The moment college prospects have been waiting for their whole life occurred today with the start of the 2015 NBA Summer League. While some players are a lock to make NBA rosters with the teams that drafted them, others are in constant competition with teammates for roster spots. Over the course of July, this journalist will supply an account of the action conspiring in Orlando, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas between these futures stars.
Today's Results
Game 1
Miami 92
Indiana 76
Notables
MIA-Justise Winslow
15 points (4-8), 3 assists, & 2 steals.
IND-Myles Turner
20 points (8-11), 8 rebounds, & 3 blocks.
The ball was tipped, and Summer League was in-session with a rematch of the 2014 Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat. To start, this Heat "zoared" out to an early 15-8 lead due to Zoran Dragic, who scored eight points in the first five minutes of the game. The team from South Beach would extend their advantage to thirteen before Indiana's first-round pick Myles Turner (eleventh overall) shifted momentum with nine of his game-high twenty points to draw his squad's deficit to seven going into halftime. Unfortunately the mini run made by the Pacers would be futile as halftime reset both teams resulting in the Heat outscoring their opponent 28-15 in the third quarter. With victory out of reach, Myles Turner's team would win the fourth quarter by the score of 25-21, picking up another point in the loss. Miami's first-round pick (tenth overall) Justise Winslow also had a great pro debut as he scored fifteen points on four for eight from the field while shutting down Pacers' regular season starter Solomon Hill (four points on one for ten shooting) on the offensive end of the floor.
Game 2
Detroit 76
Orlando White 87
Notables
DET-Adonis Thomas
17 points (7-14), 3 rebounds, & 1 assist.
ORW-Keith Benson
19 points (9-15), 4 rebounds, & 3 blocks.
Do not underestimate Orlando White! Don't do it! Due to an uneven number of teams in Orlando Summer League this year, the Orlando Magic will have two squads participating, a Blue team with their top draft picks and a White lineup with young players receiving invites. Game 2 featured the latter versus the Detroit Pistons. In the first half of action, both teams matched each other blow for blow as the difference was only two points in favor of Detroit heading into the break. The second half brought more of the same in addition to buckets being traded by Orlando's Keith Appling and the Pistons' first-round pick Stanley Johnson. Although "The Stanimal" would score six of his thirteen points in a two-minute span during the third quarter, White stole the lead from their opponent with two consecutive baskets, one from Keith Benson and another by Melvin Ejim, to conclude the segment. In the fourth quarter, it wasn't "Stanley's Time" but "Brauny Time" as North Dakota State product Taylor Braun scored all eight of his points during an 9-4 run that increased Orlando's lead from six, with a little over six minutes remaining, to eleven with just under four. Adonis Thomas and 2014 second-round draft pick Spencer Dinwiddie did all they could down the stretch to keep the Pistons in the game, but their thirty-one combined points were not enough this afternoon.
Game 3
Orlando Blue 75
Los Angeles C 74
Final in Overtime
Notables
ORB-Aaron Gordon
***Summer League Star of the Day"
22 points (8-18), 18 rebounds, 1 assist, & 2 blocks.
LAC-Branden Dawson
14 points (6-13), 14 rebounds, & 1 assist.
Three top-ten NBA Draft picks (Elfrid Payton, Aaron Gordon, and Mario Hezonja) and a sharpshooting, twenty-plus point scorer from college (Tyler Harvey) on the same summer league team? Wow, that team should dominate. And dominate Orlando Blue did to start this afternoon's summer league game as they jumped out to an early 18-2 lead. Last year's first-round pick (fourth overall) by Orlando Aaron Gordon started the game hotter than the Florida summer as he led the early charge with twelve points in the first five minutes of the game. But the Clippers never gave up and actually took the lead with a Jordan Hamilton jumper about halfway through the third quarter. From that point on, the game was either teams' to win until the Clippers' 2015 second-round draft pick Branden Dawson slammed a thunderous dunk home to supply Los Angeles a five-point lead with two minutes and one second remaining in regulation. Despite the deficit and the chances of victory looking bleak, Orlando fought back to tie the game at 72 and force overtime. Although the Clippers struck first with a C.J. Wilcox layup in the two-minute extra period, Orlando had the last laugh as Mario Hezonja aka "Super Mario" nailed a trey with 12.9 seconds left in the game. After another empty possession by the Clippers and two missed free throws by Aaron Gordon that would have put the game out of reach if made, Los Angeles' Amath M'Baye grabbed the rebound and started dribbling up court. Since M'Baye is a big man, he tried to get the ball to a guard, but his pass attempt was stolen by the Blue's Devyn Marble for the game-clinching steal. While "Air Gordon" did much of the heavy lifting for Orlando, Devyn Marble nailed four three-pointers and 2014-2015 All-Rookie First Team selection Elfrid Payton had seven points and nine assists.
Game 4
Charlotte 74
Oklahoma City 76
Notables
CHA-Frank Kaminsky
19 points (7-19), 12 rebounds, & 2 steals.
OKC-Semaj Christon
14 points (4-15), 5 rebounds, 10 assists, 1 steal, & 1 block.
