NBA Summer League: Blazers Rally Comes Up Short In Loss To Clippers
The third game of the Portland Trail Blazers Summer League schedule against the Los Angeles Clippers didn’t start as they would have liked. Fourteen turnovers were committed in the first two quarters, the point guards weren’t producing as they have in the past, and Jeff Pendergraph struggled offensively.
The team had just 29 points at halftime, a surprising number considering they scored 88 and 81 points in the first two Summer League games.
Portland made just 10 of 31 field goals, missed six free throws, and coupled with those aforementioned turnovers, rightfully found themselves down by fifteen at halftime. They were consistently sloppy and out of sync, but the Clippers deserved to have such an advantage.
Los Angeles was aggressive on defense, rebounded well, and hit outside jumpers with regularity. Their lead was 52-32 early in the third quarter with the Blazers completely out of sorts. After John Lucas the third torched them for 25 points last night, the guards stepped up in defending Patrick Mills and Armon Johnson. Mills had nine points at halftime on 4-7 shooting, but had four of the Blazers 14 turnovers in the opening two frames.
Johnson dished four assists, looking to pass more than score, which is his eye-catching mindset, but the team only had two other helpers at intermission. Passing lanes were blocked for the most part and shots were hurried. Twenty-one of their first 31 shots were missed. They looked dead in the water, with no chance of coming back.
But after following behind by that 52-32 score, they found new life. Shots came easier. The offense was run with more precision. And though turnovers were committed they weren’t at the first half’s rate. Because of their newfound energy, the deficit slimmed, and was whittled rather quickly.
Pendergraph, who was 2-11 in the first half, looking to assert his offense and develop his moves rather than pass the ball back out when under heavy pressure, finally took advantage of a collapsing defense and kicked the ball out to Mills, who nailed a three-pointer from the right wing.
Moments later Dante Cunningham followed by setting a ferocious pick on Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe then, with the rookie dazed and confused on the ground, sped to the hoop and made a layup off a feed from guard Mike Green. Johnson followed by racing in for a transition layup, and Luke Babbitt proceeded to nail a three-pointer from Johnson to dwindle the deficit to five, 65-60.
A Mills drive and dish to Pendergraph brought Portland all the way back to take the lead, but though they fell short in the end after a frantic finish that featured a pair of Clippers turnovers, a crucial clanged free-throw by Babbitt, and a few chances missed before the buzzer sounded, the team has to be happy with the way they fought.
Cunningham looked more and more like the small forward he is trying to become, driving in for layups, trying to get to the free-throw line, while still possessing a confident mid-range jumper. He finished with a team-high 17 points, making 5-13 field goals and 7-9 free-throws.
Pendergraph was a beast on the boards, snatching 14 to compliment his 10 points. His offense needs a considerable amount of work, as his 4-15 shooting suggests, but he is really looking to add this dimension to his game. He’s an incredibly hard worker, hustling after loose balls and being very physical inside. If he can develop a more consistent jumper, polish his post-moves, and look to pass once doubled, he could be a very valuable player for Portland this upcoming season and down the road.
I was looking forward to seeing power forward Ekene Ebekwe play, the shot-blocking specialist who swatted five shots in their first summer league contest. But he managed to log just six minutes and didn’t do much in limited time. So, once again, the battle between Johnson and Mills caught my eye. I was particularly focused on Mills, who missed four three-pointers and nine shots overall, but dished four assists.
Despite showing some unselfishness, he continues to look more and more like a shooting guard. And I don’t think that’s what Portland is looking for.
I’m confident he will catch on somewhere and impact an uptempo team in the future, but if the Blazers are looking to fill their final roster spot with a point guard as is expected, ideally one with a pass-first mentality fits the mold. Johnson is that guy. I think Mills would be a good fit if Portland didn’t already have a few tweeners on their roster already. Jerryd Bayless showed some promise as a point guard last season, but he’s pegged as an undersized scorer.
Elliot Williams has compared himself to Bayless, and from what I saw of him in college, that comparison is spot-on–a slasher with tremendous athleticism. Since these two will make the roster, and since veteran Andre Miller is entering the final year of his contract, I see the Blazers looking for someone who can drive into the lane like Bayless, but do so solely to get the defense converge and find the open man.
Johnson still has a lot to learn, but he clearly knows how to run an offense. I don’t think Mills does at this stage.
Mills can make some nice passes inside, and get the defense to converge, but these don’t seem to be his main priorities. He’s more suited for a Phoenix Suns style of play where he can roam free, score, and gamble in the passing game. The Blazers halfcourt offense is certainly not for him. It is for Johnson. And that’s why I think eventually Portland will pick the guard out of Nevada as their 15th man instead of the very popular and lightning-quick Australian.
The duo did what they could against stiff pressure from the likes of Bledsoe and Willie Warren, combining for 22 points and nine assists. Others strutted their stuff as well, most notably Cunningham. But though Cunningham may have stolen the show with his energy and offensive skills, all eyes were on the guard duo. And their battle will continue to be the biggest story of the Summer League–a tuneup that is showcasing all of the talent these young Blazers and roster hopefuls have to offer.
