Another busy day in the NBA Summer League took place on Monday, August 9. Eight games were played featuring some of the future stars of basketball. Who stood out above the rest?
Sunday, August 8th’s Summer League standouts can be found here.
Trey Murphy, New Orleans Pelicans
When Murphy fell to the Pelicans in the NBA Draft they had to be ecstatic. He fits exactly what they need, especially when you look at it in terms of how to get the most out of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson moving forward. Murphy is a shooting wing with great size, he shot 43.3 percent last season for Virginia.
That shooting stroke was on full display in his first summer league game. Murphy entered halftime with six points before erupting for 20 in the second half. He went 7-10 from the field in the second half, including 4-6 from behind the arc. The Pelicans opponent, the Chicago Bulls, scored just 30 points in the second half as a team.
Murphy’s floor spacing ability is going to make him a valuable asset to the Pelicans immediately. Zion and Ingram benefit greatly by having more space to operate inside which could lead to big minutes from Murphy early in his career if he can shoot like he showed he is capable of on Monday.
Duane Washington Jr, Indiana Pacers
Washington Jr. went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft after playing three years for Ohio State. He joined the Pacers on a two-way contract and instantly flashed the talent that could lead to him being an NBA role player long-term.
Washington Jr. erupted for 23 points in 20 minutes in his summer league debut. He couldn’t miss from three, ending the game with a 5-5 mark from behind the arc. He was 8-9 from the field overall but had little impact on the game outside of scoring the ball. When you shoot that efficiently it doesn’t matter what else you bring.
Washington displayed his scoring potential and was extremely confident, especially for a player that did not hear his name called in the NBA draft. That clearly had no effect on his confidence and the Pacers may have found a nice scoring threat in the undrafted Ohio State guard. He certainly made sure Pacers fans are aware of who he is in his first time suiting up for the organization.
Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic
The Magic got their guy in the 2021 NBA Draft when Suggs fell to them. He showed that maybe, just maybe, the Magic finally have their long-term solution at point guard. For a long time, the Magic have been searching for their guy at the point and Suggs has all the tools to be the franchise leader.
He brings winning pedigree after his time at Gonzaga and he showed what he can do on the court on Monday night. Suggs scored 24 points to lead the Magic while also leading them in rebounds with 9 in the game. He had only one assist on the night against two turnovers, not the usual NBA point guard totals.
Transitioning to an NBA-level point guard is not easy, though. The playmaking and passing will come for Suggs and scoring as he did on Monday night will just make it come easier when it happens. He also was playing with multiple young guards already with the organization, notably R.J. Hampton and Cole Anthony.
Suggs may take on more of a scoring role because of who he is playing with early but we know he will do whatever it takes to help his team win. Don’t overthink the assist numbers. Suggs is already helping the Magic win games in the NBA Summer League.
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