BBNBA: Kellan Grady, Johnny Juzang battle in final summer game

Fresh off signing his freshly-minted two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, former Kentucky guard Johnny Juzang faced off against the older, yet more recent Kentucky alumnus, Kellan Grady, and the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Summer League’s final game.

While it was the last game of the night, it wasn’t the actual championship. That contest was played earlier on Sunday and saw the Portland Trail Blazers defeat the New York Knicks to claim the summer crown. That means everyone’s favorite Kentucky player, Shaedon Sharpe, left Las Vegas wearing a Summer League championship ring, despite only being on the court for five minutes and 33 seconds.

A few other ‘Cats were scheduled to play Sunday as well, however, Isaiah Jackson (Pacers), Olivier Sarr (Suns), and Davion Mintz (Wizards) did not enter their respective games.

That left shooters, Johnny Juzang and Kellan Grady, to cap off the NBA’s summer of basketball action.

Johnny Juzang and Kellan Grady have shooting woes

Despite already inking a deal, Juzang played as if his career depended on it. He came out firing, launching nine 3-pointers, but only connected on two of them. He finished with nine points, five rebounds, two assists, and a block.

Even though Juzang finished his college career at UCLA, it is still good to see former Kentucky players live out their dream and make it to the NBA. It is kind of like seeing your ex prosper in their career long after you’ve broken up. You’re happy for them, even though your name isn’t beside theirs on any formal documentation.

Kellan Grady, unlike Johnny Juzang, may have a more challenging time finding a roster spot. The one niche that was going to solidify his value on an NBA team was his shooting, but unfortunately, the same marksmen Kentucky fans witnessed most of last season was not on display in Las Vegas.

Grady started for the Nuggets on Sunday but shot just 3-10 from the field and 0-4 from behind the arc. That brings his four-game field goal average to 34.5% and just 14.1% from 3-point-land. He added just two rebounds and zero assists on Sunday, showing that if he isn’t knocking down shots, it is hard to keep him on the court.

It feels like wherever Grady lands next, whether that is in the G League or overseas, he is going to turn a corner. These Chuck Knoblauch-Esque yips won’t last. We very well could see him vying for an NBA roster spot this time next summer as well.