BBNBA Summer League: Cason Wallace struggles, Shaedon Sharpe flys

We’re about halfway through the Las Vegas edition of NBA Summer League action. From the perspective of the Big Blue Nation, the last several days have been important for the likes of Isaiah Jackson and Johnny Juzang, who have both impressed through their first two outings in Vegas and look the part of NBA players.

Oklahoma City Thunder rookie guard Cason Wallace was in the same boat after his Summer League debut on Saturday, which saw him pop off for 20 points on six made three-pointers. However, he produced the complete opposite performance on Tuesday night. Wallace finished with just eight points on 2-12 shooting (1-8 from distance) and five turnovers across 28 minutes in a 105-92 loss to the Houston Rockets.

Part of his poor play in game two was a result of being surrounded by less-talented teammates. The likes of Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, Ousmane Dieng, and Tre Mann — all expected to fill roles for the Thunder in 2023-24 — were not in action despite all playing on Saturday, meaning Wallace had to handle the bulk of the responsibilities alongside guys who mostly won’t sniff the court of an NBA game this season.

With that in mind (and the fact that it’s Summer League), we’re not going to hold this one against him. Wallace and OKC will be in action again on Wednesday night where he’ll face former Kentucky players Oscar Tshiebwe and Isaiah Jackson with the Indiana Pacers at 7:30 p.m. EST on NBA TV.

Shaedon Sharpe can jump very high

Sorry, but we’re going to talk about Shaedon Sharpe again. Because on Tuesday night, he produced a pair of highlight plays that will showcase exactly why the Portland Trail Blazers are unlikely to include him in any trade package that ships out All-Star point guard Damian Lillard.

Sharpe threw down two nasty dunks in a 97-93 win over the Charlotte Hornets. In the first clip, he intercepts a Charlotte pass in a halfcourt setting and sprints down the court for a sick, one-handed dunk that he cocked back behind his head. In the second one, he blows by a Charlotte defender with a devastating in-and-out move that frees him up for a wide-open, ferocious slam in the lane.

Portland Trail Blazers wing Shaedon Sharpe with the steal & slam 💥

(🎥 via @trailblazers )

pic.twitter.com/slrIStHqRL

— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) July 12, 2023

Ridiculous burst from Shaedon Sharpe who blows by Kai Jones in the drop + the the finish. My god. pic.twitter.com/CTaYdqVVgs

— Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) July 12, 2023

On the night, Sharpe, who is about to enter his sophomore season in the NBA, finished with 26 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 31 minutes of action. He shot 8-17 from the field and 2-4 from beyond the arc, even showcasing some minor playmaking chops at times. Tuesday’s performance was a major step up from his Las Vegas debut on Sunday when he posted just nine points on a poor 4-18 shooting clip.

Livingston, Montgomery hit the floor for Milwaukee

It’s been a mixed bag of results so far for former Wildcat Chris Livingston, who was taken with the final pick in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. The 6-foot-7 wing recorded seven points and six rebounds in his debut on Friday before contributing 10 points, six rebounds, and three assists in his second outing on Saturday.

On Tuesday in game three, Livingston hovered around similar numbers, finishing with nine points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 34 minutes. He shot 4-8 overall and missed his only three-point attempt while turning the ball over twice. But the number that’s going to stand out is his -32 figure in the box score, which was easily the worst among his teammates in what was a 92-71 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. That being said, plus/minus numbers aren’t exactly indicators of much when it comes to Summer League.

Meanwhile, Livingston’s Milwaukee teammate and fellow former ‘Cat, EJ Montgomery, saw his first Summer League action, although he only added one point, one rebound, and two blocks in just six minutes.

7/11/23 statistics

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	+/-	MIN
Shaedon Sharpe (POR)	97-93 W vs. CHA	26	8-17 (2-4)	4	2	1	0	2	-4	31
Chris Livingston (MIL)	71-92 L vs. BKN	9	4-8 (0-1)	5	3	1	0	2	-32	34
Cason Wallace (OKC)	92-105 L vs. HOU	8	2-12 (1-8)	1	3	0	0	5	-20	28
EJ Montgomery (MIL)	71-92 L vs. BKN	1	0-1	1	0	0	2	0	4	6

Today in NBA Summer League

3:30 (NBA TV): Clippers @ Grizzlies
4:00 (ESPN2): Timberwolves @ Hawks
5:30 (NBA TV): Warriors @ Mavericks
6:00 (ESPN 2): Raptors @ Pistons
7:30 (NBA TV): Thunder (Wallace) @ Pacers (Jackson, Tshiebwe)
8:00 (ESPN): Knicks @ Magic
9:30 (NBA TV): Nuggets @ Jazz (Juzang)
10:00 (ESPN): Lakers (Killeya-Jones) @ Celtics (Mulder)