SL Game Day: Rockets (1-1) @ Suns (1-1), Mon 7/10/17

[ShelC]

They've pick it up a lot in the last 5-10 minutes. Chriss has a few monster dunks, JJ went end to end for a dunk....Reed just got a dunk, Bender went end to end, missed the lay in but Jones Jr got the putback dunk...4 dunks in a row for an 11-0 run.

[EDC]

There we go a decent move out of Bender. His break was pretty nice as well but he just couldn't finish it.

[Sunsfan4life]

Kenny Smith is horrendous at commentating. Never thought I'd miss Carlisomo.

[Sunsfan4life]

Sharing the ball a lot more than yesterday.

[TOO]

Sloppy game so far and no one looks particularly good. I don't see any explosion around the rim from Chriss and he seems to be throwing up wildy shots around the rim. Lazy working for post position so he gets pushed out off the block. No feel in the post or how/where to move, tried an up and under which was OK but blew the lay-in. He's just trying to work from too far out, and his natural instinct is to pivot away and fade.

JJ got his 3pt attempt by Qi, who's a legit 7 footer. That's where his form is a hinderance.

Are we watching the same game? Ball might not be going in, but the energy is up 110% from yesterday.

We look much better today, MUCH MUCH better.

[ShelC]

Bender strong move going right across the lane with the high hook, next play drains a 3 at the top of the key.

I like what I've seen from Wood. Long, athletic, bouncy, seems to know how to play.

[iLLmatic]

I'm heading down that path with McD too. We've had some really high draft picks now and it doesn't look like there's a gamechanger/stud among them. We got Booker at 13, who's for sure a stud. But Len (5), Bender (4), Chriss (8) are questionable at the moment, with Len really looking like he's on his way out. You can't go thru this period of losing and miss on top 10 picks, or top 5 for that matter.

Booker was the obvious choice at 13, I think everybody on this board wanted Booker there. Admittedly I liked Len at 5, but I also liked CJ too. I did not like Bender or Chriss, the guys on the radio were having orgasms over that deal like McDonough pulled off some sort of miracle. I felt like it was so-so at the time because both players were unproven. Chriss being so raw and Bender a foreign prospect who was not even a starter on his previous team.

If you remove Booker from his draft history, you have pretty mediocre results; four of these picks were lottery picks::

Tyler Ulis - Backup PG
TJ Warren - Sixth man SF
Alex Len - On his way out
Tyler Ennis - Traded (bench fodder)
Archie Goodwin - Released
Dragan Bender - Still too raw to project (not aggressive enough)
Marquise Chriss - Still too raw to project (too aggressive in the wrong way)
Alec Brown - Who??
Bogdan Bogdanovic - Remains to be seen

I cannot stand when people say this. So if Booker was a bust, McDonaugh wouldn't be at fault? He deserves credit for this pick. It's not like Booker was Lebron James coming out.

Who's not giving him credit for the pick? The rest of his picks have been average at best, I can't stand when people say that McDonough's forte is at drafting because he got lucky with one player who is far exceeding his projection coming out.

[TOO]

Kenny Smith is horrendous at commentating. Never thought I'd miss Carlisomo.

I do not share this opinion. Jet for me is 1000% upgrade, I hate PJ's gross sore throat sound.

[EDC]

Wood is playing like we wish Chriss would. Working to get the ball down low instead of sitting out at the three point line.

[EDC]

There we go Chriss. The lane is your friend.

[Sunsfan4life]

Who's not giving him credit for the pick? The rest of his picks have been average at best, I can't stand when people say that McDonough's forte is at drafting because he got lucky with one player who is far exceeding his projection coming out.

I commented on you saying Booker was good, but he was obvious like it was a asterisk of some sort. Nobody is saying 1 player makes a draft guru out of someone.

[ShelC]

Bender's being more aggressive with a left handed drive along the baseline but he should've been able to bump Qi off and finish at the rim. Couldn't make that play so dumped it off to Chriss.

Mike James can really ball out btw.

[Sunsfan4life]

Kenny Smith is horrendous at commentating. Never thought I'd miss Carlisomo.

I do not share this opinion. Jet for me is 1000% upgrade, I hate PJ's gross sore throat sound.

His voice might be annoying, but he seems more knowledgable than Smith does. Smith's anaylsis of Bender's move was "Ok...there's some movement" that was it haha.

[specialsauce]

Bender's got to force contact. On the fast break he led and the baseline drive he did all the right things and ultimately didn't get the shots because he shied from contact rather than going through the players. He's the biggest guy out there he should act as such

[bajanguy008]

Say what you want about Euroleague but for me Mike James is clearly playing within himself and just picking his spots. He is one of the best players on the court in each of these first three games

[Sunsfan4life]

Great hustle by Chriss

[EDC]

Booker talking about how you can't act like you are too good for summer league. Sounds like the coaches definitely had a talk with Chriss.

Was nice D by Chriss there.

[TOO]

Benders shot looks much smoother with more arc today. I like it

[specialsauce]

I'm heading down that path with McD too. We've had some really high draft picks now and it doesn't look like there's a gamechanger/stud among them. We got Booker at 13, who's for sure a stud. But Len (5), Bender (4), Chriss (8) are questionable at the moment, with Len really looking like he's on his way out. You can't go thru this period of losing and miss on top 10 picks, or top 5 for that matter.

Booker was the obvious choice at 13, I think everybody on this board wanted Booker there. Admittedly I liked Len at 5, but I also liked CJ too. I did not like Bender or Chriss, the guys on the radio were having orgasms over that deal like McDonough pulled off some sort of miracle. I felt like it was so-so at the time because both players were unproven. Chriss being so raw and Bender a foreign prospect who was not even a starter on his previous team.

If you remove Booker from his draft history, you have pretty mediocre results; four of these picks were lottery picks::

Tyler Ulis - Backup PG
TJ Warren - Sixth man SF
Alex Len - On his way out
Tyler Ennis - Traded (bench fodder)
Archie Goodwin - Released
Dragan Bender - Still too raw to project (not aggressive enough)
Marquise Chriss - Still too raw to project (too aggressive in the wrong way)
Alec Brown - Who??
Bogdan Bogdanovic - Remains to be seen

I call ass all over this post. I would've loved to see your picks at those points in the draft. Anyone that thinks Warren and Ulis weren't great picks where they were chosen are out of their minds.

I don't see anyone I would have picked AT THE TIME over Chriss, Bender, or Len. Alec Brown was the 50th pick in the draft, give me a freaking break.

Ennis sucked.

You need to put down the haterade and stop fishing for reasons to hate McD. Yes, the Brandon Knight deal was awful. Aside from that incident, he's been just fine.

[EDC]

Kenny Smith is horrendous at commentating. Never thought I'd miss Carlisomo.

I do not share this opinion. Jet for me is 1000% upgrade, I hate PJ's gross sore throat sound.

His voice might be annoying, but he seems more knowledgable than Smith does. Smith's anaylsis of Bender's move was "Ok...there's some movement" that was it haha.

I prefer Kenny as well I guess i just like a pessimistic take on the young guys. I dislike when they claim all these great things about these young guys who haven't proved anything. It just makes me cringe and want to mute it.

I can definitely see why you wouldn't like Kenny though. He basically acts like he doesn't want to be there.