Our in-season Grades coverage typically does not apply for Summer League games, but getting to see the Dallas Mavericks take on the Golden State Warriors in person alongside other members of the Mavs Moneyball staff makes for a special exception.
The vibe and atmosphere of Summer League games are definitely unique and special, and simply put, a lot of fun. Getting a glimpse of players that will certainly see playing time next season, as well as some potential diamond-in-the-rough members of the roster is a fun experience.
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Grading someone like Ryan Nembhard with 60 games of NBA experience, against someone like Sergio De Larrea with zero games of NBA experience doesn’t quite jibe, so we’ll take a different approach this time around.
Let’s get to the grades!
Ryan Nembhard: Satisfactory
15 PTS / 3 REB / 11 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK – 35 MIN
Nembhard did what you would expect from him after watching him play on the big stage last year. His shot was a little rusty with a 6-for-15 showing, pulled down largely by a 1-for-6 from beyond the arc. To his credit, he was the only Maverick to post a double-double and he managed to dish a team high (by far)11 assists for a team that only shot 43% overall.
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Sergio De Larrea: Needs Improvement
9 PTS / 6 REB / 5 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK – 29 MIN
This grade may seem a touch harsh for a young player who was in Spain about a week ago, who then came overseas to play with a team full of strangers. In other words, he put up a nice well-rounded stat line under what were surely stressful circumstances. The “Needs Improvement” was largely due to two factors. First, he was 3-for-14 from the field and 1-for-9 from deep, with many misses looking especially bad – but so be it; first game a few days after arriving in the country. Second, his handle does not look NBA-ready. Again, this adjustment for him can’t be understated, but he definitely struggled in this department. The good news is he showed real flashes at different spots during the game.
Morez Johnson, Jr.: Exceptional
27 PTS / 8 REB / 3 AST / 3 STL / 2 BLK – 26 MIN
Johnson was an absolute beast who put together an excellent game. He was arguably the best player on the floor for either team. At one point I turned to fellow Mavs Moneyball staffer, Matt Martinez, and commented that Johnson appeared to be on a slightly different level than most of the other players. You could tell he had a good court sense, positioned himself well, rotated well, and just simply appeared NBA-ready. The only knock on his game was seven fouls (in Summer League, each player is allowed more than six fouls), but even that spoke to his willingness to play defense and help on rotations. I fully expect he will clean that up. Johnson showed up in a big way and Mavs’ fans should be excited for what he can bring.
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Tobi Lawal: Meets Expectations
5 PTS / 4 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 1 BLK – 14 MIN
The “Meets Expectations” grade here is a bit loaded, as those very expectations are subjective. He bricked two of the three three-point attempts he took, bringing his overall shooting to 2-for-6, but had a solid game in limited minutes. There is raw talent that can certainly be harnessed into a serviceable (or better?) NBA player. He showed some defensive chops and demonstrated some high-flying freakish athleticism. Whether his ceiling is a player like Moussa Cisse, Dereck Lively, or beyond, is yet to be determined, but there is definitely something there.
14 PTS / 2 REB / 1 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 24 MIN
Poulakidas did what he does, and that is shoot. He didn’t do it especially well (5-for-15 overall; 4-for-12 from deep), but adjusting for Summer League and the squad of unfamiliars he was playing with, we can afford him the benefit of the doubt. There isn’t much to say about his game, but it was at the very least solid as he showed he remains the player he was last season.
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Vsevolod Ishchenko: To Be Determined
7 PTS / 3 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 27 MIN
I simply can’t come up with a better grade for Ishchenko, as he was a bit of an enigma. Watching the game live, it felt like he had a much bigger impact than the box score would indicate. He seemed a little less bulky than he appeared to me in photos, and he was a bit timid – like De Larrea, to be expected under the circumstances of having arrived in a new country to play with strangers mere days ago. He definitely did not strike me as a player who is years away from seeing NBA minutes; it seems he will improve simply by way of adjusting to a lot of change, and that leaves me feeling hopeful.
Final Thoughts
This was day one of a squad of guys who have zero NBA minutes under their belt. With all things considered, it was a lot of fun and there were a lot of flashes of what many of these players could become. Where De Larrea may have felt a bit disappointing (again, I think we can afford him a good amount of grace), Johnson was spectacular. There is fun to be had with these guys and we’ll hopefully see more of it on Saturday night.
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