Notes on the First Game of Summer

Boxscore

Jeff Teague, matched up against OJ Mayo most of the night, looked good. He was aggressive while remaining under control and didn't really force anything until he committed the two late turnovers trying to create a bucket which would tie the game. The silver lining of those turnovers was his genuine disappointment in committing them. The disappointment did not primarily manifest itself as frustration. He appeared to know both that he made mistakes and he can do better. Teague's assist total reflects the shooters he found for open shots more than his passing acumen in this game.

Jordan Crawford also encouraged against a decent level (for summer league) of competition. I'm no great admirer of Sam Young but after watching games wherein Toney Douglas and Garrett Temple were clearly the best players on the court, Crawford's nice work against an NBA rotation player shouldn't be dismissed. He generally looked to spot up off of Teague's dribble penetration but also looked positive when he put the ball on the floor whether creating for himself or teammates.

Michael Cunningham got Jeff Teague to speak about playing with Jordan Crawford after the game.

Like many (if not most) of the guys in Summer League, Sergiy Gladyr played sped up and his high level of effort overwhelmed his ability to execute. His stroke looked good, though. I'd like to see him get some minutes alongside Teague at some point this week.

Pape Sy backed up Teague at the point. He struggled with ball pressure, thus the team struggled to get into their sets (such as they were, this is Summer League) with him on the floor. He showed good quickness whenever he got space but almost exclusively used that quickness to put his head down and drive into traffic. He appeared to turn his right ankle in the second half. After the game, it was iced and he was being careful not to put too much weight on it.

Among players not under contract, Alade Aminu easily did the most to aid his own cause by displaying the requisite athleticism take advantage of his size. It's difficult to judge his defensive and rebounding aptitude in this setting but based on this one performance, one wouldn't begrudge him a roster spot if the Hawks feel they can afford to carry a non-veteran big man.

Richard Hendrix and James Augustine both got off to slow starts (It wasn't until late in the third quarter that someone other than Teague, Crawford, Aminu, or Trey Gilder made a bucket.) but were on the court for and contributed to the fourth quarter rally. Unlikely as it is that the Hawks will learn anything new about Randolph Morris (0-4 FGA, 4 PF, 2 TO in 14:11) this week, I suspect the team would be better off seeing more of Hendrix (who gets great position on both ends from which to score or rebound from below the rim) and Augustine (who could be a useful fifth big man if he corrals his aggressiveness in the service of solid defense).

Gilder showed that if he could make an open jump shot he wouldn't be in summer league. He's still a plausible backup for Marvin Williams if the team wants to add size on the wing.

Luke Jackson is probably not a plausible backup to Marvin Williams, but his insertion into the game ignited the rally. Memphis hadn't had to worry about either Gilder or Landon Milbourne spotting up. Jackson's presence created some more space for Teague and Crawford to operate.