Paolo Banchero and Jabari Smith matched up in the NBA 2K23 Summer League opener in Las Vegas.
SALT LAKE CITY — Here’s a quick rundown of the top performances from the final day of the Salt Lake City Summer League and the opening games for the NBA 2K23 Summer League from Las Vegas.
Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
Paolo Banchero tonight:
17 PTS
6 AST
4 REB pic.twitter.com/GUAahto40f— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) July 8, 2022
Orlando’s first No. 1 overall pick since 2004, Banchero came out ready to play as he and the Magic took on No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith and the Houston Rockets to open play at NBA 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas. From the jump, Banchero was seemingly out to prove his top-pick status and did so with all manner of shots as the Magic won, 91-77.
He opened things up with a 3-pointer from the right wing and, from there, went into the full repertoire: fadeaways in the post, dribble-drive floaters, a foul-line and-1 jumper and more. All in all, Banchero had 17 points, four rebounds and six assists, delivering some precise reads against the Rockets defense. Equally impressive was Banchero’s footwork, using reverse pivots and spins away from the defense to get several of his shots.
As for Smith, he had a somewhat quiet night (10 points, seven rebounds, three assists) but had some nice drives to the basket and played solid team defense, matching up occasionally with Banchero. Of course, with all things Summer League, it’s worth noting how quickly fortunes and performances can change — as Chet Thunder, the No. 2 overall pick, can attest. But, there’s no doubt Banchero got off to a positive start in his first Summer League.
Isaiah Joe & Jaden Springer, Philadelphia 76ers
Isaiah Joe finished with 19 points in Philadelphia’s win Thursday vs. Oklahoma City.
Joe, a third-year guard who has seen his role increase in each of the last two regular seasons, finished strong in Salt Lake City. He racked up 19 points (including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 25.2 seconds left), four rebounds, two assists and was active defensively (four steals) as the Philadelphia 76ers won 80-79 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In all, this was a solid Summer League start for Joe, who had 19 points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in Tuesday’s 103-99 loss to Memphis (he did not play on Wednesday).
Springer, Philadelphia’s first-round pick from 2021, spent most of last season with their NBA G League affiliate in Delaware. The 6-foot-3 guard finished with 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal, remaining an aggressor with and without the ball. However, he struggled with his shot once again (3-13 FGs) and shot 28% at the SLC Summer League. The Sixers are expecting him to step into a bigger role in 2022-23 and his overall play in Utah showed he might be ready for that.
Xavier Tillman, Memphis Grizzlies
Tillman went 2-for-2 in terms of strong games in Salt Lake City with a 10-point, 14-rebound, 4-assist showing in a 95-84 win against the Utah Jazz. After getting a rest day on Wednesday, Tillman once again put in work on an opposing frontline and found cutters with relative ease against Utah. Memphis has designs on building of last season’s run to the Western Conference semifinals and Tillman’s growth and development in Summer League will be key in helping that cause.
Bruno Caboclo, Utah Jazz
Caboclo couldn’t join the Jazz until Tuesday because of his commitments to the Brazilian National Team. He kept up the solid play in Salt Lake, with 17 points, 7 rebounds and three blocks in Thursday’s loss to Memphis. Overall, he has been strong in the paint, finishing with a variety of power dunks across two games. A former first-round pick and a seven-year NBA veteran, Caboclo spent 2021-22 in the G League. Utah will be monitoring his play in the NBA 2K23 Summer League as the Jazz seek frontcourt depth options for next season.
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