Canes Hoops: Summer League Update

The NBA Summer League wrapped up on Tuesday, so let’s check in with our former Canes that took part:

Lonnie Walker IV - San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs first round pick struggled with his shot throughout his time in Utah and Vegas, as the talented guard hit only 34% of his shots from the field and 27% from 3. Despite his poor shooting, Lonnie still averaged 11.5 points per game. good for 3rd on the team. Walker also chipped in 5 rebounds and 1.3 steals to show he could be active without the ball and on the defensive end. Anyone who was unsure if the Reading, PA native would live up to the hype was reassured by plays like this:

and this:

Where Lonnie may have seen the most success is off the court, where he has been a huge hit for multiple reasons. First, the shoe game:

Then his work in the community:

and lastly for his engaging personality:

Overall, the summer seemed like a success for Lonnie Walker:

Bruce Brown Jr - Detroit Pistons

In his first game action since January, Bruce Brown Jr was almost certain to show signs of rust, and that rust manifested itself in Bruce’s shot, as he finished Summer League action with a 28.8% field goal percentage, and an abysmal 19% clip from behind the arc. Luckily for Brown, that rust didn’t show up in any other part of his game as he showed off his all-around skills:

Brown left a great impression on the Pistons’ staff, as he ranked at or near the top of the team in almost every category (other than FG% and 3P%). He was 2nd in minutes played, 1st in rebounds, 2nd in assists, 1st in steals, 3rd in blocks, and 2nd in points. Brown had his best game against the Timberwolves:

It looks like Brown should be able to secure a spot in the Pistons rotation as a second unit ballhandling wing.

Davon Reed - Phoenix Suns

The 2017 2nd Round pick found himself in a much more dire situation than Lonnie and Bruce, as Reed spent time with Suns and their G-League affiliate last season. Headed into the Summer League with something to prove, Reed saw his path to the Suns NBA roster become much narrower with the Suns’ acquisitions of Mikal Bridges in the draft and Trevor Ariza in free agency. The 6’6” 210 lb wing didn’t let his tough odds affect his play, as he put up solid averages of 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3 assists per game while playing stout perimeter defense. Reed also lit it up from deep, knocking down 41.7% of his triples in Vegas:

Reed’s fate is still unclear, but his Summer League was definitely a step in the right direction towards securing his spot on the Suns Roster.

Trey McKinney-Jones - San Antonio Spurs

TMJ got plenty of burn alongside Lonnie for the Spurs in Vegas, playing the 4th-most minutes on the team (23.2 per game). The 6’5” guard made a moderate impact, averaging 7.6 points per game, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals. He did turn some heads with this finish:

TMJ doesn’t appear to have a shot at making the NBA roster, and he didn’t do himself any favors with his outside shooting (11% from 3) and turnovers (2 per game), but he should be able to find his way on to a G-League roster somewhere.

The Others

Kamari Murphy saw a decent amount of action for the Brooklyn Nets and posted 5 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game albeit on 34% from the field.

Rion Brown suited up for the Golden State Warriors (who likely aren’t making any roster decisions based on the Summer League) and struggled to find his stroke, finishing with 4 points per game on 25% from the field and 14.3% from deep.

What did you think of the Canes’ performances in the Summer League? Let us know in the comments.