NBA Summer League 2022: Hot Takes About Top Players in Last Games Before Final
July 17, 2022
The NBA Summer League in Las Vegas will wrap up Sunday, but some of the league's top prospects showed no signs of slowing down Saturday in what was the final day of action for most teams.
David Roddy, Isaiah Mobley and Jules Bernard were among those who stood out at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion, proving their worth to their respective clubs.
Let's take a closer look at their performances and what fans were talking about on social media from the action.
Isaiah Mobley Shows Improvement in Cavaliers Win
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 94-90, and Isaiah Mobley, the brother of Cavs' star Evan Mobley, showed some signs of improvement in the win.
Mobley finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in 26:55. He made four of 10 shots from the floor and one of three from deep. He also made six of his seven free throws.
The USC product certainly hasn't had the best performance in summer league this year and likely won't earn a roster spot in Cleveland, but he'll get some much-needed time in the G League to develop.
Sword Sports @IwnlRaseIsaiah Mobley won this game for the Cavs! Amazing ending!! Cavs are 3-2 in the summer league standings now 👏👏👏👏👏 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SummerLeague?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SummerLeague</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA</a>
The Cavs selected Mobley in the second round of the 2022 NBA draft after he averaged 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in his junior season.
While there's certainly some pressure for Mobley to be just as successful as Evan, he previously told The Athletic's Seth Davis that he doesn't "feel any type of pressure to live up to" his brother.
David Roddy, Kenneth Lofton Jr. Praised for Performance Despite Grizzlies Loss
The Memphis Grizzlies fell to the San Antonio Spurs 90-87, but David Roddy and Kenneth Lofton Jr. were praised for impressive performances that delivered some highlight-reel results.
Roddy finished with 19 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal in 25:56. He made six of 14 shots from the floor and two of seven from deep. He also made five of his seven free throws.
Lofton, meanwhile, finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks in 28:30. He made 10 of 16 shots from the floor, two of three from deep and five of seven from the free-throw line.
Fans were calling for the Grizzlies to put both Roddy and Lofton on the opening night roster.
Candace Haggans @Candaceh901Grizz game takeaways:<br><br>-Lofton Jr is ready! Give the man mins and let him work out the growing pains in the regular season<br>-Love the progression of Roddy. Would like to see him get mins as well<br>-Chandler will need to learn to finish in the paint at his size; high defensive upside
Ross Kreines @rosskreKenneth Lofton Jr plays bigger than he is and understands how to create space by not only using his lower body but also shot fakes,head fakes,footwork and when taking his defender off bounce,he goes into their chest.Also,rebounds,good passer, moves off ball and an improved jumper
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Roddy 23rd overall in the 2022 NBA draft before the Grizzlies acquired his draft rights and Danny Green in exchange for De'Anthony Melton.
Roddy starred at Colorado State for three seasons and had his most productive year as a junior in 2021-22, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks in 31 games while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor and 43.8 percent from deep.
Meanwhile, Lofton was signed to a two-way contract by the Grizzlies after going undrafted in 2022. He played two seasons of college basketball at Louisiana Tech and had a career year in 2021-22.
The 19-year-old averaged 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 33 games while shooting 53.9 percent from the floor.
It's unlikely either player cracks the Memphis roster this coming season, but they could in the near future.
Jules Bernard Makes Case to Earn NBA Contract
The Detroit Pistons defeated the Orlando Magic 102-86, and Jules Bernard got plenty of social media attention after leading the team in scoring.
Bernard finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and three assists in 19:34. He made five of six shots from the floor, all three of his shots from deep and all nine of his free-throw attempts.
The 22-year-old's performance resulted in fans on social media clamoring for the Pistons to either put him on the team's opening night roster or sign him to a two-way contract.
Belizean Brudda @GetOffMyDeltaThis dude Jules Bernard outta <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ucla?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ucla</a> is a straight up athlete. Great size and smooth jumper. Let see if he can stick. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBA2K23SummerLeague?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBA2K23SummerLeague</a>
Bernard agreed to a contract with the Pistons after going undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft out of UCLA. However, the terms of the pact were not released.
He spent four seasons with the Bruins and had a solid senior season, averaging 12.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 35 games while shooting 41.9 percent from the floor and 33.7 percent from deep.
It's unlikely Bernard makes Detroit's opening night roster, but keeping him in the G League could be beneficial, as he's already shown signs of improvement this summer.