LAS VEGAS - The TV cameras were lined up yesterday after the 76ers' 65-61 win over San Antonio in their summer-league opener, waiting for, of all people, Sixers forward Louis Amundson.
After scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, Amundson was in demand. He remains popular in these parts because of his college days at UNLV, and he might stick around Philadelphia for more than last year's cameo if he continues his specialty - banging the boards and providing unending energy.
"He can really bring a team energy, and he did that when he got on the court last year and did it [yesterday]," said Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks, who is using assistant Bernard Smith to run the team in Las Vegas.
Amundson, who was the MVP of the NBA Developmental League last season, played just 10 games and a total of 87 minutes for the Sixers.
Since the season ended, he has been a regular at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, working on improving his game.
Yesterday, the 24-year-old was treated like a true NBA star, with several postgame television interviews.
"It feels good, playing here and being able to contribute on the court," Amundson said. "It's great to see familiar faces."
He hopes to see more familiar faces in the fall - those of his Sixers teammates. There is a feeling that Amundson not only has a chance to make the team but also to receive meaningful minutes.
He shot just 4 for 12 yesterday, and while not known for his offense, Amundson even hit a shot from the perimeter.
"I want to show I can do more," he said.
Young's debut. The statistics weren't eye-popping, but 19-year-old first-round pick Thaddeus Young saw positives in his first game as a professional.
Selected No. 12 in the first round, the 6-foot-8 Young came off the bench to score five points (2-for-6 shooting) and grab two rebounds in the Sixers' win.
"It was great being out there," he said. "It's much more physical than the college game, but I think I held my own out there."
Young scored his first field goal as a pro in the second quarter, when he used a crossover dribble that gave him room to hit a baseline jumper.
"I saw the guy ready to take a charge, and I decided to give him a quick crossover and go around him and shoot," he said.
Young knows there is plenty to work on.
"I've got to pick up my offensive intensity on the court," he said. "I was a little timid, but it will come with time."
Williams' dunk with 29 seconds left lifted the 76ers over the San Antonio Spurs yesterday in the inaugural game of the NBA Summer League.
Williams finished with a game-high 19 points (6-for-11 from the floor) in 36 minutes of action.
Bobby Jones (11 points) gave the Sixers the lead for good at 61-59 with a three-pointer from the left wing with 1:55 left in the game. After an offensive foul by Spurs center Jackie Butler, the Sixers iced the game with the final four points.
The Sixers led by as many as 14 points early on, but the Spurs got back in the game with a 19-12 third quarter. Butler scored five straight during a 6-0 spurt to give the NBA champions their biggest lead of the game, 53-48, in the third.
UNLV product Louis Amundson chipped in 16 points (4-12 FG) and a game-high 11 rebounds in the win as he works to return to the NBA.
"I'm just trying to work hard and play as well as I can," said Amundson, who appeared in 11 NBA games with the Sixers and Jazz last season. "I understand that the [NBA Development League] is different from the NBA. It's a big step up. I'm just trying to work on my game and work hard, that's all I can do."
First-round pick Thaddeus Young scored five points.
"It was great being out there playing," said Young, taken 12th overall out of Georgia Tech. "Much more physical than the college game, but I think I held my own and did all right."
__________________ Who cares about a championship drought?:
My teams will never win a championship anyway, so why don't you discuss everything else at my forum? Good idea, right? Yeah, I thought so. It's called.. Booing Santa Claus. See you there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Henry Rollins
“The average is the borderline that keeps mere men in their place. Those who step over the line are heroes by the very act. Go.”
Looks like all the progress that Lou Williams had at the end of the regular season has gone down the drain. With lesser talent around him and vs lesser competition he's settling back into the mode of a scorer.
What we know about him is that he can get into the lane at will (he was getting to the line almost at will Vs the pros), but everything else has reset. I'm kinda disappointed in his approach to summer league, this is where he's supposed to work on running the team and continue to develop his skills as a point. What good does his putting up 32 points do? We already knew he was capable of this.
