Summer League Recap: Mavs steal one from Kings, 76-73

The Dallas Mavericks took on the Sacramento Kings to open their Summer League stretch, live from the Cox Pavilion. Despite trailing most of the game, the Mavericks pulled out the win.

The box score, courtesy of NBA.com:

So, Dallas trailed by five after one, seven at halftime, and five after the third, but saved their best for last.

The game started in predictably sloppy fashion, as both teams looked a little out of shape and short on most jumpers. The lone exception was Josh Akognon, the former Cal-State Fullerton standout who had the stroke working all game long.

Dallas would have a lot of trouble on the defensive end, allowing penetration off pick and rolls, and easy offensive putbacks off missed shots(of which there were plenty).

Dallas managed to make a mini run just before half-time(mainly off free throws), and also at the start of the third quarter, but Sacramento continued to push back. It wasn't until the fourth when Dallas finally managed to break free, thanks to the strong play of Akognon, Gal Mekel and Ricky Ledo, as well as a few timely points from Jae Crowder.

Some observations:

• For the "veterans", there is an expectation that guys who have played real NBA minutes should dominate in this environment. Jae Crowder did not do this. 7-16 from the floor, Crowder continued to hoist jumpers, and he's yet to prove that's a good thing. Though he had some success from midrange, 1-6 from three is worrisome.
• Bernard James was a mixed bag. He did grab 9 boards and blocked 3 shots, but went 0-4 from the field and picked up 7 fouls, allowing too many putbacks and interior passes. He also had trouble catching passes at the other end, which will make his offensive contributions minuscule without any sort of post game or face-up shot.
• The MVP was clearly Josh Akognon. The tiny sparkplug had no hesitation to shoot and with good reason, going 8-14 for 22 points. Akognon got into a few games last year for the big club, and with yesterday's injury news at point guard, he undoubtedly sees a opening.
• Gal Mekel had a pretty nice game, also, showing patience and the ability to get into the lane, where his size and passing ability could be major assets for Dallas. A couple of nice floaters should help him make up for the lack of elite athleticism. He even hit a jumpshot, though he requires quite a bit of windup to let loose. Mekel did not embarrass himself, and that's a good thing, because as of today he is pencilled in as the backup point guard. About the only thing he did that I could criticize was overuse the behind the back pass once or twice.
• Ricky Ledo didn't get a lot of playing time in the first half, but he came alive after halftime, going 4-5 and hitting a couple of tough fadeaway jumpers. Even if he's got the Nick Young profile, he's intriguing, and bears close watching throughout the upcoming week. You see the size, shooting touch and ball-handling skill, and he was as confident as you can expect from someone who didn't go to college. Ledo is going to be an important test for the Dallas coaching staff developmentally. The talent is there.