Everything You Need to Know About Hornets Summer League

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Published: July 14, 2012

 In Andrew’s first full post for Hornets247, he gives you some insight into the Hornets Summer League roster, so you can sound like a boss around the water cooler. 

“You don’t know that Mac Koshwal has soft hands? Ha! And you call yourself a Hornets fan…”

 

Denzel Bowles-Forward-6’10”-247Lbs-5/1/1989(23Yrs)-B-MEG Llamados(Philippines)/BC Siauliai(Lithuania)/James Madison University

Denzel Bowles was born in Virginia Beach, Va. After finishing his senior season at James Madison University, Bowels entered the 2011 NBA draft. Despite Bowels’ impressive stats, he went undrafted. Eventually, Bowels would land in the Baltic League where he played his rookie season for the BC Siauliai. He finished off his rookie year in the PBA, playing for the B-MEG Llamados. While playing with the B-MEG Llamados, he averaged 26 points and 12 boards, carrying them to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals. In that game, he contributed 39Pts and 21Reb to lead them to a thrilling comeback game 7 win for the Championship. Since winning the Commissioner’s Cup, Bowels has been contacted by the Hornets to report to summer league. The Spurs, Warriors, and Raptors also showed interest in him.

  • 2012 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Champion
  • 2012 All-PBA Commissioner’s Cup Defensive Player of the Year
  • 2012 All-PBA Commissioner’s Cup Player of the Year

2011-2012 PBA Season Per Game Stats:

  • 24 GP
  •  38.1 MIN
  •  51.1 % FG
  •  0.0 % 3pt
  •  68.0% FT
  •  12.5 REB
  •  3.0 AST
  •  1.9 BLKS
  •  0.7 STLS
  •  3.4 PF
  •  3.4 TO
  •  26.3 PPG
Strengths:
  • Can score from anywhere inside 15ft
  • Nice post game
  • Great shot blocker
  • Good athlete  
  • Reminds me of a poor mans Zach Randolph(A very poor man, like a homeless mans Zach Randolph)

Weaknesses:

  • Motor & motivation has been a question
  • Free throw shooting needs to improve
  • Will have to adjust to competing against players equally as big & more skilled than players he played against in the PBA.


 

Matthew Bryan-Amaning -Forward-6’9″-232Lbs-5/9/1988(24Yrs)-Hacettepe Univ.(Turkey)/University of Washington

Matthew Bryan-Amaning is a native of London, playing high school ball at South Kent School in Connecticut. There, he was named the 2007 Gatorade Player of the Year for Connecticut. He would then go to college at the University of Washington, where he became the second player in school history to record 100 career blocks and 100 steals. After his senior season at UW in 2011, Bryan-Amaning signed with Hacettepe Univ. in Turkey with the hope of getting more experience at the power-forward position to help his chances at eventually making the NBA.

  • Left UW tied with Quincy Pondexter for most games played (136)
  • Eurobasket.com Turkish League All-Defensive Team
  • English U20 National Team

2011-2012 Hacettepe Univ. Season Per Game Stats:

  • 30 GP
  • 23.9 MIN
  • 46.9% FG
  • 0.0% 3pt
  • 60.8% FT
  • 4.9 REB
  • 0.8 AST
  • 1.3 BLKS
  • 2.0  STLS
  • 2.4 PF
  • 1.5 TO
  • 12.4 PPG

Strengths: 
  • From a physical standpoint, the 6’10 (in shoes) Amaning possesses NBA tools consisting of a 232 pound frame and a massive wingspan just over 7’3″.
  • Uses his momentum to effectively explode up at the rim; explosiveness and impressive hops allow him to finish emphatically when slipping to the rim off pick and rolls and in transition opportunities.
  • High activity level in the paint.
  • Excellent feel for the rim around the basket, finding ways to score regardless of his positioning.
  • Length, athleticism and energy contribute to weak side rejections and offensive rebounds.
  • Laterally quick enough to defend elusive face-up power forwards in the high post.

