The Indiana Pacers didn’t make it far in the tournament, but they closed out their experience in Las Vegas with a win over the Brooklyn Nets.
The Indiana Pacers time at Summer League came to an end on Friday, but we got to see more of Alize Johnson and Edmond Sumner, a pair of intriguing prospects. While T.J. Leaf and Aaron Holiday sat out — a standard procedure of resting some of your proven prospects — the rest of the Pacers went to work.
It was a rout as Indiana hammered the Brooklyn Nets 116-79.
Now, I know some people say Summer League is boring, or don’t care about these players until they play in ‘real’ NBA games.
But how can you not be excited about a guy like Sumner when he does something ridiculous like this?
https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1017880054741852160
Sumner just rips the ball out of Yuta Watanabe hands as he goes to the rim and triggers a fastbreak bucket the other way.
Not only are moments like this fun, but Sumner needs to prove himself after injuries made his rookie season practically non-existent. Plays like this give us hope he can be his pre-injury self.
He finished the game with 13 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block.
Sumner closed out Summer League with 11.3 points a game on a respectable 47 percent shooting. 4 rebounds and 1.5 steals a game aren’t bad, either.
But no one benefitted more from Summer League than Johnson. While he was a second-round pick like Sumner, he didn’t fall there due to injury. Second-round picks usually are hopes and prayers as much as they are scouting and research.
With his 12.4 points and 8.6 rebounds a game while showing the sort of tenacity on defense that can’t be taught, it’s all but assured the Pacers will sign him soon.
He missed out on a double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds, but Friday’s win was more proof he is more than your standard second-round pick.
It’s no wonder Nate McMillan sounds excited —for his standards — talking about Alize and his defense.
Coach McMillan thinks the #Pacers got a steal with second round draft pick @AlizeJohnson. https://t.co/GEMTJ6tBdE
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) July 13, 2018
Summer League might not make a player, but Sumner and Johnson particularly proved their credentials. Aaron Holiday ended with 14.5, 6.8 assists, and 5 rebounds a game. His spot on the team is much more certain as a first-round pick.
T.J. Leaf’s 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds were fine but won’t silence the critics. The real test for him comes when he sees the court again in the regular season.
Next: Can Indiana's Summer League players make an impact?
While Indiana’s stacked roster limits their opportunities to see the court this season, seeing the modest success — and surprises — from these players bodes well for the Pacers future.