Evan Turner and Derrick Favors did not have spectacular professional debuts, but they were not complete disasters either.
Turner’s Philadelphia 76ers and Favors’ New Jersey Nets anchored the first day of the 2010 NBA Summer Pro League season as the featured game at Orlando’s RDV Sportsplex Center on Monday, mainly because the game boasted two of the first five selections in last June’s NBA Draft.
Turner, the second overall pick, finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, but was just 2-for-5 from the field. Favors, the third overall selection, made just two of his eight shot attempts and finished with eight points. He did grab nine rebounds and had two blocked shots in a losing effort. The Sixers won, 84-74.
“It was just a learning experience, learning all the NBA rules,” Favors told NBATV’s Steve Smith. Favors, who played only one season at Georgia Tech, also struggled with the way the game was being officiated as the 18-year-old power forward was called for seven personal fouls. No player can foul out in the summer league.
Favors, listed at 6-foot-9 and 246 pounds, looked strong at times but also looked tentative. He is not an explosive leaper, so he gobbled up most of his rebounds on sheer upper body strength. He definitely has a long ways to go, especially on offense, but he should thrive under new Nets coach Avery Johnson, who knows how to develop young players.
Turner started off slow and didn’t make his first field goal until very late in the second quarter. He was just 1-for-4 from the field and had four points and four fouls in the first half, playing mostly at the shooting guard.
“I thought I did all right. [Playing shooting guard] is something I have to get used to,” said the Ohio State first-team All-American. “My first couple of years in college I was off the ball. Last year, I was on the ball so I just have to learn on how to read things.”
Turner showed flashes of brilliance, especially when he was given space near the free throw line. He got the majority of his points at the free throw line, where he was a perfect 8-for-8, and did not shy away from contact. At 6-7 and 210, Turner used his size and strength to get to the rim against shooting guards, and took the small forwards off the dribble, displaying a nice spin move.
The Sixers made a strong run in the fourth quarter when they went with a smaller lineup with Turner at small forward. He made a nice end-to-end play in the fourth quarter when he grabbed a rebound, went behind his back twice before finishing with his left hand over two defenders to tie the game at 64.
“As the game worn on, I got a little bit more comfortable. It’s fun out there after a while,” said Turner, who deferred to last year’s first-round pick, Jrue Holiday, to do most of the ball-handling.
Holiday was easily the Sixers’ best player on the floor, as he finished with a game-high 23 points on 8-for-13 shooting. The former UCLA standout has greatly improved his handles, and his game-high eight assists showed new Sixers coach Doug Collins, who was in attendance, that he is capable of playing point guard full time.
Second-year pro Terrence Williams led the Nets with 23 points, including two powerful dunks.
The NBA’s version of the New York State Lotto will commence Thursday night at NYC and Commissioner David Stern will be front and center. Most experts believe Kentucky point guard John Wall will be the first player taken in the 2010 NBA Draft. From then on, it’s a total crap shoot.
OneManFastBreak Editor and Publisher Joel Huerto rates the 10 best prospects in the 2010 NBA Draft (all measurements were taken from the draft combine in Chicago):
10) KEVIN SERAPHIN, C, FRANCE (6-9, 258): This 20-year-old Frenchman is the most intriguing prospect on the draft board. He is raw but has a lot of athletic ability for a center. He rebounds well and is a very good shot-blocker, but only averaged 15 minutes a game in the French league. Because of the recent success of his fellow countrymen, such as Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, Mikael Pietrus and Nicolas Batum, NBA teams will surely take notice of France’s newest import.
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9) EKPE UDOH, C, Baylor (6-9, 240): Udoh is a specialist with limited offensive skills but has a 7-5 wingspan. He was a tremendous shot-blocker (3.7) and above-average rebounder (9.8) for Baylor. At 23, he’s a bit older than some of the other prospects so it gives him an advantage in terms of off-the-court maturity and his interviews went extremely well. Even though his offense is way behind his defense, he can face up and shoot a mid-range jump shot.
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8) COLE ALDRICH, C, Kansas (6-9, 236): Though he is listed at 6-11, Aldrich measured at 6-9 at the combine. The height difference may cause some NBA GMs to shy away from Aldrich, which would be a mistake. Aldrich is a hard-nosed player who defends and rebounds extremely well. He has a very similar game to former Jayhawk Nick Collison, who has done pretty well playing center and power forward in the Association.
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7) AL-FAROUQ AMINU, SF-PF, Wake Forest (6-7, 216): Aminu is a tremendous athlete who can finish at the rim. Teams that need a small forward or wing player will love Aminu. He is an excellent leaper and runs the floor extremely well, making him really valuable to up-tempo teams such as the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleands Hornets. Aminu doesn’t have much of an outside shot, so most of his points are on put-backs, dunks, layups or short jumpers.
