Mavs vs. Chinese National Team...Game 2

[dirno2000]

Pavel didn't look that great. He was slow to the ball when it came off the rim. When he was in the game with Josh Howard, Josh came away with most of the defensive rebounds. He also missed a couple of good opportunities on the offensive end and had trouble with Mink Bateer.

Seems like he has more fan support then any other Mav out there so I think everyone is going to be patient with him. When it's all said and done he'll be a solid center…probably not much more. This year he'll spend a lot of time in foul trouble...the man is a fouling machine.

Mgenga looked pretty good. Showed his athleticism with a nice block after coming across the lane off of his man. He's really quick for a big man and had a steal playing the safety position when we were pressing. He has to be on the 15 man roster one way or another.

Devin looked damn good. Fewer turnovers, better shot selection and some really nice passes, though not all of them were converted into assists.

Highlight of the night: Devin get a pick at the top of the key...goes over the pick to his right, shifts it into overdrive and comes in from the win to dunk on China's big man....the place exploded.

Oh yea...Yao wasn't there. They said before the game that he was injured in practice and had surgery I believe...not good for the Rockets.

[dirno2000]

Forgot about Jon. He was solid. Dunked with two hands on a breakaway which kind of suprised me. Shot the ball fairly well, although he blew two of Devin's assists. He can give us some backup minutes, but he shouldn't be starting.

[mavs_afroman]

Devin looked awesome tonight. Like dirno said he had some really great passes that should have been convertd to assists but weren't. He also got into the lane at will. Great quickness and handle. H ereminded me a lot of Nash with his ability to get into the lane and dish for easy buckets. I can only think of one turnover tonight and that was a bogus travelling call. The dunk was amazing.

Mgenga is incredibly athletic. Moves and jumps very well for a big man. Should defnitely be on the roster opening day.

Pavel looked a little lost tonight. I really like his effort though. He's definitely not a stiff. I thought he moved really well for his size. He works hard on defense but hasn't learned how to position himself yet. Also blocks out well but doesn't do a good job of going to the ball afterward. However I though t Josh was able to geta few of his rebounds because pavel had cleared out so much spce for him.

Jon was the invisible man tonight for the most part.

One question.
Does anybody who went know who no. 50 was?

[dashthemavfan13]

Originally posted by: mavs_afroman
Devin looked awesome tonight. Like dirno said he had some really great passes that should have been convertd to assists but weren't. He also got into the lane at will. Great quickness and handle. H ereminded me a lot of Nash with his ability to get into the lane and dish for easy buckets. I can only think of one turnover tonight and that was a bogus travelling call. The dunk was amazing.

Mgenga is incredibly athletic. Moves and jumps very well for a big man. Should defnitely be on the roster opening day.

Pavel looked a little lost tonight. I really like his effort though. He's definitely not a stiff. I thought he moved really well for his size. He works hard on defense but hasn't learned how to position himself yet. Also blocks out well but doesn't do a good job of going to the ball afterward. However I though t Josh was able to geta few of his rebounds because pavel had cleared out so much spce for him.

Jon was the invisible man tonight for the most part.

One question.
Does anybody who went know who no. 50 was?

I believe #50 is Justin Brown, and he went to UCONN a year ago. Correct me if I am wrong though.

[Maringa]

Mavs 97, China 85

I've never been to a summer league game before, and I also have never been to an international scrimmage before. I didn't go expecting to see very much, but I was excited to get a glimpse of the Mavs picks and possibly some future NBA players from the NBA team. I'm not very good on details or names, so forgive me. I imagine there will be some better reviews to follow...

Devin Harris: He played a much better game apparently this time around. This guy is an ankle breaker!!! Incredible speed, especially his first step. He befudled several guys attempting to guard him - none of the Chinese could keep up with him. Still raw with some of the turnover, but I think he is going to be a great player. He had the highlight of the game with a "in the traffic" slash through and sky high windmill dunk!! Clearly differentiates himself from Nash with pure athleticism and speed. I believe he is going to be a much better defender than Nash. Very confident with himself...

