It seems as though the Summer League gods simply don’t want to see a marquee, lottery pick, point guard matchup. After Lonzo Ball ducked missed Sunday night’s match up against De’Aaron Fox with massive amounts of fear a groin injury, our own rookie guard was unable to compete against Dennis Smith Jr. Fox played just seven minutes in the Kings loss after tweaking his ankle in the first quarter. Buddy Hield, Harry Giles, Frank Mason III, and Malachi Richardson all missed the contest as well.

With Mason absent due to his own ankle injury, Jason March was once again left to a point guard by committee approach. Mitrou-Long, Hawkins, and Justin Jackson all saw time running the offense, but the lack of a true point guard hurt the Kings on both ends of the court. The Kings managed to take an early lead, but a 19-0 run by Dallas between the 1st and 2nd quarters was too much to overcome for our depleted squad.

Dennis Smith Jr. established control of the game early in the evening and the dynamic 19 year old went on to score 25 points on an efficient 15 shots, while also snagging 6 boards, dishing out 2 assists, and recording 3 steals. Smith Jr. showed his freakish athleticism throughout the game and almost ended Luis Montero’s life on a highlight dunk attempt in the 4th quarter. The Mavericks newest addition also demonstrated how unstoppable his game could become if he can consistently knock down shots from beyond the arc, knocking down four long balls.

The Kings only real offensive threat came from Justin Jackson, who was tied for the high-scorer of the night, pouring in 25 points as well as grabbing 4 rebounds and leading the Kings with 4 assists. Our new wing continues to impress with his fluid offensive game, sound decision-making, and leadership on the court. The only other double digit scorers for Sacramento were Luis Montero (13 points, 9 rebounds) and our basketball hero, Jack Cooley (10 points, 3 rebounds).

The Kings still have at least one more game to play in the loser’s bracket as they’ll face the Phoenix Suns again at 3:00pm PT tomorrow, according to the Summer League bracket. With a back-to-back game coming so quickly, I wouldn’t expect De’Aaron Fox, Frank Mason III, Buddy Hield, Malachi Richardson, or Skal Labissiere to play.

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