(Byron Mullens,Evan Turner, Kosta Koufos)A different kind of microscope - Rookie Evan Turner quickly found out about the beast that is professional scrutiny in his first week against next level competition. The headliners going into the Orlando Pro Summer League were Turner & the #3 pick Derrick Favors. While both showed flashes, neither looked dominant..and it was ET who especially looked like he was carrying a lot pressure to perform. The collegiate player of the year was noticeably rusty from having not played in a real game in months, and the new role of playing off talented Jrue Holiday & other guards prevented Evan from finding a consistent rhythm to have a true breakout that week.
As new 76ers head coach Doug Collins has explained, Turner will be off the ball at times & on the ball other times. The rest of this calender year will consist of getting Evan acclimated to the system, and Summer League was just the first week. However, right now Turner is obviously more effective with the ball, so in Orlando we think when Evan was not Evan off the ball he ended up forcing some things when he did have the rock. And it is also worth noting that every team played him tight as one would expect. Overall he did not look overwhelmed ability wise, but he did get a good idea of the necessary adjustments needed for his new role.
Despite his struggles, Turner still showed signs of his all around game...from game one we thought he looked adequate & engaged on defense (he guarded small guards & big sfs). He got into the passing lanes and disrupted teams on occasion & also showed his ability with the ball in transition. In the half court he was at his best when he wasn't going too fast. Turner draws so much attention & traffic that he usually sees the open men when he is under control..but he ran into trouble in instances where he rushed his move.
As new 76ers head coach Doug Collins has explained, Turner will be off the ball at times & on the ball other times. The rest of this calender year will consist of getting Evan acclimated to the system, and Summer League was just the first week. However, right now Turner is obviously more effective with the ball, so in Orlando we think when Evan was not Evan off the ball he ended up forcing some things when he did have the rock. And it is also worth noting that every team played him tight as one would expect. Overall he did not look overwhelmed ability wise, but he did get a good idea of the necessary adjustments needed for his new role.
Despite his struggles, Turner still showed signs of his all around game...from game one we thought he looked adequate & engaged on defense (he guarded small guards & big sfs). He got into the passing lanes and disrupted teams on occasion & also showed his ability with the ball in transition. In the half court he was at his best when he wasn't going too fast. Turner draws so much attention & traffic that he usually sees the open men when he is under control..but he ran into trouble in instances where he rushed his move.
With a week of the basketball world watching behind him, Evan Turner can now exhale, analyze the miscues, and continue to get comfortable. We saw his struggles as typical rookie uneasiness. It is only going to be a matter of time for ET to get comfy (..and with his work ethic & aptitude we say sooner than later..)
(2010 Summer League Central)
Mullens named to all Orlando Summer League 1st Team:
We were definitely eagered to see how Columbus native Byron Mullens would look at Summer League. We thought the young big made some noticeable strides in the D-league starting around Spring 2010, but many in the basketball community simply had not seen him play. Byron ended up having a good week in Orlando, and he probably benefited most from playing his best game on day one when everyone was watching. Mullens was apart of the loaded OKC Summer League roster which included regular rotation guys like James Harden , Eric Maynor. and Serge Ibaka. This team already had a buzz going around it; Byron was able to seize the moment on the first day and open up some eyes.
Oklahoma City opened Summer League on July 5th vs the Celtics. Mullens immediately displayed his offensive potential on the first play with a midrange J in the face of Boston's new Turkish Center Erden. He did work in the 3rd quarter with 12 points which included a nice reverse layup plus another lay in off a pick & rock with Mustafa Shakur. Byron's 24 points (led everyone on Day 1) & 7 rebound effort made him one of the storylines of the first day of Summer League play. He went on to have some good games (12 pts vs Charlotte, 12/9 vs Orlando) & just decent games later in the week, but it was that Day 1 performance that many saw and will remember.
It was definitely a positive week for Mullens perception wise. It seems like many have went from viewing him as a hapless project to a young athletic big with potential yet again. Will Byron break into the rotation this season?...it is still a bit of a long shot, especially with Cole Aldrich coming in, but he's on the right track. This was a great week because we think Byron is figuring out that he is most effective running the floor and being assertive inside rather than long jump shots.
What we liked:
Kosta Koufos, yet another guy who has been absent in the consciousness of many due to the lack of playing time. Summer League was an opportunity to show what he can do and prove to Utah that he is a rotation player. Kosta played in four of Utah's five games and led the Jazz in scoring and rebounding throughout the week. His biggest game was a 19 point effort on July 7th vs Indiana, he also had a double double (13/11) on July 6th vs Orlando.
