Tar Heels Debut in the Summer League 

by Derrick Clyburn

It’s still the dog days of summer, but as Tar Heels fans we have something to get us through this dead time in sports. NBA Summer League Basketball. Yes, we have seven Tar Heels Alumni playing for the next 2 weeks. The games will be shown on ESPN, ESPN2, and  NBA TV.

Marcus Paige is with the Minnesota. Kennedy Meeks is with Toronto. Tony Bradley is with Utah. Justin Jackson is with Sacramento. Brice Johnson, Isaiah Hicks, and Kendall Marshall are with the LA Clippers.

How They Debuted

Brice Johnson 33 mins, 23 points (10-15), 7 rebs, 3 blk, 2 stl

Isaiah Hicks 11 mins, 7 points (2-5), 4 rebs

Kendall Marshall 29 mins, 11 points (2-3, 1-1 3pt), 11 ast

Kennedy Meeks 17 mins, 15 points (7-13), 9 rebs

Justin Jackson 26 mins, 18 points (7-11, 2-4 3pt), 2 reb

Thoughts of Their Debut

This is really Brice Johnson’s rookie year. He played a total of 9 minutes for the Clippers due to his back surgery. He dominated the game with an array of spin moves, mid range jumpers, turnaround jumpers, and dunks. Yes, Brice welcomed Alonzo Ball to the NBA, spinning to the base line and dunking on the young fellow. I look for a big year out of Brice Johnson, if he can get the minutes.

Justin Jackson was special as well. He hit an array of floaters and 3 pointers. Including a 4-point play. Jackson will have plenty of opportunities to shine this upcoming season. Meeks, Hicks, and Marshall were solid performers. Hopefully, they will stay consistent and build from their debut. Marshall is a veteran who has a chance to stick with the Clippers as a backup. Since Chris Paul was traded to Houston.

My thoughts from watching these summer league games so far.

The most consistent players were the veteran NBA players and the rookies with more than one year of college. The one and dones struggled more often than not. The NBA needs to make the change to straight out of high school or 2 to 3 years of college, so that these young players can develop and come in NBA ready.