Hopefully the coaches instill the importance of him developing his PG skills, that is the difference between him being a potential starter and a reserve. As of right now he's a poor man's Tony Parker, but I think even Parker (as a rookie) was more capable of creating for others.
I still think he's better than Taurean Green, but he needs to start playing like he played at the end of last year and improve on that.
__________________ Who cares about a championship drought?:
My teams will never win a championship anyway, so why don't you discuss everything else at my forum? Good idea, right? Yeah, I thought so. It's called.. Booing Santa Claus. See you there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Henry Rollins
“The average is the borderline that keeps mere men in their place. Those who step over the line are heroes by the very act. Go.”
Lou looked a lot better tonight vs GS. That may be chalked up to playing even more up tempo, but he was looking to pass much more and was getting into the lane quite easily.
And personally I don't think Lou will ever be the answer at PG. If he can be an Ellis or Boykins type I wouldn't complain at all since finding some good bench scoring is certainly a need.
Last edited by Slizeezyc : 07-09-2007 at 06:37 PM.
I'd rather see Williams become a spark off the bench too. I don't see him as a PG, and don't see any need to mold him into one. Let him come off the bench and add a scoring punch. Like what the Warriors had with Ellis when he wasn't starting.
__________________
Charles Barkley: "I think it would have been an insult if they put Bird on me. He was the worst defensive player ever."
"Stanley's idea of a balanced meal is a Big Mac in each hand" -- then Orlando Magic GM Pat Williams on overweight Magic first round draft choice Stanley Roberts
Yeah, I'm not feeling that too much.. of course I didn't want him in the first place.
__________________ Who cares about a championship drought?:
My teams will never win a championship anyway, so why don't you discuss everything else at my forum? Good idea, right? Yeah, I thought so. It's called.. Booing Santa Claus. See you there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Henry Rollins
“The average is the borderline that keeps mere men in their place. Those who step over the line are heroes by the very act. Go.”
I think Lou Williams truly does need to work on his game as a point guard. He has a great opportunity to cement his place with the Sixers as the backup point guard and possibly more if he develops his game the way it needs to be. He has a good model in Andre Miller as to how you can be very effective without scoring tons of points. Obviously he can put the ball in the hoop, but I believe his penetration can really make him a speedy, effective playmaker. He needs to make up his mind as to what type of player he wants to be. I think if he grooms himself more into a PG, his value will increase around the league.
Yeah, I'm not feeling that too much.. of course I didn't want him in the first place.
Well he wouldn't be shoehorned into a starter, he's an undersized two. Plus he is quicker than Willie, and won't sit on the outside like Willie. If he could provide energy and scoring off the bench that's the big thing. If his best attributes are athleticism, getting into the lane and to the rim then use them. His PG skills are never going to be great, so use his best skill....Plus they would never trust him as the starter in a few years, nor would/will he get much time behind Andre as a backup PG.
He's the primary backup at PG right now. So I'd guess he's going to be seeing at least 10-15 minutes per night.
I've never really expected him to be a starting PG, but he needs to be efficient when running the offense. We already knew he was capable of scoring at will on this level, that's why I'm dissapointed that he's looking to score so much now. I always looked at summer league as the place where young players work to improve their weaknesses. Wins and losses don't matter as much as development.
Also how he's played kinda contradicts what he was saying before they went to Vegas.
__________________ Who cares about a championship drought?:
My teams will never win a championship anyway, so why don't you discuss everything else at my forum? Good idea, right? Yeah, I thought so. It's called.. Booing Santa Claus. See you there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Henry Rollins
“The average is the borderline that keeps mere men in their place. Those who step over the line are heroes by the very act. Go.”
I like the fact that Louis Williams can penetrate in the lane and draw fouls. He had 22 free throw attempts yesterday. What I didn't see is his point guard skills, being able to get guys good looks. There was alot of isolation, one-on-one going on. He still looks to score too often.
76ers' summer league thread..
GO TRAIL BLAZERS!!! 
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