Weaknesses: 

  • Lacks consistency and fluidity on his jumper, which will limit his services as an NBA player.
  • Needs to establish a face-up game with some type of jab step to setup a mid-range jumper, as he relies on shooting on the move to create separation on his shot.
  • Not an adept ball-handler.
  • Too heavily dependent on his quickness, length and touch in the post- lacks a refined back to the basket game.
  • Struggles to get easy baskets and clean looks on his own.
  • Below par free throw shooter.
  • Defensively, he’s a better off-ball defender than on-ball; too often he allows his man to get where and what he wants.

Jerome Dyson-Guard-6’3″-180Lbs-5/1/1987(25Yrs)-New Orleans Hornets/ Tulsa 66ers/Connecticut

Jerome Dyson was born in Rockville, Maryland. He played 9 games for the Hornets last season, the most memorable of which was a 24 point performance against the Memphis Grizzlies.  Before Dyson signed his 10 day contract with the Hornets last season, he was a member of the Tulsa 66ers (D-League) where he played 44 games (44 starts), averaging 17.8 ppg in 34.0 mins of play.

  •  2009-10 Sporting News National Comeback Player of the Year
  • Selected to First Team USBWA All-District

2011-2012 NBA Season Per Game Stats

  • 9 GP
  • 20 MIN
  • 2.1 FGM / 5.3 FGA (39.6% FG)
  •  0.1 3ptM / 0.9 3ptA (12.5% 3pt)
  • 3.1 FTM / 4.0 FTA (77.8% FT)
  • 2.1 REB
  • 2.0 AST
  • 0.2 BLKS
  • 1.2 STLS
  • 2.1 PF
  • 2.2 TO
  • 7.4 PPG
Strengths: 
  • He is a very good slasher and can find his way to the basket with consistency.
  • Off the dribble he is dangerous because he has a well refined handle and can use a nice mix of moves to break his defender down.
  • He knows how to use his body to shield the ball on penetration, as well as when he finishes at the basket. 
  • Not afraid of contact, he looks to attack the help defense and can finish strong at the basket. 
  • Has proven to be a solid defender.
Weaknesses:
  •  Has not been able to find consistency with his shooting or scoring.
  • A little turnover prone, he plays out of control & does not make good decisions at times

 

Austin Freeman-Guard-6’3″-226-5/6/1989(23)-MarcoPolo Shop Forli(Italy)/Georgetown

Austin Freeman was a scoring machine in Georgetown, having 13 games with at least 20pts and 4 games with 30+pts in his senior season. He was projected to be a mid to late 2nd rounder in the draft, and was obviously disappointed when his name was never called. Less than 48 hours after the NBA Draft, Freeman was ticketed for a DUI, along with six other traffic-related offenses. Since then Freeman has been playing for the Marco Polo Shop in Italy,  exceeding expectations and averaging 20.9 PPG while shooting slightly over 50%.

  • Nominated for 2011 Big East First Team

2011-2012 Italy Season Per Game Stats

  • 22 GP
  • 35.9 MIN
  • 51.6% FG
  • 27.2% 3pt
  • 79.9% FT
  • 4.5 REB
  • 2.9 AST
  • 0.2 BLKS
  • 1.9 STLS
  • 2.5 PF
  • 2.7 TO
  • 20.9 PPG
Strengths: 
  • A 6’3 shooting guard with a strong build and a wide frame
  • Has a good understanding of spacing and moves well without the ball to get open.
  • He can pull up off the dribble from mid-range with a high comfort level. He has a decent first step that allows him to get to the rim, where he shields the ball from his defender well and can finish with both hands. 
  • Defensively, he uses his strength whenever he can to compensate for his poor lateral quickness

Weaknesses: 

  • Freeman lacks athleticism at a position that requires it at the NBA level.
  • Both his lack of wingspan makes it even more difficult to overcome his athletic limitations.
  • He is not an adept ball handler, usually relying on his strength to overpower his defender and get to the rim.
  • Not much of a factor on in the playmaking department. 
  • Defensively, he’s not laterally quick enough to stay in front of his defender, projecting poorly at the next level in terms of guarding quicker, athletic and more versatile guards.

