Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George brings the ball up in the second half during an NBA Summer League basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday, July 3, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
| Jul 4, 2023 4:07 am
| Updated: 4:08 p.m
The Jazz lost 95-85 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in their first summer league game of 2023. What did we learn?
• In the end, it was Keyonte George who impressed the most in Jazz’s first game. We knew he could score and after some really nervous early moments his second half was pretty brilliant. He found times to attack in transition, including from some unique angles, that I think will work in the NBA regular season as well. For a rookie, he did a really good job in his first game, playing with relative responsibility, calling plays for Ochai Agbaji, and more.
He was also effective on defense. He struggled at times in one-on-ones, but I think he showed impressive timing on some of his steals.
“I’m very impressed from the start,” Jazz Summer League coach Evan Bradds said of George’s defense. “I was very impressed by this general awareness. And then obviously we changed a lot and they’re a big team so he went for some of their guys… and I thought his fight was great. And that’s exactly what I was hoping for. I’m more than happy with it.”
• Agbaji played a very different role in this summer league than in most regular-season games, as the Jazz gave him control of the ball and allowed him to attack more often. He was a mixed bag, forcing a few attacks, missing a few layups because he wasn’t able to get over OKC’s rim guard.
But he also impressed in other ways. He had a career high with nine rebounds, including a few times where he had to knock out larger players from deep. He struggled with rebounding last year so it was nice to see. He also attacked the glass on defense in another way – by trying to block them. Even though he only managed one in the end, he helped more on the edge than we’ve seen before.
That’s one of Agbaji’s goals, he says: to get in better shape so he can play with high energy at both ends of the field. Last year was one way or the other – this game was a good start, even if it wasn’t particularly efficient on offense (Agbaji shot just 7:19 from the field on Monday).
• Luka Samanic had a brilliant display in the first four minutes… and then almost 20 minutes after that, finishing with 13 points from 16 shots. Some of these were just missing shots, and I totally agree with the shot variance. But to be honest, I was a little discouraged that he was pacing up and down the floor at certain points in the game. He looked tired.
Here’s Samanic’s deal: He’s talented enough to become an NBA rotation player — and only if he’s a plus NBA athlete. If he can keep the guys up front and pose a threat in transition then he’s a great minute filler. If he can’t do that, there are other, more convincing wingers
• Vernon Carey Jr. had an odd game. Obviously he was trying to overdo it and force shots and dribbles that shouldn’t be forced. He also found it difficult to convert good opportunities into points. I think he bit every single pump fake defensively. But sometimes he showed decent speed to get back into the game. He has to be better than that, to make the Jazz forget yesterday’s deal with Damian Jones.
• Ditto for Micah Potter, who demonstrated his ability to hit three balls and be a link on offense – and then made at least three horrible decisions trying to get too much with his passes. In all honesty, a 25-year-old in Summer League probably just has to be a better character to stay, and Potter has some way to go.
• Joey Hauser, handed a two-way contract by the Jazz, struggled in his first game. He’s fully a hope of a 3-point shooter, but has limited ability elsewhere so simply needs to get above 1-5. Maybe another time.
• For OKC, Jalen Williams, last year’s runner-up in Rookie of the Year, was by far the best player on the floor tonight. So smooth on both ends that everyone else looks silly. He’s going to be a great NBA player.
• Chet Holmgren had a terrible first four minutes on his return after a year’s absence – and then he kind of settled down, figured out how to influence the game (through rim protection and attacking closeouts rather than iso-scoring) and finished one make a big impact. He got really, really beat up tonight; The Jazz ran through every screen he put up, threw his every shot at him and even elbowed him in the face on one drive. I give him kudos for fighting through despite his #2 pick pedigree.
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