Saturday was packed full with plenty of quality NBA Summer League games. Did you tune in? Let’s recap some of the best performances from yesterday’s riveting basketball action.
A true maniac is writing this article, so there will be honorable mentions beyond the four players focused on for some of the winning teams. Tons of players showed up in big ways for their teams, leading to some competitive, back-and-forth barn-burners.
Summer League Top Performer of the Day
The Miami Heat faced the NBA champion Boston Celtics in a truly great NBA Summer League affair. There was some great shooting and passing all-around for both teams. The Miami Heat came out on top in this one and they owe a big thanks to the one and only Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Jaquez Jr stuffed the stat sheet in every way. He showed that the game has slowed down for him, and at times, it looks so easy for Jaime. It was an efficient shooting night going 10-18 and he showed a remarkable ability to get to the freebie line. He went an impressive 9-11 from there and finished with 29 points.
The other part of Jaime’s game that was instrumental in the Heat’s win was his 11 rebounds and five assists. He is a huge piece for this Miami Heat team to get back to the top of the East where they are used to being. The plus/minus was only a +1 for Jaquez Jr. though, so here are a few honorable mentions for you analytics guys.
Josh Christopher had a fantastic game with 20 points and near-perfect shooting and filled the stat sheet as well. Christopher deserves a shot with them or somewhere, he’s an NBA dude. He finished with a plus/minus of +13. I have always been a JD Davison guy too and he didn’t disappoint yesterday.
Davidson helped the Celtics team stay in it with dynamite shooting to the tune of 19 points and showed off impressive playmaking. He landed a +9. Maybe he can get a run with this deep Boston Celtics team.
The Rest of The Best
Philadelphia 76ers
Let’s hit on a lesser-known player here. He earned the attention for his performance in the NBA Summer League yesterday. The Philadelphia 76ers and the Detroit Pistons met and Keve Aluma was one of the players to shine in the affair.
Aluma showed a sweet stroke to go with his respectable 6’9″ frame. He torched the Pistons for 8 of 10 shooting and 2 for 2 from deep.
Keve also beat Detroit down low with five offensive rebounds and eight total rebounds. He also impressed me by only having two fouls. For a big man, that’s a low number in the NBA Summer League. Keve Aluma ended the night with 19 points and a +15.
Aluma is another example of why sometimes it pays off to go for the more NBA-ready, older prospects in the draft process. He is 25 years old. These players pay off for teams like the Sixers that are ready to win now. Which is their aim with the recent Paul George get. Let’s see if Aluma can crack Philly’s lineup.
On cue, here are a couple more standout players in this great NBA summer league battle. Stephon Castle displayed he belonged with some solid play. Ron Holland had quite a few noticeable moments for the Pistons. Take note of the games of Jeff Dowtin Jr and Ricky Council IV. Both look like good bench role players.
Toronto Raptors
The Thunder/Raptors game was a pretty forgettable addition to the NBA Summer League slate early with OKC appearing to not get off the bus. They eventually turned it on, but when Gradey Dick was on the court, the Toronto Raptors were dominating.
Dick impressed with his rebounding and definitely with the playmaking display he put on. It could have been a better shooting night, but he has the touch. It showed up with his 6 for 6 at the charity stripe.
He put up 18 points, however, maybe the most impressive stat for Gradey is the +19. This is a number that shows the true impact he had on the game. He should see time as a point forward for this fun Raptors team with RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley as rising NBA stars. Are the Toronto Raptors moving up the NBA League Pass rankings?
This game had threes raining left and right. Four players had two, one had three, and Adam Flagler had six! He went 6 for 7 from deep, found the stroke, and kept the Thunder relatively close throughout this one. DJ Carton was one of the players that splashed two threes and his overall performance was spectacular. Putting up a sick stat line, 13 points, five assists, three rebounds. Keep an eye on him for the rest of the Summer League.
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz took Cody Williams with the 10th pick in the 2024 NBA draft and he showed why last night. He displayed a smooth midrange game and splashed a sweet-stroked three. Also, Cody put down a filthy dunk and played a big part down the stretch for the Utah Jazz to beat the Dallas Mavs.
Williams made an impact with three rebounds and four assists as well. The Jazz should be proud of the 21 points and the +9 he posted on the stat sheet. We should bring up Kyle Filipowski, Brandon Williams, and Isaiah Collier here. All could be legit NBA players.
Kyle showed some Dirk Nowitzki step-back action, smart rim-running, and a good-looking three shot. B-Will always reminds me of Brandon Jennings when he repeatedly balls out in the NBA Summer League. The man deserves a bench playmaker and shotmaker slot somewhere in the NBA.
Isaiah Collier balled out too in terms of playmaking. Backup PG vibes for sure. He dished out 7 assists. He along with Cody put this game away late for the Jazz. All these players made my watchlist for the incoming NBA season, and now maybe yours as well.
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