The Las Vegas Summer League isn’t about wins and losses, or statistics or highlights. It’s about improving, and after their first game, a 92-87 loss to the Toronto Raptors, the Portland Trail Blazers have a better idea of what areas need to be addressed.
“I thought overall they worked hard and gave us a lot of the things we talked about trying to do going into the game,” said Joe Prunty, who is handling head coaching duties for the Trail Blazers in Las Vegas. “I thought the things that we struggled with, in some regards, were things you do struggle with a lot of times in summer league.”
Those struggles consisted mostly of turnovers and defensive intensity, problems that are to be expected in the first game of summer league.
“We had 19 (turnovers) for 21 points and I think that was a big difference,” said Prunty. “The one thing I know we can account for that we did not do a good job, and again, this is all of us, from coaches to players, we didn’t do a very good job defensively. Fifty-one percent from the field and 92 points is a little bit more than we’re willing to accept.”
Jerryd Bayless, the only player on Portland’s summer league roster who is currently under contract with the Trail Blazers, finished the game with 22 points, seven assists and four rebounds in 31 minutes of play. One of Portland’s main goals in Las Vegas is finding out if Bayless, who was the MVP of last year’s summer league, can run a team from the point guard position.
“You want to put these guys in NBA situations, NBA experiences and that’s what was really good,” said Prunty. “Getting guys the opportunity to be out there with those lead changes, handling the ebb and flow of the game. This is what’s great for Jerryd. How do you find the open man? How do you run the game?
“Jerryd is going to play. That’s a big part of what we’re trying to do this summer. I think Dante Cunningham, Jeff Pendergraph, we want to get them minutes, really get a chance to evaluate them, especially moving forward.”
Both Cunningham and Pendergraph looked impressive in their first games as professionals. Pendergraph, starting at power forward, finished the night with 12 points and 9 rebounds in 26 minutes. But it was Cunningham, taken two spots after Pendergraph in the 2009 draft, who caught the eye of the Blazers coaching staff.
“He looked very comfortable,” said Prunty. “I thought he did a really nice job setting screens, slipping screens, separating after he set screens. I thought he did a really nice job of going after boards. He got a few of what I like to refer to as ‘dirty rebounds,’ where they’re out of your area, you hustle after them. They’re not the ones that sort of fall into your lap. So I really appreciated the effort he gave. “
Cunningham finished with a game-high tying 22 points and nine rebounds.
The Trail Blazers return to action on Wednesday with a game against the Houston Rockets. Tipoff at Cox Pavilion on the campus of UNLV is scheduled for 7 p.m.