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6) WESLEY JOHNSON, SF, Syracuse (6-6, 206): I’m still on the fence with Johnson. When he’s good, the Big East player of the Year is a smooth player who can jump out of the building and drain an outside shot from behind the arc. But when he’s bad, he gets pushed around and gets timid when the game gets physical. With exception of Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse players under Jim Boeheim have traditionally not fared well in the NBA. Johnson could either develop into Rudy Gay or become another Hakim Warrick.
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5) GREG MONROE, SF-PF, Georgetown, (6-10, 247): Monroe is the most versatile big man in the draft and has a game similar to NBA All-Star Chris Bosh. He posted decent stats during his sophomore year at Georgetown despite playing in the rigid Princeton Offense. Monroe is a very good passer for a big man and is very comfortable playing around the perimeter. The Sacramento Kings worked him out and were thoroughly impressed with his shooting range. He was dropping threes from the NBA line. Georgetown players usually do well in the NBA – ex. Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo and Allen Iverson - and Monroe should continue that Hoya tradition.
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4) DERRICK FAVORS, PF, Georgia Tech (6-9, 245): Favors was the MVP of the 2009 McDonald’s High School All-American Game, which included Lance Stephenson, DeMarcus Cousins, Xavier Henry, Avery Bradley and Keith “Tiny” Gallon. Favors shared the spotlight at Georgia Tech with Gani Lawal, another 2010 draft prospect. Favors, 18, can play with his back to the basket or face up and shoot from the free throw line. He added 20 pounds of muscle during his one year at Georgia Tech, and that shows he’s got a great work ethic. Some compare Favors to Amare Stoudemire.
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3) EVAN TURNER, G-F, Ohio State (6-6, 214): A lot of experts compare the 2010 NCAA POY with Portland’s Brandon Roy because of his cool demeanor. Turner is probably the most polished prospect in the draft and could start for most teams right now. He has an NBA-ready mid-range game and can play point guard, shooting guard or small forward. The knocks on Turner are that he appears to be soft and is not a great athlete. But then again, some had those similar reports about Roy.
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2) DEMARCUS COUSINS, C, Kentucky (6-10, 291): Almost all mock drafts have Evan Turner as the second-best player on the board, but I disagree. Cousins has the size and strength to play center in the NBA and could to be a dominant pro. If it wasn’t for his “attitude problem,” he could very well be the No. 1 pick. Cousins is a true low-post player and tenacious rebounder. But there’s a warning label with Cousins. He could be the next Moses Malone or the next Mel Turpin. Most draft boards have Philly selecting Turner, but the Sixers already have a boatload of perimeter players in Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams and 2009 first-round pick Jrue Holiday. Don’t be surprised if new head coach Doug Collins takes a chance on Cousins.
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1) JOHN WALL, PG, Kentucky (6-3, 195): Wall is an absolute freak: a unique blend of size, speed and athleticism. TNT’s David Aldridge compares Wall to a quicker and more athletic Gary Payton. He just has the “it” factor. He can create his own shot, is fearless going to the basket and has a 6-9 wingspan. His mid-range game and 3-point shot still needs a little work, but so does 90% of the guards in the Association. Wall is brilliant with the ball in the open court and should thrive in an up-tempo system. The Wizards can easily slide Gilbert Arenas to shooting guard and hand the PG duties to Wall and let him run.
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MORE DRAFT OPINIONS:
– Overrated – ERIC BLEDSOE, G, Kentucky (6-0, 191): He’s not a point guard and he’s not a shooting guard. In short, he’s headed for the D-League.
– The best Wildcat other than Wall and Cousins – PATRICK PATTERSON, SF, Kentucky (6-8, 239): More of a power forward than a small forward, but should be a lottery pick.
– Should have stayed in school – DANIEL ORTON, C, Kentucky (6-9, 269): Orton barely played in his one year at CSFP (Calipari School For Pros) and would have greatly benefited is he played another season.
– Potentially great or potentially disastrous – RYAN RICHARDS, PF-C, England (6-10, 230): Did well during the combine, but his lack of experience still scares many scouts.
– Sleeper picks – JON SCHEYER, PG, Duke (6-5, 180) and GREIVIS VASQUEZ, PG, Maryland (6-5, 195): Scheyer is a big-game player who has great size for a point guard. Think J.J. Redick with better handles. Vasquez is a tough, gritty player who won’t back down from a challenge and plays with a chip on his shoulder.
– Best shooter – XAVIER HENRY, SG, Kansas (6-5, 210): Henry and Oklahoma State’s James Anderson are the two best shooters in this year’s class. Henry shot a better percentage from behind the arc and feels more comfortable playing in a halfcourt game.
