A. Sherrod Blakely has a brief update on Amir Johnson and Cheikh Samb in his summer league preview:
Johnson, who appeared in 62 games last season, appears to have bulked up some this summer for what the Pistons anticipate will be a breakout season for him.
[…] “We think he can be an X-factor type player, a guy that can make plays above the rim, athletically on the defensive end and the offensive end,” Dumars said. “He’s a young guy that has more athleticism, more speed and energy than anything we have up front. Where we are as a team right now, it’s imperative that we have a player on the floor like that right now.”
How much has Amir bulked up? We’ll find out on Friday when Detroit kicks off the summer league with a televised game against the Lakers on NBA TV. I’m just as curious, if not more, about Cheikh Samb’s progress, especially after reading this high praise from Dumars:
Dumars has similar praise for Samb, a player he acknowledges has progressed at a rate quicker than the Pistons anticipated.
Dumars said some front-office executives have reached out to see if he was willing to part with Samb.
“This kid can stroke it; I mean really, really stroke it,” Dumars said. “I know I got a 7-foot-1 guy who is coming, in a hurry. He is a guy that I think, in certain situations, can help us this season.”
I love the fact that Samb has a nice jumper, but he needs to keep drinking milk and eating spinach if he’s even going to dress this year, let alone get into any games. That said, he’s definitely a guy to keep an eye on in Vegas this year — it’s his third trip out there since being drafted in 2006.
ASB’s article also talks about some of the other lesser-known guys on the roster, and suggests that journeyman Will Bynum has the best chance at actually making the Pistons’ roster as the No. 3 point guard behind Chauncey Billups and Rodney Stuckey.
(Also, quick question: are any of you planning on attending the summer league? I know there were some rumblings in the comments a while back about possible plans, but did any of those come together? If so, leave a note in the comments. I’ll be out there July 16-21, and while this is a working trip, I always have time for loyal DBB readers.)
hey, first post on DBB (though i’ve been reading it for a while).
as an Israeli pistons fan who’s watched Bynum play here in Maccabbi i can say i’m terrified about him being in the pistons… he’s athletic and skilled but makes amazingly dumb moves, often charging straight into 2-3 larger defenders and losing the ball, occasionally tossing it to the other team or outside, etc.
Does anyone know if the summer league will be broadcast online? I couldn’t find it anywhere…
I’ll be out there 15-20, loyal DBB follower.
Yes, I too am interested in watching online, hopefully I will find it with MyP2P.
I’d be curious to see if they give one of those final roster spots to Samb to start the season. Of course, things could change if any trades are made.
My god, can the hype for Amir getting any bigger??
I sure hope Amir can live up to the Amare Stoudemire type expections we’ve placed on the poor kid. I like what I see but sometimes when checking out DBB, I wonder if the kid could also cure AIDS and cancer. Lets go get ‘em Amir!!!
I’m curious of others’ expectations for Amir this year?
I’m thinking around 15-20 mpg, 5-7 ppg, 6-7 reb/game, and a block/game. Also not getting in foul trouble so much.
Thats about exactly what I’m expecting from him. I see him being Tyrus Thomas with more defense and better in the open floor.
“I’m thinking around 15-20 mpg, 5-7 ppg, 6-7 reb/game, and a block/game. Also not getting in foul trouble so much.”
I’m pretty much in line with this, although I really hope his minutes are more in the 17-22 range. I’d also like to see more of his offensive game. Last year he was told to focus on bringing energy, defense, and rebounding, and didn’t had very few offensive plays called for him. He has a pretty decent midrange shot and the ability to take his defender off the dribble. I think if he’s given more of a role on offense he’ll be more confident making plays instead of worrying about being pulled if he misses a jumper.
I’d also like to see updated hight/weight/wingspan measurements for Amir and Samb.
I am HOPING he gets more like 8-10 pts and 2 blocks in 15-20 minutes. but Shinons numbers are definitely more realistic. Rebounds, defense, and a few dunks and put-backs.
I think 6-8 pts is still realistic. Will probably have high FG%… curious to see if they do run plays for him.
