Monday’s Summer League games, like all the other ones before it, consisted of young players who played with intensity and speed. You’ve seen young players like Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox, Miami Heat forward Edrice “Bam” Adebayo, and Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball have solid performances in the Summer League.
3 winners from Monday night Summer League basketball
No Lonzo Ball on Monday night, but there was plenty of action to be excited about.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
However, there are three other players who proved to fans Monday they can play in the NBA, too.
Fred VanVleet (PG, Raptors)
VanVleet came into the league last year as an undrafted free agent and spent the bulk of last season playing for the Raptors 905, the team’s affiliate in the newly named NBA Gatorade League.
In the Raptors’ 82-81 victory over the Denver Nuggets, VanVleet poured in 17 points. In the process, though, he only missed one shot attempt, and nailed all three of his three-point attempts. The 23-year-old got off to a fast start early, driving to the hoop for easy buckets and draining open shots from three-point land.
If VanVleet wants to make Toronto’s roster, he must continue to play at a high level. He showed fans that he’s lethal from deep when opposing defenders allow him to take open shots.
Troy Williams (SF, Rockets)
Heading into this Rockets-Suns game, Williams averaged 25 points in the two prior games. He can drain shots from beyond the arc and drive to the hoop for high-percentage shots. Williams went on an offensive barrage in Houston’s 99-94 win against Phoenix, scoring a game-high 27 points.
Even though he shot less than 40 percent from the field and from deep, Williams connected on 10 of 11 of his free-throw attempts and snagged six rebounds. It’s nice to see Williams score at will and make opposing defenses look foolish. He’s only 22 years old, so he’s only going to get better from here.
Jamil Wilson (SF, Clippers)
Wilson did a great job of stuffing the stat sheet in the Clippers’ 100-93 win against the Milwaukee Bucks. He poured in 18 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Wilson made 50 percent of his three-point shots and didn’t hesitate to drive to the hoop, too.
Wilson has the athleticism and length to thrive in the NBA, but he has to continue playing this way. Wilson is only 26 years old, so he still has time to sharpen his skills and morph into a solid NBA player.
Monday’s Summer League scores
ATL: DeAndre’ Bembry — 17 points (6-of-11 FG), three rebounds, four assists.
CHI: Cameron Payne — 12 points (4-of-11 FG)
Heat 91, Wizards 87
MIA: Adebayo — 16 points (4-of-10 FG) and seven rebounds; Matt Williams — 17 points (6-of-9 FG).
WAS: Sheldon McClellan — 18 points (6-of-10 FG); Jared Cunningham — 16 points (4-of-9 FG)
BKN: Archie Goodwin — 18 points (6-of-9 FG), four rebounds, and eight assists; Caris LeVert — 17 points (6-of-12 FG), eight rebounds, and two assists
NOP: Quinn Cook — 20 points (7-of-14 FG)
Rockets 99, Suns 94
HOU: Williams — 27 points (7-of-18 FG) and six rebounds; Chris Johnson — 16 points (5-of-7 FG) and five steals; Isaiah Taylor — 18 points (5-of-12 FG) and eight assists.
PHX: Josh Jackson — 20 points (7-of-17 FG); Marquese Chriss — 26 points (6-of-14 FG) and seven rebounds; Mike James — 17 points (4-of-12 FG), five assists, and four rebounds.
Raptors 82, Nuggets 81
DEN: Malik Beasley — 19 points (7-of-18 FG) and five rebounds; Torrey Craig — 15 points (6-of-10 FG)
TOR: VanVleet — 17 points (5-of-6 FG); Jakob Poeltl -- 17 points (8-of-13 FG) and 10 rebounds
CLE: Brandon Paul — 21 points (8-of-12 FG)
GSW: Alex Hamilton — 11 points (3-of-4 FG)
Clippers 100, Bucks 93
LAC: Montrezl Harrell — 21 points (10-of-13 FG); Sindarius Thornwell — 18 points (7-of-16 FG); Jamil Wilson -- 18 points (8-of-10 FG), eight rebounds, and eight assists
MIL: Rashad Vaughn — 21 points (7-of-12 FG); D.J. Wilson — 17 points (7-of-13 FG)
Lakers 95, Kings 92
LAL: Vander Blue — 21 points (6-of-15 FG); Alex Caruso — 18 points (7-of-9 FG), nine assists, and four steals
SAC: Frank Mason — 24 points (9-of-13 FG) and six assists; Buddy Hield — 22 points (6-of-15 FG)
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