A pair of former Pac-12 guards lit up the scoreboard in one of the day’s games.
Pacers vs. Heat (84-74)
Day five of the Orlando Summer League kicked off with two Eastern Conference powers. However, this one did not resemble any of the previous slugfest matchups between the two teams. With Indiana resting Solomon Hill and Donald Sloan, the Pacers most likely did not have a single NBA player play in this game. Willie Reed, who played in the D-League last season, will most likely get a camp invite because of his height and length, which was on display in this matchup. Shabazz Napier was the only guy on the Heat who is a lock to make an NBA roster. However, both teams had players who were impressive. James Nunnally led all scorers with 19 points.
James Ennis continued his extremely impressive summer league. He is averaging 17 points per game through four games. Ennis, a 2013 second round selection by the Atlanta Hawks, showed his versatility on Thursday. To start the game, Ennis drove into the lane and used his body to finish an and-1. A couple possessions later, Ennis knocked down a corner three. He can do a variety of things and at six-foot seven, Ennis will certainly get some NBA looks if he continues to shine like this throughout summer league.
Shabazz Napier really struggled for the Heat in this one. The first round selection went 2-of-13 from the field and was clearly frustrated throughout the game. I am not concerned with Napier missing shots because he will not be the number one option come the regular season for the Heat (maybe if LeBron leaves) and will get much easier looks. However, he struggled finishing around the rim. At least twice he got into the lane and was unable to finish because he was bothered by length inside. This was a concern for me regarding Napier when he went into the draft and today did not change that feeling.
Kevin Jones stood out for the Indiana Pacers. He was all over the place in the first quarter. He scored six points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the first 10 minutes of action. He ended the game with 16 points and 15 rebounds. the former All-American at West Virginia University, is a solid player, but his athleticism limits him. However, his work ethic has never been questioned and that was evident today. He was extremely active.
Player I Had Never Heard of Who Impressed Me
Tyler Johnson was the only other Heat player in double figures and was one of the more electric players on the court. He had a monster alley-oop dunk in the fourth quarter, but also used his athleticism and elusiveness to score around the rim. I found myself really enjoying Johnson.
Celtics vs. Magic (76-67)
Three lottery picks, Aaron Gordon, Marcus Smart, and Elfrid Payton, competed in this one. While you never want to overreact over a summer league game, I came away most impressed with Smart and thought he won the point guard matchup with Payton. Smart was more engaged defensively and his competitiveness was more intense than anyone else in the Celtics win.
Aaron Gordon did a variety of things well and continued to shows he has all the intangibles to be a solid player. One play really stood out. Early in the second quarter, Gordon skied for a rebound, led the break, used his body to finish a floater over a defender. Super impressive. To open the second half, Gordon drove to his left and knocked down a foul line jumper. Gordon still needs to be more consistent, but remember he is only 18-years old. For a six-foot nine player to be able to do that is unique. These flashes Gordon shows gives everyone a glimpse of just how special he can be. He finished the game with seven points, eight rebounds, and two assists.
Seth Curry is a player the Magic may seriously want to consider giving a look for the regular season. The Magic have practically zero outside shooting and just like the rest of the Curry family, Seth is a knock down shooter. He nailed three 3-pointers in the first half (finished with 15 points and four 3-pointers) and had no problem getting his shot off. Since his college days at Duke, Curry has improved as a ballhandler and as a pick n’ roll player. Curry had trouble generating the offense when Smart was pressuring him, but so did everyone else. His continued improvement of those two aspects of his game will help him land on an NBA roster in the regular season.
Marcus Smart struggled shooting the basketball today. He shot 5-of-14 from the field and scored a game-high 19 points. After a slow first half shooting, he knocked down two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help the Celtics secure the win. Smart was playing like this was the NBA finals. I am not worried about that his shooting because his defense was fantastic. At 6-foot-3 and 227 pounds of muscle with a six-foot nine wingspan Smart has it all to be elite defender and he has shown that throughout summer league. He uses his extremely quick hands and length to get a lot of deflections and disrupt the flow of an offense. Besides being a pest to the opposing point guards, Smart can switch off and defend a bigger player. In this contest, Smart got switched on to Aaron Gordon in the post. Gordon tried to back down Smart multiply times, but Smart didn’t budge and forced Gordon into a tough shot. He will have no problem fitting in on the defensive end as a rookie.
Elfrid Payton showed flashes throughout the game, but also struggled at times. Even while struggling at different points of the game, he finished with eight points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds. When Payton was in attack mode and not hesitant, he looked much more comfortable finishing around the basket. He still has not attempted a 3-point shot in the summer league, which is a concern and will only make getting to the basket harder. Teams are going to lay off Payton until he can knock down any sort of jump shot. He did not show the ability to do that today. His stat sheet does symbolize how versatile he is.
Player I Had Never Heard of Who Impressed Me
Colton Iverson. I actually have heard of the seven footer out of Colorado State, but he is a relatively unknown player and I just felt like keeping this category going. Iverson had a nice game, scoring 10 points and grabbing five rebounds for the Celtics. He showed decent touch around the rim and even stepped out and knocked down a 15-footer.
Grizzlies vs. Rockets (88-74)
In the final matchup of the day, we got a bunch of highlights, but we also got to see two rookie guards have big games and give their fan bases hope for the upcoming years. For years, the Grizzlies have lacked a go-to perimeter scorer, but they might have found one in Jordan Adams. He simply knows how to score and he showed it today. For the Rockets, Nick Johnson was all over the place today (in a good way) doing it all for a team that did not win a single game in the Orlando Summer League.
Jordan Adams may not be the most physically gifted player, but he is very good at using his body and changing speeds in order to find ways to score the basketball. That was on display in this one. Adams dominated from the end of the first quarter into the second quarter by scoring all over the court. He had 10 points in a six0minute stretch. Adams isn’t going to “wow” you, but he will fill up the scorebook quietly. He finished with 19 Thursday.
James Franklin has had a rough start to his second year of summer league, but he got off to a nice start in this game. He scored six first quarter points and was aggressive going to the basket, shooting five foul shots in the opening quarter. You could tell Franklin wanted to be aggressive early and attack the basket. He finished the game with 17 points, including a highlight windmill dunk.
Nick Johnson of the Rockets may have been the most impressive player on the floor. The second round pick looked very comfortable on the offensive end. He shot 9-of-14 from the field to finish with 22 points, six rebounds, and six assists. He made 3-pointers, got to the basket, scored on putbacks, and knocked down jump shots. Johnson may not see much time in Houston during the regular season, but the Rockets are known for their D-League system (Rio Grande Valley Vipers). General manager Daryl Morey takes a lot of pride in their system and trying to develop players. Johnson will thrive there.
Jarnell Stokes did not finish around the rim exceptionally well, shooting 3-of-10, but you can just tell physically he will fit right in with the Memphis Grizzlies and will have no problem physically in the league.
Player I Had Never Heard of Who Impressed Me
Maarty Leunen
The 6-foot-9 forward out of Oregon knocked down five 3-pointers in the game. He was a non-factor everywhere else, but you know how the Rockets value 3-point shooting and that seems to be a speciality of his.
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