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Remember how on Tuesday, Reggie Jackson set a Orlando Summer League record for points scored in a single game? His run was sustained over a single period, as we watched him totally dominate the fourth quarter with shot after shot. Jeremy Lamb's performance didn't give that same flare, but he was arguably more effective, ensuring the Thunder a consistent lead throughout the game.
But just because his performance didn't happen all at once doesn't mean that he didn't have his share of great highlights. Check the video recap below for some excellent examples of what Jeremy Lamb can do.
The Players:
Jeremy Lamb
I really hate to say this, but a lot of Jeremy Lamb's success was dictated by his opponents. By all accounts, the 76ers have been one of the worst Summer League teams. The only players who were high draft picks or had any measure of NBA success were Arnett Moultrie and Michael Carter-Williams, both of whom had didn't have their greatest games. Lamb was definitely on point in terms of shooting, but a lot of his drives to the rim were uncontested and basic.
I'm not trying to take anything away from his performance, since nobody else was nearly on his level. All I'm saying is that I think he'll struggle when faced with higher competition. I've beaten this to death in my Summer League recaps, but this game was the perfect example. When he gets a matchup that he can exploit, or there's a lack of defensive post presence, he can pretty much take over the game. But when he's faced with better defensive players, like he did against Indiana and Orlando, he'll either fade into the background or shoot way too many jumpers. I doubt it's a confidence issue. Rather, he simply needs to get more creative in how he shakes his man. That's something that you can gain with experience, so I'm still pretty confident about his future.
Steven Adams
This was arguably Steven Adams' best game of this Summer League, but, again, it was against arguably the worst competition. Still, I was very impressed with what I saw. He showed good knowledge of where to be on both ends of the floor, and he even displayed a couple of nice hook shots. His only miss came when he was left out to dry on the baseline, and he never really took a bad shot. That's what you like to see out of a center: efficiency. Are you reading this, Kendrick Perkins?
DeAndre Liggins
Like the previous two guys, Liggins had arguably his best game of this year's Summer League. He was an excellent glue guy, filling up every area of the stat sheet and playing sublime defense. But his offense still needs work, in terms of positioning on the floor and skill. He deserves credit for trying, because he tried to take more of an active role in scoring and distribution. But whenever he stepped outside of his box, he just missed a shot or turned the ball over. I'd still love to see him on the team next year, though.
Dwight Buycks
In his fourth straight game, Buycks finally fell to earth. After kicking the game off with two assists, he failed to make much of a positive impact. But his failure wasn't really a lack of skill, or a lack of awareness. He just seemed to be half a step slower, and failed a few plays because he couldn't get the lift he needed on a shot or get to the spot he needed to be. Thus, I'm not reading too much into this performance.
The Rest
Ron Anderson continued to be himself, but didn't get the foul calls that he got in the previous games. He never really hurt the team though, and made the right passes while getting in position. Ryan Reid banged in the post a bit, and stole a couple of entry passes. He and Ron Anderson are basically twins. Kyle Kuric finally finished shooting 50%, and hit two threes in the fourth that helped the Thunder win the quarter and nail down a slot in the championship game. Andrew Smith didn't get hurt this time, so that's an improvement.
Awards:
Thunder Wonder: Jeremy Lamb
Thunder Down Under: Steven Adams
Thunder Blunder: Dwight Buycks
Thunder Plunderer: Rodney Williams
Next Game: The Orlando Pro Summer League Championship!!!! Time to be Announced....
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