Tar Heels: NBA Summer League Basketball
by Derrick Clyburn and Derrick Isaiah Clyburn
It is great to see our Tar Heels pursue their dreams. And the NBA Summer League is where it starts for them. Eight Tar Heels players continue their quest to make their mark on this summer, and position themselves to be a starter, be a rotation player, or make the final roster. The games will be shown on ESPN, ESPN2, and NBA TV.
Marcus Paige is with the Minnesota. Kennedy Meeks is with Toronto. Tony Bradley and J.P. Tokoto are with Utah. Justin Jackson is with Sacramento. Brice Johnson, Isaiah Hicks, and Kendall Marshall are with the LA Clippers.
Tar Heels Stats from this Weekend
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Tony Bradley, 19 mins, 10 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk
Kennedy Meeks, 9 mins, 12 pts, 4 rebs, 1 ast
Marcus Paige, 28 mins, 18 pts, 1 reb, 2 stls
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Marcus Paige, 25 mins, 12 pts, 6 asts, 1 reb, 1 stl
JP Tokoto, 20 mins, 5 pts, 3 rebs, 1 ast
Tony Bradley, 21 mins, 16 pts, 9 rebs, 1 ast
Brice Johnson, 26 mins, 14 pts, 6 rebs, 1 ast, 2 stls, 2 blks
Kendall Marshall, 15 mins, 5 asts
Isaiah Hicks, 14 mins, 10 pts, 1 reb, 3 blks
Justin Jackson 34 mins, 4 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast
My Tar Heels Observation
Brice Johnson is playing very well in his first two outings. He making up for lost time on the court. Isaiah Hicks and Kennedy Meeks have been consistent. Marcus Paige had a big Saturday night scoring 18 points. Bradley had a big game Sunday with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Overall, the Tar Heels are representing themselves well. They need to play within themselves and take advantage of the shot opportunities that they get. Summer League basketball can be run and gun offense, so the amount of touches a player gets is at a premium.
It looks to me like we have a lot of “fringe” NBA players coming out of Chapel Hill. For example, Marcus Paige is knocking at the door of being on an active roster. Kendall Marshall has been in the league, but also spent time in the developmental league. Same for Brice Johnson and J.P. Tokoto. Let’s see if some of these guys can stick on a roster this year.
Brice Johnson had to miss last season due to back surgery. He has a guaranteed contract for at least 2 more years. Same for Jackson and Bradley. Meeks has a partial guarantee with Toronto. The other players will fight for roster spots or go to the G league/Overseas
I have always thought that Isaiah Hicks had a skillset good enough to be an NBA player.
Hicks needs to work on taking people off the dribble and moving without the ball. It will him get more shot opportunities.