Despite a few positive signs, the Utah Jazz’s performance in their first 2016 NBA Summer League game was a disappointment overall as they fell to the San Antonio Spurs.
The Utah Jazz fell short in their first game of NBA Summer League against the San Antonio Spurs with a final score of 90-69. What started out as a closely contested game quickly turned into a lopsided win for the visiting team as the Spurs got hot in the second quarter, outscoring the Jazz 26-16. And they never looked back from there.
San Antonio shot considerably better than Utah, connecting on 33 of 64 shots from the field (51.6 percent) compared to the Jazz’s 27 of 67 (40.3 percent). The Spurs had a slight edge from behind the arc (38.5 percent vs. 37.5 percent) and went 14 of 18 from the free throw line compared to the Jazz’s 6 of 13.
The Spurs were led by third-year man Kyle Anderson who, by comparison, was the most NBA-experienced player on the court having appeared in 111 total games, including 78 last season. Anderson put up 25 points on 10 of 16 shooting in the Spurs’ summer league victory. Jonathon Simmons added 18 points while Bryn Forbes put up 16.
But enough of what the Spurs did, let’s move on to the Jazz. Despite an overall disappointing performance and outcome, there were certainly some bright points to the game.
Jazz sophomore Trey Lyles came out on fire, knocking down three of his first four shots and quickly putting up 11 points. Unfortunately, his shooting cooled off significantly from there as he finished just 4 of 14 from the field with 13 points. However, Lyles did connect on half of his three-point attempts (three out of six) and rebounded extremely well, finishing the night with 12 rebounds.
Scoring-wise, Olivier Hanlan was the other significant contributor for the Jazz. Utah’s 42nd overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft put up 11 points on 4 of 6 shooting while displaying moments of poise and athleticism. He also totaled three assists on the night to lead the team.
Second-year Jazzman Tibor Pleiss had a couple decent moments, but overall was less than impressive considering the somewhat elevated expectations surrounding him. He was slow up and down the court and seemed to have a hard time catching and controlling the ball.
While he shot 3 of 5 from the field, his offense didn’t appear to be as solid as it potentially could have been, especially considering his size and experience. His defensive presence in the paint wasn’t exactly devastating either as San Antonio enjoyed several easy finishes at the rim.
Finally, each of the Jazz’s three 2016 second round draft picks came off the bench and logged about 17 minutes. Weber State sensation Joel Bolomboy got off to a rough start by missing two free throws and never really bounced back the rest of the night. He finished 1 of 5 from the field with two points.
However, Bolomboy did show a significant amount of hustle and energy including five rebounds which was tied for second most on the team only behind Trey Lyles. He also had an exciting almost-block that was ultimately ruled a foul. The positives that he brought to the floor will look a lot better if he is able to get going on the offensive end in games two and three.
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Guards Marcus Paige and Tyrone Wallace finished with seven and six points respectively. Both showed flashes of potential on the floor, but both struggled overall to find their shot and Paige finished with three turnovers.
With the exception of Lyles, this Jazz Summer League roster is very inexperienced and certainly has a lot to learn. Nevertheless, if Lyles is able to get his shot going and if the team as a whole can pick up their sloppy play, they should be able to put up a better showing in the remaining games against Philadelphia and Boston.
But the Jazz will have their work cut out for them in Tuesday’s match-up as they face off against the Boston Celtics who defeated Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers 102-94. The Celtics feature significant NBA experience in both R.J. Hunter and Terry Rozier who were the team’s two leading scorers in their first day of action.
Next: 10 Players to Watch at Utah Jazz Summer League
As the Utah Jazz look to put Monday’s loss behind them and start anew in Day 2 of summer league action, be sure to stay tuned to The J Notes for more information and analysis.
All stats courtesy of NBA.com