BBNBA: Nick Richards and Isaiah Jackson shine in Summer League
Six former Kentucky Wildcats suited up on day 2 of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on Friday. Rookies TyTy Washington and Shaed…uh…the player whose name we shall not speak debuted the previous night, but on Friday it was the veterans who took center stage. Ashton Hagans‘ stellar defense was on display, but it was big men Isaiah Jackson and Nick Richards who stole the show.
We also saw Grandad, Kellan Grady, make his first NBA Summer League appearance for the Denver Nuggets, as he looks to shoot his way onto a roster. Olivier Sarr, now with the Phoenix Suns after playing some meaningful minutes with the Oklahoma City Thunder last season, also took the floor.
Sacha Killeya-Jones, who looks nothing like he did during his time at Kentucky, also made an appearance for the Los Angeles Lakers. Seriously, Killeya-Jones looks like he put himself through the NBA2K create-a-player function by changing his hair, adding accessories, and ratcheting the strength slider all the way up to maximum.
Kahlil Whitney, a player who did not exactly endear himself with Kentucky fans in his short time in Lexington, is on the Minnesota Timberwolves roster but did not enter the game.
Nick Richards and Isaiah Jackson held a block party
The NBA Summer League is known as an opportunity for rookies and young free agents to get some NBA experience. However, teams also use this time to give their emerging players an opportunity to take that next step. Such was the case with Isaiah Jackson and Nick Richards.
Jackson of the Indiana Pacers and would-be sixth-year senior Nick Richards of the Charlotte Hornets put on the best show of the night. Both players started and guarded each other most of the game, but Nick Richards came away with the biggest highlights of the evening.
Richards’ two blocks led to fast breaks for his team. His second one involved some ‘Cat on ‘Cat crime when he blocked Jackson’s shot leading to a teammate’s monstrous dunk on the other end.
On top of the highlight blocks, Richards filled up the rest of the stat sheet with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Not to be outdone, Jackson rejected four shots of his own and nearly notched a double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds. Both players look to solidify themselves this season as quality NBA big men and their first Summer League game proved they very well could do that.
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Players vying for a roster spot
Kentucky also showcased a few players Friday night just trying to make a team. Of this group, Olivier Sarr had the best performance.
Sarr only played 14 minutes but maximized his time on the court, finishing with eight points, 12 rebounds, and a block. His highlight of the evening came with a defensive deflection on one end of the court, only to finish the transition play he began with a pretty fake-pass Euro-step combo.
If the Suns trade Deandre Ayton as expected, Sarr will have a good shot of making the team who will be in need of some backup big men.
Kellen Grady made his debut for the Denver Nuggets, but unfortunately, his shooting looked similar to what it did at the end of the season at Kentucky. Still, that did not stop him from getting up shots. He finished 4-12 from the field including 1-7 from behind the arc for a total of nine points. The good news is that he played a near-team-high 24 minutes, showing the Nuggets have confidence in the old-man rookie. Hopefully this was just first-game jitters.
Ashton Hagans came off the bench for the Cleveland Cavaliers and ran point guard for the second unit. He didn’t record a field goal and only dished out a single assist, but he played well defensively and notched two steals.
Sacha Killeya-Jones started for the Los Angeles Lakers, playing 14 minutes. He had a modest two points and three rebounds, also coming away with two steals.
Kahlil Whitney did not enter the game for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Summary and Upcoming Schedule
| PLAYER | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PTS |
| Nick Richards | 21 | 5-8 | 0-0 | 5-8 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 15 |
| Kellen Grady | 24 | 4-12 | 1-7 | 0-0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| Isaiah Jackson | 19 | 3-10 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 9 |
| Olivier Sarr | 14 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 4-4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Aston Hagans | 18 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 3-4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Sacha Killeya-Jones | 13 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kahlil Whitney (DNP – CD) | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
On Saturday, you can catch more Kentucky players in NBA Summer League action.
Saturday, July 9th
- Sacramento Kings (Nate Sestina) vs. Orlando Magic – 4:00 p.m. EST
- Miami (Mulder) vs. Boston Celtics – 5:30 p.m. EST
- Washington Wizards (Davion Mintz) vs. Detroit Pistons – 6:00 p.m. EST
- Utah Jazz (Johnny Juzang) vs. Atlanta Hawks – 7:30 p.m. EST
- Houston Rockets (TyTy Washington) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder – 8:00 p.m. EST
- Memphis Grizzlies vs. LA Clippers (Brandon Boston) – 9:30 p.m. EST
- Portland Trail Blazers (Shaedon Sharpe) vs. New Orleans Pelicans – 10:00 p.m. EST
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