LAS VEGAS –Thomas & Mack was packed with Lakers fans who came to see Bronny James.
Everyone was talking about Reed Sheppard.
The Rockets’ No. 3 pick was the star of the first day of the Las Vegas Summer League and finished with 23 points, going 4-of-6 from 3, with five assists (there would have been more if his teammates had finished the plays) and some game-breaking moves. ankle.
As the game progressed, Sheppard looked more and more comfortable – more like himself.
It was Bronny who designed Sheppard’s task to begin with and for much of the night.
“I know he’s a great shooter, so I was just trying to get into his body and keep those threes from going up,” Bronny said.
Did not work.
“It’s really cool,” Sheppard said of facing Bronny in this scenario. “I remember when we played against each other in third grade and we played every year and now we’re playing in the NBA.
A lot of things seemed right for Houston as second-year player Cam Whitmore added 20 points and 10 rebounds. Whitmore also mentored Sheppard, talking to him on the bench.
“So that was just a defensive thing he was saying,” Sheppard said. “That’s the good thing about Cam, he played last year and he knows he knows the little things that I don’t know. So just having him there, helping me teach myself better, taking me under his wing. the whole game was really cool.”
Here are other notes from the first day of the official NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
• The standout play of the day was last month’s No. 1 and No. 2 picks — Zaccharie Risacher of the Hawks and Alex Sarr of the Wizards — and both had tough moments, but also showed their potential.
Risacher finished with 18 points on 7-of-16 shooting, showing fluid athleticism in the process.
Sarr was an impressive rim protector who had some monster blocks, but as advertised, his offense is a work in progress. He fluctuated in plays and finished with 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting, with seven rebounds and four blocks.
• Rob Dillingham’s selling point coming into the draft was that he was a great shooter – great fists, can hit from anywhere and shot 44.4% from 3 last season at Kentucky. That’s why the Timberwolves traded for him, hoping he could provide buckets from day one.
He didn’t look like that at all in his Summer League debut.
Not only was he 2-of-12 shooting, he had trouble creating separation to make the shot. He seemed a step slow. It’s just one game in the Summer League, we’ll see how he grows in the next games, but it was a difficult debut.
• The Timberwolves’ other first-round pick, Terrence Shannon Jr., announced his presence with authority in his first Summer League game.
That wasn’t the only thunderous dunk or good play from Shannon, the 27th pick who displayed the athleticism that won over some scouts. He finished with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting, 1-of-4 from beyond the arc.
• Laker Summer League coach Dane Johnson talked about No. 17 pick Dalton Knecht starting to find his way during Summer League. Knecht had 25 points and hit five 3-pointers in his first game in Las Vegas.
“Yes, he continues to get more NBA reps than NBA players. So he’s slowly finding pitches,” Johnson said. “We all want it right away…it takes time for some guys, so like I said, he’ll be fine.”
• Photo of the day goes to Keon Johnson of the Nets with this OT win.
• Jet Howard played with a lot of energy and looked like a second-year player who is too good for Summer League and will be shut down after a few games. He finished with 22 points and shot 5 of 10 from 3.
• I like the way Cleveland’s Craig Porter Jr. thinks about the game. Good reading of passes, fantastic feel for the game and he makes smart plays. He had 10 points in a tough game for Cleveland (they lost to Orlando by 27).