Is it easy to check out a game or two? I am in LA and could make a trip out to Vegas. I’d love to be able to see the young guns up close and personal.
“I’m curious of others’ expectations for Amir this year?”
16-22 mpg, 26 ppg, 13 rpg, 9 bpg, 60% FG. Oh, and vice president elect.
Thad Young averaged 8 ppg and 4 rpg in 21 min last year for Philly as a 19 year old rookie. I think 10 ppg and 8-10 rpg is not to much to HOPE for IF he gets meaningful minutes. But I’ll take 7 and 7 if we get to see him play.
I can’t find the Lakers summer league roster, but we should handle them Friday night. Can’t wait.
http://hoopshype.com/summer_leagues.htm
James: I believe the games are at the Thomas & Mack and a second venue, but not sure where. T&M is where UNLV plays so I’m quite sure getting in is no problem. Perhaps someone can help out here, but I don’t believe they clear the stands between games as there is only ~20 min between each.
I’d like to see what Amir looks like “bulked” up. He’s got a thin frame and narrow shoulders so the process of putting on weight should be interesting. As for Samb, gotta love a guy who is busting his ass behind the scenes. Can you imagine the interior D with Samb, Amir & Tay? Wingspan wise, that’s gotta be close to 23-25 feet!!
Personally, I get a bit antsy when my 7′1″ center is praised by the GM as really stroking it. Do you really have to stroke it from inside the paint?
Noticed Dumars isn’t saying too much about Sharpe, with obviously little to go on so far, but it’ll be interesting.
James: where abouts are you in LA? I live in Palmdale and work in Chatsworth.
Amir has 2 more months after the LVSL to continue bulking up.
Current Projected Nov 1st Roster
Starters
————-
Sheed
Dyess
Tay
Rip
Mr. Big Shot
Zoo Crew #2
—————
Amir
Maxey
Sharpe
Stuckey
Afflalo
11 & 12
————–
Samb
J. Jones - MLE signing
Street Clothes
——————
Hunter
Ratliff
W. Bynum - FA signing
If he can continue to produce at the rate he has while cutting down on fouls, he will continue to get more playing time. I see him starting with 15-18 mpg, and grabbing about 6p, 5r, and 1b.
As he earns more playing time, I see him moving into double-double territory, which would give the Pistons a lot of confidence to trade Sheed at the deadline.
If we sign James Jones, he’ll be higher on the depth chart than Sharpe and Spellcheck. He’ll take over the Jarvis Hayes role, though he is a nominally better shooter.
No projections on Amir
However, I would like to see two on court developments for him.
1. Reducing fouls per minute
2. Getting more offensive plays run for him than last year.
As far as I could tell Flip ran only 2 plays for Amir.
1. The give and go, which Amir did a very good job of finishing at the rim with.
2. A low post baby hook shot, which Amir was also getting down when Flip gave Amir’s minutes to Theo.
Hopefully he add
1. A turn around jump shot
2. Some dribble drive
3. A mid-range jump shot
He will probably have to wait a little longer before Curry lets him shoot the trey. I understand he has a pretty decent one in practice. LOL
“I wonder if the kid could also cure AIDS and cancer. Lets go get ‘em Amir!!!” (E-Double)
Dude, everyone knows that Chuck Norris’s tears cure cancer, not Amir Johnson. As for the AIDS, well, it sounds reasonable enough.
“Personally, I get a bit antsy when my 7′1″ center is praised by the GM as really stroking it. Do you really have to stroke it from inside the paint?” (MarkButter in SoCal)
My guess is Joe D. is referring to his baseline and 15 foot jumpers. Cheikh knocked down a few of these in the summer league last year and in the pre-season. He really does have a nice touch for a guy as big as he is who has only been playing ball for 5-6 years.
It’s nice that he has or has developed this jumper, but I’d like to see him develop a solid hook shot or some other easy to execute post-move…oh and gain 40 pounds of pure muscle…i hear horse testosterone does wonders.
