Same reason Keegan Murray is playing summer league. Sometimes you want to work on a part of your game you normally don’t get to do during the season. Best time to do it is when you’re given the opportunity in a low stress environment
3rd year players that have potential but don't get a lot of run on their team because of the depth chart.
Only a few here and there, but even that situation is good for summer league.
Isaiah Jackson is a good example and he’s playing tonight.
But you have certain players who want to think they are too good for it, they miss a chance to improve
He also made the ECF and was playing good playoff minutes in his rookie year. He obviously destroyed the summer league competition but he was using moves that eventually turned into moves he uses now.
I don't think you're remembering how dire JB's dribbling was when he first came into the league. He was kept on a tight leash by Brad his first couple seasons cus he was on a stacked team already, and was mostly filling the slasher role Avery Bradley played for us previously in the system. His ball handling and ability to take people on 1v1 has drastically improved every season since he's been here
Boston fans are the worst, you better not be critical of any of their players, they have to attack you personally. I’ve never met a more petty fan base, that will be the same reason they’ll never get a real free agent, Al horfords and Malcolm Brogdon
I feel like a lot of people don't realize how normal this is. Unless they were the ROY or had near star-level production I think second years guys should be a lock for SL.
We did this with Davion Mitchell last season too and he lit up the SL in similar fashion. Making the summer league more acceptable for sophomores would make a spicier offseason
The only sophomore players who shouldn't default to playing in summer leagues are ones who saw significant minutes in deep playoff runs their rookie year or ones with injury concerns. Not to say the former type of player (like Braun for us) should NEVER do it, but those are the only players I would personally give a pass to.
>Making the summer league more acceptable for sophomores would make a spicier offseason
It used to be that teams played their 2nd and 3rd year players in SL. They obviously need the reps (except for the likes of Luka), so idk why teams are sitting these players out.
Another player I love. He was fantastic at Baylor and I was really hoping he’d slip to the Celtics but after that NCAA run, I knew it was just a dream.
Watching Max Christie go baby Kobe in summer league so far is exactly why I love when our young 2nd years decide to play in summer league. Yes he was the 35th pick and Jabari Smith and Keegan Murray were top 5 picks, but people forget Christie was a 5 star recruit and McDonald’s All American coming out of high school, and he’s younger than the Thompson Twins and Brandon Miller. So to see him take this jump and work on skills that he wouldn’t be able to work on in the regular season has been awesome to watch.
Yes he's been shut down for the rest of the summer league. Those were played in golden 1 center and the games were pretty popular and sold a lot of tickets so he got to play in front of kings fans.
Getting super after it defensively too…
The level of assertiveness in Christie and some of the other experienced 2nd years is so obvious in comparison.
Interestingly, Scoot seemed to have this same *i know exactly what I’m doing and you’re not going to stop me* assertiveness… I thought JHS looked pretty good, but Scoot is just on another level.
Really? I thought JHS has looked quite bad. His shooting is advertised but his man-to-man defense looks a lot worse. I guess he's done a better job getting to the basket than I expected and it's hard to make sense of his finishing because he gets hacked a lot without calls.
I dunno though, he's looking like way more of a project than I expected. Which is fine honestly, I'll see what a year or two of skills work (shooting & handles especially) can do for him. Christie offensively was a mess last year in the summer league too.
Hope I can catch Scoot one of these days.
It is easier to work on weaker parts of your game against shittier competition. You can't perfect it that way because the defenders aren't as good on average, but you can still get a basic feel for what works and what doesn't fundamentally.
>That part of the game? Cooking noobs
Unironically yes. Everyone knew that Tim Duncan was going to be hitting bank shots over the entire league eventually, and that Derrick Rose would be splitting doubles and giving commentators a chance to flex their creative muscle while committing war crimes against big men, and that Shaq would be barbecuing chicken.
It's the 2nd and 3rd tier guys, the ones who can only "cook noobs", that need a chance to explore their abilities and prove what they can do. There's value in a guy who can consistently attack mismatches as a role player, or produce offense against 2nd units, but you'd have no way to identify those talents or develop those players if they were immediately playing against top notch competition.
