The summer basketball action keeps rolling, so the spotlight does too. This day was admittedly not as beautiful as the last two, it required me to dig a little deep in the hat and reach out some different names.
That’s good though, parody is king and the NBA has lots of it. Maybe more coming with some of these young players showing their talents on the court. We saw experience flourish in yesterday’s fixtures and some real NBA “Summer League vets” shined. Let’s jump in…
Summer League Top Performer of the Day
The NBA Summer League performance that stood out on Monday night was one of a legend’s son; it isn’t the one you may be thinking about. Scotty Pippen Jr balled out for the Memphis Grizzlies against the Dallas Mavericks. He got a lot of easy baskets for himself and others. The real surprise though, is the tenacious defense!
Scotty was a bonafide thief with five steals. You can’t take him off the court if he delivers with 19 points, seven assists, five steals, and a plus/minus of +21 for his team. He was everywhere yesterday and with that performance, maybe vying for the Ja backup spot. Pippen Jr. had a great running mate in GG Jackson II in this game.
Jackson II continues to show real potential and he’s only 19. He put up mean numbers with 23 points, 11 rebounds and a +20. These Memphis picks through the last couple of years are starting to shape into some NBA stars. Cam Spencer and Jake LaRavia could be two more as well.
Pippen Jr., GG Jackson II, and LaRavia have all played real NBA minutes and can help this Grizzlies team contend this Summer League and season. Sorry Mavs fans, I couldn’t get a player in here. Maybe next time.
The Rest of the Best
Detroit Pistons
The summer Pistons were able to shut down the previously flying summer Rockets team and they owe a huge thanks to an unlikely hero. Daniss Jenkins went out on the court and left his mark in a big way! The hair flow is sick as well.
Jenkins was splashing threes all game, clutch ones too. He filled the whole stat sheet with 26 points, four assists, three rebounds, and two blocks. The dude was a menace to the Houston society. His shooting must’ve spread to Bobi Klintman like wildfire. Both of them made some huge shots for Detroit. The Pistons might have two legit knockdown shooters on their NBA Summer League squad.
Summer League Spotlight’s previous entrants, Cam Whitmore and Reed Sheppard, played for the Houston Rockets’s side. They did not keep up the great play they showed in previous outings. Reed made some plays, but Cam had a day to forget. It happens, let’s see if they have that on-to-the-next mentality. AJ Griffin had a bounce-back though. He showed that silky three-point touch we’ve seen before.
It was nice to see the fight out of the Pistons. It’s time for Cade Cunningham and that team to give that fanbase a better product on the court.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers met the Philadelphia 76ers Monday and it was an entertaining summer outing. We got to see Donovan Clingan in action and he did not disappoint. It is far from a perfect game with eight points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. You can believe me, the Sixers felt his presence.
Clingan displayed crucial passing and was a dominating force in the paint all game. He blocked a pivotal Jared McCain three late in the game to help seal this intense battle. Kennedy Chandler deserves some praise as well if we are talking Blazers.
Chandler had talent coming out of Tennessee and was certainly on the NBA radar. He has a high basketball IQ and can just plain ball, yet another one for the watchlist. For you Philly fans, Jared McCain looked rough again, but the shot is starting to fall once more. Give him more time even though that is hard to do as fans. He only needs that to get on the court with the big-boy team this next season.
Sacramento Kings
This one is a wildcard, Drew Timme is the pick. Let’s give him some love. Timme delivered for the Sacramento Kings with 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists. He finished with a rather pedestrian +4, but he played his heart out there for the Kings. Keep grinding Drew!
Colby Jones showed his skills for Sacramento. Maybe Jones could push for minutes as a scoring bench guard for a Kings team hoping to make people fear the beam again. The Utah Jazz have to be disappointed in the performances they’ve gotten from Taylor Hendricks this NBA Summer League. A once NBA promising prospect, to me too, looked rough going 0-6 from the field and a dreadful -16 impact on the ballgame. This was one to forget for the Jazz. Rinse and repeat.
I have just a little note for Bronny James and Dalton Knecht… Slow down and play your game, it’ll come to you, don’t force it. We believe in you. Thanks for joining me in the Spotlight once again. The NBA’s next generation is truly something to behold. See you tomorrow.
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