The Memphis Grizzlies have basically been hoarding older, talented players over the course of the last three seasons. The acquisitions of Matt Barnes, Vince Carter, and Beno Udrih as well as the re-signings of Tony Allen and Zach Randolph -- among others -- have not only made this roster the third-oldest in the NBA right now, but they've also blocked the younger generation of players from playing.
It'll be interesting to see if that continues to be the case this season, as three 2014 draftees -- Russ Smith, Jarnell Stokes, and Jordan Adams -- have all shown this week in leading the Grizzlies to an undefeated record that they may be ready for NBA time in differing capacities.
Smith, particularly, has had a terrific week, showing off much more skill for distribution than he has in the past. He's still a good scorer and a pesky defender, but more and more he's finding difficult angles to pass through, giving him the look of a solid change-of-pace guard off the bench. The ball does tend to stick to his hand a little bit more than you would like in the halfcourt, and that's something that may eventually hold him back in the eyes of the Grizzlies' brass. But at the very least, he looks like a guy who should have locked up his partially guaranteed deal into a full one this week.
The other two have more of a role player-look early in their career, which is exactly what the Grizz could use this coming season. This is a team that desperately needs shooting, and that's exactly what Adams could provide sooner rather than later despite his rough statistical performance this week. His release has quickened up over the course of the last year, and that will be important for his ability to knock down catch-and-shoot looks. He's also shown a pretty good ability off the bounce and getting to the rim, plus his arms still wreak havoc on defense as they're not only long, but he also has strong instincts in passing lanes. The team is pretty loaded on the wing now with Allen, Carter, Barnes, and Courtney Lee. However, injuries are inevitable in the NBA, and I'm sure Memphis is happy knowing that Adams is there to push the older group.
Stokes is the last of the trio performing well this week. He's a physical beast who has turned some of his baby fat from last offseason into more toned muscle. The free throw line and he have become fast friends, as he's averaging six per game in Orlando, as no one can really keep their post position against him on this level. At 6-8ish, it'll be interesting to see if that can hold up against tougher competition this year. But he played well in limited time last year and could easily end up getting minutes on a team that could end up with a hole inside at the 4 if Jeff Green doesn't step up.
For an older team with some title aspirations, it's certainly nice to be able to look at what's coming in the pipeline. Plus, this event likely helped them feel more comfortable resting their starters this year in order to keep them fresher in April. Even though Jarell Martin hasn't played and Andrew Harrison hasn't shown a ton get excited about, the development of Adams, Stokes and Smith is certainly a promising sign for a team that could use a youth infusion within the next two years.
MARCUS SMART GOES OFF, CELTICS WIN IN UTAH
Marcus Smart had 22 points in the Celtics easy win against San Antonio at the Utah Jazz Summer League event. Part of those numbers had to do with a hot shooting night, as he knocked down 4-6 3s on the evening. But overall, Smart showed a diversified arsenal of moves to go with his incredibly hard-nosed playing style.
Those four 3s came in both spot-up and pull-up situations, as he was just in the zone. But more than that, he was unstoppable in any sort of pick-and-roll setting, and finished with both lay-ins and little floaters. Then, he dished out seven assists for good measure, finding spot-up shooters like R.J. Hunter and dump-off options like Jonathan Holmes, plus he tossed a pair of alley-oops to Eric Buckner and C.J. Fair. When you throw that in with his simply overwhelming defense on this level, it's clear that he completely dominated this game.
Honestly, it was clear in both of the games he played that he's step above for this level. He's too good of an athlete and too physical to really gain a ton from it. A completely excellent performance from Smart, which is a good thing given the next section.
JAMES YOUNG BRUISES HIP, ENDS POOR SUMMER SHOWING
Well, that's one way to end a disappointing showing in Utah. Second-year wing James Young missed the second half of the Celtics' game on Thursday with a bruised hip, bringing his event to a close.
It was a very rough week for Young. Honestly, it would be fair to say he was a net negative in his time on the floor for the Celtics, which is exactly what you don't want to see from your second-year, first-round pick. Typically, the goal is to see some growth from those guys as they become more comfortable with the speed of the game and with their own skills. However, Young shot 6-26 from the field, scoring 22 points in 60 minutes. Plus, he was a mess on defense, inattentive for large portions of the two full games he played.