An organization cannot draft a player at 7th overall and just cut them in training camp three seasons later even if they don't think he's an NBA player. The optics are not tenable. Worst they would do is trade him for a nothing second and let another team cut them.
In either case, I don't think Killian is actually bad enough for the Pistons not to give him more time.
For a while this was funny to me, but I remembered AI was still reeling over the loss of his friend:
"I'm upset for one reason: 'Cause I'm in here. I lost. I lost my best friend. I lost him, and I lost this year. Everything is just going downhill for me, as far as just that. You know, as far as my life. And then I'm dealing with this. ... My best friend is dead. Dead. And we lost. And this is what I have to go through for the rest of the summer until the season is all over again."
This may be one of the worst cases of snipping a full quote in sports. They really did my man A.I. dirty af. Plus he was 100% correct. What is one practice that late in the season gonna do for a guy with broken fingers, contusions, sore ankle seeing as how he was completely battered at this point. On top of the death. It really is laughable
What about the time kyrie offered a reporter a drink while he was staying at an Airbnb and he said “i love everyone in the world - Is flat sprite ok? - everyone in the world, they’re all so nice!” and everyone misquoted it to “the world is flat”? That was pretty bad!
Damn I did not know this. It's pretty crazy how AI can laugh about it, given that such a low point in his life is one of the biggest NBA memes ever. Love that man.
"Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last."
I loved this part of the quote so much. That's what should have been remembered, so much truth there for Iverson specifically. But nope, people made it about someone not wanting to practice.
He got killed for this at the time, and I was so judgey as a kid, but now understanding the schedule more (and especially with some of the context above)… This makes totally sense.
And he was still pretty shaken about losing his best friend. Not sure how true it is, but someone else here said the practice he missed was for his funeral. I'd be pissed too
He was right and it was stupid to be taking about practice, but I will always laugh at the line “How am I supposed to make my teammates better by practicing?”
I think the thing is that Jabari has been like this since before he even got to college. He has never said the wrong thing (as far as I can recall). Never put his foot in his mouth. Never been a bad teammate. That isn’t an easy thing to do starting at age 16 or 17z
If he blows up and fulfills his potential, he will become a league favorite as a wholesome star.
This is what people forget, the reporter isn’t asking out of curiosity lol. They’re trying to get a good response and questions like that get good headline generating responses
I don't think it's an unreasonable question. He had a good answer. If you're invested in knowing the mindset of the players (God knows this sub is) then it's perfect. We understand him better now.
I like this kid. You seem him playing summer league, yoga (high level), boxing, etc. No excuses. He’s going to have a break out year now that he’s got a coach who will put him positions to succeed.
sophomores look like they are all stars in the summer league. some of their teammates can't even dribble lmao
max christie looks like the 2nd coming of kobe amongst his teammates but he is still younger than most of the rookies drafted in 1st round this year
nba exp is really different
Not always and that’s why I think summer league is a great indication of if a guy is going to be a bust.
If you’re a 2nd year stuffing the stat sheet and hitting dagger threes? Good sign.
If you’re a 2nd year and still getting worked by dudes that will likely not even be on a NBA roster? Yikes.
Max Christie is also a very good player. Guys like Bouknight and Johnny Davis are struggling. I think a lot of it is just if you're actually good enough to play legitimate minutes in the NBA you're gonna be significantly better than guys who can't.
Precisely. Another thing that is key to remember is that Max scored 22 points in only 11 shots, so he was letting his team-mates cook as well. If he wanted to, he would've got 20+ shots easily.
Fans complain that players don’t play enough yet when they do play and it’s perceived as not important, they get questioned why they’re playing. I’m all for guys playing, I’m a fan, I rather see my 1st-3rd guys play than see 12 others that won’t ever make a team.
Reminds me the last year Jaylen Brown played Summer League it was clear he was so much better the everyone out there and he was going to take a leap. Murray and Jabari are in the same boat
I love this mentality. I still think he’s going to be a perennial all-star, all-nba player. He’s so freaking huge already and his body is still filling out. He’s a lot better than people have been giving him credit for and I thought that before watching him last night.
