# Mayo shines in summer league debut



## GNG

> *LAS VEGAS, July 11 *– First-round draft pick O.J. Mayo led the Memphis Grizzlies to an 88-75 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Friday in the second of 53 games at the 2008 NBA Summer League Presented by EA SPORTS at the COX Pavilion on the UNLV campus.
> 
> Darrell Arthur, also a first-round pick, led the way for Memphis with 18 points. The offensive effort was rounded out by Mayo, who finished with 15 points, and second-year guard Mike Conley, who added 14.
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> "It was a good game, but we're are a young team, we've got a lot of young players,” Mayo said after his summer league debut. “I think our main objective is every time we step on the court is to get better. Game or practice, win or loss."
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> Memphis jumped out to an early 11-1 lead before New Orleans closed to 15-13 at the end of the first quarter behind Hilton Armstrong’s five points. The Grizzlies held their lead through the second quarter, owning a 38-30 halftime advantage. Mayo led all scorers with 12 points going at the break.


http://www.nba.com/summerleague2008/games/20080711/NOHMEM/recap.html


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## GNG

Darrell Arthur looks like the real deal, too. He has many more offensive moves than I thought he did -- the jumper looks great.


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## thaKEAF

Do you know what channel today's game is coming on?


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## GNG

thaKEAF said:


> Do you know what channel today's game is coming on?


The only Grizz game I know that will be televised will be tomorrow at 7 CST. I thought NBA.com would be streaming all the games, but maybe that's just for the Orlando Summer League?


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## thaKEAF

noooo

I guess at least I'll be able to catch the one tomorrow. I could have sworn last year they showed most of the Grizz summer league games on a local channel.


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## croco

Cinco de Mayo said:


> Darrell Arthur looks like the real deal, too. He has many more offensive moves than I thought he did -- the jumper looks great.


He has always had that package, he just couldn't showcase it at KU. It's a great combination for a big man to be athletic, have his jumpshot and a variety of moves to score. I still can't believe that he fell to the end of the first round. That's also the only thing I value the Summer League for, it's a better scrimmage and you can show your skillset, albeit against weak competition.


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## TwinkieFoot

On a side note, I really like what the Grizzlies have managed to do with their team. When the Gasol trade was made, I actually felt, and still feel, that you guys got the better end of that deal value wise. He may have helped the Lakers get to the Finals but they looked to be prep to go pretty far in the playoffs before the deal was made. 

I really like Crittenton and his scoring potential. Just before the Lakers moved him, he was being designated as "the player" next to Kobe Bryant that would help make the difference in the future. With the Grizzlies, I think he can form one hell of a 3 guard rotation next to OJ Mayo and Mike Conley Jr.

Marc Gasol is starting to sound like something of a capable role player, maybe more. I always like Kwame Brown's game as a role player. He may never live up to his no.1 pick selection but that does not mean he could not be a capable player. Tony Battie was selected 4th and Antonio Daniels 6th (I believe) and both still were role players that were highly sought after by other teams because of how effective they were. Although Kwame's offensive game remains underdeveloped, he's a pretty effective defender, good rebounder, solid shot blocker and pretty good passer for a guy with his size. He may be a free agent but I think you should keep him because I do not think Collins is a long-term fit.


That draft pick from the Lakers also allowed you to get Darrell Arthur and OJ Mayo is clearly a player that can carry a team offensively. When you combine all that talent I just mentioned with (Mike Conley Jr., Crittenton, Gasol, Arthur, Mayo,etc)with Hakim Warrick and Rudy Gay, you end up having one of the best young up and coming teams in the future. I honestly believe you'll be something of the caliber of the Blazers, save Oden. With the draft picks your likely to get in the future, you may be more than just an up and comer in the next few years.


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## thaKEAF

If we could pry Bynum from the Lakers next summer just imagine the wars we'd have with Portland. :wink:


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## MrJayremmie

Portland is overrated!

But honestly, i was raving about Memphis ever since the day after the draft! I even made a thread on the Portland forums. I really like your team. I like the Conley, Mayo, Gay, Arthur and Gasol starting lineup. I like Crit as a backup (sorry i don't know that many other players on your team other than Collins and Lowrey ).

Memphis finally has something to be proud of. Mayo will be the real deal, and will be the leader of your team, not gay, imo. Mayo will be the Brandon Roy of your team. 

Good look! I will probably chill on this board (Memphis board) a little more now. You guys are probably my 3rd favorite team now (it was the Clips but i just can't stand that drama... they are just the... Clippers.. ya know?) after Portland (hometown) and Cleveland (LeBron.. say no more, easily best player in the NBA).

edit - ok. So for me, the perfect rotation would be an 8 man rotation. For you guys, this is what i think by the end of the year...

Conley, Mayo, Gay, Arthur and Gasol. The bench rotation would be Lowry/Critt for the guard rotation and Darko will be the backup PF/C. So who would be your backup SF to finish out the 8 man rotation? Hakim Warrick? IDK. 

Anyway, yea, am i just a *****? or is this somewhat realistic?