Pavel: I may be over reacting, but he is a big bag of nothing! Has a 2 inch vertical, and horrible positioning skills. True that he hasn't been practicing much, but he just didn't do anything that impressed me. He strongest point (and not much), was his defense. At least he kept the opposing player in front of him. He played in the 1st and 3rd quarter. When he was taken out in the 3rd quarter, he was visibly upset and disappointed with himself. Other observations: He walks kind of lumbering side to side, and kept popping his knees and shaking his legs. I suspect that at some point in his his career, his knees are going to get worn out...He is also terribly out of shape, out of wind within 5 minutes.

Didier M'bengi (spelling?): Definitely the best center, as far as skills are concerned. Has a chiseled upper body, and plays very similar in positioning like Mutombo...has same stance, appearance, etc. A little rough around the edges...several times got in altercations with the Chinese players, and easily would have kicked some tail, if he wanted to. I liked his agressive attitude. Scored I believe on some putback dunks. Also had a highlight block that sent the ball into the stands.

Jon Steffanson: First time I've seen him play. Pleasantly surprised with his speed, handling, and especially with his aggressive defense. Appeared to me, a better defender than Nash. He is also a much better leaper than Nash. He performed a pretty nice break away dunk. He was also dunking quite a bit during warm-ups. I hope he continues to make the roster - I think he deserves it.

Brown: Can't remember his first name, but played the most minutes as center for Dallas. Big white guy...a little slow and plodding, however played the smartest and most consistent center play of all centers tonight. Not sure if he will make the team, but was surprised by his play.

None of the other Mavericks stood out. The Mavs last pick (Puerto Rican guy) was a jitterbug, but didn't impress me that much.

Chinese team: Yao didn't play because he had surgery on an injury. Menge Bateer played most of the center minutes....Best center of both teams. Just a big body, but played fundamental center position. Good rebounder.

One young forward (#18) has potential to be an NBA player, as well as the 17 yrd old #20, center everyone has been talking about.

Chinese guard play was awfull. That's why they lost (along with Yao Ming not playing). They are, however great 3 pt. shooters if left open.

Most positive item: Devin Harris - a keeper.
Biggest disappointment: Pavel - knowing that he is a very long way from being anything useful.

[dirno2000]

#50 was Justin Brown from UConn. I think he finished in 2000. He was the Mavs leading scorer. Hell of a player and if he was a couple of inches taller, he'd be in the league.

[GermanBlitzkrieg]

I agree with dirno's assessment of Pavel in the short term. I saw some athletism for such a big guy, but he was not in b-ball shape, and looked lost. At 19 and given his background, it's WAY too early to decide his ultimate future. BUT... he and Mbenga both were pulled by Charlie Parker early in the second half, and didn't return. Banteer seemed to abuse them both on a fake middle, baseline move and they were pulled quickly after that. Justin Brown played almost all of the second half, and quite frankly, was probably our best big because of experience.

What makes MAD, however, is that Mbenga may make the team, P-Pod is on the team, and Brown WLL NOT BE. I would have liked to have seen the playng time go more to payers who will make the team, and need EXPERIENCE, than a guy who wont' be here when it counts. I don't believe he's "saving" them, because he layed Josh damn near the whole game, or so it seems, and he's dfinately a rotation player. And so far as ego, well, P-Pod needs some protecting. The pained looks on his face reminded me of dirk in his first year. Hope he has the drive like Dirk did to get better. Don't think Mbenga does. He seemed to shut down the middle in the first half. The Chinese started shooting almost exclusively from the outside when he was in there, until the second half.

Other takes: Harris looked pretty good in the second half. AS quick as advertised. Got better the more he played. Steffason showed some game, and took about 4 charges, though one was called blocking. and I sat to where I could see it, and he had the play. The ref was wrong. He seems to have modeled his game after Nash. BUT, Harris seems like the future. Much quicker. Needs time. In Jon's defense, he may be out of position, and would do better with the ball in his hands more. Don't know.


Defense, at least against this team, was pretty good. Saw some decent man-on-man at times.

Enjoyable, but wished Mbenga had played quite a bit more, Pavel a few minutes more, and Brown a LOT less.

And Josh was the best player on the floor, or so seemed.

[steponhens]

Devin Harris looked very good on offense, but his defense was horrible. He constantly lost his man and was slow getting back after being beat in the backcourt. His offense made up for his lack of defense with some nice passes, good shooting stroke and the sweet dunk. He looked fatigued to me at times. I don't think I want him as the starting PG on opening day, but he has a very bright future.

