl
I thought Beek looked good. Pat looked like he was trying playing PG out of his comfort zone. Now site cult hero Vescovi in.
Almost the entire MIA lineup on court is from the Tourney: Larsson, Johnson, Pullin, Stevens.
Plowden got up so high for a dunk it looked like he had enough time to switch hands.
Dubs testing the new MIA guy Ware at the basket and he is blocking everything. Ware Offense looks rough but still. Actually Spencer I think the only guy to get one by Ware
YES BEEK THREE
Beek makes great decisions everywhere. Maybe one drive into a big was misguided. But pushes the pace productively.
I don’t know what Beek’s +/- is but the Summer Dubs look like chaos without him on.
GP2 hanging out in the courtside corner. Of course, he’s hugging people
Good vision by Pat Spencer, one really nice pass back on a break. But also a number of dribbles and passes that got deflected.
Plowden showing off a big package, scoring with three ball, floater, dunk.
But Thompson becoming the crowd favorite.
MY GUY BEEK WITH THE BUZZER BEATER THREE. As it went down he turned to my section and yelled Who says I have no jumper?!
Beek’s not supposed to have a deep shot, it was a big knock on him coming out of college
Haha Pat went up looking like it was massive dunk time but Pelle fouls him. Pat hanging in there defending Pullin. MIA getting bigs switched onto Pat and attacking him.
Plowden getting walked off after smacking knees. Was having the scoring game of his life….
Pat with the And 1 dunk. Beek with the chest bump celebration.
Ooooo missed the And 1. Crowd still buzzing.
Beek with the first bad pass I remember. But it bounces to Pat and he cashes it. Pat then with the strip of Ware then throws it off him out of bounds. That should be all for the two ways.
Even the GSW B team is playing kind of basic Warriors offense without Pat or Beek. Last play had some strong side action then reverse to a delay split cut. Pretty good for barely any practice.
Update from Perks: Daeqwon Plowden was all smiles at his post game presser after a big game. Said his injury was just a minor knock and doesn’t expect to have it hamper him moving forward. Likes his fit with the Warriors and is looking to state his case as a versatile 3&D wing.
Apricot’s Live In-Person Reactions to Game 2
[Pre game] We’ll see how I feel about Beekman at the end of summer league. My written enthusiasm for him during Game 1 is part over-compensation for my dismissing him too quickly in the Tourney.
On offense, I thought he read the game very well. He made quick decisive decisions that were usually good ones. He also did create a number of scoring advantages off the dribble. The team looked stable and effective when he was guiding it, in a way that it did not when Pat Spencer was the PG — even though Pat had perhaps more entertaining plays.
I really enjoyed Beek running the fast break… I feel his college system obscured that strength of his. His passing was good. In college he was literally the #1 ranked passer in the country last year. And this was in an offense that resembles Kerrball. I’m not worried about that aspect.
His jump shooting was effective in Game 1, but I will continue to dismiss that until there is a big sample size to show he’s improved from college.
On defense, I think he’s shown some disruptiveness, but the summer team and opponent are too disorganized to really see what he can do. But as a two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year, I am expecting he’ll be good up to the limits of his size/span.
Bummed that Bronny is scratched. Wanted to see if he could lock up Beekman.
Plowden showing he can run a little PNR off a curl. Lob to Bolden. Defense more existent today than Game 1
Beek is getting past his man off the dribble and in the lane but the finishing is not there.
Hey Kevin Knox is playing after all. Trying to recover his career.
Hinson continues his pure scorer ways from yesterday.
The new guy Rubstavicius looks pretty nimble and he actually hits a corner 3 fulfilling his Stretch Big destiny. He worked out predraft for GSW.
Getting “we want Bronny” chants. Sorry Laker fans.
Knox looking pretty rusty. Bad layups, then bobbled a ball out. Then took a shot so ill advised that even the summer league audience groaned.
Mantas Rube with another swish 3. Hell, sign him up. We’ll play all stretch bigs.
They actually ran a play for Beek. I think it was a slow ambush PNR. Beek then with a PNR but not in sync with roller. Later on he did have a good interior pass. M Rub with a crossover(!) and gets to the basket. He has some game.
DNHQ will be delighted that Vescovi with a wild and-1.
I guess GSW SL may actually be a good defense. Fully putting the clamps on the LAL SL team after clamping MIA SL.
Vescovi defended Knecht pretty well. I think Vecovi actually signaled a play there. Pulled on his ear then Rejected the screen on a wing PNR, got clean to the basket.
Plowden went for a dunk so titanic that even though he missed it, the audience still was buzzing. Then he had a soaring highlight block.
M Rub does not convert on the and-1. But he is more spry and mobile than he looks. Knox reducing his chaos this second run. So far.
Thinking about why GSW SL is so dominant and looks so organized (besides Knox). All the players are older and have one and often quite a few years of pro experience. So they should be doing well and they should also be picking up the GSW SL simple motion offense faster. Also can hear some good communication on switches and transition d.
Beek looks like he’s trying to be more assertive off the dribble at end of Q2 and Q3. He hasn’t had much impact today.
Knecht with a bad day up till now but two strong finishes….
Kuhse has gotten the best of Beekman, attacking his defense and out wile-ing him. On O, Beek running a few more pick and rolls. Let’s see how he is with M Rub.
Maxwell Lewis got in a hard foul on future max contract M Rub. I think they are reviewing for flagrancy League doing everything they can to stop GSW from getting the next Porzingis
M Rub and Hinson actually having a vigorous wrestling match boxing out. M Rub getting a little wild. Missing a three, then making a good dribble move into a terrible pass. Time to rest Porzingis Jr.
Gonna admit Knox brings a thrilling unpredictability to every single play.
M-Rub is only 6-6 so I guess he’s not the stretch big I was hoping for. He’s just the next Peja Stojakovic
The Beekman-Bolden high handoff play has been an automatic turnover.
Knox possessions really consistently critique and interrogate commonplace notions of what is a “basketball play” or a “good shot”.
Hahaha they ran a JaVale play for Knox: Relay pick and roll. Went to the same Chaotic Neutral playbook.
Beek has struggled to make an impact in the half court but to be fair, players have missed about four plus open shots he’s created for them.
Final note from a pretty fun game. Lakers fans and Warriors fans all united to get off resounding cheers of WE WANT BRONNY. Finally something both sides can agree on.
[On Knox being the most experienced but not dominant.] True. Also an example of selection bias, as other people of his experience are usually not playing summer league unless there is something unusual in their development.
I’d be surprised if TJD plays more than 2 games. Post I think they should play a bunch. The bigs surely have been told in advance of their signing. Coach Vereen has been sitting people whole games (instead of rotating more players each game) to give players longer run.
I'm unable to see the games. Can someone give me the pocket summer league review (so far) on Rubstavicius? He looked a little intriguing to me.
I see Apricot has decided he's not a stretch 4 or 5 because he's 6'6".
Has his shot looked intriguing enough to think about a 2-way? Is he Mant-astic?
Just wanted to pop in and say I miss pre-punch Jordan poole