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## TwinkieFoot

thaKEAF said:


> If we could pry Bynum from the Lakers next summer just imagine the wars we'd have with Portland. :wink:


LOL, I'm actually a fan of the Lakers (been one ever since Shaq got traded) and would hate to see Bynum go to any other team. You'll have the cap space to definately be in the running obviously but let's just say I prefer for you guys to improve your team via another option, LOL. You guys are definately moving up my list though to join the Knicks (fan by birth and location), Lakers (just one of those teams you fall in love with because of the legacy), Blazers (Kevin Pritchard just worked wonders) and Hornets (Chris Paul anyone?).


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## thaKEAF

We just need to try and add some depth now. J-Critt and Lowry are both good bench players but besides them we've got nothing.


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## GNG

Well, Jason Collins got dealt to Minnesota in the Mayo trade, so that problem has been solved.

I wouldn't mind bringing Kwame back next season to a one-year minimum contract, but someone will give him a better deal than that. You know Darko will get hurt at some point, and Marc Gasol's a bit of an unknown, so a third center should be a small priority.


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## TwinkieFoot

Damn, I even forgot about Darko, the way you guys got so deep all of a sudden. He's another player whose game I actually like (and I'm not a fan of Europeans) I don't think he is no.2 pick worthy but he's certainly the kind of guy that is better than what he has been given the opportunity to show. Hopefully Ivaroni (I know I spelt his name wrong), will utilize his inside game along with his outside game which is what really got him drafted so high in the first place. Defensively, he's solid and shows a nice IQ overall.

P.S., why would you be so stingy cash wise with Brown? Not like you guys have to worry about luxury tax. I also think depth is the last thing you need to worry about. As much as I don't like Walker, he is still capable of bringing some game off the bench, as is Jaric, Lowry, Warrick, either Brown/Gasol/Arthur and Crittenton.


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## croco

thaKEAF said:


> If we could pry Bynum from the Lakers next summer just imagine the wars we'd have with Portland. :wink:


Good to see that you're listening to me. 

I'd very surprised if the Grizzlies don't go after him. A month ago I would have said it's impossible, but after what happened this summer it's not anymore. With that much cap space you just have to show someone like him the money even if it means overpaying.


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## NewAgeBaller

Damn Mayo's killin it now too.. 23 points in 3 quarters (8-16 FG, 3-5 3PT), and only 2 TO's.


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## thaKEAF

Ah I wish I could watch it. Cant wait for tomorrow's game, hopefully he tears it up.


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## HKF

Darrell Arthur's mid-range jumper is incredible. He has an elbow jumper from both sides. Talented dude. He dropped for no good reason.


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## MemphisX

Arthur is active but not an instinctive rebounder.


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## thaKEAF

> *Mayo Stars Again; Grizzlies Dominate Bucks*
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> Memphis 88, Milwaukee 79
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> Las Vegas, July 12 – Highly-touted rookie O.J. Mayo erupted for a game-high 26 points as the Memphis Grizzlies improved to 2-0 at the 2008 NBA Summer League presented by EA SPORTS with an 88-79 triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
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> Alan Anderson and PJ Tucker each contributed with 11 points for Memphis, which led by as many as 24 before Milwaukee cut the deficit late.
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> The Grizzlies dominated the Bucks in the paint with a 30-20 advantage, while also outrebounding them 35-30.
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> Ramon Sessions led Milwaukee with 12 points, while Matt Freije and Trey Johnson each scored 11 in the defeat.
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> Next up: Memphis will battle the Los Angeles Lakers in Sunday afternoon’s third game, while Milwaukee will meet the Detroit Pistons in the first game on July 15th.



http://www.nba.com/summerleague2008/games/20080712/MEMMIL/recap.html


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## MrJayremmie

Yay for OJ!

OJ will be the playmaker for this team, imo.


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## NewAgeBaller

Oj has 5 points but 4 TOs so far, tos tart the 2nd quarter. I havn't been watching so I don't know if its really his fault, but he's gotta get those down.


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## bball2223

^^^^Turnovers will be a problem early on with him. He will be fine by midseason. He has the chance to average 20 a game as a rookie. He is a talented dude and him and Arthur in the future equals disgustingness.


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## NewAgeBaller

He got tonight's Play of the Day, blowing by his defender with a nice hesitation move and then a sick reverse lay-up around three defenders.


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## croco

bball2223 said:


> ^^^^Turnovers will be a problem early on with him. He will be fine by midseason. He has the chance to average 20 a game as a rookie. He is a talented dude and him and Arthur in the future equals disgustingness.


I think 20 is a little bit too much, I expect him to be around 15-16 and basically replace Mike Miller's scoring numbers in the first season. Others will likely improve and also score more.


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## Tom

I think Consistency will be the biggest issue...he seems to shy away from contact a bit too much. He will be a fringe all-star for his entire career.


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## MrJayremmie

I want to see Mayo be more of a playmaker than a scorer. More Brandon Roy than Ben Gordon (who he was compared to a bit).

