2009 Las Vegas Summer League: Milwaukee Bucks 87 vs. Chicago Bulls 72

July 15th, 2009 by Andrew Wamboldt

The Chicago Bulls got routed by the Milwaukee Bucks 87-72 in their second game of the 2009 Las Vegas Summer League.

The Bucks built a 9 point lead in the second quarter, and held steady the rest of the game.

James Johnson was so so today, scoring 16 points, grabbing only 4 rebounds, and turning the ball over 6 times.

Johnson’s skill set was apparent again this game, with lots of good dribbling. However, when trying to execute dribble drive moves, it wasn’t uncommon for Johnson to get ahead of his dribble, leading to turnovers. Johnson was able to use his savvy dribbling to make dribble drive moves which force the defender to foul, leading to 11 free throw attempts for Johnson.

It was a tough shooting night for Johnson, going 4-15 from the field and 0-4 from three. He did show a nice pump fake though. Often times he would catch the ball at the three point line, execute an excellent pump fake, and then drive in.

Johnson needs to get after it on the boards more. The effort just isn’t at the level that it needs to be at. A common site is a shot going up, and Johnson just standing there, making no attempt to grab the rebound.

There was a point in the game where the ball got stuck behind the backboard. Johnson jumped up and grabbed to one of the basket supports, and pulled himself up to knock the ball free. There are a lot of players in the NBA who could not do that, and of the few that could, most would struggle. Johnson did it with ease. James Johnson is strong!

Taj Gibson finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds. His defense is soft, but he is a pretty solid rebounder. Gibson got in big foul trouble again, fouling 10 times tonight.

Brandon Jennings finished with 14 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. He looks like a nice prospect out there. He can play pretty good defense, and his height hasn’t been an issue so far in getting rebounds. He is a terrific passer. It seems he delivers the passes at just the right time, creating good looks for his teammates.

Also for the Bucks, Joe Alexander scored 18 points and Jodie Meeks added 16 points. The former Piston, Amir Johnson, finished with 17 points and 8 rebounds.

For the Bulls DeMarcus Nelson finished with 12 points, and James Augustine finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Anthony Roberson finished the game with 0 points on 0-5 shooting. His days with the Bulls have to be numbered. The guy is terrible, it’s amazing that he was able to land a contract in the NBA last year. He’s just not a good player.

The Bulls next game is Friday against James Harden and the Oklahoma City Thunder.