After an exciting first round, the NBA 2K25 Summer League continues to thrive in its second round of the event schedule, having the faceoff between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Heat started strong after they landed in Las Vegas. With Sophomore rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. joining the roster after attending Team USA training camp, the Heat defeated the Celtics 119-114, and he dropped a game-high 29 points with 11 rebounds and five assists. Jaquez Jr.’s addition, lining up with Heat’s 15th pick Kel’el Ware and Keshad Johnson, the team is set to be a title contender in the Summer League.
However, the Thunder just suffered from a great loss to the Toronto Raptors, dropping their Vegas debut 69-94. It’s not surprising to see the result, especially considering Sophomore Gradey Dick was playing on the other side. Despite falling short, OKC at least can keep evaluating their draft picks: Dillon Jones (No.26) and Ajay Mitchell (No.38), who scored 17 and 15 points respectively, and played consistently.
Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Details
Fixture: Miami Heat @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Date: July 15th @ 6:00 pm ET
Location: Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, NV
Network: ESPN U
Summer League Team Review
Miami Heat
Although we can’t understand why the Heat went past the opportunity to draft a more versatile player Dalton Knecht and picked Kel’el Ware later, the other two drafted rookies also represent their competency. Despite a great loss on the first day of the summer league, the Heat immediately bounced back on the second-day victory over the Sacramento Kings by Ware’s 26-point contribution. Coming to the third fight against the Los Angeles Lakers, its second-round pick Keshad Johnson stepped up with 21 points. The duo secured two victories for the Heat before Jaime Jaquez Jr. dropped off and joined the race.
Unlike other teams, the Heat’s roster for the Summer League combined plenty of NBA experiences. Besides Jaquez Jr., who frequently played as a key piece last season, Cole Swider is also there, providing elite shooting. Though he didn’t earn many minutes with the Lakers and Heat previously, Swider had asserted himself as a secret weapon to boost the team, who scored 17 and 21 points in his first two games of the Summer League with a 56.25% 3PM percentage (9/16).
Oklahoma City Thunder
In the 2024 NBA Draft, the Thunder used its No.12 pick to select Serbian International Nicola Topic. As a 6-6 guard, Topic is big in the position but moves excellently when driving to the basket and finishes well. However, due to an ACL tear, he has been sidelined from the Summer League. Despite playing without their best player from the draft pool, OKC kept their pace stable in the so far, obtaining three wins before going to Las Vegas.
The Thunder have Ajay Mitchell and Adam Flagler to lead the game. Despite being the lowest pick, Mitchell became a top performer when combating the Memphis Grizzlies (21 points) and Philadelphia 76ers (14 points with three steals). As a sophomore player, Flagler can provide strength and depth to the roster.
The team should have showcased differently while having Dillion Jones, Flagler, and Mitchell, but the combined effect was poised after a blowout loss to the Raptors. Mitchell shot 6 for 18 despite adding 15 points. The defensive prowess has yet to improve to make the team more balanced. The youngsters are still spending time navigating themselves on the court.
Possible Breakout Players of the Game
Miami Heat
Jaime Jaquez Jr. will continue to show off his bag with various scoring ways, his dominant performance against the Boston Celtics had told all. It’s common to see some NBA sophomores or juniors join the summer battle with younger players as they want to utilize the chance to seek improvements fully. However, putting Jaquez Jr. in the Summer League is somehow unfair, who once a contender for the Rookie of the Year last season.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Being a stalwart of Oklahoma City Blue’s G-League Champions, Ousmane Dieng outstandingly put up 17.2 points, 7.6 boards and 5.4 assists. Lately, he put up 20 points in a 98-75 victory over the Utah Jazz. A 6-9 body doesn’t restrict himself to being an agile player with efficient movement. His well-enough shooting, dribbling and good awareness can destroy defenders in many possessions. The Thunder’s plan of development is wide. Besides Jones and Mitchell can earn opportunities to play in the league, Dieng can also be another Matas Buzelis coming from the G-League.
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