2009 Orlando Summer League Day One Thoughts
The 2009 Orlando Summer League debuted today and most Magic fans wanted to see one player – Ryan Anderson. The 2008 former first round draft pick was selected one pick ahead of 2008 Magic first round pick Courtney Lee, so he had expectations to live up. He did not disappoint. After a slow start, Anderson had 21 points in his Magic debut. He his six of his fourteen shots and was seven of eight from the free throw line. He only made two of seven three pointers but showed a very nice stroke and the potential to be a very good shooter. Shooting may be what Anderson is known for, but it is not all that he can do.
David Thorpe, a writer who is the Executive Director of the Pro Training Center at IMG Academies in Bradenton, Florida and NBA Insider, wrote about Anderson through his twitter today.
"“Ryan Anderson has a lot of work to do on his body. But he’s not just a shooter. He’s a player.”"
Thorpe, like most others thinks that Anderson must gain a lot of strength in his upper body to be a more effect to player on both offense and defense in the paint. Just by looking at Anderson’s body, this is obvious. What most people don’t know is that Anderson is a very athletic player, a hard worker and a player who can get in good position to get a rebound.
Anderson backed up this talk by grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out three assists. Anderson showed that his athleticism will not only let him play PF but SF as well. With the Magic losing so many players so far during this offseason, Anderson’s versatility will be extremely important to team whose goal is to win the NBA championship.
Jeremy Richardson, who spent last season as a member of the Orlando Magic, had a pretty good afternoon as well. He didn’t shoot the ball that well, making just seven of his team high 19 attempts, but he did score 18 points and wound up pulling down a game high 11 rebounds. Richardson has been a very prolific scorer at every level besides the NBA, but he was on the roster for the Orlando Magic’s Finals appearance and with steady improvement, he should see more playing time in the 2009-10 season.
Another impressive player from Monday afternoon was F Richard Hendrix. I think Hendrix is a player that is going to make this team. He is a player I, along with many other Magic fans, have liked since the 2008 NBA Draft when he was selected with the 19th pick in 2nd by the Golden State Warriors out of Alabama. He isn’t the tallest guy at about 6’8 or 6’9 but he has a very big frame, weighing 255 Lbs. He also has a 7’3 wingspan, helping to make up for his size. He can use this frame to get in very good position down low whether it’d be for a rebound or to get a look at the basket. He is very aggressive but also very smart. His basketball IQ is very high. He has a good hook shot. Hendrix has a decent jumper, but is inconsistent. He was an extremely good rebounder in college. He does need to improve on a few things to see any important NBA action this season. He’s a step slow which makes it a little hard for him to play defense. He needs to get quick on defense and with his first step. His free throw shooting needs much improvement, but he was unfortunately for Magic fans, Hendrix only played for 15 minutes and 28 seconds. He was still able to be very effective. He scored 10 points on only five shots, making four of them. He also grabbed four rebounds and did not pick up a foul.
No one else really stood out. Center Darian Townes grabbed six rebounds in 20 minutes. SG Maurice Ager scored nine points but missed six of his eight free throw attempts. Ager also had five turnovers. Not a good first night. Milovan Rakovic, the Yugoslavian PF/C that many Magic fans hoped to get a look at, didn’t play.
Stayed tuned to the summer league games on OrlanoMagic.com. Even if you don’t want to watch the actual games, announcers Dante and Galante provided great entertainment and humor throughout the day.