Jon's body looks ready for the NBA, and hit some nice shots, but I was not very impressed with him. Missed open shots, terribly on some. I would like to see him play some point guard so he can take advantage of his size.

Josh Howard played only a few minutes in the first half after three early fouls. He seemed a little out of control at times, overpursuing the ball, and had the ball poked away from behind on a few rebounds. He still looked like the best player by far.

Pavel impressed me. However he won't play much if at all this year. In warmups, his athleticism for his size was evident. He has a very nice shooting stroke, but I hope he won't use it much. However in the game all of the athleticism seemed to disappear. He looked like he moved much slower in the game, and was a step behind. But the thing I liked was that it seemed like he was taking what the coaches told him and applying it a few minutes later. Early in the game when he was marking a player faced up he was bent way over and had his hands low not contesting the shot, but after talking to Mokeski he had a hand in the players face causing a bad shot. He has no clue on offense right now. It's just a matter of applying his athleticism to basketball.

The guy from the Congo looked very good. I really hope the Mav's can keep him on the team. He is an energy guy with height and athleticism. Very quick and had a nice reverse layup in traffic. I think he could play some minutes at center this year.

[MavsFanFinley]

Thank you for the opinions/impressions on the players.

It appears everyone agrees that Benga should make the team. I remember when we learned of him, there was a quote from Donnie saying he'd make the team just because of his size.

[mavs_afroman]

I was slightly disappointed with Josh tonight. H eplayed well but I saw no improvment from last year. He hustles but he's no Doug Christie or Tayshun Prince on defense as I hoped he would grown into. He's still a black hole on offense too. Puts the ball on the ground as soon as he gets it and he can't pas off the dribble. Bad combination.

[Rhylan]

I went, as well.... not in the mood to really type a lot right now, maybe later, but I HAVE to say that I am really high on Mbenga. I hope the Mavs find a way to get him onto the roster.

[EricaLubarsky]

Box score?

[Chicago JK]

Thanks for the report guys. I expected Devin to play better the second time around against the China team. I can tell you the China guards don't even deserve to be on the floor with Harris. We will get a better feel for Harris in the NBA summer leagues. It will be good experience for him. Summer leagues are more guard driven, so it will be nice training for him. Each team will have a handful of NBA players on their roster. So it is not like it is true NBA ball, but it is valuable for the young kids.

[akaarod03]

Some highlights from tonight's game:

J-Ho doing his thing with 17 points (7-13 shooting) and 9 rebounds
Steffanson continuing to improve with 15 points (6-12 shooting) but NO ASSISTS
Harris with a strong game 21 points (5-8 FG, 9-14 FT) 6 rebounds 5 assists
Justin Brown - making a case to join our roster? - 20 points (8-15 shooting) 10 rebounds
P-Pod with 4 rebounds
M-Benga with 4 points

For EL: Here's the box score

http://dakfiles.daktronics.com/downl...32004_M_1.html

[MavsFanFinley]

Thanks for the link. It even includes the play-by-play.

[EricaLubarsky]

Awesome Akaarod! Thanks so much.

[EricaLubarsky]

Justin Brown looks good on paper and he may have looked good at the game but Mengke "never see the hardwood" Bateer isnt even a decent NBA center.

[dirno2000]

Originally posted by: EricaLubarsky
Justin Brown looks good on paper and he may have looked good at the game but Mengke "never see the hardwood" Bateer isnt even a decent NBA center.

True, but he took it to Yao when the Chinese team played a team of FA's and international players Sunday. I believe he went for 20+, many of them against Yao. He's crafty, has good touch around the basket and has the range to knock down 17 footers fairly consistently. he's just one of those guys that gets labeled as too small so he'll probably never get a real shot.

[EricaLubarsky]

A look at the box score and Im ill-at-ease about next year's perimeter defense.

We already know how bad our other guys are and the new guys allowed China to shoot 16-24 from beyond the arc. 66.67%

Scary!

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally posted by: dirno2000

True, but he took it to Yao when the Chinese team played a team of FA's and international players Sunday. I believe he went for 20+, many of them against Yao. He's crafty, has good touch around the basket and has the range to knock down 17 footers fairly consistently. he's just one of those guys that gets labeled as too small so he'll probably never get a real shot.

