2009 NBA Summer League Rookie PG Report

John  Lorge by Senior Writer Written on July 19, 2009

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The point guard class of 2009 could go down as the best in NBA history.

From top to bottom, there is talent in the position group and eight of these talented players have exhibited their abilities in the 2009 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Unfortunately for NBA fans, not every team could field a squad for the league but we were able to catch a few of in Orlando’s Summer League.

He's a breakdown of the rookie floor generals leading their teams in Vegas.

Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings

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The big question for Evans entering the Summer League was whether he's really a point guard or if he's just an over-dribbling shooting guard.

Question answered.

Evans will always be a score-first player, it's in his basketball DNA, but he is aware of where his teammates are on the floor.

This awareness, in combination with his crafty dribbling, has allowed Evans to generate opportunities for his teammates--when the 19.2 points per game scorer isn't generating them for himself.

Turnovers did haunt Evans in Las Vegas, however, his 1-to-1 A/T Ratio is frowned upon. When he joins Kevin Martin, he will have to do a little less with the rock though.

In the Kings first three games Evans was 2-7 from behind the arc, leading him to not attempt a trifecta in the final two games.

It's obvious where Evans needs to improve his game, but there might not be enough time between now and the beginning of the season to become a complete player.

Jonny Flynn, Minnesota Timberwolves

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While the T-Wolves may not win an abundance of games in the 2009-10 season, Flynn will give fans something to watch night-in and night-out.

Flynn is absolutely fearless, and when he's feeling it, he can be the best player on the court.

In Minnesota's game against Dallas, Flynn dished-out 14 assists, and he can locate his teammates while moving at full speed.

Flynn has been shooting the ball especially well through four games in Vegas, going 52.5 percent from the field, 75.0 percent from three, and 90.9 percent from the stripe.

An average of 5.5 turnovers per game offset his 7.5 assists per game and Flynn has only recorded three steals--giving him a few things to work on to increase his production efficiency.

Whether or not Ricky Rubio comes to Minnesota, the T-Wolves know they have a capable rookie PG in Jonny Flynn-and if Rubio does come, Flynn has been working on playing away from the ball to expand his game.

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

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People often talk about Curry's shooting stroke but in the Summer League that wasn't his brightest quality to shine through.

Curry's 32.5 field goal percentage and 34.5 three point percentage won't be celebrated, but his ability to confidently play the point guard position will be.

With excellent vision and better than advertised ball handling, Curry was able to manage the flow of the game and properly distribute the ball to his teammates.

Although Curry does need to add strength, he showed he can get to the hoop in an NBA setting where he can finish and he does a good job of drawing fouls.

After an opening night loss to Houston, Curry and his talented teammates named Anthony ran off the next four games--giving Bay Area fans supreme hope for this season.

Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks

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Of the high-profile point guards in the 2009 NBA Draft, no player had more ups and downs than Brandon Jennings. Through five games of professional play, Jennings looks like he might be the best point guard to go in the lottery.

Jennings has made a point of describing himself as a pass-first point guard, and he's further established himself as so after averaging 8.2 assists per game.

A theme with these young point guards has been turnovers. In Jennings’ first four games he had 13, in his last game he had eight--turnovers weren't on constant concern but they can pile-up fast if not monitored.

Even though Jennings is more of a point, he has a lot of flashes of Allen Iverson in his game. When you catch Jennings this season, look out for his swagger, the leg-kick on his jumper, and the ability to generate points on steals (3.6 SPG).

Jennings is comfortable with contact but he doesn't do great with it, and he needs to add strength to aid his thin frame. If he can put time in the weight room like he does on the court, Jennings will have a very long and successful career.

Ty Lawson, Denver Nuggets

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After Ty Lawson's first two games for the Nuggets, just about every part of his game was being questioned. Lawson went 1-15, scoring 15 points, with seven assists, and six turnovers.

He was getting interior shots blocked and had only attempted two threes--forgetting the bread and butter from his college games.

After a break from play on the 16th, Lawson came back to post two beautiful performances back-to-back. In the two he went 19-31 from the field, 5-8 from three, for 47 points, eight assists, four steals, and three turnovers.

The one constant in Lawson's game has been stellar free-throw shooting, going 88.2 percent from the line on 19 attempts.

The Nuggets will be using Lawson as a backup to Chauncey Billups where he can enter the game and give Denver a quick burst of energy.

Lawson has been one of the five fastest players I've seen in Las Vegas, which is perfect for his team's up-and-down style of play.

Even though he's a backup, the Nuggets want to keep Billups healthy and fresh, so Lawson should see quality minutes.

Darren Collison, New Orleans

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Collison has been the most baffling rookie point guard in Vegas.

Someone who was a noted for his three point shooting and pure point guard skills out of UCLA, Collison is shooting 16.7 percent from three and averaging 3.8 assists per game.

On the other hand, Collison was not noted for his interior scoring ability in college, but despite his lack of threes, he has averaged 18.5 points per game, going 29-30 from the stripe.

Regarding the threes it seems like Collison might lack the strength to shoot from anywhere on the court right now, but his free throws and college percentages show the stroke is there, and he just needs more practice with the NBA three.

As for the assists, Collison is playing with Marcus Thornton who likes to dominate the ball on offense. Considering Collison averaged 2.75 turnovers per game it looks like he will be a very good backup to Chris Paul.

Collison left the Hornets last game against Minnesota with an injury, but no long-term injury has been reported.

Rodrigue Beaubois, Dallas Mavericks

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With the abundance of point guards in the draft, Beaubois flew under the radar and he was expected to be picked in the second round.

Not many know about the gunner from France, but they're quickly learning.

Beaubois shot 41.9 percent on 31 attempts from three in the Summer League, including a 7-12 against the Rockets. His scoring was up and down with a high of 34 and low of four, showing he has potential but is not finished yet.

More of a scoring threat than anything, Beaubois averaged 17.0 points and only 3.8 assists per game and he wasn't afraid to mix it up under the class with 3.4 rebounds per game.

He only stands 6'0" but has very long arms and quick hands that allowed him to average 1.4 steals per game.

The Mavericks locked Jason Kidd up this summer, and look for them to groom Beaubois as his heir.

Toney Douglas, New York Knicks

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No one expected Douglas, who averaged 21.5 points per game at Florida State this year, to have a single-digit (9.0) average in Las Vegas, but that’s the way the ball bounces.

Douglas is shooting a frustrating 27.5 percent from the field and 9.1 percent from three, but he has stayed optimistic and Mike D’Antoni didn’t seem concerned in an in-game interview with the NBA.com crew.

The reason D’Antoni and the Knicks have been satisfied with Douglas’ play is because of his 7.0 to 2.75 assist to turnover differential on average. Through his first two games, Douglas had 21 assists and two turnovers, which is outstanding.

Not only is Douglas showing he can play the NBA point, but he has been the most tenacious on-ball defender in the Summer League.

Douglas rides his man up and down the court, helping him to average 2.0 steals per game with some very clean picks.

Tough D and the ability to create will help Douglas play, and potentially start, for New York.

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written on July 19, 2009 Rankings/List

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