How much weight/muscle can Amir actually have put on? I mean, we last saw him, what, like 3 or 4 weeks ago? Is that really enough time to see significant effects from even a ridiculously rigorous lifting regimen?
man, if Cheikh can bury that James Edwards fadeaway I might have to change my underwear after watching Pistons’ games this year
Kevin:
You may be correct about Jones being in the Zoo Crew instead of Afflalo. IF we sign Jones we will have to wait and see. I don’t see Jones playing the #3 because his offense is limited to #3 point shooting and his rebounding is pretty weak.
You may also be correct about Jones being ahead of Sharpe but only because Jones at this point is a better defender. But like I said above Jones has too limited an offensive game and does not rebound well at all.
I see Jones more a situational 3 point shooter who will give us good defense when he is on the court, but not near as good as Afflalo.
I think Afflalo’s minutes this coming year will be determined by how well, if any, he improves his long range shooting.
The LVSL should be interesting and revealing.
How much weight/muscle can Amir actually have put on? I mean, we last saw him, what, like 3 or 4 weeks ago? Is that really enough time to see significant effects from even a ridiculously rigorous lifting regimen?>>
Where did you see him 3 or 4 weeks ago in a basketball uniform without his warmups.
Flip stopped playing him in the middle of April. LOL
Actually I did notice Amir looked more bulked up at the end of the regular season. I missed his 2 minutes in the Celtics series. Sorry about that.
I am surprised that no one has mentioned that Amir cures Narcolepsy, but then again lets not confuse him with the guy on the Dos Equis commercial. LOL
Mike, I did catch his time against the Celtics, and he didn’t really look any different then.
Also, Amir played in both the Philly & Orlando serieseseseses.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3982/gamelog;_ylt=AjmB7yq8SzRVquALxAgazjGkvLYF
In the Philly series, he appeared in 4 games, logging nearly 16 minutes, nearly 6, 2:24 and 11:25.
In the Orlando series, he appeared twice, logging 2:43 and 2:33.
I was being sarcastic in response to the comment.
Amir had bulked up some by the end of the regular season.
We finished the Orlando series on May 13th.
Since then Amir logged 2 minutes which I doubt anyone could seriously tell how much he bulked up unless they watched his 2 minutes in close up slow mo.
So it has been almost 2 months see we really have seen him.
I would not be unreasonable for someone his age who was hitting the weights seriously to add maybe 3-5 pounds of muscle in two months.
Anyone we will all see starting Friday.
Vegas bound baby
- This is a great way to see the draft picks - I went the last 2 years and had a blast each time
The cost this year is $20.00/ you pay one time and you can watch all the games-played in that Arena(Thomas&Mack) or Cox Pavilion
Hey James,
They don’t clear after each game -
It is possible that he had added a couple of pounds of muscle at the time of the Celtics series as compared to what he was at on April 15th.
Especially since he had a lot of time to spend in the weight room in May and June.
However, 2 pounds of additional muscle is not going to show up on TV or even in person
So lets say he has added another few pounds since the Celtics series.
So we are talking about 5 pounds since the season ended.
This 5 pounds will be more obvious to the viewer than say 2 pounds would be and could lead someone to say that it appears he has bulked up some.
i am NOT making vsl again from l.a. work this weekend and then the pistons don’t have games the 2nd weekend, so no point.
http://www.nancarrow-webdesk.com/warehouse/storage2/2008-w15/img.188157.html
Son is looking pretty brolic in this snapshot, and it’s an old one.
Detroit needs a team of brutes to punish the league for their bad calls, and to abuse America’s teams for their decades-long haterism
Just posting cause it’s out there.
Detnews’ McCosky mentions Billups for Al Harrington.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080708/OPINION03/807080362/1127/SPORTS0102
GS has so much up in the air, but I can’t really place Al on the Pistons rotation. As a super sub?
Your thoughts?
freep is reporting the pistons have been talking with one carlos delfino…
http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080708/SPORTS03/80708046
Son is looking pretty brolic in this snapshot, and it’s an old one>>
That game was on Apr 13th.
