Summer Pacers drop opener in OT after second half fade
The Pacers and Nets staged a Summer League classic, reminding everyone it is all about the players, not the results.
NBA Summer League is so exciting every year. Following the draft, which infuses teams with interesting young players, the summer squads add that new talent other young players looking to improve and carve out a role on their respective NBA teams.
Impossible for any NBA head to not be excited at best and highly interested at worst in the Vegas showcase each year.
Then the first game happens. Roughly five minutes in…the annual realization hits home that regardless of the success or failure of the summer team, this ain’t the NBA. Such was the case in the Pacers 97-97 OT loss to the Nets. While the Pacers jumped out to a solid lead in the first half, the game was far from a thing of beauty which leaves the enjoyment to waiting for quality plays and big effort from key players.
The Pacers had 26 turnovers which was five more than the Nets. Of course, the Nets committed 32 fouls which was seven more than the Pacers. I mean, the teams combined for 62 freakin’ free throws.
Fortunately, no matter how good or bad in this case, a team or player performs the instant analysis is always the same: It’s Summer League
Shrug.
So, we enjoy the moments and the players that stand out along the way. Jarace Walker lead the Pacers with 25 points and 6 rebounds in 35 minutes. Rick Carlisle was impressed in the first half as he spent some time on the television broadcast lauding Walker’s effort in the game. This is news considering Carlisle has been very public in making his criticisms of Walker known and they start with playing hard.
Walker had a few too many fade aways and wasn’t a beast on the glass, but he did have a few physical finishes inside and was quite active throughout the game. While playing the three, Walker still had the ball in his hands a bit more than you’d expect in a regular season setting and has 7 turnovers along the way.
Ben Sheppard had some early turnovers and while his summer focus is more on expanding his offensive game, game one was rough as he made just 1 of 9 shots. Shep already has shown he can play a key role in reserve, so we’ll see how much more he plays after also playing 35 minutes. Same goes for Walker, as well, but I’d assume he will play a few games.
Other noteworthy observations:
Oscar Tshiebwe simply produces numbers even if its hard to see how he’d fit in a real NBA setting that could expose him defensively away from the rim. Still, 17 points and 19 rebounds in 27 minutes is how Oscar shows out.
Rookie Johnny Furphy played 24 minutes and took a while to settle into the game, but eventually found a good rhythm. He finished with 12 points and made 3 of 8 threes, but what I appreciated most was early in the game when he clearly seemed nervous or hyped or not yet comfy…he still wasn’t shy and kept letting the 3-balls fly.
Not sure I can get enough of Enrique Freeman in Vegas. The rookie big forward was electric at times making plays on the defensive end. In 17 minutes, Freeman had 7 points and 5 rebounds with a couple of blocks. He seemed like the defensive ‘ying’ to Obi Toppin’s offensive ‘yang’ if that makes sense. Fellow rook Tristan Newton played just 7 minutes but had 4 assists and should be getting more time in the next couple of games.
Kendall Brown, the still young forward heading into his third season, remains an active player on the court even if it is hard to find a role he could slide into for the Pacers. But the kid loves the pace and can make things happen, but needs to make those happening more good than bad. He finished with 19 points, leading the team in free throw attempts.
Several Pacers were sitting in the front row supporting their teammates. Pascal Siakam continues to take pictures of everything that moves with his new-school kodak instamatic camera. Hope he has a solid advertising deal with the folks at Contax.
The Pacers are very publicly leaning into their active, pressure defense that extends the full 94 feet of the court. Guys like Brown and Freeman seem like they could chase guys around the court all day. Both could have a chance to see spot minutes in key situations where matchups dictate extra defense. While it is ‘just Summer League’ it is also easy to see the effort from those players translating to the style of play the Pacers want to continue developing to pair with their elite offense.
The Pacers are back in action on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET when they take on the Summer Timberwolves. The game will be shown on NBA TV.