He sounds like another Brian Cardinal.

BTW he is listed at the same height/weight as Dirk. I'd rather have a scrawny Justin Brown in the middle than a scrawny Dirk Nowitzki.

[dirno2000]

He sounds like another Brian Cardinal.

BTW he is listed at the same height/weight as Dirk. I'd rather have a scrawny Justin Brown in the middle than a scrawny Dirk Nowitzki.

I saw that too, but he's not. While he may have a similar build, there's no way he's taller than Dirk. From the stands I would list him at about 6'9...definitly not a seven footer. He could help a team, but with our roster being as crowed as it is I don't think it will be the Mavs.

[foglemann]

Went also. Great fun, may go tomorrow. Just wanted to add a little.

Harris was wound up too tight at the beginning of the game. Second half, WOW. Only thing I see that he needs is weight room training and a little better handle, sometimes gets to wield with the ball. Nice to see a point guard that can actually dunk.

Josh was also wound up too tight at the first, but settled down in the second. I thought he has improved from last year. Shot and penetrated very well. Much better than last year.

I wanted to see more out of Jon, got invisiable at times and I wish he did more. I think he is only a PG and not a SG, because when he was running the point and Devin played the SG, he seemed more involved and comfortable

DJ or Mgenga looks like a diamond in the rough. He has a body for sure and is very aggressive. He really needs some play time. Got to make the roster, especially if we can trade for some room.

Pavel was much more athletic than I thought he would be. Unlike most 7'2-7-5 guys is that he picks up his feet when he runs. Doesn't shuffle like Bradley or Murison. Needs time and coaching, but the material is there to create a player.

Highlight of the night: Talked to Donnie Nelson before the game. He was just standing in lobby and people were just walking by, just thought it was funny. Caught me off guard so I didn't ask any questions just told him the good job he is doing and has done. Said it will be hard without nash, but I said you got to start with the future sometime.

[EricaLubarsky]

Sounds like some big decisions are going to have to be made.

Probably wont be made until after the summer leagues.

Sounds like we need to do some major trades and/or buyouts.

At this point if we only buyout TAW, we would still be unable to sign Benga. Not to mention any other summer league standout.

[dirno2000]

I wanted to see more out of Jon, got invisiable at times and I wish he did more. I think he is only a PG and not a SG, because when he was running the point and Devin played the SG, he seemed more involved and comfortable

Good point. He was on the floor with Devin a lot and most of the time Devin ran the point. Jon is just not an effective player off of the ball, whereas Devin is since's he played 2-guard his freshman season at Wisconsin.

[Mandyahl]

Originally posted by: EricaLubarsky
A look at the box score and Im ill-at-ease about next year's perimeter defense.

We already know how bad our other guys are and the new guys allowed China to shoot 16-24 from beyond the arc. 66.67%

Scary!

the arc was a little closer in than the nba arc, i think. and the chinese basically never missed a three, i don't think. BUT, you're right, the perimeter defense wasn't that great...although it was mostly guys just losing their players. when they were on someone, they did a decent job.


other than that, i was impressed by devin harris, especially after hearing about how he played the other night, but i am still not convinced he should be the starting pg next year. and i too agree on mgenga or whatever his name was...tall, strong, athletic, coordinated...i definitely think he has an nba future. reminds me a little bit of dalembert actually...a raw player that could turn into something really nice.


also met pavel before the game...big dude!! and went down and got an autograph and a picture with marquis during halftime...he was really friendly too.


overall, had a really good time!

[EricaLubarsky]

congratz mandy!

[dirno2000]

Devin looks like he can defend, but at this point he takes way too many chances on defense. I'm not worried since that's fixable. I'm sure he didn't play that way during the college season.

[EricaLubarsky]

I saw Devin Harris play in person last season and I've seen a couple of games on TV with him. I wasn't watching specifically for him because at the time there wasnt a snowball's chance in hell that he would be a Maverick, but the whole team had it together. I remember thinking that the backcourt was especially strong defensively.

I did notice that Harris got beaten a few times because he went for the tap-steal. If he hadnt, he would have stayed on the guy like a glove.

