NBA Summer League: Houston Rockets beat down the Kings 113-91

Outside of Jimmer Fredette, the Kings had no answer for the Rockets, especially on the defensive end. The Kings are known for playing awful defense, and it was on display tonight in Las Vegas. Guys like Royce White, Jeremy Lamb and Donatas Motiejunas put on a clinic.

Royce White flirted with a triple-double putting up 11 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists in 26 minutes. It was by far his best game after no-showing in the first two games. His coaches told him to focus on just rebounding and everything else would fall into place. Boy were they right. White showed off his entire skill set, getting defensive rebounds, pushing the ball up court, making excellent passes and driving to the lane. He had one monster dunk early on that signaled his arrival to the NBA.

Terrence Jones also had a solid night for the third straight game. The more i see him play the more i think he’s a small forward. It’s still hard to tell as he doesn’t have much of a shot and he will most likely get bullied down low by skilled big men. The reason i think he is more of a three man is because he has some nice moves on the perimeter. He uses his rocker step nicely to throw off his defender and drive to the hoop. If he develops a jumper he could be a very nice player in this league.

Donatas Motiejunas had a bounce back game from his previous disappointing 1 point performance. He looked very impressive down low on the offensive end. He has a very soft touch and uses it well on his hook shot. I would still like to see him rebound better and bang with the other big men. He was still getting pushed around fairly easy. As long as he beefs up i think this kid has the potential to be a Pau Gasol type of player in the NBA.

Jeremy Lamb looks more and more like a future superstar each game. You can tell he is taking every second on the court very seriously. He doesn’t care that it’s just the Summer League, and i love that about him. He plays so smooth and effortlessly. He’s starting to remind me a lot of Tracy Mcgrady, and i’m sure Rockets fans will come to love that.

Scott Machado had by far his best game as a pro with 10 assists and 6 points. He had some very crafty passes and it’s earning him the bulk of the minutes at the point guard position. I’m not sure if he’s ready to play against the big boys, but at least he’s showing some good signs. Fortson also had a much better game scoring the ball with 11 points. He is a scoring point guard, but with Toney Douglas here and possibly Jeremy Lin on his way, the Rockets need a guard who can pass the ball and use his playmaking abilities to benefit others. I’m not sure where Fortson fits in with this team still. Marcus Morris also had a solid game with 11 points and 8 rebounds. He continues to play solid defense as well. I’m starting to see potential of him playing the shooting guard spot, and with Kevin Martin possibly on the trading block, Morris has a chance to get some good minutes.

Gary Forbes made his first appearance as a Rocket on Monday night, and he didn’t disappoint. In 16 minutes he racked up 11 points and three rebounds. I like Forbes game. He can play both guard spots and at the three. A player with his versatility will always find playing time.

Zoran Dragic continues to impress me. In fact, he was looking a lot like his brother against the Kings. Making acrobatic passes and running around like a mad man on both ends of the floor. He’s already a champion from overseas. Maybe he can make his way onto the roster at some point if he continues to play like he is this summer.

Highlights: http://www.nba.com/video/games/kings/2012/07/16/1521200018_hou_sac_recap.nba

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