If you hadn’t realized it yet, we’ve officially reached the basketball sicko portion of the Summer League. If you didn’t tune in for these games, that’s okay! It doesn’t mean you’re not a basketball fan. The sickos know who they are, and they’re certainly proud of it.
With that being said, we’ll dive into the eight games that were played on Thursday! Many teams have shut down their best young players, but a few are still playing. Other lesser known players had the opportunity to play a larger role, which led to some fun performances. Many of these players will likely spend their season in the G-League, but some of these guys could prove to be valuable in fantasy one day, even if that day isn’t anytime soon.
Cavaliers 87, Bulls 83
Cleveland secured the win in this game on the back of Craig Porter Jr., who was undrafted out of Wichita State. He posted a 22/8/6/3/1 line in this game. Porter Jr. will be on a two-way contract for Cleveland this season and will likely spend the majority of the year with the Cleveland Charge. However, it was still a solid performance for him. Isaiah Mobley continued his strong summer by recording a double-double with an 18/12/4 line. Much like Porter Jr. (and anyone who suits up for them this summer), Mobley will likely spend most of this season with the Charge. Emoni Bates scored 15 points on poor shooting. Sharif Cooper added 11.
Javon Freeman-Liberty didn’t play as well as he has been, but he still turned in another strong performance where he led the team in scoring. It’ll likely go to a bigger name, but Freeman-Liberty has a real chance to win SL MVP. Dalen Terry did more of the same in this game: a full stat line with poor shooting. Terry could end up being a rotational piece for Chicago this season, but it’s unlikely that he is able to contribute much value. However, in a few seasons, he could be valuable in fantasy. Julian Phillips added 12 points. Nate Darling scored 11.
Hawks 99, 76ers 98
Kobe Bufkin played the role of hero in this game for the Hawks by scoring 11 of his 14 points to go with seven assists and a game-winning layup. Bufkin should be Atlanta’s backup point guard this season, which should be an important role after they lacked playmaking off the bench. Sethu Lundy led the team in scoring and posted a 16/8/4 line with four 3-pointers. He has the potential to be a rotational shooter in this league, but he’ll spend his rookie year with College Park in the G-League. Their other draft pick this season was Mouhamed Gueye, who finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Aside from Bufkin, none of these guys will see much of a role for the Hawks this season.
Jaden Springer had an excellent summer league, and he had his best game on Thursday. He lit up the Hawks with 29 points, which put his scoring potential on full display. Springer could end up being part of Philadelphia’s rotation this season, but even if he is, he probably won’t see enough of a role to impact fantasy this year. However, he could within the next few seasons. Terquavion Smith showcased his scoring ability at NC State, and he has continued to show it in the Summer League. He posted a 20/3/3 line with three 3-pointers in this game. Javonte Smart added a 14/5/6 line, and Greg Brown finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and six blocks.
Nets 99, Raptors 94
The Nets made three draft picks last month. Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead in the first, and Jalen Wilson in the second. So far, we haven’t been able to see Whitehead play, and Clowney’s stats haven’t popped. However, Wilson has been fantastic. He led the Nets with 17 points on Thursday, and he has been a decent source of both steals and blocks this summer. He has a real chance to be on their roster this season instead of being stuck in the G-League with most other second round picks. Kennedy Chandler spent his rookie season with the Grizzlies after they selected him in the second round. They waived him before this season, and he spent the summer with the Nets. He has a chance to make their roster with how well he’s played, although he didn’t have his best shooting performance on Thursday. He stuffed the stat sheet with a 15/8/3/4/1 line, but he shot 6-for-22 from the floor. Armoni Brooks and David Duke Jr. also scored 15 points in this game, and Matt Lewis added 13.
The only Raptor that has suited up this summer that will see minutes outside of the G-League is Gradey Dick, but he didn’t play in this game. That allowed Ron Harper Jr. (19/2/3/1/1) and Joe Wieskamp (18 points) to lead the way for Toronto. Moses Brown also contributed a double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, and DJ Hogg added 13 points off the bench. Despite how well any of these guys play, they’ll likely be playing for Raptors 905.
Heat 91, Bucks 72
Miami has needed a backup center for a long time, but they haven’t been able to figure out a good option behind Bam Adebayo. They may have found an answer in Orlando Robinson, who finished with a 25/8/4/2 line in this game. He’s had an excellent Summer League this far, and he could be a rotational player for them this season. Jamal Cain posted a 24/8/3 line after playing in just 18 games as a rookie. If they end up trading for Damian Lillard, Miami’s roster could be depleted, which would open the door for these guys to see more minutes.