 

Xavier Henry-Guard-6’6″-220Lbs-3/15/1991(21Yrs)-New Orleans Hornets/ Memphis Grizzles/Kansas

Xavier Henry was born in Ghent, Belgium. He played last season as a  Hornet after sitting out 44 games his rookie season for the Memphis Grizzlies following an injury. Xavier was acquired by the Hornets for our 2013 2nd round pick on January 4th, 2012.

  • 2009 McDonalds All-American
  • Career High-19PTS(NBA)
  • Career High-6 REB(4 times)(NBA)

2011-2012 NBA Season Per Game Stats

  • 45 GP
  • 16.9 MIN
  • 2.0 FGM/ 5.1 FGA (39.5% FG)
  • 0.2 3ptM / 0.4 3ptA (41.2% 3pt)
  • 1.2 FTM / 1.9 FTA (61.2% FT)
  • 2.4 REBS
  • 0.8 AST
  • 0.2BLKS
  • 0.6STLS
  • 1.3 PF
  • 0.8 TO
  • 5.3 PPG
Strengths: 
  • Effective slashing to the hoop where he can attack the rim and seek out contact.
  • Gets to the free throw line regularly 
  • Good on & off ball defender
  • Positive attitude on the court. Always smiling, seeming to truly enjoy the game of basketball. 
  • High energy, has a lot of stamina 
Weaknesses: 
  • Ball handling needs to improve.
  •  Lack of comfort in the post game. 
  • Lateral quickness is not ideal, but his strength and length can mask that deficiency.

 

Mac Koshwal-Forwaard-6’10”-240Lbs-10/19-1987(24Yrs)-CB Canarias(Spain)/Bakersfield Jam/DePaul

Nayal “Mac” Koshwal was born in Sudan. He played for the Cb Canarias in 2010-2011 then was selected by the Bakersfield Jam (D-League) with the 8th pick in the 2011 NBA Development League Draft. He terminated his contract with the Bakersfield Jam early, on Nov. 23, 2011. Koshwal played five games with Detroit Pistons 2010 Summer League squad. He didn’t play in America during 2011-2012 due to visa issues.

  • Ranked as the 27th-best player in the nation and the sixth-best power forward by Rivals.com in 2009-2010 while at DePaul

2010-2011 Spain Season Per Game Stats

  • 25 GP
  • 16.2 MIN
  • 58.0 % FG
  • 0.0% 3pt
  • 44.8 % FT
  • 4.5 REB
  • 0.5 AST
  • 0.2 BLKS
  • 0.8 STLS
  • 2.4 PF
  • 1.7 TO
  • 7.3 PPG
Strengths: 
  • Physical specimen type of interior force.
  • A powerful post player with unusual face up ability.
  • Long Wingspan
  • At his best when taking bigger opponents away from the basket and then using his foot speed and ball handling ability to blow by them. 
  • Shows good speed for a player his size, very fluid and fast in the open floor.
  • Has unusual ball handling ability for a forward, even utilizing an effective crossover. 
  • Owns some nifty moves around the basket and shows the ability to finish off plays using his touch and body control.
  • Soft hands.
  • Post game remains a work in progress but has shown some development(Has a nice righty jump hook).
  • Upper body strength allows him to absorb contact and finish on drives.
  • Has the versatility to potentially play the 3 through the 5 position.
  • Doesn’t mind contact and has a frame built for it.
  • Likes to go to the right block and dip his left shoulder to create space and shoot a right handed half hook shot.
Weakness:
  • Has the size and strength to do damage in the paint, but seems too enamored with facing the basket and has never bothered to truly polish his post skills.
  • Doesn’t do a good job of posting up and creating a base for guards to feed him inside. Instead allows weaker forwards to root him away from the basket and often starts his offensive situations further from the basket than necessary.Should really be able to advance this area of his game with such physical strength and quickness.
  • Shows flashes of his considerable talent but struggles to truly put it all together and be a consistent force.
  • Has a nice shooting stroke but his career 56% free throw shooting is a concern.
  • Missed a big portion of his junior season (12 of 31 games) due to a foot injury – On the positive side he had been very durable in his first two seasons at DePaul.
  • Not a big force defensively, averaged below 1 block per game
  • Creative passer but a little too willing to attempt risky plays.
  • Needs to become more dedicated to the defensive end of the floor. Shows the attributes to be a solid defender, but doesn’t put the same focus on it.