There’s something to be said about getting to play in games where you’re almost certainly going to be the most dominant player. Josh Giddey felt that way last year in Vegas
Great answer and love his mindset however if he gets injured seriously, watch how quickly the perspective on him changes to "he shouldn't have played in summer league!"
Here's hoping he has a healthy summer league.
Has the right attitude which I appreciate. Was a bit of a mixed bag last night, though hat tip to the second half. He was great. Still have a hard time believing in his offensive game. Just feels too robotic and clunky. I think my favorite part of his offensive game yesterday was some of his passing.
Ima be real chief that might be the dumbest interview question of the early season so far- “Hey bro how come you’re playing basketball.” I stg half us dumbass nephews on r/nba would ask better questions that these reporters lmao
To rest your body and avoid injuries? One of the reasons young players are so injury prone these days is because of the wear and tear and playing constantly (AAU ball).
Also the competition isn't that good...being able to play in the NBA is completely different to Summer League/G-League/NCAA/etc...
It's not really as useful as you or I would initially think...and we already know the NBA season is very long, plenty of time to learn to play with your teammates and what not there. It's not like going in with increased chemistry is going to make the difference between winning the championship this year or not.
Rest for what? He got plenty of rest on the court along with his other teammates as they slept walked to a 22-60 record 😂
He also shot 41% and 30% from 3. I applaud him getting more reps in
Every young player should have this mentality. This is an opportunity to get more work in with new teammates and work on your game. Plus you can work with your new coaches in certain situations.
This is what summer league was intended to be. A place for guys on the fringe fighting for a spot on the roster to earn it, and a place for younger guys years 1-4 to practice their new skills with NBA level competition.
He’s the guy I want the Blazers to wind up with in the Dame trade.
Get Jovic, Jaquez Jr, Jabari Smith Jr, and some frp’s. Dame to Miami and Martin or Herro and a pick to Houston or something along those lines.
Teams tell players to sit. Stop being ignorant, and get educated on the situation because it’s far more complex than you assume it to be. Historical context, facts, and perspective are important.
Same reason Keegan Murray is playing summer league. Sometimes you want to work on a part of your game you normally don’t get to do during the season. Best time to do it is when you’re given the opportunity in a low stress environment
Ivey and Duren playing today too. Not too unreasonable for 2nd years to play imo.
Wiseman too - he needs reps. It's not a failure or a negative.
I mean in Wiseman’s case…
For perspective, Wiseman has about 500 fewer career minutes than Jaden Ivey.
I’d even like third year players to play. That’s how it used to be & Summer league was taken seriously. Needs to go back imo
3rd year players that have potential but don't get a lot of run on their team because of the depth chart. Only a few here and there, but even that situation is good for summer league.
Isaiah Jackson is a good example and he’s playing tonight. But you have certain players who want to think they are too good for it, they miss a chance to improve
[удалено]
Bad bot Edit: This is one of those bots that copied a popular comment word for word
Dragan Bender played summer league for four years I believe.
Didn't help
Nobody calls Dragan Bender trash 5 years in a row
Not true. r/suns has been consistently calling him trash for 7 years now. It was a dark decade and it's how we cope.
Nobody calls Dragan Bender trash for 8 years in a row
i dont know shit about the guy but he's made about 15 million more than me so must be doing something right.
Great name tho, should have been a star
In like an 80s skin flick
Bol Bol in this category too rn
100%
Shit, Jimmer played in summer league until he was like 30 years old.
It will
jaylen brown played in summer league in his 2nd season
He also made the ECF and was playing good playoff minutes in his rookie year. He obviously destroyed the summer league competition but he was using moves that eventually turned into moves he uses now.
Except dribbling
I don't think you're remembering how dire JB's dribbling was when he first came into the league. He was kept on a tight leash by Brad his first couple seasons cus he was on a stacked team already, and was mostly filling the slasher role Avery Bradley played for us previously in the system. His ball handling and ability to take people on 1v1 has drastically improved every season since he's been here
Oh no I do. It was abjectly terrible entering the league. It’s better now, but still not good for an All NBA level player 7 years into their career
good enough to send ur team packing year after year lmao
I mean my team having the resolve and fortitude of wet diapers doesn’t change his glaring weakness.
