Portland vs. New Orleans: Patrick Mills and Armon Johnson Battle Again

Portland Trail Blazers guards Patrick Mills and Armon Johnson continued to play as if their future in the NBA depended upon it. Both started for the team in their NBA Summer League game against the New Orleans Hornets.

Johnson was listed as the point guard, and Mills as the shooting guard. And that’s exactly how they played.

Mills hit a three-pointer to begin the contest, drew a charge on the ensuing Hornets possession, and knifed his way through for a smooth lefty layup as part of his seven-point first quarter performance.

Johnson didn’t make much of an impact in the opening frame, but he ran the team well and was both unselfish and intelligent in his play. When he did try to create offensively, he did so aggressively, working his way into the lane.

He was also superb on defense, working tirelessly throughout the game to stifle the opposition.

It’s hard to judge a player by his play in Summer League. Everyone is rusty, and everyone is trying to show what they can do. There is little to no chemistry. You have to focus on their tendencies: what they like to do, whether that be going inside or living on the wings.

In Johnson, I see someone with a point guard’s mentality, somewhat in the mold of Andre Miller. Johnson shoots when he’s open, but first looks to pass. Driving is a big part of his game, which means the defense is forced to converge, leaving a flurry of open Blazers. Hence the comparison.

In Mills, I see a pure scorer. He made some nice passes inside, but his first priority clearly was to solidify his own offense. He’s certainly hasn’t been bashful in the past, and his scorer’s mentality was certainly on display in this game.

Three picks were set for him on one possession late in the first half, leading to a three-pointer on the right wing to finish off a play that began in the left corner. That gave him 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, making him by far the Blazers leading scorer.

He finished with a team-high 18 points, compiling that total to go along with three assists, three steals, and three rebounds. A second half burst by Johnson narrowly caught the Australian, as the guard out of Nevada chipped in 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting to complement five helpers and three thefts.

They weren’t the only Blazers to stand out. Dante Cunningham, who is looking for minutes as the backup power forward and also at the small forward position, proved his worth after a so-so first game. He showed off some new moves early on, putting the ball on the floor and driving to the hoop.

He wasn’t doing this in the limited action he saw last season. He was more of a spot-up 10 to 15 foot shooter then. His activity resulted in 14 points and four rebounds. If he keeps playing like he did, he will be in line for 20 minutes a night during the regular season.

When Cunningham was on the floor last season, good things predominately happened. Just think how valuable he could be with these additions to his arsenal and a minute increase.

Luke Babbitt, their highly touted rookie forward, struggled. He was playing on a hurt ankle, but his defense still wasn’t anything to jump up and down about. I’ll leave the analysis of his defense to announcer Mike Rice: “He’s moving his feet, [but] I saw a couple of times where I covered my eyes.”

Good old Rice. It’s early, and he’s just trying to learn the NBA game but more gems like this will be spoken if Babbitt has trouble sticking in front of his assignment when he fully recovers.

In the end, thanks in part to 53 percent shooting and the production of Mills, Johnson, Cunningham, and Jeff Pendergraph, who added 11 points and eight rebounds to the effort, the Blazers came out on top 81-69. It’s their second victory to begin the schedule, more than their total during last year’s addition.

Portland’s players have said they not only want to play well individually, but defeat the opposition, and do so in resounding fashion. Mills and Johnson are two of those players, but they are playing to win more than just games.

They are playing for a spot. And, if their play so far is any indication, it will be a fight until the end.