Former Bruins star Jules Bernard makes case to make Wizards roster at Summer League

Former UCLA Bruins wing Jules Bernard is in his second season in the NBA. Currently, he is a member of the Washington Wizards 2023 Summer League team. Bernard is looking to secure a spot on their roster for the upcoming season.

During this year’s summer league, Bernard has been working diligently to showcase what he has to offer the Wizards next season. And during their consolation matchup against the Chicago Bulls, the former Bruins star took some time between quarters to discuss that and then some.

“Just showing my versatility. Show that I can play with a bunch of great guys, a bunch of great teammates on this on this team. And most of all, that we can win. So that’s the most important thing,” said Bernard.

After the first quarter, Washington held a 17-13 lead thanks to Bernard’s play in the opening period. The Wizards’ wing was on fire in the first, scoring 10 points on three-of-three shooting from the field. But as he highlighted, in order for Washington to pick up the win in their last game of the 2023 Summer League, they need to do a little bit more on the defensive side of the ball.

“Just being aggressive. I think the biggest thing for us is getting stops and getting out in transition once we get stops and get out in transition. That’s how we get easy buckets, get our juices flowing. So I think on this end of the floor, on the defensive end, I think that’s where it’s most important.”

Bernard’s career has not gotten off to the start he would like. He has yet to log a single minute during an NBA game. The former UCLA star and Los Angeles, CA, native went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft after spending five seasons at UCLA. Still, at the collegiate level, he showed improvement every season. His senior year was his best at UCLA, averaging 12.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, Bernard spent last year’s summer league on the Detroit Pistons roster. During the 2022 Summer League, he performed well enough to earn an invite to the Pistons training camp roster, signing a 10-day contract. He would play in three of the Pistons’ four preseason games before ultimately being released and then signed by Detroit G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. Motor City would eventually trade Bernard to the Capital City Go-Go, the G League affiliates of the Wizards.

This time around, Bernard is having a relatively quiet summer league. Heading into Washington’s final game against Chicago, he’s only averaged 9.9 minutes per game. And in his brief time on the court, he averages 5.7 points on 55 percent shooting from the field, 1.3 assists, and one rebound a game. But stats do not tell the entire story. From Bernard’s statement above, it is clear that his time on the court is being spent showing the Wizards brass how he can contribute to winning basketball as opposed to showcasing all facets of his skill set.