Observations from the opening day in Orlando…
* Byron Mullens sounds more passionate about the game. That, to me, means more than his 24-point, seven-rebound performance against Boston on Monday night. You might think that’s backwards. It’s not. No. 1, it’s summer league and Mullens’ production, especially against an overmatched group of “Celtics” needs to be taken with a grain of salt. And that’s not taking anything away from Mullens’ game tonight. He was a stud and did everything asked of him. No. 2, Mullens has never really struck me as a fiery guy when it came to basketball. Today, for the first time, I got that vibe from him. Mullens clearly has skills, and up until last season he was getting by on those raw talents. But now he seems eager to want to get the most out of his God-given attributes.
* Eric Maynor is blossoming into one of the league’s best backup point guards before our eyes. His poise is phenomenal. His floater is fantastic. And his ball security is beyond belief for a second-year guard. Maynor just knows how to play. Knows when to attack and when to get his teammates involved. When the game was slipping away, it was Maynor who became aggressive and attacked with purpose when all else failed. If he can spend the rest of this summer working on his jumper to keep defenses honest, he’ll be trouble next season.
* D.J. White is one of the guys I came into this week looking forward to seeing the most. And he didn’t let me down. Not on the offensive end. White has a silky smooth jumper that is almost automatic from mid-range. And he’s crafty enough around the basket to finish in traffic and gobble up offensive boards for putbacks. But his defense was atrocious against Boston. Rookie Luke Harangody, a second-round pick, torched White all night. Some of it was because White had to help on drives. And some of it was solid defense but better offense. Most of it, though, was just bad defense. White must shore up his defensive skills before he earns playing time. And he might be close to running out of time.
* Serge Ibaka was playing a great all-around game before he went down with what’s being called a sprained left ankle. Ibaka rebounded well, blocked shots and showed improved footwork and touch when he got the ball on the block for post-ups. It’s a shame Ibaka went down on a fluke play. I don’t think Ibaka’s injury is serious. But I also don’t think we’ll see him play Tuesday or Wednesday. Makes no sense for the training staff or coaches to rush him back.
* James Harden absolutely took over the game down the stretch. In the first half, he looked as though he was ineffective but the truth of it was he was trying to let his teammates get involved. With him and Maynor playing passive roles, no one else really rose to the occasion and a 21-point deficit was the result. But when Harden decided to attack, he played phenomenal. He got to the free throw line. He slashed backdoor from the baseline and caught a lob from Maynor and he clinched the game with a big-time rejection. I expect to see more of the second half Harden Tuesday.
* We could be in for a nice little matchup on Tuesday between Harden and Charlotte’s Gerald Henderson. It’s worth keeping a close eye on as both try to establish their reputations.
* The MVP of Day One had to be Indiana’s Lance Stephenson. The 40th overall pick out of Cincinnati thoroughly outplayed teammate and 10th overall pick Paul George. And Stephenson, a natural off guard, controlled the game while running the point. It helped that Stephenson had little resistance against 5-foot-9 point guard Jerome Randle, who is an offensive threat but a defensive liability. We’ll see how Stephenson responds Tuesday against a more physically imposing trio of wings for New Jersey that includes Terrence Williams, Damion James and Tulsa’s Ben Uzoh.
* Others who stood out on the first day were Charlotte’s Henderson and Derrick Brown, Boston point guard Oliver Lafayette and forward Luke Harangody, the Thunder’s Harden, Maynor and Mullens, Indiana forward Magnum Rolle, Nets guard Williams and Philly’s Jrue Holiday.
* A lot of whispers throughout the gym on the first day of ninth overall pick Gordon Hayward being soft and over his head. I think it’s way too early for those kinds of labels. He didn’t have the best game in his debut Monday against Charlotte. But his teammates rarely looked for him and he didn’t have the luxury of having the ball in his hands and being the creator and playmaker that he was at Butler. In my opinion, Hayward did show some toughness and nice basketball savvy. He can shoot it, slash and rebound. I worry about his lateral quickness and his ability to defend, as he got beat off the dribble several times. But I think he’ll be fine as the game slows down for him.
