Summer League isn’t really about wins or losses, which is why the idea of a tournament at all is kind of silly, but it was nice to see the Kings finish their time in Las Vegas with a win.
Sacramento faced the Suns for the second time this summer, and while neither team played their best and brightest, it was still an opportunity for young players to show out. Justin Jackson in particular followed up his 25 point performance against the Mavericks with 29 against the Suns. While Jackson didn’t have the most efficient night (9 of 22), he was aggressive on both ends of the floor and was easily the best player on either team.
Undrafted Naz Mitrou-Long also had his best game of Summer League, scoring 21 points to go with 6 rebounds and 5 assists (he also had 5 turnovers though). Georgios Papagiannis had an uncharacteristic 0 rebounds in 16 minutes, and also gave everyone a scare when he fell during the game and needed assistance getting off the court. Thankfully, it was only a hip contusion and nothing appears to be broken.
Jack Cooley played a key part in Sacramento winning this game, getting another double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. He even hit a three, something that I didn’t realize was part of his repertoire. I would not be surprised if Cooley was invited to training camp.
Overall it wasn’t the Summer League some of us expected with all the talent Sacramento brought, but it was nice to see flashes from each one of our young players. Next up, training camp and preseason, and the regular season will be here before we know it.
