BBNBA Summer League: Cason Wallace debuts with six made 3s
Cason Wallace never hit more than five three-pointers in a single game throughout his freshman season at Kentucky. In his NBA Summer League debut for the Oklahoma City Thunder, he drilled six of them.
After being taken No. 10 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, Wallace certainly looked the part of a lottery pick in his first-ever professional outing. The 19-year-old rookie was spectacular on Saturday in Las Vegas for the Thunder, finishing with 20 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 27 minutes of action. He shot 7-15 from the floor, including a 6-10 mark from distance. Five of his triples came in the first half alone, but it was his sixth that has been spreading across social media like wildfire.
During the fourth quarter, Wallace had the ball poked away from him on a poor pass from one of his teammates. Instead of panicking, he picked up the ball deep in the backcourt, saw the shot clock was winding down, and calmly stepped into a halfcourt heave that banked right into the hoop as the buzzer sounded.
Welcome to the NBA, Mr. Wallace.
Jackson shines, Tshiebwe watches
The Indiana Pacers are the lone Summer League team with two former ‘Cats on the same roster. One is third-year center Isaiah Jackson, who did exactly what the franchise would hope out of their former lottery pick who has already played two full seasons in the league. Jackson was impressive in Indiana’s 91-83 win over the Washington Wizards, posting 21 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks in 29 minutes. Just like he did during his one season in Lexington, Jackson was erasing shots right at the rim with ease and throwing down monster slams.
Meanwhile, his frontcourt teammate Oscar Tshiebwe, who was picked up by the Pacers on a two-way deal after he went undrafted, mostly watched from the sidelines. He appeared in just seven minutes in what was his NBA debut, collecting five points and two rebounds. Tshiebwe made his only field goal attempt (a dunk) and all three of his free throws. His two rebounds both came on the offensive glass and happened in the span of 10 seconds. That’s the Tshiebwe BBN knows well.
Livingston inks historic deal
Chris Livingston will forever hold the title of being the very last pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but he’ll at least hold the title of most money made by the very last pick. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported on Saturday that Livingston inked a four-year, $7.7 million deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, the first two years of his contract being fully guaranteed.
The deal was actually announced during the middle of Livingston’s second Summer League game with the Bucks. After a modest debut on Friday, the former Wildcat improved in game two — an 84-75 win over the Phoenix Suns — by dropping 10 points (3-8 FG), six rebounds, and three assists in 28 minutes of action.
Other Summer League notes
- Johnny Juzang did his job in the Utah Jazz’s 105-99 win over the LA Clippers, posting 13 points on 5-9 shooting, including a 3-5 clip from deep, in just 21 minutes. He was held out of practice earlier in the month due to a sprained right ankle but returned just in time for Summer League action. His backcourt teammate, Jazz rookie Keyonte George, exploded for 33 points and 10 assists.
- It turns out that EJ Montgomery is suiting up for the Bucks at Summer League. Although he didn’t see the floor on Saturday, he’s joined the team in Las Vegas after spending last season overseas.
7/8/23 statistics
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | +/- | MIN |
| Isaiah Jackson (IND) | 91-83 W vs. WAS | 21 | 10-12 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 29 |
| Cason Wallace (OKC) | 91-80 W vs. DAL | 20 | 7-15 (6-10) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | -3 | 27 |
| Johnny Juzang (UTA) | 105-99 W vs. LAC | 13 | 5-9 (3-5) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -6 | 21 |
| Chris Livingston (MIL) | 84-75 W vs. PHX | 10 | 3-8 (1-2) | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 28 |
| Oscar Tshiebwe (IND) | 91-83 W vs. WAS | 5 | 1-1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4 | 7 |
| Mychal Mulder (BOS) | 99-88 L vs. MIA | 3 | 1-4 (1-3) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -2 | 9 |
| EJ Montgomery (MIL) | 84-75 W vs. PHX | DNP-CD | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Today in Summer League
3:30 (NBA TV): Raptors @ Cavaliers
4:00 (ESPN2): Lakers (Killeya-Jones) @ Hornets
5:30 (NBA TV): Knicks @ Nets
6:00 (ESPN2): Pistons @ Rockets
7:30 (NBA TV): Celtics (Mulder) @ Wizards
8:00 (ESPN2): Spurs @ Trail Blazers (Sharpe)
9:30 (NBA TV): Hawks @ Nuggets
10:00 (ESPN2): Pelicans @ Warriors
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