Tag: NBA Summer League

Utah Jazz sign former Notre Dame guard Dane Goodwin

Good luck, Dane!

For the past couple of years, the only NBA representatives Notre Dame has had are [autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] and [autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag]. But we now at least have the possibility that a third name will be added to that list for the 2024-25 season.

[autotag]Dane Goodwin[/autotag], who played 14 games last season with the Sacramento Kings’ G-League affiliate in Stockton before playing two games for the Kings in this past Summer League, has signed with the Utah Jazz. This news dropped two days before the Jazz were set to start training camp.

In all likelihood, Goodwin’s signing is to provide the Jazz with enough players to evaluate over the course of camp and possibly during preseason games. Goodwin, for better or worse, hasn’t made a huge impact in his professional career so far. But the Jazz signing him should indicate he’ll at least start the season in the G-League.

Here’s hoping Goodwin does enough that actually playing in the NBA becomes more and more of a possibility.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Jared McCain describes playing against Kyle Filipowski in NBA Summer League as ‘weird’

Former Duke teammates Jared McCain and Kyle Filipowski played each other in the NBA Summer League in July, a memory McCain called “weird.”

On July 10, former Duke basketball stars [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyle Filipowski[/autotag] did something they’d already done dozens of times together: play a basketball game.

This time, however, they took opposite sides of the floor. McCain played for the Philadelphia 76ers and Filipowski for the Utah Jazz in an NBA Summer League showdown as their professional careers got underway.

During an appearance on The Brotherhood Podcast earlier this week, McCain described the experience as crazy.

“To see him in warmups on the other side, we’re in the tunnel together walking out, he has on a different jersey, like, I only know him in a Duke jersey so it was weird.”

McCain remembered one defensive possession when he tried to box out Filipowski, who is nearly a full foot taller than him, in the paint.

“He was like, ‘Come on, Jared,'” McCain said. “He was like, ‘Come on, Jared, stop.'”

Filipowski and the Jazz ended up winning the game 93-85. Filipowski and McCain both scored two points with the Utah big man snagging five rebounds and McCain pulling down four.

Rockets release behind-the-scenes video of Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, summer teammates

The Rockets are releasing behind-the-scenes video footage of their summer squad, which featured Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore in starring roles.

Despite a 2-3 record, the NBA’s 2024 summer league was largely a successful one for the Houston Rockets.

The biggest reason, of course, is that the most anticipated prospect on that team fared well. In his first action with the team, rookie guard Reed Sheppard — drafted at No. 3 overall in the 2024 first round — earned All-Summer League First Team honors.

In four games from Las Vegas, Sheppard averaged a team-high 20.0 points (50.0% shooting), 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.8 steals.

Of the three losses, two came without second-year forward Cam Whitmore, who won summer-league Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors in 2023. One came without Sheppard, and the other was a lethargic performance on night two of a back-to-back.

Thus, when viewing summer league through the parameters of which players are likely to impact the Rockets in the 2024-25 season and beyond, it was a strong showing for Houston’s top prospects.

Courtesy of the team, here is behind-the-scenes video footage of the summer Rockets. The complete video, which includes a wide range of practice clips and interview snippets, can be viewed below.

[lawrence-related id=124980,124845]

Former Texas A&M guard Quenton Jackson sign two-way deal with the Indiana Pacers

Quenton Jackson will stay with the Indiana Pacers organziation headining into next season

For those of us who had the pleasure of covering former Texas A&M star guard Quenton Jackson during his final collegiate season with the Aggies, his basketball career would only continue from there, whether in the NBA or playing in the international circuit.

Going undrafted after the 2022 season, Jackson joined the Washington Wizards’ G-League organization while appearing in nine games during the 2022-2023 NBA season before transitioning to the Indiana Pacers, who have committed to developing Jackson’s skill set.

Extremely athletic, Jackson took full advantage of his elevated playing time during the NBA Summer League. The 25-year-old recorded an impressive 22 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in the Pacers’ 100-93 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier last week.

On Saturday, the Pacer’s leadership took notice of what they have in Quenton Jackson as a potential contributor on the court, signing him to his second two-way contract with the team, as he will continue playing for the Indiana Mad Ants in the G-League with the potential to appear in the 2024-2025 NBA regular season.

Former East Carolina/UConn guard Tristen Newton was also signed to a two-way contract with the Pacers.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Former Tar Heel Leaky Black featured in Charlotte Hornets’ NBA Summer League highlights

It’s safe to say that Leaky Black is enjoying his time with the Charlotte Hornets.

Leaky Black is arguably one of the best all-around basketball players to ever don a UNC uniform.

Black played at North Carolina for five seasons (2018-2023), carving out a name for himself as a defensive standout, a title that was apparent by being name a 2-time member of the ACC’s All-Defensive Team.

Roy Williams and Hubert Davis typically put Black on the opposition’s best shooter or offensive creator, with his goal the ability to heavily influence a game’s outcome.

As Black developed throughout his Tar Heels career, he added a solid shooting touch to his arsenal. Black never averaged more than 7.3 points per game in a single season, with that total coming in his 2022-2023 COVID year, but you could still count on him for decent scoring production.

When Black’s time at UNC ended, he signed a 2-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets. Despite spending most of last season with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s NBA G League affiliate, Black played 26 NBA games.

Black was also part of Charlotte’s Summer League team the past two seasons, with 2024 being a strong summer in particular at 7-1. Black played in five of the Hornets’ eight contests, averaging three points, four rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

In the Hornets’ summer league highlights recap video, which they posted to Instagram on Thursday, July 25, you’ll see Black several times throughout.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C92mjbuJQ0Y/

I hope Charlotte decides to keep Black at the NBA level, but if he’d rather the route to more playing time, Greensboro might be the better option.

