“It was good to get out again and compete and play with different guys,” Sheppard said after the game. “We had a good week in practice, so it was a lot of fun to get out and go against another team.”
The other big game of the night was the Wizards vs. Hawks, with the No. 1 pick in the draft, Zachary Riesacher, competing against the No. 2 pick, Alex Sarr. The Wizards outscored the Hawks in the final minutes to win 94–86.
“It was a good first game and we won so I’m happy,” Sarr said after the game.
The first night of Summer League did not disappoint and there is much more to come during the 11-day tournament. Yahoo Sports details the notable performers from day one.
Reed Shepard, Rockets
Shepard had six points in the first half, then came alive in the third quarter, hitting deep 3s and drawing players off the dribble. Defensively he was incredibly active, deflecting passes and blocking shots off the switch. Shepard finished with 23 points, five assists, four rebounds and three blocks in the win.
“As the game went on, I got more comfortable,” Shepard said. “My coaches and teammates were telling me to stay aggressive. They told me when you come off a ball screen, look for your shot. A big reason for that was because they trusted me ”
Dalton Knecht, Lakers
Knecht led the Lakers in scoring and had 25 points in the loss. He struggled a bit off the bounce, but was lethal in catch-and-shoot situations, going 5 of 11 from 3. He also added six rebounds and four assists and played both on and off the ball throughout the game. The fifth-year senior from Tennessee fell to the Lakers with the 17th pick, which could be the steal of the draft.
bronny james, lakers
James finished with eight points, six of which came in the first quarter. He couldn’t find his rhythm from deep and went 0 of 8 from 3-point range. “My shot wasn’t falling today, but I just have to continue to get reps and get better,” James said after the game.
The 6-2 guard was clearly upset by the loss after the game, but he’s being patient with the process and learning as much as he can game by game. “I’m just running film and watching the things I always do and whatever open look I get, I’m going to take it,” James said. “I’m getting more comfortable and letting the game come to me, but we just need to get better.”
James, the 55th pick in the draft, added five rebounds and two steals.
Cam Whitmore, Rockets
Last year’s Summer League MVP was the best player on the court Friday night, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals. He was confident off the dribble and had some good looks in transition. At one point during a half-court set, he cut in for one of the best dunks of the night.
In the second quarter, Whitmore even pulled Shepard aside to give some pointers on what he was seeing.
“That was just a defensive thing he was talking about and that’s what’s great about Cam is he played last year and he knows little things that I don’t know yet,” Shepard said. ” “He’s just taking the initiative and helping me and teaching me and giving me advice and it’s been very helpful.”
Zachary Rishachar, Hawks
Rishaer, the No. 1 pick in the draft, was quiet until halftime of the third. He struggled from behind the arc to start the game, going 1 of 5 from the field, before finding his rhythm and finishing with 3 of 9 from 3 for 18 points.
When his shot wasn’t falling, he used his footwork to seal mismatches and score off blocks. The 6-foot-8 wing played more games than any college player in the draft with his season running through May for the LNB Pro A playoffs in France. In his first NBA game, he showed more versatility on the perimeter and is proving to be more than just a designated shooter.
“Honestly, it was a great experience,” Rishacher said. “It felt good to be out on an NBA court. I know we lost, but it’s part of the game and I’m ready to do whatever the coaches ask me to do.”
Alex Sarr, magician
Sarr was noted for his rim protection in the draft and finished his first NBA game with four blocks. He held the paint defensively. The 7-1 mobile center also benefits from spacing in the NBA and was regularly used on pick-and-pops, allowing him to comfortably step out to the perimeter.
Sarr still needs to be strong but not shy away from contact. He was physical in the lane and fired off passes when he felt the help side’s defense lacking. The No. 2 pick finished with 12 points (including two 3s), seven rebounds and four assists.
“I was just taking what the game was giving me and trying to perform well,” Sarr said. “It’s all about getting better right now and adjusting to the speed of the game. Our team is positional and they want everyone to play every position, so they’ve really emphasized that.”
Bub Carrington, magician
Carrington was the 14th pick in the draft and displayed his versatile game in his first game on the court. The 18-year-old didn’t shy away from any open shots off screens and was comfortable getting downhill. He finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the win.
The Wizards may have drafted two building blocks for the franchise in Sarr and Carrington, who looked confident as the primary ball-handlers. The team could give him the freedom to get reps as their future starting point guard this upcoming season.
“I felt great there,” Carrington said. “Just playing the game I love and connecting with my teammates. We kind of settled down and started playing iso-ball so we just had to regroup and focus on each other.” Had to trust.”
Nikola Juricic, Hawks
The Serbian guard finished with only seven points, but his first NBA basket came on a poster dunk over Sarr in the opening minutes of the game. The Hawks drafted Juricic with the 43rd pick and he added two assists and two rebounds in the close loss.
terence shannon jrThe No. 27 overall pick from Illinois looked comfortable in his first game with Minnesota. He finished with 25 points, three rebounds and two blocks in 27 minutes. He scored mostly off the dribble and favored finishing on the left side of the rim. He had great pace and played well Rob Dillingham, Joe finished with five assists.
Dillingham said after the game, “I’m known as a scorer, but I’m really trying to set up my teammates because during the season I’m looking at guys like Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, scoring. “Will play together.” , “I’m watching a lot of film of Mike (Conley) right now and how he sets up guys on offense.”
The Orlando Magic got an impressive 106-79 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. They were led by last year’s lottery selections, anthony black And jet howardwhich combined for 42 points, but tristan da silva (this year’s No. 18 pick) was the glue man on the wing, posting 13 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Meanwhile, the Pacers’ frontcourt jares walker And oscar tshiebwe A combined 42 of the team’s 95 points were scored in the two-point loss to the Nets. Walker was a lottery pick last year and Tshiebwe (who had 19 rebounds) went undrafted last year. of brooklyn Jalen Wilson Drained five 3-pointers and led all players with 25 points in the win.
This post was published on 07/12/2024 10:15 pm
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