It appeared that the San Antonio Spurs’ summer league team was clicking on all cylinders and would cruise to a double-digit victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Then the team in purple and gold turned up the defensive pressure, causing the team in silver and black to make mistakes, which the Lakers capitalized on for a 32-point fourth quarter, narrowly squeaking out a 89-88 win over the Spurs.
Wins and losses aren’t the primary statistic of the summer league. More than anything, you want to see steady improvement from young players and big games from hidden gems trying to make a name for themselves. The Spurs got plenty of that in the California Classic.
San Antonio’s 14th overall pick, Carter Bryant, looked more comfortable in his second summer league game. He had 9 points and 2 blocks in his 24 minutes. Bryant looks like he’s still adjusting to the NBA three-point line (just a bit deeper than the college line) as he was short on a number of his deep jumpers. He splashed home a pair of triples, looking smooth doing so. He has the makings of a consistent floor spacer; he just needs the repetitions.
Defensively, Bryant had some standout moments, including a lockdown one-on-one possession at the end of the first quarter.
He made an eye-popping block earlier in that quarter that showed off his length and athleticism. Off the ball he lost his man a few times, leading to open threes from the likes of Dalton Knecht, who had 25 points for the Lakers. It takes more than two games for rookies to get used to the speed and movement of the NBA. Typically off-ball defense is the biggest improvement young players need to make. Bryant is a defensive talent, and should get better off the ball eventually.
The Spurs got plenty of contributions from the other G League players on the roster. Many of whom are now fighting for the three open roster spots in San Antonio, and an open two-way spot. As the Spurs head to Las Vegas, we’ll get to see how the team gels around second-overall pick, Dylan Harper. These next four games loom large for players like David Jones-Garcia, Riley Minix and Harrison Ingram.
San Antonio will travel to Vegas for its first game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday July 10th at 9 p.m. You can watch the game on ESPN.
Takeaways:
Jones-Garcia continues to be San Antonio’s standout player. He made the All-California Classic team alongside Cole Swider, Pelle Larsson, Keshad Johnson and Jackson Rowe. He’s been the Spurs’ go-to offensive weapon thanks to his craftiness and tough. He had 25 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists on Tuesday. It’s important to note that he likely won’t have the ball in his hands this much on an NBA roster, but his three-point shot and defensive instincts should earn him a spot on a team. As San Antonio clears roster spots with trades, Jones-Garcia looks like a player that should at least earn a look on a two-way.
Minix returned to the court for the first time since his injury last season. The Spurs must have him on a minutes restriction, as he played just 13 minutes against the Lakers. Minix had 8 points on 3-4 shooting, including a sweet looking mid-range jumper and a crafty layup on the interior. Minix has a lot of game as a scorer. He was a go-to guy at Morehead State. He’s slated for a two-way contract next season, and one of the summer roster’s most interesting players.
Undrafted free agent, Cam Carter, doesn’t get a lot of playing time, but when he does, it’s electric. The smaller combo-guard knocked down two big three-pointers in his 4 minutes on Tuesday. I’d like to see more of him eventually this summer. Perhaps after San Antonio shuts down some of the players expected to make their final roster.
Omari Moore continues to impress with his summer league minutes. He had 10 points and 4 rebounds against LA. He’s a solid straight-line driver, defends well with his 6-foot-6 frame, and has shown the ability to space the floor. That’s a skillset that will keep you around in the NBA, one way or the other.