Milwaukee doesn’t have much on their Summer League roster, which is why they’ve struggled to win games. Lindell Wigginton led the way once again with 15 points. Marjon Beauchamp and Tacko Fall each scored 10 points. Beauchamp had some solid games early in the Summer League, but he has struggled over the last two. He still has upside, but he’ll need to play like he did earlier in order to contribute.
Rockets 118, Warriors 101
Even without Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. playing, Houston still has plenty to keep things exciting. Cam Whitmore has put his talents on full display, and it was evident in this game as he put up a 26/4/1/8/1 line with three 3-pointers. The scoring has been clear, but eight steals was downright impressive. Trevor Hudgins has been able to play point guard with Thompson out of the lineup, which has allowed him to have some big games. He finished with 23 points, 11 assists and six 3-pointers in this one. The Rockets only played seven players in this game, and six of them scored in double figures, the others being Jermaine Samuels Jr., Darius Days, Matthew Mayer and Nate Hinton.
Golden State has had some talent on their Summer League roster in recent seasons, but that just hasn’t been the case this summer. Trayce Jackson-Davis finally made his Summer League debut after dealing with a hamstring injury, and he finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Kendric Davis led the way for them with 18 points, while Reggie Perry added 17. Gui Santos added 14 points, and Brandin Podziemski scored 10. Lester Quinones struggled from the floor, but he contributed eight rebounds and assists. They have some players that could see roles this season, with Podziemski and Jackson-Davis feeling like the best options as of now.
Pelicans 89, Hornets 83
New Orleans doesn’t have much on their Summer League roster, but they still managed to come away victorious in this game. Dereon Seabron led the way for the Pelicans in this game with 20 points. Dyson Daniels had a solid game with a 16/3/5/2 line. He hasn’t been great this summer, so it was encouraging to see him have a game like this. Unfortunately, Jordan Hawkins’ struggles from the field continued in this game. It’s not the end of the world, but it certainly isn’t encouraging for what his value could look like this season.
Prior to this game, Charlotte shut down Brandon Miller and Kai Jones for the summer. That left plenty of opportunities for other guys. James Bouknight led the way with 28 points, which was his first good game of the summer. It’s an encouraging performance, but there isn’t much else encouraging about what Bouknight has done through his first two seasons. This game may offer some hope, but that shouldn’t change the overall outlook for him. Bryce McGowens added 19 points. Nick Smith Jr. was held to just 12 points after scoring 33 in their previous outing.
Trail Blazers 88, Magic 71
Portland is playing without Scoot Henderson, as they shut him down due to the shoulder injury. Shaedon Sharpe only played 13 minutes, since there’s no reason to put a ton of minutes on him. Sharpe is going to be very good this season, but we may not see him play anymore in Summer League. Michael Devoe led the way for them with 18 points. Jabari Walker added a double-double, and Duop Reath scored 12 off the bench. Walker should be a depth piece for them again next season, but the other guys won’t impact fantasy since they’ll likely be in the G-League.
Orlando sold Anthony Black and Jett Howard, which didn’t leave much potential fantasy value to be found in this game. Dexter Dennis led the way with 16 points. Quinndary Weatherspoon posted an 11/5/6/6 line. DJ Wilson scored 11 points and Tyger Campbell scored 10. Do some of these guys have upside? Sure, but the odds of them contributing this season are slim.
Kings 93, Timberwolves 80
Since they decided to shut down Keegan Murray for the remainder of the Summer League, there hasn’t been much fantasy value to find out of this squad. Kessler Edwards led the way with 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Edwards should be an important player off the bench for the Kings this season, but he’s best suited as a role player, so he won’t impact fantasy basketball much. Jordan Ford continued his strong summer with 17 points, seven assists and two steals. He has a chance to earn a contract with how well he’s played, but he may spend more time in the G-League. Alex O’Connell scored 15 points on five 3-pointers. Chance Comanche and Keon Ellis each added 12.
The players on this roster may not make a huge impact this summer, but there are some guys with sneaky upside on this team. Josh Minott led the way with 18 points and six rebounds. He didn’t have a great shooting night (6-for-16), but he has a lot of upside and could be a fantasy contributor in a few seasons. Leonard Miller recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, but he also had a poor shooting night. Miller has so much potential and really shouldn’t have fallen to the second round. The Wolves may have gotten a steal. Wendell Moore Jr. scored 13 points, Javonte Cooke contributed 12 points, and Feron Hunt put up 10.