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All_Hoosiers

ARTICLE:Hoosiers Summer League Report

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Former Indiana players Christian Watford and Cody Zeller are playing the Vegas Summer League. Watford is with the Mavericks and Zeller is with the Bobcats. See summaries for each of their games.July 22, 2013

Zeller Sits Final Two Games, Dominates VSL

Cody Zeller played four of six possible games in the Vegas Summer League, sitting the final two. All Bobcat starters sat the final two games. After a mediocre Summer League debut, Zeller finished strong, ultimately leaving a great impression.

In four games, Zeller averaged 16.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 0.80 blocks per game. In his final three games, however, he averaged a double-double, 19 points and 10.7 rebounds. He shot 26-50 (52%) from the field during the VSL, and 13-18 (72.2%). He went 0-2 from three.

Zeller led the Bobcats in rebounding, was second in scoring, and second in blocks per game. In the VSL, Cody Zeller was 14th in scoring and 6th in rebounding. He was named to the All NBA Summer League team, the only rookie to earn that honor.

Criticism was thrown at Bobcats owner Michael Jordon for passing on guys like Nerlens Noel and Ben McClemore and selecting Cody Zeller at number four in the 2013 draft. After Zeller's rather dominant Summer, however, the critics have quieted down, and excitement has swept over Charlotte.

Many criticized Zeller's decision to leave Indiana citing, "He's not ready." While there was reason to express that specific concern, he sure looked ready for the NBA this past week.

Victor Oladipo's Strong Orlando Summer League

From July 7-12, former Indiana Guard Victor Oladipo played in the Orlando Summer League for the Orlando Magic. The number two overall draft pick played some experimental minutes at point guard, and had an outstanding Summer League. He was arguably the best player in the OSL.

In four games, Oladipo averaged 19.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 3.0 steals per game. He shot 37.5% from the field, but a feathery 53.8% from three. As a result of his point guard experiment, he averaged a not-so-feathery 4.8 turnovers per game.

He led the Magic in scoring, assists, and steals per game, and was fourth in rebounds per game. Oladipo was clearly the go-to guy, as the second-leading scorer for Orlando, Moe Harkless, averaged six less points than him (13.0). A rather surprising stat: Oladipo led the Magic in three-point shooting percentage (min: 10 attempts).

Across the entire Orlando Summer League, Victor was second in scoring. Among players who played a minimum of three games, however, Oladipo was the leading scorer. (OKC Guard Reggie Jackson averaged 19.5 points in only two games.) He was sixth in assists per game, and was T-1 in steals per game. Oladipo was T-31 in rebounds, which is impressive for a guard. Vic was named to the All NBA Summer League first team.

While it's only Summer League, Oladipo appeares to be the pre-season favorite for NBA Rookie of the Year next season. It's unlikely he'll play many minutes at point guard next year, but he should start for Orlando. One word to describe Vic's Summer League: feathery.

July 19, 2013

Watford Ends Summer League on a High Note

On July 19, Christian Watford and the Dallas Mavericks played their Consolation Round game against the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls won 94-87. Watford had one of his best performances, however, ending his Summer on a high note.

For the third time in five games with Dallas, Watford was in the starting line-up. He got things going, draining a three and grabbing rebounds. He also drew a foul and made both free throw shots. At the half, Watford had five points, four rebounds, one assist, and one block. He wouldn't do as much in the second half, however.

In the second half, Watford was scoreless, and grabbed just one more rebound. Early in the fourth, he passed up an open three, took our dribbles in the lane, missed a floater, and missed the subsequent tip-in attempt. Obviously, that's not how Watford played in his four years at Indiana. With this being his last Summer League game, Watford was clearly pressing, presumably trying to prove that he's not just a three-point shooter. He would end the game with five points, five rebounds, one assist, and one block in 16 minutes of play. He shot 1-6 from the field, including 1-2 from three. He was 2-2 from the free throw line.

Final Summer League Analysis: Christian Watford's Summer League had ups-and-downs. He had bright moments like last night and bleak moments, including scoreless games. Now, Watford will either get an invite to a team's training camp, or he'll presumably have to play overseas. His best option for a training camp invite is probably with the Pacers, who raved about him after Rookie Camp.

As an Indiana Pacer in the Orlando Summer League (three games), Watford averaged three points, 1.7 rebounds, and 12 minutes per game. In those three games, he shot 30% from the field and 25% from three. As a Dallas Maverick in the Vegas Summer League (five games), Watford averaged 2.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 9.8 minutes per game. He shot 25% from the field and 33% from three. Overall, in eight Summer League games, Watford averaged 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. He shot 7-26 (26.9%) and a dismal 5-17 (29.4%) from three. He did, however, shoot 2-4 (50%) from three in his final two games.