 

Darius Miller-Forward-6’8″-225Lbs-3/21/1990(22Yrs)-New Orleans Hornets/Kentucky

The Hornets snagged Darius Miller at 46, completing what as already an exceptional draft. When a role playing small forward with an NBA-ready body and experience winning games at a high level falls that far, it’s a no-brainer to take him. For most teams, anyway. Miller should fight for backup minutes right away at the small forward position.

  • SEC Sixth-Man of the Year
  • Played for U.S. at the 2011 World University Games in China
  • Career High-19PTS (3times)
  • Career High-6REB (4times)
  • Career High-6AST
  • Career High-3STls

2011-2012 Senior Season Per Game Stats

  • 26.1 MIN
  • 3.6 FGM / 7.6 FGA (47.4% FG)
  • 1.4 3ptM / 3.7 3ptA (37.6% 3pt)
  • 1.4 FTM / 1.7 FTA (79.9% FT)
  • 2.8 REB
  • 2.1 AST
  • 0.3 BLKS
  • 0.8 STLS
  • 2.2 PF
  • 1.5 TO
  • 9.9 PPG
Strengths: 
  • Experienced wing that has been an excellent role player on a championship-caliber team for three consecutive years.
  • Has nice size for a small forward, standing 6’7.5″ in shoes with a 6’9″ wingspan.
  • Strong frame.
  • Quick trigger on the perimeter, squares up to the basket efficiently, a very good spot-up shooter that moves well without the basketball.
  • Doesn’t need the ball to help the team on offense, likes to camp in the corner, which creates space for post players and a potential bailout for ball-handlers.
  • Can put the ball on the floor if the defense over-commits to him on the perimeter.
  • Capable of making basic moves off the dribble.
  • Keeps the ball low when changing directions.
  • Is seeing a lot of success shooting pull-up jumpers from 15-20 feet away from the hoop, good shot-selection.
  • Isn’t going to make a ton of mistakes or bad decisions.
  • Solid defender, moves his feet fairly well and uses his strength to keep players in front of him.
  • Ready to contribute as a role-player right away.

Weaknesses: 

  • Won’t blow anybody away with his athletic ability, not particularly quick or fast.
  • Despite improved ball-handling ability, is not the type of player to attack the rim.
  • Shoots a very limited number of free-throws (only averaged 1.7 free-throws attempted per game in his senior season)
  • Upside is limited.


 

Darko Planinic-Center-6’11”-255Lbs-11/22/1990(21Yrs)-BC Siroki (Bosnia)

Darko Planinic was born in Mostar, Bosnia. He played for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2010 U20 European Championships Division A.

  • Won the best center award at the 2012 Adidas EuroCamp
  • Career High-20PTS (2 times)
  • Career High-12 REB
  • Career High-3AST

2011-2012 ADRIATIC Season Per Game Stats

  • 43 GP
  • 21.5 MIN
  • 72.4% FG
  • 0.0% 3pt
  • 66.7% FT
  • 4.5 REB
  • 0.5 AST
  • 0.7 STLS
  • 0.3 BLKS
  • 1.7 TO
  • 3.5 PF
  • 10.6 PPG
Strengths:
  • Tough & Physical competitor 
  • Can finish around the rim
Weaknesses:
  • Not overly athletic
  • Free Throw shooting can use improvement
  • Not the greatest shot blocker

Austin Rivers-Guard-6’4″-200Lbs-8/1/1992-New Orleans Hornets/ Duke

Austin Rivers was born in Santa Monica, CA. He is the son of Celtics head coach Doc Rivers. Even if you dont know him as Doc’s son, you’d probably have heard of him thanks to a stellar buzzer beating three-pointer for the win against North Carolina this past season. Rivers became just the seventh freshman in ACC history to collect First Team all-conference recognition. Rivers was taken 10th by the Hornets in the 2012 NBA Draft. As you may recall, Eric Gordon wasn’t pleased with his selection, but the Hornets have made it clear that they see Rivers as a point guard. Summer League should give us some indication of how far along he has to go in that regard.

