Pacers go undefeated in the Summer League
The Pacers went into the Summer League in Orlando with one goal , to get Hansbrough , Price , Rush and Hibbert used to playing together . Its no secret that GM Larry Bird thinks these four players plus Danny Granger are the future of the Pacers . "When you look at that four and then add Danny , you see one of the best young cores in the NBA" explained Bird .
Tyler Hansbrough
First-round pick Tyler Hansbrough made as strong a first impression as could be hoped, averaging 18.2 points and 5.6 rebounds while earning praise from all corners of the gym. "I think he's terrific," said Nets President Rod Thorn. "He knows how to play and he works his tail off every night. He rebounds, he gets to the foul line, he's relentless. I like him and he's a good kid, as well.
"I think he'll be a very good player in this league. People who said what he did in college he wouldn't be able to do in the NBA should come here and watch him." Two other NBA Coaches also had high praise for the EX-UNC Star . "I think he's a tough, hard-nosed guy with a lot better skills than people gave him credit for when he came out," said Orlando's Stan Van Gundy. "I think he's a sure thing to have a successful NBA career."
"I love the way he plays," said Utah's Jerry Sloan. "He has terrific energy and he's a guy who will be a factor in this league a long time. He'll make people work to guard him and he's a guy who clearly will help you win."
Hansbrough was selected in the All Summer League - First Team .
My opinion of what I saw (Archer2k407)
He was faster up and down the court than I remembered and had a better 3 than I first thought . Not saying his three point shooting is good but its an area that I thought he didnt have and he showed on 1 or 2 occasions that he did . His toughness/hustle on the boards was about what I expected to see from him . Looked real good overall but it`s only the Summer League.
Roy Hibbert
Roy Hibbert did what Roy Hibber does , he scored inside and grabed rebounds with ease . The two areas that Hibbert showed some improvement on from last season was that he avoided clumsy fouls and defended alot better when in man on man situations . "I think his defense was really good," said O'Brien. "I saw a lot of growth, even from the end of last year to now. I think it's a result of all the work he has put into it from a conditioning standpoint and being on the court in the offseason.
"The guys he went up against (in Orlando) are pretty decent players and he was able to score. And his leadership was very, very good down here. Everything he did was very positive, in my eyes."
Hibbert led the team in scoring (20.2) and rebounding (9.0) and averaged fewer than five fouls per 48 minutes – less than half his 10.2 rookie mark.
My Opinion of what I saw
He didnt do alot out of the ordinary for me . He grabbed boards and scored with ease when he was allowed to gain deep position on the D . His scoring was way up from last season but he took ALOT more shots than normal so I will take that stat with a pinch of salt to be honest . I`ve always liked Roy and saw nothing to show me why I would stop now.
A.J Price
Price didnt put up the numbers like Tyler or Roy but he still made an impression on the Pacers coaching staff in the Summer League Games . His flashy passing and good 3 point shooting were to be his main strengths in the 5 games . "A.J. Price played very well," O'Brien said. "I still think when all is said and done and people look back in a couple years, they're going to be shocked he was a late second-round draft pick.
"He looked as comfortable out on this basketball court as any point guard down here. He has a great feel for the game and scores it, sees the open man, consistently makes the right decisions. He's a strong player and has really terrific range."
Price averaged 8.2 points and a team-high 3.2 assists.
My Opinion on what I saw
I remember seeing him for UCONN in the NCAA Tourney and thinking this guy takes on way to many ill-advised midrange shots . He didnt seem to have any real explosivness either when attacking the hoop . In the Summer League he seemed to be alot more composed than that day , I saw him willing to pass alot and being able to stop and shoot a 3 in the face of the D. I liked what I saw but he tried a few too many flashy passes for me .
July 6th - Nets/6ers 67 - 75 Pacers
July 7th - Thunder 88 - 91 Pacers
July 8th - Pacers 95 - 79 Jazz
July 9th - Pacers 91 - 88 Celtics
July 10th - Pacers 68 - 54 Magic
*Quotes and Stats taken from Pacers.com , Majority written by me*