NBA Summer League 2016: Championship Game TV, Live-Stream Schedule
After 11 days in Las Vegas, the NBA Summer League tournament comes down to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls to see who has the best young core in the NBA.
OK, so the stakes aren't that high, but winning the offseason tournament can't be a bad thing for a franchise—especially the Timberwolves, who have tremendous young talents not even playing in the event.
Even without Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, the Wolves have been exceptional. Fans have to be excited with the potential flashed by the likes of Tyus Jones and Adreian Payne as they've worked their way through the tournament.
They'll be put to the test by the team that has performed the best overall at the tourney thus far. The Bulls have gone undefeated in Vegas to earn the No. 2 seed, which set their path to the championship game.
Here's all the info you need to catch the matchup and a guide for who to look for in the game.
| July 18 | 9 p.m. | Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Chicago Bulls | ESPN2 | WatchESPN |
Tyus Jones, PG, Minnesota Timberwolves
The biggest winner in the T-Wolves' unlikely run to the championship has been Jones.
New point guard Kris Dunn has only been able to play in one summer-league game due to a concussion. Dunn showed that he's going to be an exciting prospect for years to come with 48 points in those two games, but Jones has shined as well in his absence.
Playing in seven games for the Wolves, Jones has been the steady force behind the offense with 19.4 points and 6.3 assists per contest. His averages have been buoyed by stellar performances in four straight tournament games, per Timberwolves PR:
With Ricky Rubio's future in Minnesota uncertain at best, the Timberwolves will need another point guard to step up beside Dunn. Jones is showing that he's just the man capable of doing that.
According to Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated, Jones was named NBA Summer League MVP:
That's some serious momentum for Jones to take into the regular season, and the Wolves should rely heavily on him to lead the offense against the Bulls.
Bobby Portis, F, Chicago Bulls
Looking at the All-NBA Summer League First Team, you'll notice another name that will play for the championship in Bobby Portis.
The second-year forward has done exactly what you'd like to see from a second-year player in Vegas. He's been dominant.
He leads the undefeated squad in points, rebounds and blocks per game while playing with the energy that made him a rotational player in his rookie season.
J.A. Adande of ESPN noted the passion with which Portis is playing, even in summer league:
Now with a year under his belt, it's his aggressiveness that has stood out to Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg in Vegas.
“Bobby was a beast out there,” Hoiberg said, per Sam Smith of Bulls.com. “Aggressiveness, the big thing he was aggressive in the post, took his time in the post and got on the glass.”
An aggressive Portis is a fun Portis to watch. He's shown that he can score in a variety of ways—from the post to taking guys off the dribble, like he did in this highlight from NBA TV:
Portis will go against a big man in Payne, who is also having a great summer. Watching him find ways to score inside should be a fun and important storyline in this game.
Cristiano Felicio, C, Chicago Bulls
It's harder for frontcourt players to make a name for themselves in summer league with the guard-dominant style of play that tends to prevail, yet the Bulls have two bigs they can say have had successful summer-league runs.
Cristiano Felicio has stood out for his efficiency on the offensive end of the floor and rebounding proficiency. Kelly Scaletta of Bleacher Report noted Felicio's impressive per-36-minute stats in Vegas along with his true shooting percentage:
Like Portis, Felicio is an interesting piece for the Bulls in the future. Chicago's frontcourt will be much different than it was last season with the departures of Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol. While Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic and the addition of Robin Lopez will represent competition, Felicio will likely be called on to play some at the 5 for the Bulls in the regular season.
That's a lot to expect from the Brazilian, who only averaged 10.4 minutes per game last season, but he's showing that he's made some strides in his development with his play so far.
The one-two punch of Felicio and Portis down low should make the difference in this game for the Bulls as they complete the perfect run in Vegas.
Prediction: Bulls 84, Timberwolves 76
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