Author: Chris Porter

Balanced Summer League Win The Celtics had as dominating a Summer League victory as you’ll find. They beat the Charlotte Hornets 100-80 and 7-of-9 players for the Celtics were in double figures. Jabari Bird (16), Semi Ojeleye (13), Guerschon Yabusele (14), Pierria Henry (13), Jarrod Uthoff (16), Trey Davis (11), and Hassan Martin (12) were described by one media member as looking like “a f****** football team” given their size and strength. As a team, the Celtics shot 52.8% from the field, 50% from three-point range, and 15-17 free throws (88%). Bird, Ojeleye, and Yabusele all saw minutes for the…

Justin Jackson Erupts for 28 Marvin Bagley III did not play and will have an MRI on Monday concerning an injury he sustained against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday to his right hip flexor/groin. In his absence, Justin Jackson, who has been quietly solid all Summer League for the Kings, put in 28 points (10-19) and 4 rebounds. Jackson also demonstrated his shooting ability going 4-7 from three-point range. Unfortunately, Jackson did not get much help, as Frank Mason III was the second-leading scorer with 12 points and no other King scored double-digits, but Harry Giles III, Zach Auguste, and…

Kevin Knox is Still Motivated Kevin Knox wasn’t kidding when he said that he would use the boos he got on draft night as motivation. Knox put in another solid performance in the NBA Summer League. This time, he went for 19 points and 5 rebounds. Obviously, those numbers are fine, but the one thing Knox needs to improve is his overall shooting percentage, as those 19 points came on just 5-15 shooting, which will not cut it at the next level. Amazingly, three other Knicks ended the night in double figures; Mitchell Robinson put up 12 points and 11…

Marcus Derrickson Impresses Marcus Derrickson went undrafted out of Georgetown but, after his impressive showing in both the NBA Summer League and the California Summer League, many believe he will make the Warriors roster this season. Last night, Derrickson put up 23 points and 7 rebounds on 8-14 shooting. Derrickson showed he could both shoot the long ball (2-5) and attack the rim and get to the free throw line, where he went 5-7. Before the draft, Derrickson had stated that he wanted to lose about 20 pounds before the regular season started and drop his weight from 250 lbs…

DeAndre Ayton vs. Marvin Bagley III The Suns played the Kings in Summer League action on Saturday night, and this storyline dominated the game. DeAndre Ayton built off of a solid debut and scored 21 points on 8-11 shooting, and he also grabbed 12 rebounds for his first professional double-double. Marvin Bagley III may not have quite lived up to the only man picked before him in the draft, but he still scored 15 points on 5-13 shooting, had 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block and a steal. These two players will forever be linked and compared throughout their…

Young Stars Shine First round picks DeAndre Ayton and Mikal Bridges each turned in solid performances in their NBA Summer League debut. Ayton went 4-6 from the field, scored 10 points, and grabbed 8 rebounds. Ayton scored his first NBA points by slamming down a beautiful alley-oop. Bridges, on the other hand, scored 14 points and made 4-5 three point attempts. Their performances helped seal a 92-85 victory over Dallas. The fourth overall pick from last year, Josh Jackson, had 12 points but he was forcing it too much and ended up 4-16 from the field. Overall, these three players…

Robert Williams III Injured in Celtics Debut Robert Williams III played just six minutes before leaving the court due to an ankle injury. He was able to record 4 points and 2 rebounds in those six minutes, including a sweet looking mid range jumper over his defender. While Williams III’s debut was disappointing, Jabari Bird put up 14 points and Semi Ojeleye and Guerschon Yabusele each had 16. Despite a solid scoring performance, Ojeleye still has a long way to go before providing useful minutes at the offensive end for the Celtics, as he shot just 2-7 from three-point range.…

Derrick White and the Spurs Look Strong Derrick White has played against NBA caliber players before, and he made the NBA Summer League guys look like lunch meat on Thursday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. He put up 26 points on 8-17 shooting and was 5-8 from three-point range. However, to play for the Spurs, you need to be a multi-talented player, and White is no exception. He also snagged 7 rebounds, dished out 6 assists, and recorded one steal and a block. Derrick White is looking more and more like a viable and legitimate candidate to replace Tony Parker…

Marvin Bagley III Found “the Basement” Marvin Bagley III played 29 minutes in Thursday’s game against the Heat, but he only managed 1 point, 3 rebounds, and a block. Physically, Bagley III looked defeated against his counterpart Bam Adebayo when the Kings were on offense, as Bagley III didn’t seem to get nearly as many touches on account of Adebayo’s defense. Mentally, Bagley III looked defeated on the defensive end as well, since he was physically dominated by Miami’s big men and simply beaten by their guards. Adebayo put up a solid 14 points and 9 rebounds, including one incredibly…

Mortiz Wagner Posts a Double-Double Moritz Wagner has had some ups and downs in the NBA Summer League. He scored 23 points in his debut, but followed it up the next night with an 8-point game. Against the Warriors on Thursday, Wagner posted 13 points and 13 rebounds. Wagner shot the ball fairly well, hitting 50% from both three-point range (2-4) and the field (5-10). Wagner was also a force on the defensive end and rejected four shots and managed one steal. Wagner is starting to look more and more like the typical NBA center in today’s game and can…