[dirno2000]

I did notice that Harris got beaten a few times because he went for the tap-steal. If he hadnt, he would have stayed on the guy like a glove.

I can't tell you how many times he's done that the past couple of games. He's going to have to learn that against NBA guards you'll almost never get the tap steal so it's not worth the risk. Especially on a team that's so soft in the middle.

[EricaLubarsky]

All the college guys we've gotten lately have learned to "poke" because it was fairly effective in College. They will unlearn it when they don't get the payoff they did in the NCAA.

It would be nice if some of the more veteran guys could help them realize it earlier.

[chumdawg]

Wow, what a thrill this game was! The quality of basketball was, for the most part, nothing to write home about. But there were several individual highlights that made being there enjoyable.

First, some comments about the game itself. With Yao out, it wasn't even close as far as talent went. The Mavs opened up an early lead that was never threatened, save for very late in the game when the Chinese cut the defecit to twelve. The Chinese still have size at the center position, even without Yao (how much does #14 weigh, for goodness' sakes?). And they can definitely hit the open three. But they don't scare you with anything else. In the second period the Mavs went to a full court press that gave the Chinese nothing but fits. Interestingly, it was not Harris but rather Flores and #11 and #25 that were providing the pressure at this time.

The Harris dunk was without question worth the price of admission. From the top of the key, he worked off the pick, made a few back and forth moves, and then drove to his right and finished strong with a dunk over the big man. Talk about electrifying a crowd! A lot of people stood to cheer. The ones that didn't cheered seated. Even the Chinese contingent seated in front of me applauded. What made it even better was that the energy in the crowd was sustained. It was almost as if they wanted to interrupt play with their applause. I suppose Harris felt it, because on defense he clung to his man like a terrier to a pantleg. He got the foul instead of the steal, but at the stoppage of play the crowd cheered wildly and the entire bench stood to give him high-fives. It was a world-class-caliber play.

On Harris in general... I was skeptical after watching him in warmups, because the kid looked like such a baby out there. He's awfully small, and he looks awfully young. Yet when the game tipped off, my skepticism went away. His handles are terrific. His body control is unbelievable. He starts and stops in traffic like a pinball. Against the Chinese team he drove to the rim at will. The biggest knock on him was that he tried to do too much himself. But then again, he didn't exactly have a whole lot of finishers on the floor with him. His most reliable option seemed to be Stefannsson for the jumper. Still and all, he made a couple of sweet no-look passes, including a beauty that resulted in a Steff layup with the clock expiring on the first half. He seems to have good court vision, and I can't wait to see how that translates when he has some weapons on his side.

He made his first six free throws without so much as touching the rim. But then he missed his next four. Then he made one and missed one to go 7-for-12 from the line, the way I had it.

He catches and shoots extremely well. Another highlight was when he caught the ball in the corner and made a three while being fouled. That was a nice play.

His defense was alert and agressive. It is difficult to make conclusions, however, based on the suspect quality of the Chinese backcourt. But on the whole, his athleticism shines.

Harris flashed some brilliance, as did DJ Benga. I look at him and see a Roy Tarpley starter kit. Chiseled, to be sure. The guy is shaped like a railroad spike. Long arms. Runs very well. The thing that impressed me most was his intensity. He went all-out every minute he was in the game. Every shot that went up, he found someone to block out. He even contested every free throw, and he was rewarded with an offensive rebound once on a missed shot. (This in contrast to Pavel, who conceded even defensive rebounds on free throws, but I shall come to that later.) He worked his ass off to get position in the post--but unfortunately, there wasn't a guard on the roster tonight who was interested in feeding him. Only one time did he get a pass inside, and on that play he was posted a little bit far outside. He made a pretty nice turnaround move, but missed the jumper.

He got passed the ball off an offensive rebound once, and he dunked the ball strongly. Another time he ran out on the break and got a nice pass ahead to him, only he appeared to move before he caught the ball, like an NFL receiver, and he fumbled the catch.

