Kings Summer League Outlook Will Cause 2024 Offseason Puzzle originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
The Kings ended an overall underwhelming experience in the 2024 NBA Summer League on a positive note and with a good header heading into training camp.
After falling behind in the first half, Sacramento had to turn to a high-energy, 26-point fourth quarter to pull out an 87-77 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
And although the Kings’ 2-3 Summer League record failed to earn the team a ticket to the playoffs, impressive individual performances from Boogie Ellis, Drew Timme and Isaac Jones continued.
Ellis, in particular, resumed his formidable off-season runleading the team with 17 points, nine from behind the arc.
Ellis, who averaged just six points in Sacramento’s first three Summer League games, said his team-best 15-point performance was against the Washington Wizards on Thursday was not a fluke.
And if the box score didn’t make that clear enough, the 6-foot-2 guard himself broke the news after Saturday’s win.
“You know, [that he’s] just a dog,” Ellis said of himself after the game. “He will do whatever it takes to win, he will do whatever it takes for his team, he will be in the game [and] bring lots of energy and be a dog.
“That’s what I’m bringing to the table.”
But Boogie wasn’t the only one who enjoyed one last summer audition in Las Vegas.
Timme continued to improve his stock, showing efficiency on both ends of the court after scoring 14 points – shooting 6 of 7 and adding seven rebounds.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the afternoon was the sluggish performance of Mason Jones – an offensive force all summer – scoring just four points in 16 minutes.
But what Jones couldn’t do, Isaac Jones took care of with his team-high 16-point performance over 30 minutes.
The Kings’ two-way player had some moments fueled by hustle and energy.
No stranger to crowning champions in the middle of the summer, Sacramento’s stay in Las Vegas this time was considerably short.
Although it’s not short enough for a scouting report from Summer League coach Doug Christie, who led a group of players hungry — at the very least — for a spot in training camp.
Back in Sacramento, Brown and Co., with players like Ellis, Timme and a few others submitting their cases, could have a major roster puzzle to solve in the coming weeks.