The game started with a Kentucky product's dunk and ended with a former Wisconsin star's missed field goal attempt in a game that featured four players from the 2015 NCAA Men's Final Four. That is a brief summary of Charlotte versus Oklahoma City from this afternoon's summer league thriller. The first quarter was all about the guards as P.J. Hairston and Aaron Harrison combined for eleven of the Hornets' seventeen points and OKC's Frank Gaines netted seven of his team's seventeen points. In the second, former Oakland product Travis Bader gave the Thunder a huge lift off the bench by scoring eight of his ten points in the period, which helped his team head into the locker room with a four-point advantage. The lead would not be around for long though as "Frank the Tank" finally found his rhythm and scored twelve consecutive points for his team while swiping the lead from the Thunder. Although Oklahoma City's deficit would grow to as much as nine in the third quarter, Gaines and Semaj Christon willed their team back into the ballgame by scoring the Thunder's last eighteen points, including a Christon layup that gave his team a two-point lead with 20.4 seconds remaining. Who would Charlotte go to with the game on the line? Kaminsky of course! The seven-footer was seven for nineteen from the field today, but he needed to be eight for nineteen to have forced overtime as his contested game-tying attempt at the buzzer hit the front rim and fell harmlessly to the hardwood. Kaminsky ended his professional debut with a double-double of nineteen points and twelve rebounds in the loss while Thunder rookie Dakari Johnson posted seven points and eleven rebounds.
Game 5
Memphis 81
Brooklyn 73
Notables
MEM-Jordan Adams
20 points (5-14), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, & 3 steals.
BKN-Cory Jefferson
13 points (4-11), 8 rebounds, 1 steal, & 1 block.
Swish! Andrew Harrison for three! With Harrison's three pointer to begin the game, the Memphis Grizzlies ran out to an early 22-15 lead on the Brooklyn Nets. The Grizz's 2014 first-round pick (twenty-second overall) Jordan Adams made his presence felt especially in the second quarter of today's bout as he dropped eight of his game-high twenty points in the period. Despite Adams' scoring, the "Boys from Barclays" did not allow Memphis to pull away in the first half and closed the gap from nine to three heading into halftime. But when play resumed out of the break, it was all Grizzlies, highlighted by them outscoring their opponent 26-14 in the third quarter, which included a 8-0 personal run by big man Jarnell Stokes. During the final ten minutes, Memphis had the game in hand even though the Nets' Darius Adams and Cory Jefferson did all they could to start a rally for Brooklyn. Jefferson led the Nets in scoring with thirteen points while 2015 first-round pick (twenty-third overall) Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and undrafted free agent Cliff Alexander scored nine and eight points respectively in their pro debuts.
2014 First Round Picks In Action
-Aaron Gordon ORB (#4 Pick)
---22 points (8-18), 18 rebounds, 1 assist, & 2 blocks.
-Elfrid Payton ORB (#10 Pick)
---7 points (3-10), 2 rebounds, 9 steals, & 1 steal.
-Mitch McGary OKC (#21 Pick)
---8 points (4-9), 13 rebounds, 1 assist, & 1 steal.
-Jordan Adams MEM (#22 Pick)
---20 points (5-14), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, & 3 steals.
-P.J. Hairston CHA (#26 Pick)
---13 points (3-11), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, & 1 steal.
-C.J. Wilcox LAC (#28 Pick)
---13 points (5-15), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, & 1 block.
2015 First Round Picks In Action
-Mario Hezonja ORB (#5 Pick)
---12 points (3-8), 2 rebounds, & 2 steals.
-Stanley Johnson DET (#8 Pick)
---13 points (5-8), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, & 1 steal.
-Frank Kaminsky CHA (#9 Pick)
---19 points (7-19), 12 rebounds, & 2 steals.
-Justise Winslow MIA (#10 Pick)
---15 points (4-8), 3 assists, & 2 steals.
-Myles Turner IND (#11 Pick)
---20 points (8-11), 8 rebounds, & 3 blocks.
-Cameron Payne OKC (#14 Pick)
---Will not participate in summer league due to fractured finger.
-Rondae Hollis-Jefferson BKN (#23 Pick)
---9 points (4-8), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, & 2 steals.
-Jarell Martin MEM (#25 Pick)
---Will not participate in summer league due to foot injury.
-Chris McCullough BKN (#29 Pick)
---Will not participate in summer league due to ongoing recovery from a torn ACL.
Standings
1. Orlando White 1-0 7 pts
2. Oklahoma City 1-0 6.5 pts
3. Miami 1-0 6 pts
4. Memphis 1-0 6 pts
5. Orlando Blue 1-0 6 pts
6. Los Angeles C 0-1 2 pts
7. Brooklyn 0-1 2 pts
8. Indiana 0-1 2 pts
9. Charlotte 0-1 1.5 pts
10. Detroit 0-1 1 pts
Tomorrow's Slate
1:00 PM
Los Angeles C vs. Detroit
3:00 PM
Memphis - Charlotte
5:00 PM
Brooklyn - Miami
Tomorrow's Game of the Day
3:00 PM
Memphis - Charlotte
Families are meant to spend the holidays together and tomorrow the Harrison twins will do just that since their summer league teams face-off on Day 2. Both brothers had very strong debuts as Andrew posted eight points for Memphis and Aaron scored ten for Charlotte. Besides the matchup of the brothers, Frank Kaminsky will have to go up against another center that has a weight advantage on him in Jarnell Stokes. "Frank the Tank" also had a very nice showing this afternoon but was very streaky shooting the basketball and ended up contributing no points on zero for five shooting in the fourth quarter against Oklahoma City. Lastly, no one can forget Jordan Adams' top-notch performance for the Grizzlies versus Brooklyn. Will he be able to continue to show his talent tomorrow afternoon against P.J. Hairston, who was drafted four picks below him in the 2014 NBA Draft?