But as I said, what impressed me most was his intensity. He worked hard on the defensive end. One time he got a little bit used by a spin move in the post, and when the guy scored he pulled the ball out of the hoop and slammed it on the floor. Then there was a scary-looking play out of our full-court press. A little earlier in the game we had pressed and Benga had run up to pick off the errant pass, taking it upcourt a couple dribbles and passing to the open man. The same thing happened again, only this time when DJ ran up for the steal he collided head-first with one of the Chinese players. Both went to the floor, flat on their backs. Benga lay there a few moments, people standing over him, and then suddenly clapped his hands sharply and bounced off the floor without assistance. The guy seems like a gamer.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, he also had a nifty helpside block. He had another "block" on action after the whistle, which is another thing he did a lot of. On the bench he seemed focused on the game, and on the floor he seemed attuned to what the coaches were telling him. The guy seems highly coachable, fairly talented, and definitely physically capable of playing the NBA game. He makes the roster for sure, I would bet.

Justin Brown? Let's just call him "The Fundamentally Sound Justin Brown." Dirno, you had him at 6'9". I was guessing 6'10". Yeah, I agree that if he were a couple inches taller he could get a job. Simply put, he does everything he's supposed to do at his position, but he probably doesn't do anything exceedingly well. He looks to worth about five Evan Eschmeyers, though...and if that guy cashes an NBA check, why can't Brown?

Josh Howard. In the first half he was involved in a scary collision, which I believe Del Harris took exception to. It looked like Josh and Del jawed back and forth for a couple possessions--and Josh seemed rather pissed, based on his aggressive defense the next couple times down. Then he was pulled, and he sat out the rest of the half. In the second half, it looked like the game plan was all-Josh-all-the-time. Let's just say he didn't do a lot of passing. He scored quite a few points, to be sure. I wonder if they are trying to infuse him with some offense this offseason? Otherwise, he was the same Josh Howard you know and love.

Pavel Podkolzin. Ugh. I was extremly disappointed in this young man. I should have listened to Nellie when he said he was in "elementary school" in terms of development. The only good thing I can say about him is that he got one--maybe two--rebounds above the rim. Other than that, he was used on defense and he showed nothing on offense. The defense I can understand (though understanding doesn't make it any more palatable when the Chinese center moves him two feet with the push of one arm), but what troubled me most was his hands. He doesn't catch passes well, he doesn't grab rebounds well, he doesn't do anything with his hands well. He doesn't finish well around the basket, either, as evidenced by the offensive rebound at three feet that ended up being a (missed) six-foot turnaround.

I was, however, encouraged by his demeanor at the beginning of the game. He seemed "psyched" at the beginning. He got the biggest cheer on introductions, and that seemed to fire him up. He was very vocal with his teammates. He played decently on his first shift, and when he took the bench he seemed firmly attuned to the game. A couple times his teammates made good plays and he was the only Mav to stand and cheer from the bench. But as the game progressed and his game seemed to deteriorate, you could see it in his demeanor. He no longer stood and cheered. He no longer participated intently in the huddles during timeouts. He didn't seem as focused on the action on the floor. He talked to no one.

The kid seemed to be working hard on defense--whether it was getting him anywhere notwithstanding. He seems to have a very good attitude. But he's going to need a ton of work. And some shorter socks. And some shoes that don't look they came from Payless.

Marquis was in the house. Before the game he was in the lobby signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans. It's too bad he didn't don a uniform, as I'm sure he could have hung 30 on those fools from the red country.

All in all, a very enjoyable night. This Harris kid seems like the real deal, and Benga seems like he can contribute immediately. I can't wait for tomorrow...

[dirno2000]

Harris moment of the night that I haven't seen mentioned:

In the 1st half he came away with a steal and proceeded to push the ball up the court. A Chinese player steped in his way and Harris barely avoided him...in the proccess, another player poked the ball away from behind. With the ball about three feet in front of him Harris shifts to another gear (this kid is not only quick, he's fast as hell), catches up the the ball, takes a dribble, then, of the dribble, he whips a one handed pass across the court to a cutting Jon. Take away the dunk and in my mind, this is the play of the night.

[DubOverdose]

I'll note that I think that if DJ Mbenga makes the roster this year, he will only be a situational player like Eddie (atleast until he develops more). He could e a great energy boost off the bench since he is so athletic. I'd like to see him become more dominant offensively which I think he can do since his upper body is so strong. However, he should develope in to a great shot blocker and eventually get regular minutes. My friend and I started a DJ Mbenga fan club...we made a sign that Cuban pointed out to DJ for us.

