Game recaps from February 2 to 8
Hey Brew Hoopers, before we get into this week’s wrap, I just wanted to address a comment or two on last week’s wrap mentioning that AJ Johnson—who featured heavily in the game recaps—was no longer on the team due to being traded that morning in the Middleton deal. Ideally, that article would have been published a day or two earlier. However, with the amount of content BH was putting out last week, we forgot to publish it for a few days. Articles are, in most cases, scheduled ahead of time. The timing of this article was just unfortunate, being so close to the NBA trade deadline because much of the content was no longer timely.
On a completely unrelated note, I also wanted to inform those who might not know of a rule difference in the G compared to the NBA. To save time, one free throw is worth one, two, or three points in the G (unless it’s within the final two minutes of the fourth quarter or the entirety of any overtime period). Therefore, if a player went 4/4 from the line, that likely indicates that they were fouled four separate times going to the rack. I wanted to mention this difference since it is relevant to guys like Tyler Smith and Stanley Umude—who are known as shooters who have trouble creating—because the deflated G League FTA number should be understood in context when considering the degree to which that part of their game is or is not developing.
Here are this week’s results:
Wisconsin Herd vs. Indiana Mad Ants: LOSS (110-130)
- Terence Davis: 26 points, 10/15 FG, 6/9 3FG
- James Akinjo: 21 points, five assists, 8/20 FG
- Stanley Umude: 14 points, seven rebounds, 5/13 FG, 1/4 3FG
- Henry Ellenson: 18 points, 14 rebounds, 4/16 FG, 2/5 3FG
Other than the performances of Terence Davis and maybe James Akinjo, this was an ugly game all around. Ellenson’s usual production and efficiency were not there for the first time in a while. And as far as Milwaukee Bucks guys go, Umude was not good either. My hope for Umude coming into the year was that his three-point shooting from last season with the Detroit Pistons would translate and even improve if he was surrounded by playmakers. Granted, Stanley hasn’t gotten a real shot with the Bucks yet—who obviously have the players that’d get him those open looks—but his shooting in the G is certainly not impressing to a point where it forces Doc to take notice and give him that shot. Tyler Smith was not with the Herd for this one.
Wisconsin Herd vs. College Park Skyhawks: LOSS (101-107)
- Chris Livingston: 10 rebounds, 9/17 FG, 2/7 3FG, 4/4 FT
- Henry Ellenson: nine rebounds, four assists, 9/18 FG, 3/7 3FG
- Stanley Umude: 4/12 FG, 2/8 3FG, 4/4 FT, four turnovers
- Tyler Smith: 2/8 FG, 2/7 3FG, 2/2 FT
This was the best I’d seen Chris Livingston play while watching a full game. If nothing else, he does have the ability to just push guys out of the way (at the G League level) and explode to the rim. On the contrary, Livingston went 2/7 from three, which is the part of his skillset that has yet to really improve. Ellenson bounced back with a solid performance. Umude struggled again; the book on him was that his off-the-dribble game was the worry, and that has certainly played itself out in the film I’ve watched. Truthfully, Tyler Smith was not as bad as the stats might indicate. His defence continues to improve. There are still brain fades, but the physicality and foot speed look better to me. Additionally, Smith seems much less passive than he used to be on offence. He’s involving himself in more random actions and being more assertive offensively. Progress.
The Herd are currently ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 9-10 record. They do not play again until February 20.