That is how I remember him looking at year end.
It will be interesting to see if he added to that over the last 12 weeks.
Langlois also mentioned it.
I don’t see us getting Harrington.
What about Maxiell?
Maxiell is better right now and will only continue to get better over the next couple of years. In my opinon Harrington’s game has gone down since he left Indiana.
He doesn’t rebound worth a darn for a #4 or #5, only 5.4 rebounds in 27 mpg last year.
I could see him maybe playing the #3 as a backup for Tay, but I certainly wouldn’t trade Billups for him.
“Detnews’ McCosky mentions Billups for Al Harrington.”
Wow…that would be even more lopsided than the Pau trade.
Aaron: Don’t like it. I can see perhaps Harrington coming in still pissed at Indy and he didn’t like shooting all those 3’s in Nellie’s system and said he’d rather post up. Though I doubt this is what we are looking for. They would have to throw in someone else.
I also saw the clips might have to renounce almost their entire roster to have enough money to throw at Brand. Though he’s not a starter, how about Paul Davis, MSU alum as the banger we are looking for? He had ACL surgery, so he’s got some rehab left to do, but he’s more than serviceable as a backup. FWIW
@Aaron N:
I saw that this morning, but was afraid to post it here for fear of yet another trade-borne flamewar. I think everyone here will agree that moving Chauncey for Harrington is a big downgrade, especially for a player that would have to be jammed into a busy front-court. Bringing on Harrington would be a knock to Amir and Max, as they’d have ever more starter-paid players to compete with for minutes.
Also, note that McCosky does not say that he’d heard about this trade from any team source, detroit or otherwise. He brought it up as an idea of his own, not a rumor. I tell you, those damn sports bloggers and their unvetted opinions are killing sports media… oh wait, McCosky said it? Nevermind, McCosky is allowed to say whatever he wants. Cuz he’s got them credentials.
The only values in a package like that would come from 1) the player GS would package with Harrington and 2) the fact that Harrington’s $10 mil contract expires for the 2010 free agent class. Pair that with Rip’s expiring contract, DET could have $21+ million to play with for a superstar.
However, if Joe was interested in that expiring contract, he would essentially be signalling that DET is in rebuilding mode. Because he would essentially be trading away one of the premier point guards in the league for a scrub to have big money for 2010. I don’t think any other 2-seeded team in history would consider rebuilding the following season…
Yeah, my same feelings on Harrington. I kind of like him as Prince’s back-up, he rebounds well enough for a 3… and considering he was used primarily as a 3pt shooter for Nelson last year his numbers were decent. I guess it depends on what else could come with it and who else ends up on our roster. I think i mentioned this before, but he could be the kind of player that finally “blossoms” as a Piston. That GS situation is such mess right now though… so who knows.
The problem is that i get really psyched about the unproven potential of our own guys… and that isn’t the safest bet. Harrington has proved he can contribute, at the very least. He’s also young and carries a shorter contract.
the Freep mentions we’ve contacted Delfino.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080708/SPORTS03/80708046/1051
yes, i hesitated to even post the Harrington thing just because it’s another random idea. but it’s something to talk about….
@jpop: holy hell, that’s funny stuff
Would Harrington, Bellineli, and future draft pick do anything for anyone?
MarkButter: Amir has rather broad shoulders, I’d say — I never thought that adding weight would be a problem.
This is great news. My confidence in Amir is directly proportional to how much muscle he can put on. He’ll rebound better, finish better around the rim, and have a better chance of staying healthy (my biggest concern about this kid).
As for Cheick, he’s never going to be a banger. Ideally, he’ll have a Marcus Camby caliber game. Good shot blocker, rebounder, marginal on-the-ball defender, and a decent mid-range shot. I think I’ll gladly concede a low post game if, as a second round pick, he can provide the other stuff.
Payne- I thought I was the only one to think that that idea was funny.