Overall, everyone seemed to have a better game tonight...except for Pavel. The first game I saw him trying to go for the block and rebound more than I did this game. One definitely gets the sense though that he wants to learn to play. He is out there trying hard, or atleast fooling you in to thinking he is. Harris played SOOO much better this game. Justin Brown played well throughout the game, while it took him time to warm up in the first game. I think he would be good to have on the roster since he knows the game better than Pavel and DJ, but I don't think he has a lot of room to develope. I think he played forward for the majority of his time on the court.

[Max Power]

Originally posted by: chumdawg
Harris... on defense he clung to his man like a terrier to a pantleg

LOL - great description!

[grbh]

Fun game last night, though quite a bit of dissapointment in regards to Yao.

As for the players, my take isn't to different from everyone else:

Big PP: The guy is raw, to say he is a project is an understatement, he is closer to the Manhatten Project. Great attitude, seems to have some skills, but at this point he doesn't understand the game, and is in miserable shape. He was absolutely abused by Bateer last night. Yes that is the same Bateer who has bounced around the league. The good news is he appears to have a great attitude so hopefully he is willing to put in the work necessary to make him a decent player in this league.

Harris: Certainly the best player on the court tonight. I would like to mention his dunk one more time, because it is worth more discussion. It was without question the play of the night. Other than that he was very solid.

Justin Brown: Probably won't make this team, but was very servicable last night.

Mgenga: Very athletic. Someone in the last game thread mentioned his build. He has the upper body of Karl Malone, and the legs of Keon Clark. Made a real nice weak side block which I think led to a fast break. Very tenacious.

[NYCdog]

They said before the game that he was injured in practice and had surgery I believe...not good for the Rockets.

Just an FYI......it was just to remove a toe nail.

Ming, the Houston Rockets' All-Star center, missed the game after having the toenail removed from his left big toe. Ming's status for Sunday's third and final exhibition match between the two teams is unknown, as he is listed as day-to-day.

Story Link.........

[Dirkenstien]

Went to the game last night and here is what I thought:

Jon Steffanson: This kid is ready to contribute minutes right away. He has a smooth shot from behind the arc and the nac to know when to dish it out to other players. He wasnt the quickest guy out on the court but he makes up for it with his hard work and determination.

Deven Harris: Wow. Harris really blew me away last night. I came to the game expecting to see a confused and hesitant kid but stumbled upon a true daimond. First of all, he has one of the quickest first steps I've ever seen. He literally had the opposing guard tripping over his feet on crossovers. Hist shot will need some work but he is extremely aggressive and will get to the foul line where he has an extremely soft touch. Also, this kid can dish the rock! Talk about a gunslinger...he definitely knows how to find the open man and get the ball to him quickly. Highlight of the night was probably when he dunked over a 6'10" Chinese PF...he got the crowd roaring.

DJ Banger: I will be extremely surprised if Benga does not have a spot on our roster come start of the season. He has a great body, he is extremely athletic...and most of all he is HUNGRY. This guy will not back down from anyone in the post and can be extremely aggressive. He loves to bang down low and can finish with great authority around the rim. His shooting touch can use some work but he definitely has the physical attributes to play in the NBA.

Pavel: Last but not least, we come to the Giant Russian Bear. As he emerged from the halls that lead to the court I was astonished at how big this guy is. I kept a close eye on Pavel for the majority of the time and can tell you that Mavericks fans are in for a treat. Pavel is not ready to contribute right now and probably not this season..but once his understanding of the game matches his huge stature, Pavel will surely be a force in the league. His coordination is what got me...he shuffled his feet very well when guarding opposing centers, he ran the floor extremely well, and he was quick to set good picks around the perimeter. He doesnt yet know how to position himself around the rim to get boards but once he learns he will be a great rebounder: he has the biggest hands I have ever seen. Time is all Pavel needs to be a force in the league...time to understand the game better, time to practice against better competition, time to learn how to play the right way, and time to bulk up: he isnt extremely muscley but has a very good frame and looks as though he could add 40-50 pounds of muscle easily. Be patient with this guy, the reward will be well worth the wait.