From Ben in the main forum.

Was in Las Vegas this weekend for Summer League - was only able to catch W's-Sonics and Lakers-Pistons. Normally I'd provide a more comprehensive report, but with the webcasts I think everyone has a pretty good handle on what's going on. Instead, I'll just post a few general observations that I think might not be immediately obvious watching online.

- Belinelli was matched up with Durant nearly the entire game, which was fun. He had an awful, awful shooting night - he just could not hit a jumper. However, he did show the ability to beat Durant off the dribble more or less whenever he wanted. Belinelli's first step is good, not great, but his handle and command of hesitation moves are way above average, even at the NBA level.

- That being said, I felt that Belinelli settled for jumpers too often when it was obvious that he didn't have his touch. Of course, he's had some trouble finishing at the rim; he's big and athletic enough, but he doesn't draw a lot of contact, and it looks like he waits a little long to release his shot. This is an area he's going to have to improve on going forward, but I don't think it will necessarily be a problem for him in the long run. He just needs to adjust to the length and athleticism of NBA shot-blockers.

- Defensively, Belinelli is a real mixed bag. He played excellent man defense on Durant, staying in front of him consistently and challenging his jumpers. Even more impressively, he was able to keep Durant out of the post completely, bodying him up very physically and pushing him off the block. On the other hand, the guy can just be lazy as hell. He doesn't react to screens very well, not looking to be very interested in fighting through; he usually ends up just going behind the pick and taking a swipe at the ball. In fact, his general approach to defense is to just gamble for the steal. To his credit, he plays the passing lanes very well and had quick hands, and will likely be around two steals per game in the NBA. Still, his off-ball defensive technique and effort leave a lot to be desired right now. I'm hopeful that this is just a function of summer league boredom, and that Nellie will be able to whip him into shape come training camp. The good news is that Belinelli is a very solid defender when he wants to be, he just needs to develop more discipline.

- As far as I'm concerned, the most exciting part of Belinelli's game is his passing. He made three or four silly passes for turnovers over the course of the entire summer league, but he probably made twenty or thirty excellent dishes that should have been assists as well. The bottom line is that he has excellent vision and "feel" for passing the ball: when he runs the pick and roll, he's able to effectively find the open man. On the drive and dish, he's very good at setting up big men for dunks when the help defense rotates. These are very, very encouraging signs for a player like him; he's going to beat his man off the dribble, but if finishing is going to be an issue he MUST be able to pass on the move effectively. That appears to be a strength in his game right now, and it should be a huge boon for him in Nellie's offense.

- Finally, a few quick observations from the other game. I love Arron Afflalo, and he is a supremely hard worker, but he WILL NOT be able to score in the NBA. He lacks the size and explosiveness to get anything going inside, so he'll have to clean up his jumper and extend his range to be a factor on that end. Great energy on defense, though. Rodney Stuckey is an interesting player; he's noticeably small, but very quick, very explosive, and very skilled. He's very adept at drawing contact around the rim, and he appears to have a pretty solid outside shot. I'm concerned about his lack of size, but he could end up as a Flip Murray with a jumpshot - and that really isn't all that bad.

Finally, I was extremely impressed by Javaris Crittenton, who appears to be a steal where he was drafted. He's got great size, an unbelievable handle, a nice jumper, and outstanding finishing ability. He really can get wherever he wants on the court, and he is absolutely a shot-maker. Is he a true point guard? I'm not quite sure, but at this point he reminds me a lot of Gilbert Arenas. I'd watch out for this kid, because he's really got an NBA skillset.