Matt Watson: I kinda think of narrow shoulders like a Camby or a Larry Bird and wide shoulders as KG & McHale. But let’s not talk about guy’s physiques, it gives me the creeps…lol
Aaron N: harrington, bellini & 1st round pick..I think I could live with that if there’s something else afterwards. I don’t think you can trade someone for 90 days after they’ve been traded and given the warriors would be in the lottery with the pick since they play in the west and are losing B. Davis, I could grow to like that deal better.
I don’t know what to make of Amir. If you took 1 part Amare, 1 part Camby, & part 1 Jermaine O’Neal — mixed all the good and bad in a pot and then added a dash of mystery you’d have a recipe for Amir. A lot depends on how much speed and coordination Amir keeps as he fills out.
I think when it comes to Amir, we forget the kid is only 21 or 22 and was drafted in 05 (??) If he came out in the 08 draft, I think he’d be a first round pick and perhaps a lottery.
joejoejoe: great descripion. I think he’ll be Okay as he fills out.
@joejoejoe and MarkButter:
this has been mentioned before here, but this is the absolute best case scenario for Amir’s career growth:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3120/career;_ylt=AuouAjujLVVXFRGk6_zxOvekvLYF
Mike Payne: Amir growth –> I’ll take it.
I’m working in El Segundo and living in the Marina Del Rey area. I think it’s only about 6 hours to Vegas…
“How much weight/muscle can Amir actually have put on? I mean, we last saw him, what, like 3 or 4 weeks ago? Is that really enough time to see significant effects from even a ridiculously rigorous lifting regimen?”
Yes. In the offseason, players can undergo a much more rigorous regimen. In one month, it would not be at all implausible for him to have lost 8 pounds of fat and gained 12 pounds of muscle in five weeks. On his slender frame, that would make a major visual impact.
As far as his frame goes, Jermaine O’Neal weighs 260. If we put Amir at 220 at season’s end, I don’t think another 30 pounds is out of the question.
Amir = Beefcake! Beefcake!
“Would Harrington, Bellineli, and future draft pick do anything for anyone?”
Can I ask a question? Why would we want Al Harrington? What need does he address? He’s one of many (many, many, many) SFs who live outside of the three point line and manage to stay just productive enough to earn minutes.
I am on record with regard to what I think of Bellinelli. His Eurostats predicted a lousy NBA career, and he has had one to date.
With Billups, the Warriors are a 50 win team, meaning the draft pick is in the 20s. The odds of getting a difference maker are pretty low in that range.
I was under the impression that Amir was at 230+ already…not 215. He was 210 when he came into the league because thats what most of the major sources (eg- http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsam01.html) have him listed as still. He’s put on some weight since he came into the league, and definitely more than just 5 lbs.
If he puts on 8-15 lbs of muscle this summer he should be around 235-240 by next season. He’s not going to look like Dwight Howard or even Ben Wallace because he’s extremely long.
“Can I ask a question? Why would we want Al Harrington?”
I’m with you 100%.
Agreed on Harrington. Golden State has nothing the Pistons want or need.
James B.: Wikipedia is the only source I’ve been able to track down that has something other than 6′9, 210. It says 6′11, 220 and the 220 was added back in April of this year. Just throwing out what I’ve come across, I have no idea if it’s accurate at all.
And if Amir isn’t adding weight despite running through all that sand, all I cay say is, poor bastard. Using sand for a workout, that’s borderline malicious.
Add me to the anti-Harrington experience.
Just to clarify, I wasn’t promoting a trade for Harrington, just referencing the McCosky article and trying to get any kind of logic from it.
LB,
Yeah I haven’t seen anything different than 215 or 220 either, but I know that they’ve had him listed at his 18 year old height and weight on every major sports site since draft day and haven’t changed it since, so I’m more going off of the theory that there is no way that someone working as hard as Amir has worked through the past two seasons and being 18 years old, getting 3 years older I really don’t see how he couldn’t have put on at least 10 lbs.
Hell I gained 50 lbs between 18 and 19 years old alone…then again I was ordering Papa John’s every other day and my workout regimen consisted of pick-up basketball and 12 oz. curls…
Oh and yeah I just bought me a ticket on the Anti-Harrington Locomotive…