More info on summer league players
Here is what I could quickly find about some of the summer league players I did not know about. Will be interesting to see them perform at ground level.
Zabian Dowdel, 6-3 190 VaTechl
-- he has amazing reach for a guy his size, his basketball IQ is very high, he works extremely hard, he's a dream to coach --(ESPN, TrueHoop by Henry Abbott);
-- Dowdell took his efforts one step further by donating $5,000 of his own money to the relief effort (for the Virginia Tech tragedy/shooting).-- (DraftExpress.com)
-- in senior year was PG when VT beat both North Carolina and Duke.......Early on (at Portsmouth Invitational 2008), Dowdell was setting up teammates nicely, but they weren’t finishing their shots. It was at that point that he decided to take over the scoring load. Dowdell stated that he hoped being able to switch on the fly from passing guard to scoring guard will be a help come draft day. (DraftExpress)
-- last 3 yr at VaTech: shot 44% from field, 74% FT, 3+asts, 2+ stl, and incr pts/gm every year from 10.8 to 17.4
Justin Hawkins, 6-7 204(actually from New Mexico State, Reggies old school!)
Hawkins did it all for the Aggies during his two-year stay in Las Cruces, scoring from inside, outside and providing a presence in the paint. The reality in the NBA is that if you are 6-foot-7, knocking down the perimeter shot on a consistent basis is a prerequisite for any player looking to compete for a job. Hawkins said he feels like his outside game has excelled and doesn't want to be grouped as someone who gets trapped between shooting guard and small forward.
"My strength is the two-guard (shooting guard)," Hawkins said. "I don't want to be considered a three (small forward) or a tweener or anything like that. And I'm definitely not a four (power forward). I can play the two and play it well." (Las Cruces Sun-News, by Teddy Feinberg 6/26/08)
A 40% 3pt shooter, 2.4 ast, 7.2 reg, 18.4 pts in senior yr at NMS. Vs. Duke 16 pts & 11 reb, 2 blks.
Marcus Malone
Biggest item is he is the cousin of Karl Malone of the Jazz. Stats very average, Ast/TO in senior year was 2.06, not great shooter or rebounder or assist guy.
Juan Palacios, 6-8 245, Lousiville
ESPN draft review had this to say about Juan, a 4-yr player at Louisville:
Positives: Big body who can play both forward positions. Very tough. Loves to play physical. Great passing instincts allow him to even play a little point forward.
Negatives: Has conditioning and weight issues. Not a great athlete which raises questions about his ability to defend the three position in the pros.
Summary: Lots of mixed opinions on Palacios right now. Some see him as a big, physical forward in the James Posey or Ron Artest mode. Others think he's at least another full season away from the pros.
Stat wise a 70% FT, 47% FG, 6+reb all in 26 min his last 2 yr
Patrick Sanders, 6-6 205, UC Irvine
Another 4-yr guy who played 31+ min/gm last 2 years along with 15pts, 5 reb, 43% FG and 82% FT. Otherwise not much I could find about him
Darian Townes, 6-10 250, Arkansas, 24 yr
This from "nbadradt.net"
Strengths: Big power forward with good size and strength and a solid offensive game ... Very smooth shooting the ball from 12 feet and in with a jump hook shot that he uses effectively... Has a big frame with long arms and good agility ... With more time on the floor, he could see his offensive numbers improve considerably ... His great wingspan makes him an effective rebounder and shot blocker ... Has a good free throw shot but lacks concentration, capable of shooting in the mid 70s if he works at it ... His post moves show promise, but he needs to refine them ...
Weaknesses: Doesn't display a great motor. Needs to learn to play with a higher level of intensity to better maximize his talents ... Does not show a fondness for contact, despite his excellent body and apparent strength ... Needs to get more physical and use his 255 pound frame to dominate in the post ... Conditioning also must improve. He averaged just 22 minutes per game as a sophomore ...Lacks great speed in the open floor, looks a little stiff in transition ... His numbers actually dipped from his freshman to sophomore season after coming in with high expectations ... Doesn't get to the free throw line nearly enough for a post player, needs to force the issue under the basket more often ... Lack of foot speed limits his ability to grab rebounds out of his area ...