With both cities being just 90 minutes from each other, though, don’t be surprised to see Black bouncing back and forth.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

PHOTOS: Rockets guard Reed Sheppard joins NBA’s 2024 rookie shoot

While at summer league in Las Vegas, Rockets guard Reed Sheppard took part in the NBA’s official photo shoot for its 2024 rookie class.

For a third consecutive year, the Rockets are represented on the NBA’s All-Summer League First Team. In the NBA 2K25 edition for July 2024 games, it’s rookie guard Reed Sheppard. who follows in the footsteps of Cam Whitmore (2023 MVP) and Tari Eason (2022).

Sheppard, the No. 3 overall draft pick from the 2024 first round, averaged a team-high 20.0 points (50.0% shooting), 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.8 steals in four games from Las Vegas. For Houston fans, those summer-league performances further justified the hype for the Kentucky guard that grew throughout the pre-draft process.

While there, Sheppard took part in the NBA’s annual photo shoot for rookies on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) campus. Portraits were taken by Monica Schipper of Getty Images.

Courtesy of USA TODAY’s photo partnerships, here’s a selection of Sheppard’s official portraits from that July 2024 event. Numerous other first-round rookies on other teams took part, as well, with those photos available by searching various photography wire services.

NBA names Rockets rookie Reed Sheppard to All-Summer League First Team

For a third straight season, the Rockets have a representative on the NBA’s All-Summer League First Team. This year, it’s Reed Sheppard.

For a third straight year, the Houston Rockets have a representative on the NBA’s All-Summer League First Team. In the NBA 2K25 edition for games in July 2024, it’s rookie guard Reed Sheppard.

Sheppard, the No. 3 overall draft pick from the 2024 first round, averaged a team-high 20.0 points (50.0% shooting), 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 2.8 steals in four games from Las Vegas.

Other first-team members include Kel’el Ware of the Miami Heat; Jordan Miller of the Los Angeles Clippers; and Scottie Pippen Jr. and GG Jackson II of the Memphis Grizzlies. Jalen Wilson, now with the Brooklyn Nets, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Sheppard’s 2024 summer-league teammate, Cam Whitmore, was a first-team member and MVP in 2023. This year, Whitmore was limited by the Rockets to only three games. A year earlier, Tari Eason was named to the NBA’s 2022 All-Summer League First Team.

Sheppard, Whitmore, and Eason will all compete for minutes with the 2024-25 Rockets when training camp opens in late September.

[lawrence-related id=115457,103657]

Former Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham dominates in Summer League finale

Rob Dillingham dropped 25 points and 12 assists for Minnesota in his Summer League finale on Sunday.

Former Kentucky Wildcats guard Rob Dillingham’s up-and-down Summer League performance finished on a high note Sunday when the No. 8 overall pick tallied 25 points and 12 assists in Minnesota’s 115-100 win over Orlando.

Dillingham shot 11-18 from the field and 3-7 from three in the contest, also grabbing three rebounds and a pair of steals. It was far and away the rookie guard’s best Summer League performance, highlighting his exceptional scoring and facilitating ability to close out his time in Las Vegas.

Dillingham finished Summer League averaging 13.6 points on 36% shooting from the field and 30.8% from beyond the arc. His 7.6 assists per game led the entire league, with former Marquette guard Tyler Kolek coming in second at 7.0.

The 6’3 guard was among the best players in all of college basketball last year, despite coming off the bench for John Calipari in Lexington.

His outside shooting and passing skills intrigued NBA scouts, although concern about his size and defensive impact lingered and led to him falling toward the back half of the top ten where he was snagged by the Timberwolves – where he can develop as a microwave scorer off the bench behind Mike Conley and Anthony Edwards.

Performances like Sunday may not come around too often in the NBA, but it shouldn’t be a huge surprise when they do – he’s more than capable of lighting it up when he gets going.

Watch Malik Hall’s posterizing dunk in the NBA Summer League

Malik Hall made the highlight reel once again in the NBA Summer League

Former Michigan State power forward Malik Hall has made a mark on the NBA Summer League, showing off his athleticism and showing why he could be an asset in the league.

Hall made another rim shaking dunk during the summer league, and you can watch it via X:

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner

Former Duke basketball star Kyle Filipowski drops 26 points in NBA Summer League

Former Blue Devil Kyle Filipowski, a second-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft, put together another 20-point NBA Summer League game on Sunday.

[autotag]Kyle Filipowski[/autotag]’s professional basketball career isn’t even a full month old and he’s already put together multiple 20-point games.

The former Duke basketball star scored 26 points for the Utah Jazz during a 97-87 victory over the Detroit Pistons in an NBA Summer League game on Sunday. He erupted for 16 points in the second quarter, giving him 24 at the midway point after he buried three 3-pointers.

Filipowski also brought in 11 rebounds for a double-double, and he finished the game with four assists and two steals en route to the win.

The performance comes just four days after his first 20-point game during offseason competitions. He scored 20 and tacked on seven rebounds in a victory over the Toronto Raptors earlier in the week.

Despite ESPN Analytics thinking the Second Team All-American carried more than a 70% chance to get picked in the first round, he needed to wait until round two for the Jazz to take him off the board. If his form thus far in the Summer League is an indication, Filipowski might make teams look silly for that decision.

The big man, coincidentally, played alongside former North Carolina rival Armando Bacot as the two both made Utah’s summer roster. Bacot, who also started for the Jazz, finished the game with 11 points and three rebounds.