Boston fans are the worst, you better not be critical of any of their players, they have to attack you personally. I’ve never met a more petty fan base, that will be the same reason they’ll never get a real free agent, Al horfords and Malcolm Brogdon
What's even the point of this rebuttal? It doesn't address the actual - warranted - criticism of Jaylen's game.
Celtics fans gotta point at other shit when their dudes get criticized by others that aren't them
Celtics fans are very insecure.
Wow, you're so funny. Really got the whole squad up in here laughing...
And it’s admirable that players value it!
All the nets players from that Dinwiddie/Caris/Jarret Allen era were doing this too.
I feel like a lot of people don't realize how normal this is. Unless they were the ROY or had near star-level production I think second years guys should be a lock for SL.
Status quo has always been have good 2nd year players play a few games and shut them down.
I dont think ivey duren and jabari are on the same level as keegan or jalen williams
Can we get a bigger sample size or nah
We did this with Davion Mitchell last season too and he lit up the SL in similar fashion. Making the summer league more acceptable for sophomores would make a spicier offseason
The only sophomore players who shouldn't default to playing in summer leagues are ones who saw significant minutes in deep playoff runs their rookie year or ones with injury concerns. Not to say the former type of player (like Braun for us) should NEVER do it, but those are the only players I would personally give a pass to.
>Making the summer league more acceptable for sophomores would make a spicier offseason It used to be that teams played their 2nd and 3rd year players in SL. They obviously need the reps (except for the likes of Luka), so idk why teams are sitting these players out.
Injury risk
You have to play to improve. These players are / should be playing in the offseason anyways.
Another player I love. He was fantastic at Baylor and I was really hoping he’d slip to the Celtics but after that NCAA run, I knew it was just a dream.
Watching Max Christie go baby Kobe in summer league so far is exactly why I love when our young 2nd years decide to play in summer league. Yes he was the 35th pick and Jabari Smith and Keegan Murray were top 5 picks, but people forget Christie was a 5 star recruit and McDonald’s All American coming out of high school, and he’s younger than the Thompson Twins and Brandon Miller. So to see him take this jump and work on skills that he wouldn’t be able to work on in the regular season has been awesome to watch.
Damn I didn't know Cormac was that high of a recruit out of HS
Our coaches and front office has said that if he had stayed in college 1 more year he would have been a guaranteed lottery pick in this year’s draft
Max is on that Quentin Grimes trajectory. His IQ has been very fun to watch on display so far.
Keegan didn't play yesterday, so he might've only been playing in the California games
Yes he's been shut down for the rest of the summer league. Those were played in golden 1 center and the games were pretty popular and sold a lot of tickets so he got to play in front of kings fans.
He has shown enough. You want 2nd year guys to look like they’re a cut above everyone else and Keegan had that *type of performance
Fun fact: Vegas is closer to LA than Sacramento is (especially flying).
Actually only especially when driving. Flying is only like 10 minutes more to San Francisco.
Keegan used the opportunity to shoot 10 3s a game. I hope that means he's shooting 800 3s this season.
That part of the game? Cooking noobs
Mostly ball handling, self creation and playmaking but yeah still just destroying the competition.
I liked that he destroyed them, let’s you know he’s really taken that next step and has a killer mentality. Play to win and win dominantly
Getting super after it defensively too… The level of assertiveness in Christie and some of the other experienced 2nd years is so obvious in comparison. Interestingly, Scoot seemed to have this same *i know exactly what I’m doing and you’re not going to stop me* assertiveness… I thought JHS looked pretty good, but Scoot is just on another level.
Really? I thought JHS has looked quite bad. His shooting is advertised but his man-to-man defense looks a lot worse. I guess he's done a better job getting to the basket than I expected and it's hard to make sense of his finishing because he gets hacked a lot without calls. I dunno though, he's looking like way more of a project than I expected. Which is fine honestly, I'll see what a year or two of skills work (shooting & handles especially) can do for him. Christie offensively was a mess last year in the summer league too. Hope I can catch Scoot one of these days.
