| Summer League Analysis: Game 1, Vs. Dallas Authored by J.T. Magee - July 8, 2007 - 3:13 pm
It was supposed to be the Kevin Durant show, but it was the show that was anything but Kevin Durant. Seattle failed to establish any rhythm as a team and fell to Dallas’ strong play. The Sonics have some decent players on the court, but they must find their identity because there wasn’t much of one. And find it quick.
Kevin Durant
Durant… (Sigh). Durant was their first, second and third option on offense. He, just like Greg Oden, looked out of it. He wasn’t passing like he can. He wasn’t crashing the boards. He wasn’t the Kevin Durant everyone fell in love with at Texas. He was the Kevin Durant who tried to force the issue on offense because the bigs couldn’t set picks for him and the guards weren’t cutting like they could off his post-ups. It’s not all Seattle’s fault, but this team will, from now on, reflect how Durant plays. Durant had a bad game overall. Shooting and even getting the ball were not on for him, although he looked like the Kevin Durant we all love, albeit in spurts. The true test for him will be seeing him in shape and what he can do with this team. He won’t be playing with a lot of these prospects, but his play alongside Johan Petro and Mouhamed Sene scared me a little. He’ll figure it out.
Julius Hodge
I normally start these off with the best player. Durant had to go first because he wasn’t the Durant everyone knows. Hodge wasn’t the Julius Hodge we remember because he was rarely on the court for Denver in his two seasons there. (Not counting his stint with Milwaukee because he was cut.) Just two years ago, he was a first round pick. He’s trying to play his way into the NBA and if he can rebound the ball like he did against Dallas, he’ll find a place. He was controlled and calm. He took some unnecessary shots and his defense wasn’t around for most of the game, but Hodge showed a nice handle getting to the rim and to the free throw line. He was in a slow-it-down offense at NC State, yet is trying out for a run-n-gun team. Not the best fit for him, but he’s playing within himself. I want to see him play off of Durant a little more, because I wasn’t paying as much attention to him as I should have. I sure noticed each board he got, though. If he shows that aggression more often, mixed with a little poise, he could earn a trip to a training camp.
Zabian Dowdell
Dowdell has a very nice handle and made some crafty passes because of it. He uses his size to see the court and makes good decisions. Unfortunately, this Sonics’ team needed a true floor general and he wasn’t that. He has a lot of potential as a point guard, but he needs to be a floor general. Otherwise, just like in this game, he’ll look like a combo guard who can make a good pass here and there. He is better suited for guarding opposing point guards. I’m going to keep an eye on him.
Johan Petro
Petro looked more polished than Sene, but if my dress shoes were sitting in a closet for three months, they too would be more polished than Sene. Petro used his size down in the post, giving Dallas’ centers a bit of a hard time. Well, just Nick Fazekas. Petro didn’t look that good. It wasn’t so much that I wasn’t watching Petro, it was more along the lines of Petro would continue to make mistakes he should not be making, considering how long he’s been in the NBA. I want to see him dominate like he should be able to. He wasn’t even setting picks very well. We’ll see how he fares when the Sonics gel.
Mouhamed Sene
And to think, I once called this guy the steal of the ’06 Draft. Don’t ask. I thought he had a lot of potential, but he’s only been playing for a few years. On top of that, it always takes big men a lot longer to develop. Their NBA shelf-life can be either long or short, depending on the patience of the coaches. If Seattle doesn’t baby this kid into becoming a force defensively, he’ll go down as the biggest bust in their draft history. Olden Polynice doesn’t count because he was traded for, not drafted by. He has decent size and seems to pick things up quickly, but he has a long way to go. Yeah, let’s just say he has a long way to go.
Kenny Adeleke
Adeleke was loud in the post and a hassle to guard because he is a southpaw. He took a lot of shots in the fourth quarter, shots that should go to Durant, regardless of the situation. Adeleke was average amongst the big men that played which means he didn’t stand out at all. I’ll look for him throughout the LVSL.
Brandon Heath
Heath is an interesting prospect because he could mesh well next to Durant. He is a pure scorer, which means he needs the ball in his hands to be effective. As a point guard, Heath was anything but distributive. He would look for his own shot before realizing he should pass it. He won’t make the roster as a pure SG. He’ll have to prove he can run the point. He has a lot of competition from Dowdell, but he has a better knack for scoring the ball. If he could just get the ball to Durant, then try to move without the ball and set himself up with easier outside shots, he’d be a name worth mentioning. For now, he’s only worth keeping an eye on because of his potential next to Durant.
Jeff Green
Man, does Maroon 5 bring the best out of the NBA, or what? As I’m listening to the music during the break in the action, Green proved that role players may fade into obscurity. Green came out of the gate hot, getting his shot but passing pretty well. Once Durant got going, he deferred to him and was never seen again. Except for the poster he will be on in Mo Ager’s house. Green needs to realize that he can be productive by keeping the ball moving and being the negotiator for the Sonics. I’m putting too much into the first game, but I have to. These kids are supposed to be top billings, but they’re being outplayed by the likes of players picked lower than them or not picked at all. Green should be able to pick up the play. It wasn’t there for him in the first game.
Jermaine Jackson, Antywane Robinson & Ronnie Burrell
I didn’t get a full chance to see each of these players in action. I can only comment on Jackson, who is a versatile combo guard, but more of a point guard. He has a lot of size, but his decision making and his lateral quickness are two of the reason he’s been in and out of the NBA the past couple of years. I will look for these three more when they play.
Overall View:
Seattle didn’t play too well as a team, forcing passes, bad communication on defense and not getting Durant the ball in better positions. They will look to utilize Durant differently each game to see how they will use him during the season, but the key will be players like Dowdell and Green step up and become more aggressive. Bad loss and one they will quickly forget. |
