The New Jersey Nets wrapped up their participation in the Orlando Summer League on Friday, and the main thing head coach Lawrence Frank looked for was improvement.The Nets fielded a single entry team in the summer league with their Atlantic Division rival the Philadelphia 76ers. While the 0-5 record does not look good for the eye, two key young players took big strides over the past week.
Chris Douglas-Roberts, the former Memphis Tiger, finished up an injury plagued rookie year by averaging 9.5 ppg in the final 15 contests. He came out scorching in the first two games of the summer league by scoring 57 points, and even more impressive was that he shot over 50% from the field and attempted 24 free throws in the two games. He struggled in the next two games by only scoring seven points combined, but showed some bounce back ability by putting up 15 points, three boards, and four assists in the finale.
Nets 2009 first round pick Terrence Williams out of Louisville got his first dose of pro ball this past week and improved after struggling in the first two games. Williams was 4/19 from the field during the first two contests, but was more aggressive attacking the basket thereafter. Williams was 3/8 from downtown, scoring 30 points to go with 12 boards in the next two games. He could not find the touch in the finale with a 3/11 performance, and he also averaged four turnovers a game. Coach Frank was impressed with T-Will's progress and thinks he possesses a strong skill set of which he can build upon.
Williams has been ''tweeting'' about his NBA experience since being selected by the Nets with the 11th overall pick. Here is a link to his Twitter page.
TAKE: It was nice to see CDR get a lot of playing time in a low pressure situation at the Orlando Summer League. Despite the fact he could not develop a level of continuity with his teammates, (since only two Nets players were on the team) he improved on his shooting and scoring abilities. If he can stay healthy, he could be a reliable bench player for the Nets and maybe even challenge Bobby Simmons for his starting spot. He also needs to work on his demeanor. Last year Nets assistant coach Doug Overton was extremely unhappy with CDR's attitude and work ethic at times.
Williams will take time to develop, but he's a great athlete and comes from a storied program in Louisville. He should have a strong basketball IQ after playing for Rick Pitino, but he needs to work on his outside shot and consistency. His speed should help out Devin Harris in the fast break game, and his length will help him out while guarding bigger and faster swingmen.
The Nets seem to have a great young foundation with Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, and Brook Lopez. It will be up to their wing players to step up. It's a very young team that lacks depth outside of those three players and newcomer Rafer Alston. If the Nets get decent bench play, they could be in the hunt for a playoff spot. However, if they still struggle to get reliable scoring and play good defense, then it will be back to the lottery for the third straight year.
(Photo of Terrance Williams courtesy of the AP), (Photo of Chris Douglas-Roberts courtesy of nj.com)
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