Jamal Murray's Las Vegas Summer League breakout was far from perfect, but you'd better believe the Denver Nuggets will take it.
Murray is not an elite athlete, and even if his proven perimeter stroke was always going to keep him relevant, it was clear long before he went No. 7 in the draft that he'd need to find other ways to score if he had plans to make a real impact. With an array of floaters, flips and pull-ups, Murray showed a subtle game not unlike the one belonging to Portland Trail Blazers combo guard C.J. McCollum.
McCollum is a borderline star, so the comparison is somewhat unfair. And nobody watching Murray's handle or undeveloped change-of-pace game Monday would confuse it for McCollum's polished creativity in those areas. But the mid-range moves were there.
Perhaps even more importantly, so was the conspicuous confidence. Kentucky radio anchor Drew Franklin posted a perfect example of Murray's bravado on Twitter:
— Drew Franklin (@DrewFranklinKSR) July 12, 2016
That aggression got Murray into trouble, too, and the Nuggets will have to instruct him not to get too dialed in on individual matchups. There were long stretches Monday in which Murray simply ignored his teammates and hunted his own shots.
Bleacher Report's Andrew Bailey rightly dinged him for that:
— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) July 12, 2016
Another point of concern: Murray got in over his head athletically as the game wore on. In one fourth-quarter sequence, Briante Weber stripped Murray in the open floor and 30 seconds later made a light-speed closeout that forced an up-and-down travel.
Those negative plays illustrated the fine line Murray will have to walk as a pro.
Confidence and shot-making are vital attributes for a player like him, but when pushed too far, they can get him into trouble against more athletic competition. And if he's expected to take on secondary ball-handling duties alongside Emmanuel Mudiay, Murray had better learn to subdue the gunslinger instincts and seek the occasional passing angle instead.
Nobody likes a chucker.
Still, for the first time this summer, Denver's promising rookie produced enough positive flashes to alleviate the concerns his first two games presented. At worst, Murray looks like a spark-plug reserve who could take over games for short spurts. If he works out the hero-ball kinks—and rest assured, he has loads of time to do that; the guy hasn't played a regular-season minute yet—he could be something even better.
Cower Before (and Enjoy) Wade Baldwin's Wrath
The competition level and roll-the-ball-out informality of NBA summer league always makes it hard to draw forward-looking conclusions. A guard could be getting to the rim at will because of an opponent's disjointed defensive schemes. Or because of his own skill. Big men hauling in 15 rebounds might be a sign of future glass dominance or a symptom of boxouts being all but illegal in Las Vegas.
Summer league obscures as much as it conceals...in most cases.
One thing you can reliably read, though, is demeanor.
And Memphis Grizzlies rookie Wade Baldwin's is nasty in the best kind of way, per Matt Moore of CBSSports.com:
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) July 11, 2016
Baldwin finished with 13 points, six rebounds and a pair of assists in 24 minutes, helping Memphis secure an 85-81 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. The highlight of his scowling exploits was a driving, one-handed hammer:
— jack (@jackhaveitall) July 11, 2016
Grizzlies reserve D.J. Stephens hogged most of the buzz from this one with a viral alley-oop finish, and Milwaukee's Thon Maker was notably disqualified after committing his 10th personal foul—which seems hard to do. Those things might be bigger topics temporarily, but the most important long-term lesson from Monday's Memphis-Milwaukee meeting has to be Baldwin's fiery attitude.
Norman Powell's Work Is Done Here
Yesterday, we anointed Devin Booker this year's "guy who has no business being in summer league," but Norman Powell just joined him on the list of players too good to keep participating. Candace Buckner of the Washington Post concurred:
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) July 12, 2016
Powell scored 23 points on 7-of-15 shooting in the Toronto Raptors' 80-69 win over the Dallas Mavericks, giving him a Vegas average of 21.7 per game over three contests, all of which Toronto has won. This is what someone like Powell—who played meaningful minutes all the way through the conference finals last year—should be doing.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman noted Powell's aggression in transition:
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) July 11, 2016
He shot a game-high seven free throws after getting to the stripe a ridiculous 12 times Sunday.
Given his talent and valuable first-year experience, this is supposed to be easy for Powell. But instead of cruising, he's approaching these games with a focus and intensity that could signal a second-year breakout in 2016-17.
D'Angelo Russell Likes Being a Sophomore
D'Angelo Russell was in total control during his 23-minute stint for the Los Angeles Lakers, probing the defense, firing away when given space and attacking seams the instant they opened. He finished with 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting in L.A.'s 78-65 win over the Golden State Warriors. It was a performance that should have given new head coach Luke Walton confidence in his team's developing point guard.
For what it's worth, Russell's summer-league head coach, Jesse Mermuys, was impressed, per Mike Trudell of TWC SportsNet:
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) July 12, 2016
After a rough season filled with quick hooks and short leashes, Russell looked liberated Monday. His second season is off to a much-smoother start.
One Quarter Is Enough for Buddy Hield
The New Orleans Pelicans took down the Sacramento Kings 70-66 on Monday thanks mostly to Buddy Hield's 17-point third quarter.
The Pelicans rookie was 7-of-11 from the field in the frame, shaking off an underwhelming first half and turning the tide against a Kings squad that had no answer for his scoring touch. He finished with 23 points.
Hield scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 79-72 loss to the Utah Jazz, so Monday's outburst, which actually led to a victory, probably felt even better.
After falling far short of expectations last season, New Orleans turned the page by letting Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon walk. Though it's hard to blame the Pels for moving on, those losses cut into the team's scoring punch.
Hield looks like he'll help in that department.
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