Luckily, he has a lot of time to turn this around. He's still only 19, making him as young or younger than most rookies that were in either Utah or Orlando this week. And with how much depth the team has right now all over the floor, he can be stashed in Maine for another year to work on his game and continue to develop both his intensity and his play off the dribble. He played really well in the D-League offensively this season, scoring 21.5 points per game and making 44 percent of his 150-plus 3s. This week certainly didn't inspire any confidence, though.
JERAMI GRANT ALMOST ENDED BROCK MOTUM WITH A DUNK
Here's a fun dunk from Jerami Grant all over Utah stretch-forward Brock Motum.
Yeah, that's impressive. Grant had a solid summer league showing in Utah, putting up double-figures in each game. The Sixers fell to the Jazz in overtime, though.
JOE YOUNG AND TYLER HARVEY DUEL, INDIANA WINS INCONSEQUENTIAL GAME
Joe Young dropped 28 points and Tyler Harvey scored 24 of his own as Indiana picked up a 91-85 win. Aaron Gordon, Mario Hezonja, Elfrid Payton, Myles Turner and Solomon Hill did not play.
Summer League winners and losers are largely inconsequential. Rather, it's all about finding talent and seeing if the guys that you've drafted could eventually make an impact. After this week, the Pacers have to feel like they've found something decent in Young, who averaged nearly 21 points on 52 percent shooting. And while Harvey hasn't exactly came in and set the world on fire in his previous three games, he's also knocked down shots and shown a little bit of passing ability.
Both guys have given encouraging performances, but I'd preach cautious optimism regarding their future based on this event. This level of competition -- where guys are shorter, worse at protecting the rim, and worse defensively -- isn't the one that is going to let us know for sure whether they're going to be able to play on the NBA level. Both of them are basically undersized two-guards, and those are the types of players that you need to see against longer, more physical defenders.
Both should absolutely consider Summer League to be a success, but we'll find out more about them in training camp and preseason than we will here.
TYLER JOHNSON FRACTURES JAW, OUT SIX WEEKS
On Wednesday, Tyler Johnson ran into this rough screen from Clippers forward Eric Griffin that caused him to lose a tooth and miss the rest of the game.
Unfortunately, it looks like that screen is going to cost him a bit more time off the court than anticipated.
Johnson has a fractured jaw and will miss six weeks of action. It really couldn't come at a worse time for the guard, as he's in something of a battle for his roster spot on this team coming off a surprisingly solid rookie season after being picked up in January. He's still in pretty good shape for a spot on the team, given that the Heat have 11 guaranteed deals plus Hassan Whiteside's deal which will be there. His deal guarantees for 50 percent at the end of the month, so if he's still on the roster then he'll have a leg up on the competition.
I'd say the odds are good for him to be on the Heat come opening night. But this small little uncertainty can't feel great at the moment.
WILLIE REED EARNS 'MOSTLY GUARANTEED' CONTRACT WITH NETS
In better news from that summer league team, Willie Reed, a forward/center that had been in summer league with the Heat, has signed a mostly guaranteed deal with the Brooklyn Nets, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.
The 25-year-old Reed has been terrific in his summer session with the Heat, averaging 13.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and nearly two blocks per contest. But he's also not necessarily just a summer warrior either. Reed's been among the best players in the D-League for the past two seasons, making the All-D-League first team this past season and the All-D-League defensive team each of the past two. This deal is the culmination of a long process for him in the D-League, and he's well-deserving of the money.
Reed was with the Nets in camp last season, but was one of the final cuts. This season, it seems unlikely that will be the case given the mostly guaranteed nature of his deal and their need for cheap talent in the front court. Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young will likely start at the 4 and 5 spots next season, and newly-signed free agent Thomas Robinson will probably fit into the mix somewhere. Beyond that, there's a lot of uncertainty. The team rescinded Mirza Teletovic's qualifying offer on Thursday and he moved on to Phoenix. Cory Jefferson had a so-so rookie season and is on a partially guaranteed deal. Reed has a chance to get legitimate minutes next season, and that's about all he could ask for. Another summer league success story.