I think that would be the best for this team, as i think Gay can be the main scorer.

So what were his final stats for last nights game?


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## croco

MrJayremmie said:


> I want to see Mayo be more of a playmaker than a scorer. More Brandon Roy than Ben Gordon (who he was compared to a bit).
> 
> I think that would be the best for this team, as i think Gay can be the main scorer.
> 
> So what were his final stats for last nights game?


He might be a mix of those two although he will instantly be a lot better defensively than Ben Gordon. 16/4/5 and solid percentages should be a realistic target for the first year.


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## knickstorm

where's the clip of dwayne mitchell taking the ball away from him and throwing it down?


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## NewAgeBaller

*OJ Mayo hits 69-footer in Summer League game*



> O.J. Mayo hit the best highlight shot of his career to date with a long 69 foot heave to beat the buzzer at the end of the first quarter, the Associated Press is reporting.
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> "I thought it wasn't going to make it to the rim," Mayo said. "I was surprised. After practices recently, we have been practicing half-court shots. I made a few there, and now I made one in a game."
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> Mayo finished with 18 points, but his Grizzlies fell to the Spurs 78-76.


They could just as easily have rounded it off to 70 ft, but I guess this is David Stern's way of "giving back to the fans"..


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## croco

Does anyone have a video of it ?


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## thaKEAF

youtube plz :smoothcriminal:


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## Tmac235

To me OJ Mayo will be the rookie of the year this coming season...


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## thaKEAF

> LAS VEGAS (AP)—O.J. Mayo played mostly point guard and struggled early before scoring 14 points in the second half as he and the Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Los Angeles Clippers 82-74 in their NBA Summer League finale Wednesday night.
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> The Grizzlies other point guards, Mike Conley Jr. and Javaris Crittenton were given the day off, so Mayo ran the show. He finished with 20 points.
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> He scored 11 in the fourth quarter to help Memphis erase a 10-point deficit and tie the game at 70 with 3:52 to play.
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> But the Clippers scored the next six points and closed the game on a 12-4 run.
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> “It don’t matter what position I play,” said Mayo, the third overall pick in the draft. “I just want to get better at both of them.”
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> Mayo missed his first four shots and didn’t score until he converted a running layup with 5:50 to play in the second quarter. He finished with six first-half points in 15 minutes.
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> Mayo’s woes continued in the third quarter as he missed three straight foul shots and threw the ball out of bounds on a fast break.
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> Memphis coach Marc Iavaroni didn’t want to classify Mayo as a point guard or shooting guard, opting to call him a “creative scorer.”
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> “I?m not a numbers guy,” Iavaroni said. “He needs to be a more versatile player and work at other positions. He showed he?s willing to take the big shot and he likes to have the ball in his hands.”
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> Mayo averaged a team-best 22.8 points in five summer league games. He also finished with 24 turnovers.
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> “The lottery is over with. The draft is over with,” said Mayo, who added five assists against the Clippers. “I just want to get better like everyone else.”
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> Darrell Arthur, the Grizzlies’ other first-round selection, had 12 points and five rebounds. Memphis closed the league with a pair of defeats to finish 2-3.
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> Marcus Williams led the Clippers with a game-high 23 points and Al Thornton added 20.


http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...0bYF?slug=ap-grizzlies-mayo&prov=ap&type=lgns


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## HKF

I am not sure why people want Mayo to pass so much. If you have Conley and Lowry on this team, then you are asking guys like Mayo and Gay to score period. If you want them to be the point, get rid of these two guys. The Grizz need guys who can put the ball in the basket.


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## croco

HKF said:


> I am not sure why people want Mayo to pass so much. If you have Conley and Lowry on this team, then you are asking guys like Mayo and Gay to score period. If you want them to be the point, get rid of these two guys. The Grizz need guys who can put the ball in the basket.


Yeah, it sounds like they want to stress his playmaking abilities a little bit too much. He will have the ball in his hands a lot anyway, but right now Conley and Lowry need the rock too because they aren't effective playing away from the ball since they can't shoot. I'm wondering that the offense will end up looking like once they have sorted out all of those experiments.


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## GNG

HKF said:


> I am not sure why people want Mayo to pass so much. If you have Conley and Lowry on this team, then you are asking guys like Mayo and Gay to score period. If you want them to be the point, get rid of these two guys. The Grizz need guys who can put the ball in the basket.


Agreed. If I've taken anything from Mayo's summer league performance, it's that he is NOT a point guard. Not until he can cut his turnovers in half.

Conley/Mayo/Gay makes a spectacular 1-2-3 if they fulfill their potential. However, this team needs a 4-5 and some decent veterans as much as any team in the league.


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## MemphisX

Cinco de Mayo said:


> Agreed. If I've taken anything from Mayo's summer league performance, it's that he is NOT a point guard. Not until he can cut his turnovers in half.


Does this mean Rose is not a PG?


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## NewAgeBaller

Yea they seem a little too scared of Mayo being selfish to just let him play his game..


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