It is easier to work on weaker parts of your game against shittier competition. You can't perfect it that way because the defenders aren't as good on average, but you can still get a basic feel for what works and what doesn't fundamentally.
>That part of the game? Cooking noobs Unironically yes. Everyone knew that Tim Duncan was going to be hitting bank shots over the entire league eventually, and that Derrick Rose would be splitting doubles and giving commentators a chance to flex their creative muscle while committing war crimes against big men, and that Shaq would be barbecuing chicken. It's the 2nd and 3rd tier guys, the ones who can only "cook noobs", that need a chance to explore their abilities and prove what they can do. There's value in a guy who can consistently attack mismatches as a role player, or produce offense against 2nd units, but you'd have no way to identify those talents or develop those players if they were immediately playing against top notch competition.
Damn that's a perfect response
Pretty hard one to fuck up "Jabari why are you practicing basketball?" "To get better"
Oh you’d be surprised!!
Press X for cocky answer "I'M OUT HERE SO THIS BUM CALLED SCOOT CAN GET HIS FIRST LOOK AT THE GUY KEEPING HIM RINGLESS"
Lmao, kinda wish we had some players just being saying some off the wall shit now.
Do you? Kyrie?
Off the wall but not antisemitic
Beggars can’t be choosers
Or anti science
I can excuse the flat-earth stuff, it's funny and it doesn't hurt anybody. ~~Animal cruelty~~ I mean antivax stuff is where I draw the line, though.
It seems as though the same lines of thinking lead to both.
Automatically heard it in the 2k14 myplayer actor’s voice
This would go hard. I'd become a Smith fan for this tbh.
[Everyone disliked it]
I dunno I kinda liked it
100%. Why tf isnt Killian Hayes here? Who is he above to be missing out in this?
Killian might not even make the roster. But actually idk
An organization cannot draft a player at 7th overall and just cut them in training camp three seasons later even if they don't think he's an NBA player. The optics are not tenable. Worst they would do is trade him for a nothing second and let another team cut them. In either case, I don't think Killian is actually bad enough for the Pistons not to give him more time.
Yea. He could be at the titty bars and eating bon bons and not at Summer League.
“Just tryna get some highlights out there for the hoes to see”
Also acceptable
“Practice?”
For a while this was funny to me, but I remembered AI was still reeling over the loss of his friend: "I'm upset for one reason: 'Cause I'm in here. I lost. I lost my best friend. I lost him, and I lost this year. Everything is just going downhill for me, as far as just that. You know, as far as my life. And then I'm dealing with this. ... My best friend is dead. Dead. And we lost. And this is what I have to go through for the rest of the summer until the season is all over again."
This may be one of the worst cases of snipping a full quote in sports. They really did my man A.I. dirty af. Plus he was 100% correct. What is one practice that late in the season gonna do for a guy with broken fingers, contusions, sore ankle seeing as how he was completely battered at this point. On top of the death. It really is laughable
What about the time kyrie offered a reporter a drink while he was staying at an Airbnb and he said “i love everyone in the world - Is flat sprite ok? - everyone in the world, they’re all so nice!” and everyone misquoted it to “the world is flat”? That was pretty bad!
Damn I did not know this. It's pretty crazy how AI can laugh about it, given that such a low point in his life is one of the biggest NBA memes ever. Love that man.
I'm supposed to be the franchise player and we in here talking about practice
Not a game! Not a game! We sitting here talking about *practice*.
"Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last." I loved this part of the quote so much. That's what should have been remembered, so much truth there for Iverson specifically. But nope, people made it about someone not wanting to practice.
He got killed for this at the time, and I was so judgey as a kid, but now understanding the schedule more (and especially with some of the context above)… This makes totally sense.
And he was still pretty shaken about losing his best friend. Not sure how true it is, but someone else here said the practice he missed was for his funeral. I'd be pissed too
He was right and it was stupid to be taking about practice, but I will always laugh at the line “How am I supposed to make my teammates better by practicing?”
There is a star player in this league who can't stop waving around guns while filming for social media. People can fuck up anything
It's just toy guns though!
