NBA Summer League 2014: Day 7 Bracket, TV Schedule and Players to Watch
Many of the best players at the 2014 NBA Summer League are fresh out of college, so the March Madness-like tournament format in Las Vegas should be no sweat.
With the first round in the books, the tournament moves on to its next day of competition. The teams that received byes will be in action, as well as Wednesday’s winners. Here is a look at the broadcast information, bracket and some players to watch Thursday.
Las Vegas Summer League Info
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Watch: NBA TV (games shown live have asterisks in table)
Stream: NBA Summer League Live (subscription required)
Where: Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion, UNLV campus; Las Vegas, Nevada
Bracket: An updated bracket can be found at NBA.com.
| Thur., July 17 | Sacramento Kings vs. Minnesota Timberwolves* | 4:30 p.m. | COX |
| Thur., July 17 | New Orleans Pelicans vs. Charlotte Hornets | 4 p.m. | Thomas & Mack |
| Thur., July 17 | Portland Trail Blazers vs. Atlanta Hawks* | 6:30 p.m. | COX |
| Thur., July 17 | Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs | 6 p.m. | Thomas & Mack |
| Thur., July 17 | Washington Wizards vs. Miami Heat* | 8:30 p.m. | COX |
| Thur., July 17 | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Houston Rockets | 8 p.m. | Thomas & Mack |
| Thur., July 17 | New York Knicks vs. NBA D-League Select* | 10:30 p.m. | COX |
| Thur., July 17 | Chicago Bulls vs.Philadelphia 76ers | 10 p.m. | Thomas & Mack |
Players to Watch
Andrew Wiggins, Cleveland Cavaliers
Andrew Wiggins is going to be the premier draw in the summer league until the Cleveland Cavaliers are done playing. He was the No. 1 pick in the draft, has a limitless ceiling and will likely be playing with LeBron James sooner rather than later.
Of course, there have been some trade rumors swirling around him in regards to Kevin Love, but Cleveland could have a once-in-a-generation talent in Wiggins.
His athleticism has been on full display in Las Vegas with step-back jumpers, spin moves in the lane and rim-rattling dunks. SportsCenter captured one in particular that left the fans jumping out of their seats:
Wiggins’ offense has been somewhat inconsistent though. He shot 37.8 percent from field through three games, has a number of turnovers and is 2-of-12 from downtown, including a 1-of-8 performance against Milwaukee. However, he has been playing some lockdown defense and looks ready to run in the open floor next to James once the season begins.
Tony Snell, Chicago Bulls
Doug McDermott is getting all the summer league love as far as the Chicago Bulls are concerned, and for good reason, but Tony Snell has performed admirably as well.
In three games, Snell has posted nightly averages of 20.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Perhaps most importantly, he is shooting a blistering 52 percent from beyond the three-point line and has likely made his coach Tom Thibodeau happy with solid perimeter defense.
Snell’s summer league coach, Adrian Griffin, discussed the young player’s progress, via Aggrey Sam of Comcast SportsNet:
"Tony’s continuing to get better and improving, so it’s good to see him be rewarded for all the hard work that he’s put in the past months. I always say the confidence comes just from the work you put in, and that’s one thing that Tony has been doing all summer, starting from last season. He’s just constantly in the gym, constantly in the weight room, trying to get bigger, work on his game, and it’s paying off for him.
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The Bulls have made a number of offseason moves, but many were aimed at improving the frontcourt. They signed Pau Gasol, amnestied Carlos Boozer and brought in Nikola Mirotic from Europe, so the opportunity is there for Snell to crack the rotation as a small forward or shooting guard alongside Jimmy Butler and Mike Dunleavy.
If Snell keeps playing like this in the summer, Bulls fans may get to see him more often in the winter as a legitimate scoring threat for an offensively-challenge squad.
Nik Stauskas, Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings drafted Nik Stauskas to shoot from deep, and he is doing just that.
Through three games, the Michigan product drilled 55.6 percent of his three-pointers and is averaging 13 points a night. He is also proving that he is more than just a long-range shooter in the process.
Stauskas has attacked the rim at times, grabbed a few boards and dished out two assists per game. He also played some solid defense in the early going and even registered two steals and two blocks against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Kings may experience some growing pains this season as a relatively young team, but Stauskas appears to have a bright future in Sacramento.
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