Chris Livingston quiet in his Summer League debut
Chris Livingston‘s departure from Kentucky into the professional ranks has had more drama than a Real Housewives episode. Between the Klutch-Calipari tug-of-war with his on-court role to the draft-day communication breakdown, the whole Livingston situation has been, well, weird.
But all that is in the past. Livingston is now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks and has the full backing of Big Blue Nation in the pursuit of his NBA dreams. That path officially got underway on Friday when he participated in his first Las Vegas Summer League game.
Livingston, who will wear #15 for this new team, got the start when the Bucks took on the Denver Nuggets on Friday, and the game was a bit of a microcosm of his Kentucky career. Through three quarters, Livingston looked tepid, with just two points on only two shot attempts. His sole bucket came in the form of a fast-break dunk off a turnover.
For the most part, he let the game come to him a little too much rather than attacking. He spent most of his time floating around the perimeter and being passive when he did get the ball.
Much like his time in Lexington, Livingston’s mindset changed near the end. In the fourth quarter, he became the version of himself Kentucky fans saw down the stretch. He was aggressive on the boards and knocked down a 3.
He finished the game with seven points, six rebounds, and a steal in 26 minutes of action. It was only his first game, so it was natural for him to enter the game a bit hesitant. Look for him to excel once he gets a little more comfortable.
Shaedon Sharpe is still throwing down monster dunks
If Chris Livingston looked like a rookie on the first day of Summer League, Shaedon Sharpe looked like a veteran. In what should have been his rookie season had he stayed at Kentucky as originally planned, Shaedon Sharpe lit up the floor with a team-high 21 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks in the Portland Trail Blazers’ one-point loss to the Houston Rockets.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Blazers game without Sharpe throwing down a monstrous dunk and posterizing an unsuspecting opponent.
Feel free to celebrate his success or stay jilted about his snubbing of Kentucky, but you can’t discount his impressiveness.
Sacha Killeya-Jones was the only other former ‘Cat to play on Friday in the Summer League. He finished with 10 points, three rebounds, a steal, and a block for the Los Angeles Lakers.
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