:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16422881/img_0516.0.jpg)
I don't want to sound like a basketball snob, and let's be clear, bad basketball is better than no basketball. But with seven games a day featuring just a handful of lottery picks and dozens of undrafted free agents, overseas journeymen (side note: I stood next to former Piston Deron Washington yesterday) and siblings of NBA players who won't come close to a regular-season NBA game (hi, Charles Boozer!), the games can get a little sloppy. Case in point:
The Cavaliers and Grizzlies combined for 13 assists and 36 turnovers.
— Conrad Kaczmarek (@ConradKazNBA) July 15, 2013
The Cavs and Grizzlies also combined to shoot 5 of 38 from three and committed a combined 63 fouls.
— Conrad Kaczmarek (@ConradKazNBA) July 15, 2013
That said, the action on the court is only half the fun of summer league -- the rest is meeting and reuniting with the rest of the basketball media, not to mention the folks who actually make the decisions and roster moves that we all write about. But I digress.
These are the games we'll be watching today -- all times ET:
- New York Knicks (1-1) vs. Charlotte Bobcats (1-1), 4 p.m. [NBA TV]
- Cleveland Cavaliers (2-0) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (1-1), 6 p.m. [NBA TV]
- Minnesota Timberwolves (0-1) vs. Phoenix Suns (1-0), 6:30 p.m. [ESPN 3]
- Los Angeles Clippers (1-1) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (1-1), 8 p.m. [NBA TV]
- Sacramento Kings (0-1) vs. Golden State Warriors (1-0), 8:30 p.m. [ESPN 3]
- San Antonio Spurs (1-1) vs. Atlanta Hawks (1-1), 10 p.m. [NBA TV]
- Chicago Bulls (1-0) vs. Denver Nuggets (0-1), 10:30 p.m. [ESPN 3]
The four games that start on the hour are televised on NBA TV, while the three starting on the half hour will be tape delayed on NBA TV. As for streaming, you have two options: NBA.com's subscription thing will get you everything live, while ESPN 3 will get you the three games on the half-hour live. For more on standout players to watch in each game, let's turn to the .com mothership.
Who's the most interesting team? Which players are you most curious about? Let me know in the comments and I'll check them out and report back. Without the Pistons in town, I'm basically floating between the two courts, mostly paying attention to prospects the Pistons were once connected to.