Game report -- Warriors/Grizzlies on Tues. 7/10

Hard to test my most-NBA-talents-wins theory in this game, 'cause almost no one who played had any NBA experience. Stromile Swift sat out for the Grizzlies -- suffering, no doubt, from a bruised ego after my previous game report -- and so did Chris Porter of the Warriors.

So each team was left with new draftees as their presumed top players. The biggest difference, though, may have been that this was the Grizzlies' third summer-league game versus the first for the Warriors, since the Grizz executed more confidently for the most part.

For anyone who suffered through the W's horrific shooting woes last year -- and then heard the hype about the marksmanship of their three draft picks -- this game got off to an ominous start. For most of the first half, NO ONE in a Warriors' blue uniform hit a jump shot, and things didn't improve that much thereafter. (As a team, GS shot 2-17 from behind the 3-point line.)

Finally, after hitting a couple of free throws late in the 2nd quarter, Troy Murphy straightened out his form and hit a pair of jumpers. The biggest surprise to me was how quick he was running the floor, especially on offense -- he was consistently the 1st big man downcourt for either team. Had a lot of trouble holding his position defensively and in rebounding ... he'll have to get a lot stronger.

Jason Richardson didn't hit his first outside shot until there was 7:24 left in the fourth quarter, but he, too, got in a groove and hit his next two jumpers. (GS came back from a 10-point deficit with JR and Murphy combining to hit 5 straight outside shots.) Then it was back to the land of ice and frost.

But oh man, does this guy have rocket-powered springs in his legs! A fistful of alley-oops from Arenas, a couple of acrobatic tip-ins, and every few minutes he'd pogo up head-and-shoulders above the crowd in the paint while going for a block or rebound. Not surprising that he says his favorite player growing up was Dominique Wilkins, because he looks like the next Human Hightlight Film. But a good, aggressive defender, too.

Gilbert Arenas was swallowed whole by the Golden State shooting curse (2-11 FGs). Even worse, aside from his alley-oops to Richardson, he showed no ability to play PG -- during the minute or two GS tried playing him there, he had his pocket picked one-on-one in the backcourt for an easy layup. Similarly, with under 10 seconds left in OT & his team down by 1 point, Arenas got the ball on the wing to set up the last play ... and promptly fumbled it away. Somewhere, Vonteego Cummings is breathing easier about the safety of his roster spot.

Like Cummings, though, Arenas can defend. The best aspect of the W's game was their halfcourt pressure defense, which produced 16 steals and 32 points off turnovers.

Among the Warrior temps, undrafted rookie PG Dean Oliver showed quick hands on defense (Arenas was credited with 8 steals, but some of those were just pickups of Oliver's and Richardson's deflections) and an ability to get to the rim on fast breaks. Probably too small to survive in the real NBA (when Memphis turned up its D toward the end, he was ineffective & had a key turnover), but someone to keep an eye on in future games. Mario Bennett made some smart passes & other plays early in the game, but got out-banged at PF as the game wore on. And something about his knees screamed "fragile"; I think I heard someone behind me saying he'd torn both ACLs in the past.

For the Grizzlies, Shane Battier was out of it in the 1st half (0-5 FGs, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 fouls) but turned back into himself afterward. In the clutch, he made every play that needed to be made for his team, not through ability so much as sheer will (which, as I said in my previous report, is how he was advertised).

Marcus Gorey, playing instead of Stromile Swift, had the kind of aggressively dominant inside game Swift should have shown on Sunday. Still, at only 6'8" or so, I'm filing him for the moment with Dean Oliver in the "summer league star" category. If it was up to me, he'd have to prove he can do that against better (and bigger) competition before I'd write his ticket to the NBA.