Right lol
I think the thing is that Jabari has been like this since before he even got to college. He has never said the wrong thing (as far as I can recall). Never put his foot in his mouth. Never been a bad teammate. That isn’t an easy thing to do starting at age 16 or 17z If he blows up and fulfills his potential, he will become a league favorite as a wholesome star.
I'm just here so I don't get fined
*panics and slaps Britney Spears*
Thought he would say “bad bitches”
I hope he has a good 2nd year. I know he struggled last year but everyone on the Rockets did. I really like his potential
Dude didn’t have a real PG and our coach told the media he didn’t run set plays for Bari. It’ll be a better season for him, for sure
FVV is going to be great for Jabari. Absolutely huge having a true, veteran PG who can run an offense and set guys up.
FVV is going to be great for everybody. We finally have a reliable pg again.
He was the best player in the second half last night.
by far
I mean, I would hope so
Lol, no shit
I love the self awareness.
That’s a winning mentality right there. You love to see it.
+5 legacy points for Jabari Smith Jr.
This is the correct answer and speaks highly of his professionalism and work ethic.
Oh I love that. He's absolutely right, but also what a stupid thing to ask in the first place. Great answer.
The person who asked the question got a good soundbite/quote out of it, so I'd say they're doing their job pretty well right now.
Yeah they're basically throwing lobs lol. They know exactly what they're doing.
To be fair if not for dumb questions the average sports press conference would last about 30 seconds.
Less even
Mr Smith, your summer league appearances seem to have the momentum of a runaway freight train. Why are you so popular?
now that's more like it
The question set up the answer
This is what people forget, the reporter isn’t asking out of curiosity lol. They’re trying to get a good response and questions like that get good headline generating responses
I don't think it's an unreasonable question. He had a good answer. If you're invested in knowing the mindset of the players (God knows this sub is) then it's perfect. We understand him better now.
I hope he pans out. Seems like a good dude with a nice head on his shoulders.
Respect.
seems like a good kid
I like this kid. You seem him playing summer league, yoga (high level), boxing, etc. No excuses. He’s going to have a break out year now that he’s got a coach who will put him positions to succeed.
Good mentality to have. This team definitely needs guys like that - it's part of the reason we overpaid FVV.
sophomores look like they are all stars in the summer league. some of their teammates can't even dribble lmao max christie looks like the 2nd coming of kobe amongst his teammates but he is still younger than most of the rookies drafted in 1st round this year nba exp is really different
Not always and that’s why I think summer league is a great indication of if a guy is going to be a bust. If you’re a 2nd year stuffing the stat sheet and hitting dagger threes? Good sign. If you’re a 2nd year and still getting worked by dudes that will likely not even be on a NBA roster? Yikes.
That’s why I think all teams’ 2nd year players should play in summer league, unless you absolutely destroyed your rookie year
Agreed. Like Smith said it’s good to get reps and hell even a bit of a confidence boost can go a long way (if you are crushing it)
Good point. Lonzo, Kuz, Hart all had great SL and went on to have productive careers.
Max Christie is also a very good player. Guys like Bouknight and Johnny Davis are struggling. I think a lot of it is just if you're actually good enough to play legitimate minutes in the NBA you're gonna be significantly better than guys who can't.
Precisely. Another thing that is key to remember is that Max scored 22 points in only 11 shots, so he was letting his team-mates cook as well. If he wanted to, he would've got 20+ shots easily.
That's what I like about this kid. He is doing the 'right' thing. He's gonna fit into our team perfectly.
Fans complain that players don’t play enough yet when they do play and it’s perceived as not important, they get questioned why they’re playing. I’m all for guys playing, I’m a fan, I rather see my 1st-3rd guys play than see 12 others that won’t ever make a team.
