NBA Summer League
NBA Summer League Studs & Duds Day 5
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Day 5 of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas featured studs and duds. There were breakout performances and some that were more forgettable. Take a look at who stood out and who still has work to do.
Studs
Phoenix Suns Front Court: TJ Warren and Miles Plumlee both posted double-doubles in the Phoenix Suns win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Warren recorded 28 points and 11 rebounds while Plumlee contribued 15 points and 11 boards. The pair combined for half of the team’s rebounds.
C.J. McCollum: C.J. for three. McCollum continued his Summer League success with a 28-point performance in the Portland Trail Blazers’ win over the Atlanta Hawks. The 6-3 guard shot 6-for-9 from three-point range (10-16 FG). He appeared in 38 games during an injury-hampered rookie season and is showing he is ready to bounce back in his second year.
James Nunnally: After barely making any noise in Summer League, Nunnally broke out with a 22-point game. Even though the Miami HEAT lost to the Washington Wizards, his stat line of 7-9 FG, 4-5 3PG, 4-4 FT, and 5 rebounds still stood out among all players.
Duds
Rodney Hood: He appeared in the studs category in Day 4, but on Tuesday Hood struggled. He shot 1-for-9 from the field for just three points. After scoring 9 points in his debut and 29 in the second game, Hood is battling inconsistency in his first Summer League.
Shabazz Muhammad: After a 27-point debut at Summer League, Muhammad dropped off with four points in his second game. The third game wasn’t much better. He went 3-for-15 from the field and picked up five fouls as the Minnesota Timberwolves fell to 0-3 against the Chicag Bulls. Muhammad was the 14th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
The Los Angeles Clippers: It’s hard to come back from scoring just 23 points in the first half. The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated, 83-60, by the previously 0-4 Houston Rockets. Only one player reached 10 points (Shawn Jones) while the entire team combined for 35 turnovers.
