The Brooklyn Nets came into the first day of the Las Vegas Summer League by matching up with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday at Cox Pavilion. Unfortunately, the Nets lost to the Cavaliers in a close one, 101-97.
Forward, and Brooklyn’s 2023 51st overall pick, Jalen Wilson had 17 points and five rebounds while guard Armoni Brooks had 17 points and six rebounds. Former Memphis Grizzlies Guard Kennedy Chandler had 16 points and guard Matt Lewis had 14 points.
After going into halftime down 52-38, the Nets won the third quarter 33-15 thanks to a big 13-point quarter from Wilson. With Brooklyn being down as many as 18 points in the contest, they got back into the game by winning the fastbreak points battle 30-13 as well as forcing Cleveland to turn the ball over 20 times. Cleveland was able to hang on for the win thanks to nice fourth quarters from Sharife Cooper, Emoni Bates, and Isaiah Mobley, who combined for 25 points in the period.
Here are the player grades for Friday’s loss to the Cavaliers:
Chandler did his best to show his all-around game as he stuffed the stat sheet with three assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. It was surprising to see Chandler waived by the Memphis Grizzlies in April after being drafted with the 38th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Nonetheless, Chandler displayed some of the athleticism that he can offer at the next level as he made some nice moves to the rim and showed off some solid finishes.
Brooks had a solid outing for the Nets in this one as he displayed his ability to show the three-ball with incredible efficiency. Brooks went from 5-of-9 from three-point range and he showed that he is willing to get on the glass by picking up 6 rebounds. What was important about Brooks’ performance is that he took his shots with confidence and did not hesitate on many of his looks.
Duke Jr. has had an interesting tenure with the Nets organization as he had his two-way contract converted into a standard contract towards the end of this past season. Despite that setback, Duke Jr. came back to play to prove himself either to the Nets or to other teams over the course of the season. He showed his all-around game and he even showed a nice touch on the mid-range jump shots that he made.
Wilson came into the summer league having already signed his two-way con tract. What Brooklyn wanted to see out of him was how well he adjusted to the NBA game and it seems like he will be just fine after spending four seasons at the University of Kansas. Wilson was not able to get his three-point shot, but he showed his ability to play through contact and score the ball similar to how he did in college.
Clowney had a rough offensive outing for the Nets as he went 1-for-9 from the field, including going 1-for-7 from three-point land. While he struggled mightily with his shot, he was able to rebound the ball well and did a good job of playing defense on the perimeter and on the inside.
Lewis had a good performance in this one as he showed his ability to make an offensive impact from all three levels on the floor. While Lewis did not do much else on the floor, it was clear that Lewis is able to score the ball as his main contribution on the floor.
Gray had a decent showing for the Nets in this one as he showed his ability to make an impact from all over the floor. It’s clear that Gray will have to overcome his not being as athletic as some of the players that will be guarding him, but he has shown that he can work around that and still make an all-around impact.
Hall did not do much in this game, but he was able to contribute in almost every statistical category. He did not shoot much in this contest, but it was intriguing to see him be able to make an impact in other ways.
Pickett played a little over 11 minutes in this one and while he struggled with his shot, he did make an impact in other ways. Part of summer league is for players like Pickett to show what they can do while given playing time and he has shown his ability to play solid defense and rebound.
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