  • Son of Celtics Head Coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers
  •  Played in the 2011 McDonald’s All-America game
  • 2011 Naismith Prep Player of the year
  • Career High-29PTS
  • Career High-9REB
  • Career High-6AST

2011-2012 Freshman Season Per Game Stats

  • 33.2 MIN
  • 5.1 FGM / 11.8 FGA (43.3% FG)
  • 1.7 3ptM / 4.7 3ptA (36.5% 3pt)
  • 3.6 FTM / 5.4 FTA (65.8% FT)
  • 3.4 REB
  • 2.1 AST
  • 0.0 BLKS
  • 1.0 STLS
  • 2.2 PF
  • 2.3 TO
  • 15.5 PPG
Strengths: 
  • A dynamic scorer that can effortlessly create offense for himself off the dribble.
  • Has solid size for either guard position.
  • Recently measured 6’5″ in shoes with a 6’7″ wingspan.
  • Very quick with the ball in his hands.
  • Has an extremely quick first step and the ball-handling ability to take advantage of it.
  • Solid athlete, though he isn’t the type to play above the rim, is more of a long jumper than a high jumper.
  • Surprisingly adaptive in the air, shows good body control despite smallish frame.
  • Confident shooter with range that extends beyond the NBA three-point line.
  • Quick trigger on the perimeter and doesn’t need a lot of space to get a good shot off.
  • Shoots very well off the dribble or out of the triple-threat position.
  • Very smooth ball-handling ability, tough to stop in isolation situations, excels atbreaking down defenses with sharp and consecutive changes in speed and/or direction.
  • Chases contact, gets opposing big men in foul trouble and shoots a decent amount of free-throws (5.4 free-throws attempted per game) Plays very well in pick-and-roll situations, knows how to read and exploit the reactions of screened defenders.
  • Is not afraid of pressure situations, burned North Carolina earlier in the season with a deep game-winning three-pointer over the outstretched arm of center Tyler Zeller, supremely confident.
  • Plays with intensity on the floor, can be an effective defender when he actually gets low in his stance and bodies-up his man, it isn’t uncommon to see him dramatically improve his defensive posture (and subsequently, his defensive effectiveness) late in close games.
  • Comes from an NBA family.


Weaknesses: 

  • Is highly ball-dominant.
  • Will likely need a team to be tailored around his ability to create off the dribble in order to play up to his potential offensively.
  • Not a true point guard.
  • Can get over-aggressive and mistake-prone at times when looking to get to the basket, averaged 2.3 turnovers per game during his freshman season at Duke, against only 2.1 assists.
  • While he can penetrate with the best of them, he currently lacks the sheer vision of a primary facilitator.
  • Has done a good job of adding muscle to his thin frame, but needs to continue to become stronger.
  • While he’s a creative finisher, he also has a tendency to rush shots around the rim, shot 65.8% from the stripe, which is a very disappointing number for somebody that creates as much contact as Rivers does
  • Effort is usually underwhelming defensively, doesn’t collect a ton of steals.
  • Has been criticized for having a bit of an ego, though many people believe that this added confidence makes him a more dangerous player.

 

 

Brian Roberts-Guard-6’1″-173Lbs-12/3/1985(26Yrs)-Brose Baskets Bamberg(Germany)/ Dayton

Brian Roberts was born in Toledo, OH. He won the 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 German National Championship with Brose Baskets Bamberg. While at Dayton he lead the team in scoring 3 or his 4 years there.

