A scheduling mix-up meant that when your correspondent left Yates early on Friday to see Aaron Bowen’s Emery Heights Elite squad in action, they were sadly nowhere to be found. Instead, Beyond Belief was in the midst of an easy win over Town Tavern. Disappointing. Still, we got to see the one and only Otto Porter team up with D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera and the rest of The Tombs in the nightcap, which was thoroughly entertaining. Our recap below:
The Good: Potential
Brandon Bolden showed off a really, really nice stroke in warm-ups and made a few athletic plays during the game. DSR showed flashes of absolute brilliance. Otto looks just as solid as ever, and has reportedly developed three-point range to go with his all-around dominance from inside 20 feet. And walk-on David Allen is as quick as anyone on the court and has 25-foot range.
The Bad: Execution
The Tombs looked sloppy and discombobulated, especially in the first half. D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera forced several shots and drives, and unlike last weekend, he didn’t hit every contested jumper he took. Porter’s decision-making wasn’t at the same level as we’re used to seeing, and he struggled to score when forced to create his own shot rather than work within the flow of an offense — a bit unsettling coming from your best player. Thankfully, everyone involved stepped it up in the second half, and The Tombs won, 71-65. Yeah, this is summer league, and we’re not expecting the most polished ball in the world. But still, guys — step it up!
The Ugly: Free-throw shooting
The one constant for both teams in Friday night’s game was brutal foul shooting. Bolden was a big offender, but it plagued pretty much everyone. We didn’t see any airballs, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.