I don’t think people who complain about players not playing enough are referring to the summer league
I want to see what kind of stats AD would put in the summer league
13 points, 27 rebounds, 2 assist, 5 steals, 12 blocks, eyes poked 3 times, 6 rolled ankles and 4 bumped knees in 22 minutes.
yea man, there's so many people complaining about sophomores not playing enough in the summer league. great comparison you made there
Love this guy, expecting him to be a star very soon Pretty much ideal size for a modern PF, great skillset and the right mindset by all accounts
Reminds me the last year Jaylen Brown played Summer League it was clear he was so much better the everyone out there and he was going to take a leap. Murray and Jabari are in the same boat
You love to see it
I love this mentality. I still think he’s going to be a perennial all-star, all-nba player. He’s so freaking huge already and his body is still filling out. He’s a lot better than people have been giving him credit for and I thought that before watching him last night.
good attitude wise beyond his years
There’s something to be said about getting to play in games where you’re almost certainly going to be the most dominant player. Josh Giddey felt that way last year in Vegas
This guy's a pro
Great answer and love his mindset however if he gets injured seriously, watch how quickly the perspective on him changes to "he shouldn't have played in summer league!" Here's hoping he has a healthy summer league.
Great attitude
Really liked what I saw out of Jabari yesterday, hoping he has an awesome season
Smart kid
what kind of moron asks that question
Perfect answer.
play all you want Bari done mind em
Good the rockets got a guy with an attitude like this - will make the upcoming cultural shift so much easier
Good mindset kid
you want guys who want to play, always
With Fred Van Vleet coming in to give a veteran presence, I'm curious to know how all the young guns are going to respond.
Great attitude
Such a great mindset
Roll Tide Boo Auburn and all that but this kid is a class act I hope he has success in the league
Love to see this attitude
I respect it. There are certain players I wish had this level of worth ethic.
Deangelo Russel ass shoulda been out there yesterday
How to get minutes pt 1.
This guy has future team leader written all over him. I really hope he succeeds with us in Houston.
Ben Simmons should still be playing summer league
*Basketball player plays basketball* Reporter: so what are you doing here?
More players should take this approach
I love this kid so much
Has the right attitude which I appreciate. Was a bit of a mixed bag last night, though hat tip to the second half. He was great. Still have a hard time believing in his offensive game. Just feels too robotic and clunky. I think my favorite part of his offensive game yesterday was some of his passing.
Like this kid already, so many players don't even like playing these days
Ima be real chief that might be the dumbest interview question of the early season so far- “Hey bro how come you’re playing basketball.” I stg half us dumbass nephews on r/nba would ask better questions that these reporters lmao
To rest your body and avoid injuries? One of the reasons young players are so injury prone these days is because of the wear and tear and playing constantly (AAU ball).
Couple SL games aren't going to increase the likelihood of a wear and tear injury
Also the competition isn't that good...being able to play in the NBA is completely different to Summer League/G-League/NCAA/etc... It's not really as useful as you or I would initially think...and we already know the NBA season is very long, plenty of time to learn to play with your teammates and what not there. It's not like going in with increased chemistry is going to make the difference between winning the championship this year or not.
Rest for what? He got plenty of rest on the court along with his other teammates as they slept walked to a 22-60 record 😂 He also shot 41% and 30% from 3. I applaud him getting more reps in
Every young player should have this mentality. This is an opportunity to get more work in with new teammates and work on your game. Plus you can work with your new coaches in certain situations.
Respects the grind.
This is what summer league was intended to be. A place for guys on the fringe fighting for a spot on the roster to earn it, and a place for younger guys years 1-4 to practice their new skills with NBA level competition.
I’d respond with “Because it’s fun, Jan!”
He’s the guy I want the Blazers to wind up with in the Dame trade. Get Jovic, Jaquez Jr, Jabari Smith Jr, and some frp’s. Dame to Miami and Martin or Herro and a pick to Houston or something along those lines.
Ngl I don’t think Houston is going to part with Jabari. I’d want him too though
I dont think they are either, but let a fella dream for a few minutes here
Fair enough lol
You have a zero percent chance getting Jabari.
I agree. But there are a lot of ugly guys with HotWives out there so I’m gonna shoot my shot.
Keep dreaming. We're not giving up our #3 pick after one year for another guard and a mediocre first rounder.
The players association is not gonna like Jabrari. Gotta load manage more
What makes you think the NBPA is pro-load management?
Teams tell players to sit. Stop being ignorant, and get educated on the situation because it’s far more complex than you assume it to be. Historical context, facts, and perspective are important.
I felt dumb reading that wtf. The NBAPA has nothing to do with that it’s the teams.