LAS VEGAS — Basketball fans got a first look at many of the top NBA draft picks during the first day of Las Vegas Summer League. The Thomas & Mack Center sold out for the two marquee games as 19,000 fans packed the gym for Lakers vs. Rockets to see Bronny James in action. But it was Reed Sheppard, the No. 3 pick, who stole the show and helped Houston get the win, 99-80.
“It was good to get out again and start to compete and play with different guys,” Sheppard said after the game. “We had a good week in practice, so just to get out and go against another team was a lot of fun.”
The other big game of the night was Wizards vs. Hawks, featuring the No. 1 pick in the draft, Zaccharie Risacher, squaring off with the No. 2 pick, Alex Sarr. The Wizards edged out the Hawks in the closing minutes, securing the win, 94-86.
“It was a nice first game and we got the win so I’m happy,” Sarr said after the game.
The first night of Summer League did not disappoint and there’s plenty more action to come during the 11-day tournament. Yahoo Sports breaks down the notable performers from Day 1.
Rockets vs. Lakers
Reed Sheppard, Rockets
Sheppard had six points in the first half, then came alive in the third quarter, hitting deep 3s and taking players off the dribble. Defensively he was incredibly active, deflecting passes and blocking shots off the switch. Sheppard finished with 23 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 blocks in the win.
“As the game went on, I just got more and more comfortable,” Sheppard said. “My coaches and teammates were telling me to keep being aggressive. They told me when you come off ball screens, look for your shot. A lot of that was them putting confidence in me.”
Dalton Knecht, Lakers
Knecht led the Lakers in scoring, pouring in 25 points in the loss. He struggled a bit off the bounce but was deadly in catch-and-shoot situations, hitting 5-of-11 from 3. He also added six rebounds and four assists and played both on and off the ball throughout the game. The fifth-year senior out of Tennessee fell to the Lakers with the 17th pick in what could be the steal of the draft.
Bronny James, Lakers
James finished with eight points, with six of those coming in the first quarter. He couldn’t find his rhythm from deep, going 0-for-8 from 3-point range. “My shot wasn’t falling today, but I just need to continue to get the reps in and get better,” James said postgame.
The 6-2 guard was visibly upset with the loss after the game but is being patient with the process and learning as much as he can from game to game. “I’m just running the film and looking at things I always do and whatever open looks I get, I’m going to take it,” James said. “I’m getting more comfortable and letting the game come to me, but we just need to get better.”
James, the 55th pick in the draft, added five rebounds and two steals.
Cam Whitmore, Rockets
Last year’s Summer League MVP was the best player on the court Friday night, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. He was confident off the dribble and had some good looks in transition. At one point during a half-court set, he cut off the ball for one of the best dunks of the night.
In the second quarter, Whitmore also pulled Sheppard aside to give him a few pointers on what he was seeing.
“That was just a defensive thing he was talking about and that’s what so great about Cam is he played last year and he knows the smaller things that I don’t know yet,” Sheppard said. “He’s just taking the initiative and helping me and teaching me and giving me advice and it’s been very helpful.”
Wizards vs. Hawks
Zaccharie Risacher, Hawks
Risacher, the No. 1 pick in the draft, scored five of his 18 points in the first quarter, but was quiet until halfway through the third. He struggled from behind the arc to start the game, going 1-for-5, before finding his rhythm and finishing 3-for-9 from 3.
When his shot wasn’t falling, he used his footwork to seal in the mismatch and score off the block. The 6-8 wing played more games than any college player in the draft with his season extending into May for the LNB Pro A playoffs in France. In his first NBA game, he showed more versatility on the perimeter and is proving to be more than just a designated shooter.
“Honestly, that was a great experience,” Risacher said. “Just to step out on an NBA court and I felt good. I know we lost, but that’s a part of the game and I’m ready to do whatever the coach asks me to do.”
Alex Sarr, Wizards
Sarr was known for his rim protection coming into the draft and capped off his first NBA game with four blocks. He held down the paint defensively. The spacing in the NBA also benefits the 7-1 mobile center and he was utilized in the pick-and-pop regularly, comfortably stepping outside to the perimeter.
Sarr still needs to get stronger but didn’t shy away from contact. He was physical in the lane and zipped around passes when he felt the help-side defense drop. The No. 2 pick finished with 12 points (including two 3s), seven rebounds and four assists.
“I was just taking what the game was giving me and trying to make good reads out there,” Sarr said. “This time right now is just about getting better and adjusting to the pace of the game. Our team is position-less and they want everyone to play in every spot, so they really put an emphasis on that.”
Bub Carrington, Wizards
Carrington was the 14th pick in the draft and showed off his versatile playmaking in his first game on the court. The 18-year-old didn’t shy away from any open shots off screens and was comfortable getting downhill. He finished with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists in the win.
The Wizards might have drafted two building blocks for the franchise in Sarr and Carrington, who looked very confident as the primary ball-handler. The team could give him the freedom to get reps as its future starting point guard this upcoming season.
“I felt great out there,” Carrington said. “Just playing the game I love and connecting with my teammates. We kind of got stagnant and started playing iso-ball so we just had to regroup and trust each other.”
Nikola Djurisic, Hawks
The Serbian guard finished with only seven points, but his first NBA points came on a poster dunk over Sarr in the opening minutes of the game. The Hawks drafted Djurisic with the 43rd pick and he added two assists and two rebounds in the close loss.
Other Day 1 standouts
Terrence Shannon Jr., the No. 27 pick out of Illinois, looked very comfortable in his first game with Minnesota. He finished with 25 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks in 27 minutes. He scored mostly off the dribble and favored finishing on the left side of the rim. His pace was great and he played well alongside Rob Dillingham, who finished with five assists.
“I’m known as a scorer, but I’m really trying to set up my teammates because during the season I’m going to be playing with Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, guys that score,” Dillingham said after the game. “I’ve just been watching a lot of film of Mike [Conley] and how he sets up guys in the offense.”
The Orlando Magic got a commanding win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, 106-79. They were led by last year’s lottery picks, Anthony Black and Jett Howard, who combined for 42 points, but Tristen da Silva (this year’s No. 18 pick) was the glue guy along the wing, posting 13 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Meanwhile, the Pacers‘ frontcourt of Jarace Walker and Oscar Tshiebwe combined for 42 of the team’s 95 points in a two-point loss to the Nets. Walker was a lottery pick last year and Tshiebwe (who had 19 rebounds) went undrafted last year. Brooklyn‘s Jalen Wilson drained five 3s and led all players with 25 points in the win.
