UNR ties bond new Blazers

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4641649-4-4

The NBA Summer League is a perfect place for rookies to learn each other’s playing habits and tendencies on the court.

Two new Portland Trail Blazers have a considerable head start.

Former UNR stars Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson are in Las Vegas playing for Portland, and it has not taken long for Blazers coach Nate McMillan to sense the chemistry between the former Reno-area prep standouts.

"You can tell they’ve played together for a long time," McMillan said. "Communication is most important (for rookies). They are talking to each other, and they are used to playing off each other."

Johnson once held Nevada’s all-time high school scoring record while at Hug High School. The record now belongs to Babbitt, a Galena product who played on the summer circuit with the Las Vegas Prospects.

Following is a breakdown of the former prep rivals who have traveled a rare path to become teammates in college and the NBA:

LUKE BABBITT

■ POSITION: Small forward

■ HEIGHT: 6 feet 9 inches

■ WEIGHT: 225 pounds

■ DRAFT POSITION: No. 16 (first round)

■ DRAFT-NIGHT REACTION: "I was more happy for (Johnson) because we were ready for him to get picked. When I realized he was coming to Portland, it felt good."

■ ON PLAYING TOGETHER: "It’s exciting we get to share this time together because this is what people dream of."

■ ON BENEFITS: "We’re both rookies and we’re going to go through ups and downs, and we can do that together."

■ STRENGTHS: "His ability to shoot the ball and score at the small forward position." — UNR coach David Carter

■ AREAS TO IMPROVE: "Luke is going to have to improve his ability to come off ball screens. In the NBA, he’s going to be the guy coming off screens." — Carter

ARMON JOHNSON

■ POSITION: Point guard

■ HEIGHT: 6 feet 3 inches

■ WEIGHT: 195 pounds

■ DRAFT POSITION: No. 34 (second round)

■ DRAFT-NIGHT REACTION: "It was definitely a surprise, but at the same time, I was happy to have someone to share this with."

■ ON PLAYING TOGETHER: "We just talked about playing in the NBA. That was always a dream. That we’re still together, it’s even better."

■ ON BENEFITS: "It’s very special. (Babbitt) is a hard-working player; I love to play with him. He can always bail you out of tough situations."

■ STRENGTHS: "His size at the point guard position, the (Trail Blazers) like that in him." — UNR coach David Carter

■ Areas to improve: "With Armon, the biggest thing is catch-and-shoot. He’s very good off the dribble, but he’s going to have to learn to catch and shoot at the NBA level." — Carter