JT Thor, Jabari Smith Jr., Jared Harper all impress during NBA Summer League action
Former Auburn players Jared Harper, Jabari Smith Jr., JT Thor and Sharife Cooper all participated in the NBA Summer League.
For three of the four, positive reviews followed.
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Former Auburn point guard Jared Harper averaged 17.5 points and 4.3 assists per game in four games for the New Orleans Pelicans. If Harper is going to break into the NBA on a regular basis, now is as good a time as any. Harper’s playing really good basketball, including a 20-point outing against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jabari Smith Jr., the No. 3 overall pick in the recent NBA Draft, averaged 14.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in five games for the Houston Rockets, also tallying nearly two blocks and two steals per game. Smith already earned himself a nickname among the Rockets fans for his defensive presence – The Locksmith.
While Jabari Smith Jr. only shot 37 percent from two and 26 percent from three, the effort he exuded on defense was constantly praised during television broadcasts. Smith notched his second-straight double-double in the Rockets’ final game with 12 points and 12 boards.
Yahoo! Sports said this of Smith Jr.’s Summer League experience, giving him a B+ grade:
Smith was dynamic defensively, but he simply didn’t make enough shots on offense. That said, he has a very long track record as an elite shooter, so that’s likely to correct itself over time. He should also get cleaner looks when playing alongside additional shot creators like Green, Porter, and Sengun on Houston’s regular-season roster.
Expect Smith Jr. to play around 30 minutes per game as a rookie this season for a rebuilding Rockets team.
JT Thor averaged 12.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in five games for the Charlotte Hornets, shooting 40-plus percent from two and 36-plus percent from three.
Here’s what Michael C. Wright from NBA.com said following Thor’s 28-point performance in Las Vegas during Summer League action:
The second-year big owns a cool name, but he flexed hot game Saturday despite his Charlotte Hornets falling 89-86 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Thor impacted the game in just about every facet you could conceive in scoring a game-high 28 points in nearly 22 minutes with five thefts.
The 19-year-old knocked down 3-for-6 from long distance and 9-for-14 from the floor, and attacked Minnesota in a variety of ways during a lively third quarter that only transitioned into a 16-point final frame. Thor played in 33 contests last season for the Hornets and averaged 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds. Perhaps he’s poised for a larger role in 2022-23 on what should be one of the league’s most exciting young squads.
Watch out for Thor this upcoming season, as he seems poised to make a move for more playing time.
And Cooper averaged 4.4 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 turnovers per game in five games for the Atlanta Hawks, shooting 19 percent from two and 18 percent from three. One NBA scout noted on Twitter that Cooper doesn’t appear to be the same player he scouted while at Auburn.
To be fair to Cooper, there are circumstances around his elevated minutes while also battling a right thumb injury that’s impacting his ability to shoot the basketball. Matthew Hallett who covers the Hawks for Fansided said this of Cooper:
It would be a good move, considering how Cooper is being impacted by his thumb injury, to shut him down. He is unable to perform at the level that we know he is can do. He put up massive performances in the G League last season including an incredible 37-point triple-double.
At the moment Cooper’s stock is going so far down because he is hesitant to shoot the ball and does not have his normal control. Some people on Twitter are even suggesting that he should be gone from the Hawks this season. The fact he is injured and can’t participate fully in team practices does not seem to matter to them.
We’ll see if Cooper can rebound and get more NBA action next season.
Former Auburn stars Isaac Okoro of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Chuma Okeke of the Orlando Magic, didn’t participate in the Summer League, as they are well established on their respective teams. Both are on upwards trajectories heading into next season, with Okeke likely benefitting from the Magic’s selection of Duke’s Paolo Banchero, which should move Okeke back to a more comfortable three position.