July 18, 2013

Zeller Continues Summer League Dominance

After a mediocre Summer League debut for Cody Zeller, Bobcat fans continued their harsh criticism of picking the big man at number four. Lately, however, excitement has replaced the criticism. On July 18, Zeller had another fantastic performance, as he led Charlotte to a 92-84 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Zeller just missed a third consecutive double-double. In 32 minutes of play, The Big Handsome scored 18 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished two assists, and blocked one shot. Ed Isaacson of NBA Draft Blog raved about Zeller's awareness, tweeting, "Most impressive part of watching Zeller is his awareness on both ends. Sees everything that's going on." Zeller had trouble taking care of the ball, turning it over four times. He's averaging 3.5 turnovers per game.

Overall, Zeller is having a tremendous summer. In his last three games, he's averaging a double-double, 19 points and 10.7 rebounds. Zeller is shooting 22-41 (53.7%) in those three games, as well. At the moment, he leads the Bobcats in rebounding and is second in scoring.

Cody Zeller will take on the D-League Select in the quarterfinals of the Vegas Summer League Tournament on Saturday, July 20.

Watford Produces in Limited Minutes

On Thursday night, Christian Watford and the Dallas Mavericks played the number one seed Golden State Warriors in the Vegas Summer League Tournament. The Warriors came back from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win and advance. After the loss, the Mavs were bounced to the Consolation Bracket. Once again, Watford faced limited minutes.

After playing zero minutes against the Clippers on July 17, Watford actually saw some time on the court against Golden State. His minutes were limited, however. He played three minutes. Unlike previous games, however, Watford produced in his limited time on the court. Going 1-2 from three, Watford scored three points and grabbed one rebound, a noticeable step up from previous performances.

Watford and the Mavs will play the Chicago Bulls on Friday, July 19.

July 16, 2013

Limited Minutes Leads to Another Scoreless Game for Watford

Former Indiana forward Christian Watford and the Dallas Mavericks took on the D-League Select on July 16. It was each team's final game before the Vegas Summer League Tournament. The D-League Select won the contest 82-75.

For the first time in a Mavericks uniform, Watford was not in the starting line-up. He quickly checked into the game mid-first quarter, however, and played until the beginning of the second. Only playing six minutes, Watford saw very limited action. He did not play after the first.

Thanks in part to limited minutes, Watford went scoreless. His final stat line: zero points, zero rebounds, zero assists, and one turnover. Watford has gone scoreless in three of his last four games.

All Summer, whether it's been in Orlando or Las Vegas, Watford has seen limited opportunities. His highest minute total is 18, and that came back on July 8 with the Pacers. His second-highest is 12, which came on his debut with the Mavs. The lack of minutes has caused Watford to press, which has affected his shot. Through six games, Watford is shooting a mere 27% (5-18) from the field, including 23% (3-13) from three. Both numbers are shockingly low. For comparison, Watford shot 43% from the field and 48% from three during his senior season at Indiana. Watford is averaging 2.3 points per game, but has gone scoreless in three of six.

As the Vegas Summer League Tournament begins, Watford will look to find his shot and turn some heads. All he's looking for is an invite to training camp. He'll take on the Los Angeles Clippers tonight at 10:30 PM ET.

Follow @All_Hoosiers and @BtownBanners for updates on former Hoosiers in the Vegas Summer League.

July 15, 2013

Cody Zeller Has Another Big Day in Bobcats Victory

After a slow start in his Summer League debut, Cody Zeller has played sensational basketball lately. The nerves seem to be gone, and his confidence continues to grow. In his third Summer League game, Zeller faced the New York Knicks, looking to build off his double-double against the Mavericks in his previous game.

Zeller started the day with ten first half points, which lead all Bobcat scorers going into the break. He kept things rolling early in the third, scoring six in the opening minutes. Zeller even attempted a three today, going 0-1. Ultimately, Zeller would score 18 off 7-11 shooting from the field and 4-7 from the free throw line. He was the overall second-leading scorer in the game. The Big Handsome grabbed ten boards, as well, giving him back-to-back double-doubles. With his double-double, Zeller helped lead the Bobcats to consecutive wins, improving their record to 2-1 in Summer League action.

When asked about "finding his groove" in Summer League, Zeller responded, "Yeah, just a little bit. I just try to improve each game; try to learn from each game, win or lose; try to get better." After consecutive double-doubles, Zeller definitely seems to be finding his groove.

He said one thing he can work on is "becoming more comfortable," which is understandable after just three Summer League games.

Through three games, Cody is second on the team in points and rebounds, averaging 15.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He's also shooting a crisp 53% from the field.

One thing is clear: Zeller has been very impressive over his last two games, and people are beginning to take notice. While it's too early to tell, Michael Jordan may have made the right pick at number four in the 2013 draft.

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Agreed. Very bright futures for both Vic and Cody. Watford may even have a future in the NBA.

 

Also, highly recommend that new readers sign-up for a BtownBanners account to talk IUBB, Former Hoosiers like Vic, Cody, Watford, etc., other Indiana sports, and much more on the Btown Forums. 

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I think Watford is going to have to play over seas for a year and try again next summer in the Summer League.  I think he has the talent to make the team, he just doesn't seem to be able to knock down anything right now.  Hopefully he will go nuts in his last game, but it isn't looking promising.

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