When we look at Koufos we see a guy who can be effective when confident. That is interesting because Kosta was an extremely confident player at Ohio State, but his situation in Utah has clearly affected his mental game. In the first summer league contest vs Charlotte, he did not look confident out there. He brought down 7 boards but looked a step slow on offense and only scored 4 points. But after that game he got more comfortable and played like he is capable of playing. In fact, Kosta looked like one of the better players in Orlando by the end of the week. Koufos shined in matchups vs big men Brian Zoubek (Duke) and Connor Atchley (Texas) in his final game vs New Jersey (July 8th). One of his more memorable plays was a nice base juke on Zoubek for an and one layup/foul.
Pros:
(2010 Summer League Central)
Mullens named to all Orlando Summer League 1st Team:
We were definitely eagered to see how Columbus native Byron Mullens would look at Summer League. We thought the young big made some noticeable strides in the D-league starting around Spring 2010, but many in the basketball community simply had not seen him play. Byron ended up having a good week in Orlando, and he probably benefited most from playing his best game on day one when everyone was watching. Mullens was apart of the loaded OKC Summer League roster which included regular rotation guys like James Harden , Eric Maynor. and Serge Ibaka. This team already had a buzz going around it; Byron was able to seize the moment on the first day and open up some eyes.
Oklahoma City opened Summer League on July 5th vs the Celtics. Mullens immediately displayed his offensive potential on the first play with a midrange J in the face of Boston's new Turkish Center Erden. He did work in the 3rd quarter with 12 points which included a nice reverse layup plus another lay in off a pick & rock with Mustafa Shakur. Byron's 24 points (led everyone on Day 1) & 7 rebound effort made him one of the storylines of the first day of Summer League play. He went on to have some good games (12 pts vs Charlotte, 12/9 vs Orlando) & just decent games later in the week, but it was that Day 1 performance that many saw and will remember.
It was definitely a positive week for Mullens perception wise. It seems like many have went from viewing him as a hapless project to a young athletic big with potential yet again. Will Byron break into the rotation this season?...it is still a bit of a long shot, especially with Cole Aldrich coming in, but he's on the right track. This was a great week because we think Byron is figuring out that he is most effective running the floor and being assertive inside rather than long jump shots.
What we liked:
- -Soft shooting touch, but Mullens did not fall in love with his jump shot. The Thunder coaches pounded the pick and roll into his head and he was assertive in cutting to the basket and looking to get inside buckets.
- -Showed a couple post moves
- -This guy can really run the floor, was really assertive and shined in this aspect.
- -Very good from the free throw line
- -Defensive awareness is getting better, he is challenging more shots and blocking his man out most of the time..still looks young out there at times when he gets lost in zone defense.
- -Need more rebounds
- -He is playing tougher, but still needs to use his size more. Gets out-positioned in needless fashion at times
- -Mullens is a big with great touch around the basket, he can shoot jumpers, do reverse layups, and occasionally might try a hook shot, a drop step move and or a spin, but still does not have a true go to move yet. He's athletic and can run the floor, now he is a go to move away from being a real bonafide offensive threat on an NBA floor.
- -He will be a player if he ever matches defensive intensity with his interest in offense...this is what we think Oklahoma City is teaching him.
- -Need more rebounds! we keep stressing this because Mullens actually has rebounding potential.
Kosta Koufos, yet another guy who has been absent in the consciousness of many due to the lack of playing time. Summer League was an opportunity to show what he can do and prove to Utah that he is a rotation player. Kosta played in four of Utah's five games and led the Jazz in scoring and rebounding throughout the week. His biggest game was a 19 point effort on July 7th vs Indiana, he also had a double double (13/11) on July 6th vs Orlando.
When we look at Koufos we see a guy who can be effective when confident. That is interesting because Kosta was an extremely confident player at Ohio State, but his situation in Utah has clearly affected his mental game. In the first summer league contest vs Charlotte, he did not look confident out there. He brought down 7 boards but looked a step slow on offense and only scored 4 points. But after that game he got more comfortable and played like he is capable of playing. In fact, Kosta looked like one of the better players in Orlando by the end of the week. Koufos shined in matchups vs big men Brian Zoubek (Duke) and Connor Atchley (Texas) in his final game vs New Jersey (July 8th). One of his more memorable plays was a nice base juke on Zoubek for an and one layup/foul.
Pros:
- -This guy has skills, he can shoot the ball, and has more inside moves than Mullens. He's not an explosive finisher or jumper but has crafty shots in his arsenal.
- -Again, not a big time jumper but is willing to get physical and rebound.
- -Good free throw shooter
- -His size is an advantage when he uses it
- -Koufos knows how to play the game. He's also an unselfish player who has really matured from this amateur days.
- -Not sure if Koufos will ever he a big presence on defense. Any blocks you get from him is a bonus.
- -Just needs to get meaner & nastier than he already is. These are just meaningless cliches but this is what we see when we watch him play. We just want to see dominance from our Bucks & Koufos needs to impose his will on the game more..he is a capable player.
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