The Mavericks lost 87-78 to the Houston Rockets but showed some solid improvements as a team. The box score can be seen Here. Dallas showed better transition defense and looked more in control on offense. The problem was their inefficiency at the free throw line and that definitely played a role in their defeat in Vegas. Again, we will focus on Roddy Beaubois and Dominique Jones and also look at the two players who look like they are showing they want to make it through the Summer League and get an invite to Mavericks Training Camp.
Roddy Beaubois
34 minutes played, 28 points (12-20 FG, 2-6 3PT, 2-3 FT), 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 turnovers, 0 steals, 0 blocks
Coach Carlisle was commenting on what's expected of Roddy in the Summer League and going forward. Rick said the emphasis is getting more experience at the point guard position and focusing on facilitating and building his leadership abilities. He also commented that Roddy needs to stay aggressive and force the second defender to commit and make the right decision. Roddy responded, it was a night and day performance for Beaubois in game 2. He made the right decisions and played with much better poise. His court vision was excellent and if he was playing with NBA-caliber talent, he would have had a lot more assists. It was good to see that he continued to shoot with confidence after a sluggish game one, he showed excellent diversity with shooting versus attacking the lane. It was a great game for Beaubois.
Dominique Jones
33 minutes played, 10 points (2-6 FG, 0-1 3PT, 6-10 FT), 3 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 0 steals, 0 blocks
Carlisle praised Jones' performance in Game 1. Rick believes that Dominique can be a prolific scorer with his ability to create space and find the gaps in the defense. He also believes that he's a very effective passer and just needs to continue working on his jumper. "DoJo" didn't have a high scoring game as in game 1 but he was still incredibly effective getting to the basket. He also showed the ability to attack the defense by going left, that versatility will help when defenders try to force him from going away from the right side. Jones has that "bowling ball" style of play in the sense when he's determined to get the basket, he's very hard to stop. He did a good job in keeping his turnovers minimal and he did see a little more time leading the offense.
The two players who look primed to stay on the team and possibly get training camp invites:
Omar Samhan
27 minutes played, 17 points (8-12 FG, 1-3 FT), 0 assists, 6 rebounds, 0 turnovers, 3 steals, 0 blocks
Omar should nice patience in the post and didn't really force the issue. He does need to present a bigger target on the fast break, there were instances where he was able to run down the middle of the court and had the opportunity for a solid entry pass for a dunk but he didn't present himself by extending his hands up to show he's ready. Samhan showed nice defense by flashing out on pick and rolls and also developed a nice two man game with pick and rolls with Roddy. Omar showed a nice ability to create space with his frame and hands and showed a soft touch at the basket. All of those traits will definitely please the coaching staff. Going forward, you'd like to see how Samhan performs with looking for cutters or open shooters if a double team presents itself. Either way, he's had two solid performances.
Jeremy Lin
12 minutes played, 4 points (1-2 FG, 2-3 FT), 1 assist, 3 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 0 steals, 0 blocks
Lin did not get as many minutes in this game as Roddy was the hot man on the court. He continued to show a pest-like nature with his defense, he stayed active and very aggressive. Jeremy also showed more of an ability to have a good first step and attack the lane and show decent court vision. He might have a twin personality to Dominique because Lin attacks and he does so with a purpose, but he does it while still keeping his body in control. The young point guard isn't really doing anything to hurt his stock and he's playing to his strengths. He's definitely been a positive factor on the court.
The Summer League Continues...