NBA Summer League 2016: Top Takeaways from July 14 in Las Vegas
It’s become an annual tradition at Las Vegas' NBA Summer League: A parade of Big Blue.
From John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, to Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, to Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle, Kentucky’s recent success on draft night has translated to standout showings in July.
This year is no different. Devin Booker, a lottery pick out of Kentucky last year, dominated the early going for the Phoenix Suns. He’s since left to prepare for his time with Team USA’s Select squad, leaving close friend and teammate Tyler Ulis and Lexington replacement Jamal Murray, now of the Denver Nuggets, to carry the mantle for John Calipari’s program.
On Thursday, UK’s most recent starting backcourt did just that: Each went for 20 points in a win for his team. The Suns needed just about all of Ulis’ contributions, including his eight assists, to fend off the feisty Miami Heat, 77-74, at Cox Pavilion.
“He’s so efficient,” Suns summer-league coach Nate Bjorkman said. “Any time we’ve gotten him in the open floor, when a guy has set him a good screen, he’s dangerous. He was getting into the paint, making the right plays. He’s a tough one.”
Without Booker by his side, Ulis picked his spots well. He hit 9-of-14 from the field with plenty of pull-up jumpers in space—none more important than the one he nailed to give Phoenix a 68-66 lead it would never relinquish.
“It felt like Kentucky again,” Ulis said. “Me and Jamal had to do a lot of the scoring, so I tried to step up in that role this game.”
Once Ulis and the Suns left the floor, it was Murray’s time to take over. Ulis’ former college teammate switched between perimeter spots with ease in leading the Denver Nuggets to an 80-60 smackdown of the Utah Jazz.
“I’ve been playing the 2-guard at Kentucky, and I’ve been playing the 1 my whole life, so I’m pretty comfortable,” Murray said. “It’s just basketball.”
That ability to man either spot should make Murray, the No. 7 pick in this year’s draft, an immediate asset for the Nuggets. With Emmanuel Mudiay at the point and Gary Harris staking his claim at shooting guard, Murray will have to be chameleonic if he’s to snag significant minutes in Denver’s backcourt.
“It’s just so easy to put him out there, and you know that you have an above-average 2-guard or an above-average point guard at whatever spot he’s at,” Nuggets summer-league coach Micah Nori said.
Those skills could pave the way for a bright NBA future. That doesn’t mean Murray doesn’t and won’t reflect fondly on his days as Ulis’ running mate in the Bluegrass State, though.
“When we’re on the same team, we’re deadly,” Murray said. “We miss those days back at Kentucky. Now we’re in the NBA, we know what we’ve got to do and what we’re capable of, and we just try to bring that on the court.”
On Saturday, Murray and Ulis will share the floor again—this time as foes—when the Nuggets and Suns battle for a spot in the summer-league semifinals.
Oubre, House Shine in Wizards Comeback
Kelly Oubre Jr. couldn’t believe it. His Washington Wizards didn't just waltz their way to a 71-60 win over the Atlanta Hawks; they did so after climbing out of a 17-point hole in the third quarter.
“To be honest with you, man, I’m still in shock about the last two minutes of the game,” Oubre said. “I don’t know what happened. We just started playing perfect basketball. We haven’t played perfect basketball yet this whole tournament. It’s good to see that we have it in us to play that way, so we’ve got to continue to use that momentum going forward.”
That crucial stretch featured plenty of Oubre. The 2015 first-round pick hit a three to put the Wizards up 69-58, then stole the ball from Atlanta’s Brandon Ashley and finished with a finger roll at the other end for the last of his game-high 22 points.
Oubre had plenty of help: Danuel House, an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M, hit back-to-back threes to give Washington a lead early in the fourth quarter.
“The way he’s played out here, I think he’s got a very good chance of being on someone’s roster,” said Wizards summer-league coach Sidney Lowe.
Oubre doesn’t have to worry about that. So long as he shoots and defends, he’ll have a role to play next to Wall and Bradley Beal.
As for House and the other lesser-known players on D.C.’s squad, they’ll have at least one more bite at the summer-league apple when they face the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.
Tyus Jones Takes Over
Tyus Jones played sparingly for the Minnesota Timberwolves as a rookie last season—573 minutes over 37 games, to be exact. But with or without minutes in Minny, Jones spent plenty of time working on his game with Timberwolves assistant Ryan Saunders.
So when Jones goes off like he did during the Wolves’ 89-85 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Saunders can’t help but smile.
“I want him to do well,” Saunders said after watching Jones explode for 26 points and 10 assists. “I’m probably tougher on him than anybody through this summer league. ... He’s tough. I have a lot of respect for Tyus.”
Jones, a former first-round pick out of Duke, has been every bit the leader Minnesota’s needed. In the wake of a 31-point pounding at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers, he’s guided the Wolves to consecutive victories and a spot in the summer-league quarterfinals against the Toronto Raptors.
“We’re really close,” Jones said of his relationship with Saunders. “I trust him. He trusts me. I just try to be an extension of him on the floor. It’s been a lot of fun, and we’re just going to try to keep it rolling.”
Lakers' Dream Run Comes Crashing Down
It was bad enough the Los Angeles Lakers blew an 18-point first-half lead on the way to an 88-80 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers—their first of summer league—but a nasty spill by Larry Nance Jr. in the final minute only made it worse.
Nance went directly to the locker room for X-rays after landing on his wrist. The results hadn’t yet come back, but Nance’s mood said plenty about his outlook.
“It couldn’t have been good,” D’Angelo Russell said afterward. “He was mad, a little upset. At this point, I don’t know. All I can do is pray for him.”
ESPN.com's Baxter Holmes, relaying word from Lakers PR, later reported the X-rays showed "a probable fracture" to his right hand. A hand specialist will examine him in L.A. on Friday.
Russell endured some struggles of his own as the game wore on. The second-year guard out of Ohio State hit six of his first nine shots but made just 1-of-11 thereafter en route to a 19-point, four-assist night.
“We ran out of gas,” Russell said. “I feel like we fought, scratched and did what we could do, but we ran out of gas.”
They didn’t have enough in the tank to stop Cleveland’s combo of Jordan McRae and Kay Felder. The former, a D-Leaguer who’ll own a ring after joining the Cavs' roster last season, exploded for 36 points and nine rebounds. The latter, a second-rounder out of this year's draft, added 20 points and three assists.
Those two took the wind out of the Lakers’ sails on this night. Long term, though, Nance’s status will loom much larger in L.A.’s mind.
All quotes were obtained firsthand.
