🏀 It Feels Like Summer (League)

Welcome back, Enjoyers! For our American audience, we hope you enjoyed a great 4th of July filled with fireworks, friends, and as many hotdogs as you can eat (shout-out Joey Chestnut.)

Oh, and almost forgot to mention, basketball is back! Summer League kicked off on Monday, so let’s go ahead and get you caught up on what the newest faces of the NBA are up to.

Today’s Lineup

A Dunk for the Ages: NBA Summer League kicks off with a bang 💥

He’s Backkkk: Our first look at last year’s #2 overall pick didn’t disappoint

Free Agency Marches On: Get caught up on the latest signings

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Summer League Standouts

The Two J’s: It’s up in the air whether they’ll even be in Miami to start the season (shout-out Damian Lillard), but there’s no doubt that Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic were both absolutely hooping on Monday night. Jovic showed off some nice range, and this sweet lob that reminded us of another seven-footer with a similar name. As for Jaquez, he picked up right where he left off at UCLA, looking super comfortable with his all-around scoring game, going all-out on defense, and even catching a body. Not bad for a first game!

Big Man on Campus: It seems unfair that a 6’7”, 276-pound wrecking ball of a man can also bury clutch threes, but hey, anything is possible when your Kenneth Lofton Jr. Did we mention he can also drop dimes? Last year’s G-League Rookie of the Year continues to impress with his all-around game, and we can’t wait to see him full-time in Memphis. 💪

Not Just Wemby: Victor Wembanyama? Don’t know who you’re talking about; the only Spurs we know are Dominick Barlow and Julian Champagnie. Going up against #2 pick Brandon Miller, this duo gave us a stellar Summer League Shaq and Kobe impression. Champagnie was an absolute menace on both ends, dropping 30 to go along with four steals. And Barlow reminded us of LaMarcus Aldridge with a barrage of midrange big-man buckets, capping it off with a ferocious jam.

Killer Keegan: Listen, Keegan, level with us: do you really need to be playing right now? After setting a rookie record for three-pointers made last season, Keegan Murray is back to defend his Summer League MVP with a vengeance. The Kings’ reliable forward got to the line at will, splashed a few threes, and blessed us with this beautiful coast-to-coast take in a 29-point performance.

The Thunder: It’s really hard to narrow it down with such an exciting young team, but let’s keep it to three guys. ROTY runner-up Jalen Williams needed just 22 minutes to lead the game in scoring before checking out for the night. And hey, welcome back, Chet Holmgren! Last year’s #2 overall pick shook off some early rust to put together a solid game, including one nasty two-handed block. And Tre Mann…that man had a family. Stealing the inbounds pass and then dunking on the guy who threw its head?? Just cold.

Free Agency Roundup

Ant-Man gets the BAG: In the least surprising move of the summer, the Timberwolves unloaded the Brinks truck for Anthony Edwards with a five-year, $260 million max extension. What else is there to say besides three words, worth every penny.

Torrey Craig to the Windy City: There’s a strong argument to be made that the Bulls would be better off long-term by tearing it all down and starting fresh with a rebuild, but we have to say that they’re making some savvy moves to fill out the roster with win-now pieces. Jevon Carter was a great budget option to replace some of Lonzo Ball‘s defensive impact and the addition of Torrey Craig is just the type of 3-and-D infusion this team needs.

The Bucks Make Some Upgrades: The Milwaukee Bucks have quietly had a great offseason. Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez are back, and now, they’ve added Malik Beasley to the fold. He might have struggled during his short stint in LA, but Beasley is the type of microwave scorer the Bucks could really use off the bench. And how about a family reunion? Milwaukee also brought back Robin Lopez to play with his brother for just the second time in his career. We can’t wait to see more antics like this.

Frozen Moments

• Jarret Allen takes flight when he sees Kevin Love.

• Watch a new NBA rule in action for the first time ever.

• We’re so ready to see Scoot and Shaedon do this in game.

What We’re Enjoying

FORWARD by Jordan Ward: The debut record from St. Louis native Jordan Ward might have dropped a few months ago, but its funky contemporary R&B sound is a perfect soundtrack for the summer. Just go put this on in the whip on a sunny day and drive around: you won’t regret it.

Signing Off

That’s it for today! Remember to use these summer months to spend time with the people you love, and also to play plenty of pickup hoops!

Until next time,

-Spencer Poole

Trivia Answer: The answer to today’s trivia is Cam Thomas! Brooklyn’s high-scoring young guard dropped 137 points in just five games to lead all 2022 Summer League scorers.

Before you go…