Ja’Kobi Gillespie was the best player on the court (Photo via X)
The San Antonio Spurs improved to 3-1 in Las Vegas by defeating the Utah Jazz by a final score of 94-82. After losing their first four games of summer league, San Antonio has bounced back to win three consecutive contests. Impressive stuff.
Stats: Spurs vs. Jazz
Spurs vs. Jazz – Final Grades
Tarris Reed Jr.
The good: Reed continues to be a better passer than advertised. It was clear he was going to be a good passer for a big but he’s beginning to look like a good passer — period. Against the Jazz, his rebounding was good, he had an impressive block, his screens were burly and he went without a turnover in 25 minutes. His defense, particularly when he could use his strength, was impressive. The bad: Reed was only 2-for-7 from the field. He doesn’t show much confidence shooting jumpers and his touch sometimes looks iffy on soft shots near the rim.
Grade: B
Ja’Kobi Gillespie
I mean, we probably shouldn’t make too huge of a deal out of it but Gillespie really did outplay Darryn Peterson, the second pick in the draft. It wasn’t even close. In 32 minutes, Gillespie finished with 25 points, five assists and two steals. He hit 10-of-21 shots from the field, including 3-of-8 from three-point range. Peterson, meanwhile, had 15 points on 4-for-16 shooting from the floor. I liked Gillespie’s defense; his long arms allowed him to compete on that end. His ball-handling is really good. He controls the ball really well, especially in tight spaces. Gillespie is learning how to finish against high-end athletes and his jumper was smooth. He had some issues with turnovers against Utah but they were mostly a matter of miscommunication.
Grade: A
Maliq Brown
Brown continues to be a notable difference-maker. Defensively, he had two more steals and his deflections were numerous. He only had one defensive rebound, however — that’s not enough in 27 minutes. Offensively, Brown hit his only three-pointer and his only free throw. He obviously doesn’t enjoy being in the middle of the offensive attack but he can pass … and that could give him long-term value on that end.
Grade: B+
Miles Kelly
After opening summer league as a starter, Kelly had been sidelined recently due to a groin injury. He returned against the Jazz and did pretty well. He had eight points in only 12 minutes, powered by his 2-of-3 shooting from downtown. He also had a pair of assists and a pair of rebounds, however he lost some value by turning it over three times and fouling twice.
Grade: C+
R.J. Davis
Davis started once again and he continues to show off his scoring prowess. In 29 minutes, he had 14 points and was 4-for-6 from two-point range. While he hit only 1-of-6 from three-point territory and turned it over four times, Davis pulled down 12 rebounds (not bad for a 6-foot-0 guard) and played concentrated defense in order to remain an asset on the court.
Grade: B
Hyunjung Lee
Lee had been ice cold from the field so it was great to see him have a breakout game. He had 22 points in 22 minutes — more points than the rest of the bench combined. He was 3-for-3 from three-point land in the first half to really get going. He eventually found more success by attacking the offensive glass. Lee’s overall activity was commendable and his eagerness to shoot the ball helped spread the floor. When he’s hitting shots, he looks like a worthwhile prospect. His showing against the Jazz might have been good enough to get him a training camp invite.
Grade: A-
Igor Milicic Jr.
Milicic’s athleticism continues to pop. He had an impressive steal that led to a fast break dunk. He also turned heads by pulling down ten rebounds in only 22 minutes. He played rugged defense, didn’t turn the ball over and played within the system. Milicic was 0-for-3 from deep and was sometimes a little bit too out of control — but this was probably his best game of summer league, all told.
Grade: B+
R.J. Melendez
Melendez’s outing was similar to what we saw out of Milicic. He was 0-for-3 on three-pointers but he made up for his lack of marksmanship in other ways. He had a big dunk in transition, played hard-nosed defense and his physicality on both ends helped turn the tide for San Antonio.
Grade: B
Miles Barnstable
Barnstable had six points in 12 minutes without turning the ball over, which is noteworthy because he played most of his minutes at point guard. The best news for him is he’s not having an issue getting his shot off against high-end athletes, which was his biggest question mark heading into summer league.
Grade: B
Harry Wessels
Wessels isn’t timid about throwing around his weight. His only notable play in his three minutes was when he leveled a Jazzman in the open court.
Grade: Inc.
Zakai Zeigler
Zeigler shot a three-pointer in his 75 seconds — and that was about it.
Grade: Inc.
Corliss Williamson
I was critical of Williamson early in summer league but his team has turned it around. He has his squad playing Spursian basketball, with a focus on defense and attacking on offense. Suddenly, despite not having a ton of talent on the roster, this summer league team is actually kinda good now.
Grade: A-