Wafer’s Hot Shooting Tops Grizzlies

In their third game against the Grizzlies, the Lakers finally found a way to topple their opponents.

Von Wafer’s game-high 22 points carried the Lakers over the Memphis Grizzlies, 94-83.

Wafer caught fire in the final quarter, knocking down a series of outside jump shots to seal a victory for the Lakers. The Lakers’ swingman was coming off a 29 point performance just two days earlier.

After hanging close with Memphis for three quarters, Wafer’s late-game shooting allowed the Lakers to pull away.

“I’m going to go hard,�? Wafer said about the game. “That’s all I can do. That’s what my mom instilled in me and my father [too]. They just told me to go as hard as you can. You know, what ever happens [will happen]. There’s nothing [else] you can do if you go hard and leave it all on the floor.�?

Wafer was relatively quiet early in the game, but was fired up in the second half. Coach Kurt Rambis joked about what gave Von the spark he needed.

“I thought he was motivated when I was about ready to put Sasha in for him because he was fumbling and turning the ball over and he started going crazy. It was a good motivating tool by the coach to fake that substitution.�?

I asked Von if he noticed Kurt’s decoy substitution.

Wafer smiled and replied, “No I didn’t really see that. I didn’t know. I know that I wanted to make up for that turnover I made because that was a big play. That could have lost the game for us if [one of my teammates didn’t] make a play. Because that’s a buster, that’s a run buster. So I just tried to get it back for my team.�?

Andrew Bynum would put up 8 points for the Lakers, while Ronny Turiaf would sit out his third consecutive game, still not receiving clearance to play from his physical test.

The Lakers play their final Summer Pro League Game on Tuesday afternoon against the Miami Heat.

The Players

Starting Line-Up

PG Smush Parker
SG Tony Bobbitt
SF Carlos Powell
PF Eric Sandrin
C Andrew Bynum

Breakdown

Von Wafer
Another spectacular game from Von Wafer.

Offensively there was not much he did wrong at his position.

The only problem that Wafer showed here was turnovers. Von lost the ball five times during the course of the game. However, considering that this has not been a common occurrence for Wafer, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt, shall we?

Wafer’s 22 points came off of 8/12 shooting. He’s been shooting at 75% over the last two games. For someone who was admittedly nervous at the beginning of the league, it seems as if he’s shaken it off completely.

I asked him if he’s feeling more comfortable on the floor.

“Yeah it’s starting to go away,�? Wafer said. “I’m starting to feel a little bit like I belong. I feel pretty good out there [and I’m] comfortable.�?

Although Von’s defense is arguably the part of his game needing the most improvement, Wafer displayed the impressive ability to block shots in transition. During the third quarter, Wafer cocked back and swatted a Memphis player who had an open dunk on the break. Von’s blocked shot fired up the crowd and his teammates, bringing the Lakers some momentum, particularly on the defensive end.

Von still needs to work on his defensive fundamentals. While he plays the passing lanes decently, Wafer has to continue to learn how to rotate & communicate with his teammates while on defense.

Andrew Bynum
It was not Andrew Bynum’s top performance against the Grizzlies.

You truly see the learning process slowly taking effect on Bynum’s game. He shows flashes of greatness and has to figure out a way to sustain play at a superior level.

This was the case during the beginning third quarter, when it appeared as if Bynum’s intensity has picked up after two resounding dunks. It appeared as if Bynum once again had figured out how to use his body to create open shots. However, it was only temporary, as he would not make a significant impact for the remainder of the game.

One of Bynum’s problems is that he does not realize that he has to work the ball closer to the hoop when he receives it in post position. Again, it’s about using his superhuman body and reaping the benefits of being larger and more agile than his competitors.

Additionally, as his confidence grows, he will, or should, demand the ball more. It’s something that he does not do enough, but he must be given time to get accustomed to all these foreign aspects of the game that rarely are factors in high school.

Andrew only pulled down six rebounds in the game, unable to box out effectively down low. It’s been a consistent problem for him, because he does not know how to use leverage to his advantage.

I asked Bynum how big of a factor this has been when crashing the glass.

“It’s not a very big one because I’m not really that strong,�? Bynum said, “so people that get leverage on me can push me out. When I get stronger, it will be different.�?

With the final game of the SPL approaching, young Andrew Bynum still has exceeded the expectations of many.

Carlos Powell
Quietly Carlos is putting up decent numbers in the SPL.

Powell has averaged close to 12 points thus far and finished the game against Memphis with 16 points and 6 rebounds.

The most impressive aspect of Powell’s performance was the fact that he did this all on 7 of 8 shooting. Carlos knocked down his open shots consistently throughout the game and attacked the hoop strong, including a first half baseline slam dunk that made the crowd go wild.

While he isn’t a likely candidate to make the final roster considering the abundance of small forwards on the Lakers, Powell may be able to provide consistency to the team.

The rest of the Lakers either did not receive enough playing time or did not make a considerable impact on the game.

Want in-depth coverage of the SPL? Look no further than the ClubLakers.com Summer Pro League Forum.

Click here to purchase tickets for the Summer Pro League.

Sound off in the Los Angeles Lakers Forums!