James Wiseman finishes with 14 points (4-6 FGs) and 7 rebounds in just 21 minutes of action.
LAS VEGAS – Only a few days remain on the NBA 2K23 Summer League calendar, but we’re still keeping tabs on all the players putting together standout performances. Here are a few from Friday’s action at Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion:
James Wiseman, Golden State Warriors
Jonathan Kuminga led Golden State in scoring (16 points) and dropped a spinning banger of a dunk in the third quarter. But this show belonged to Wiseman, who shot 4-for-6 in just 21 minutes for a Summer-League high 14 points in addition to gobbling up seven rebounds, a pair of assists and a block in Golden State’s 90-82 loss to Oklahoma City.
Too bad we missed out on the potential matchup between Wiseman, the No. 2 pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, and Chet Holmgren, the second pick of 2022. The Thunder announced Holmgren would sit out of Friday’s contest to rest. The game represented Golden State’s final game of Summer League. Still, the Warriors should feel encouraged about what they saw here in Las Vegas, as both Wiseman and Kuminga routinely flashed the skills that should make them quality, dependable contributors next season as they defend their championship.
Brandon Boston Jr., LA Clippers
Brandon Boston Jr. scores a game-high 22 points and adds 8 rebounds in the Clippers’ Summer League win over the Jazz.
Boston poured in 13 of his game-high 22 points in the final frame of LA’s 82-65 victory over the Utah. Trailing 56-50 going into the fourth quarter, the Clippers outscored the Jazz 32-9 down the stretch, as Boston drilled 4-for-5 from the floor and 2-for-3 from 3-pont range in addition to nabbing a steal and dishing two assists in the rally.
We’ve long known Boston gets buckets, but the second-year guard out of Sierra Canyon is looking to diversify his game. We saw as much Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center, two days after his rough 3-for-15 in a loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Johnny Juzang and Leandro Bolmaro, Utah Jazz
Leandro Bolmaro finishes with 19 points (8-15 FGs) and 6 rebounds in Friday’s Summer League action.
Juzang fizzled somewhat in his Jazz debut on Jul. 9, finishing 1-for-6 from the floor and 0-for-4 from 3-point range while working back to form from a concussion suffered in early July during a car accident. The head injury forced Juzang to miss the entire Salt Lake City Summer League. But there’s a reason Utah signed the former UCLA standout to a two-way contract after the 2022 NBA Draft concluded with the guard going undrafted.
The rookie showed why in the first contest of Friday’s slate, reeling off a game-high 11 points in the opening half on 3-for-6 accuracy from deep. That early hot streak would cool considerably in the second half with Juzang making just 3-for-13 for 14 points with four rebounds. Over his first three outings in Las Vegas, Juzang averaged just 6.7 points on 27.3% from the field and 38.5% from range. So, it appears the 2021-22 All-Pac-12 first teamer might be finally settling in, which is promising, considering the revamped Jazz might benefit from the rookie’s sharp shooting if he can earn minutes. He’ll need to improve the streakiness to make that happen.
As for Bolmaro, the 23rd pick of the 2020 NBA Draft bounced back from shaky showings over the first three games of the Summer League on Friday with 19 points on 8-for-15 from the field to go with six rebounds and a pair of steals. Despite those numbers, Bolmaro could stand to improve as a playmaker (no assists, four turnovers).
Grant Riller, Philadelphia 76ers
Grant Riller talks postgame after his 18-point performance in just 18 minutes of action.
Riller delivered a thriller at Cox Pavilion with 13 of his game-high 18 points in the first half, as Philadelphia seized a 21-point lead at intermission over Denver on the way to a 97-71 win. Coming off the bench, Riller hit the Nuggets in seemingly every way imaginable from a variety of spots, knocking down 5-for-7 from the field and 2-for-3 from distance over the first two frames.
Charlotte made Riller the 56th overall pick of the 2020 Draft, and he played seven games as a rookie on a two-way contract, averaging 2.6 points, before joining the Sixers in August of 2021 on another two-way deal. Knee and shoulder injuries have slowed Riller’s ascension with the Sixers up to this point, but it’s encouraging to see the 25-year-old hold up health-wise while flashing his mettle on the floor.
Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings
Keegan Murray finishes with 21 points and 10 rebounds, including a 3-pointer to beat the 1st-quarter buzzer.
Murray entered the action on Friday ranked among the top five in Summer League scoring, and only continued his run of dominance in Sacramento’s 82-69 triumph over the Phoenix Suns. The No. 4 overall pick scored 10 of his game-high 21 points in the first half, in addition to ending the night with 10 rebounds, an assist and one block.
Murray drained 4-for-8 from 3-point range as Sacramento splashed 3-pointers at a 41.7% clip. The 21-year-old entered Friday’s contest averaging 24 points points on 47.7% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc to go with 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists. This kid will only continue to flourish working with new Kings coach Mike Brown, and we can’t wait to see it.
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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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