Jules Bernard posts breakout performance for Washington Wizards in NBA Summer League

Former UCLA star Jules Bernard had been having a relatively quiet summer in the NBA Summer League for the Washington Wizards. He changed that on Saturday night with a breakout performance against the Chicago Bulls, stuffing the stat sheet with 17 points, six rebounds, and two assists.

Check out the highlights of the game here.

.@juleslbernard finished with 1️⃣7️⃣ points, 6️⃣ rebounds and 2️⃣ assists on Saturday with the @WashWizards in @NBASummerLeague action.

🎥 via @WashWizards#NBABruins 🏀pic.twitter.com/fQNGtrIK7R

— UCLA Men’s Basketball (@UCLAMBB) July 16, 2023

The Wizards ended up losing to the Bulls 90-85 during their final summer league game. We’ll have to see if the performance on Saturday was enough to turn some heads in the Wizards’ front office.

For more on Bernard and his basketball career, check out the article below from On3’s Justin Rudolph.

Jules Bernard is battling for a roster spot

Bernard is battling for a roster spot for this 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 on Saturday, 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, his team needed to do a little 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, California native went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft after spending five seasons with the Bruins. 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 the 2022 Summer League on the Detroit Pistons. During that, he performed well enough to earn an invite to the Pistons training camp roster, signing a 10-day contract. He played 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 had a relatively quiet summer league before Saturday night’s performance. Heading into Washington’s final game against Chicago, he was only averaging 9.9 minutes per game.

And during his brief time on the court, he’s averaged 5.7 points on 55 percent shooting from the field, 1.3 assists, and one rebound a game. But his stats don’t tell the entire story. From Bernard’s statement above, it’s 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.

On3’s Justin Rudolph also contributed to this article.