  • 2004 Ohio Division I Co-Player of the Year
  • Ranks 5th in Euro League in games started in 2012(10)
  • Career High-23Pts
  • Career High 7Ast
  • Career High 5Reb

2011-2012 Euro League Season Per Game Stats

  • 10 GP
  • 25 MIN
  • 50% FG
  • 26.3% 3PT
  • 66.7% FT
  • 1.5 REB
  • 2.2 AST
  • 0.2 STLS
  • 0.2 BLKS
  • 2.6 PF
  • 1.3 TO
  • 8.6 PPG
Strengths: 
  • Good at driving to the basket and scoring with finger rolls and runners  
  • Decent shooter
  • Has the abilities  be a quality 6th man
Weaknesses: 
  • He’s a better scorer than distributor of the basketball. Seems to be a natural shooting guard who has developed his point guard skills.
  • He’s much better at creating shots for himself than others
  • Not a high riser or a guy that overpowers opponents with sheer athletic ability (one career dunk at Dayton)
  • Can rush shots at times 
  • Can be careless passing the ball, although he’s done a good job of limiting his turnovers
  • Does not get a lot of steals as he dosent often gambles for steals on ball. 

Lance Thomas-Forward-6’8″-225Lbs-5/24/1988(24Yrs)- New Orleans Hornets/ Austin Toros/ Duke

Lance Thomas was born in Brooklyn, NY, he was signed as a free agent by the Hornets on December 9, 2011. Thomas started 10 of his 42 games played last season. Monty often credited Lance as a hard worker who is capable of guarding three NBA positions. When asked earlier this summer if there was anything he would tell a coach he couldn’t do, he said no. Lance is under contract for Summer League and training camp, and will be fighting for a spot on the regular season roster throughout.

  • Member of the 2012 U.S. Men’s Select Team
  • Career High-18PTS
  • Career High-8REB (2 times)

2011-2012 NBA Season Per Game Stats

  • 42 GP
  • 15.0 MIN
  • 1.4 FGM / 3.0 FGA (45.2% FG)
  • 0.0 3ptM /0.0 3ptA (0.0% 3pt)
  • 1.2 FTM / 1.5 FTA (83.9% FT)
  • 3.0 REB
  • 0.3 AST
  • 0.2 BLKS
  • 0.2 STLS
  • 1.9 PF
  • 0.6 TO
  • 4.0 PPG

Strengths:

  • Long agile forward who displays a high level of energy and athleticism
  • Gives solid effort at all times
  • Runs the court well, very good transition player
  • Can spot up for mid range shots and likes to shoot from the baseline
  •  Uses his long arms and athleticism well to grab rebounds, hits the glass hard and scores well on put backs.
  • His defensive ability is average, but he’s able to cover three position, increasing his usefulness.

 

Weaknesses:

  • Lacks great perimeter skills, his passing and ball handling are weak, needs to work on his offensive game, his range is limited and his one on one game lacks polish
  • Cant pull up off the dribble
  • Needs to add strength

 

Michael “Juice” Thompson-Guard-5’10”-182Lbs-9/2/1989(22Yrs)-Fraport Skyliners(Germany)/ Norwestern

Michael Thompson was born in Chicago, IL. Thompson finished his senior season as the career leader at Northwestern in assists.

  • Ranks first in Northwestern history in assist (528) Minutes played (6,433) Games Played (129) & Games started (129) 2nd in 3pt FGM (276)
  • Played against Mac Koshwal (whom will also be in Hornets Summer League) while in High School
  • Career High-35PTS
  • Career High-7REB
  • Career High-9AST

2011-2012 Germany Season Per Game Stats

  • 27 GP
  • 24.3 MIN
  • 47.4% FG
  • 44.4% 3pt
  • 76.1% FT
  • 1.7 REB
  • 1.7 AST
  • 0.0 BLKS
  • 0.5 STLS
  • 2.6 PF
  • 1.2 TO
  • 8.5 PPG

Strengths:

  • Good range shooter
  • Can get to the rim & finish
Weakness:
  • Defense can use improvement
  • Better at making plays for himself than others
  • Not an extreme athlete 

 

Hornets Summer League Schedule

Are you ready for some action from Las Vegas!!?!?

Let me know who your favorite player is, as well as if you have any predictions for who will make the regular season roster.

If you have any questions for any of the players, let me know in the comment section and I’ll get them answered for you over Summer League.

Plus, Joe will be on the ESPN Daily Dime Chat throughout most of the Summer League, but especially during the Hornets games. Come on by and say hello!

 

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