Brooks Barnhizer reflects on Summer League debut in Thunder's loss to Grizzlies
Barnhizer finished with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting and 13 rebounds. He shot 1-of-2 from 3 and went 2-of-3 on free throws. He also had a steal.
The Oklahoma City Thunder dropped a 92-80 Summer League loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. But the results don't matter in this environment. Instead, how Barnhizer looked mattered more. He lived up to his Northwestern tape.
The board numbers pop out. Barnhizer was a great rebounder for his size at Northwestern. Looks like that strength easily translates to Summer League competition. Remains to be seen in the NBA, though. But the two-way player doesn't need to be a miss-shot magnet to be a positive on the court.
Everything advertised about Barnhizer was shown in his Summer League debut. He can't score but can do a whole lot of else. He could swing a game in the Thunder's favor by winning on the margins. You saw that when he chased after a loose ball despite the score.
"I think I played pretty well. Definitely a learning experience for sure and excited to build on it," Barnhizer said. "I definitely think I competed. Maybe I just got to be a little smarter. Knowing when to be aggressive on defense and when not to be. Doing what I'm told on offense and try to take pressure off Ajay and Top."
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USA Today
39 minutes ago
- USA Today
Player grades: Thunder survive Sixers in 89-78 Summer League win
After Cameron Brown couldn't fight his temptations, his final-second outside attempt ended a snoozer in the most appropriate way ever. The referees walked over to the scorer's table and put on the headset for one last lengthy review to determine that the ball was still in his fingers after the buzzer sounded. The Oklahoma City Thunder collected an 89-78 Summer League win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Buckets came at a premium for most of the contest before a late splurge. Any excitement for this outing was squashed when VJ Edgecombe was a late scratch due to a thumb injury. The 2025 No. 3 pick dazzled in his debut. Instead, Thunder fans turned their attention to see how Nikola Topic and Ajay Mitchell could do in their encore as a backcourt. The results weren't pretty. Likely from the unfamiliar cast of characters that surrounded them. The Thunder and Sixers were tied at 21 points apiece after the first quarter. However, it took a lot for both teams to reach that mark. Offensive woes continued in the second frame. The Thunder gritted their way to 22 points in the second quarter. They held a 43-38 halftime lead over the Sixers. Neither team could gain a rhythm. Topic would run the fastbreak, but his teammates sold him short on possible assists. Mitchell punished his body with constant drives that resulted in free throws. That was the only reliable source of offense for both squads, as the referees called everything. The third quarter was even worse. The game's flow came to a screeching halt. You couldn't go a couple of possessions without a foul being called. Summer League allows you 10 fouls. Some players really took advantage of that rule. In a frame that took nearly 40 minutes of real time to finish, the Thunder scored 18 points to create some distance on the scoreboard. They exited with a 61-52 lead. Chris Youngblood and Jazian Gortman provided a spark off the bench. The Thunder then ran away with it to start the fourth quarter. Mitchell found Brooks Barnhizer in transition for an easy layup. They suddenly had a 73-56 lead with a little under eight minutes left in the contest. That proved to be OKC's biggest advantage. The Sixers couldn't get it within single-digit points the rest of the way. Both teams lowered their difficulty level as the scoring resembled the NBA level. The Thunder scored 28 points in the fourth quarter to put away the Sixers without their blue-chip prospect. The Thunder shot 37% from the field and went 7-of-27 (25.9%) from 3. They shot 32-of-38 on free throws. They had 18 assists on 25 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points. Topic finished with 11 points and five assists. Mitchell had 16 points, five rebounds and five assists. Mady Sissoko bounced back with 13 points and nine rebounds. Youngblood scored 15 points and Gortman scored 12 points off the bench. Meanwhile, the Sixers shot 41% from the field and went 9-of-22 (40.9%) from 3. They shot 23-of-34 on free throws. They had 12 assists on 23 baskets. Three Sixers players scored double-digit points. Judah Mintz led the way with 21 points and four rebounds. Jalen Hood-Schifino finished with 17 points and three rebounds. Justin Edwards had 11 points, six rebounds and five assists. Well, this is about as ugly as Summer League can get. Not only did both teams struggle to score, but 72 combined free-throw attempts in a 40-minute game is just an absurd number that slowed the pace down. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, most folks looked at their watch over the screen. There were some nice moments for Topic and Mitchell. Plus, some of the non-big-time names showed up for the Thunder. But besides that, though, this was a giant nothing-burger that was easy to predict once Edgecombe was ruled out. Let's look at Thunder player grades: Nikola Topic: C-minus Being a second ahead of the pass, Topic disrupted Philly's passing lane and caused another steal. He then grabbed the ball and threw up an underhanded lob pass to Hason Ward. The fastbreak alley-oop was a rare highlight in a game that'll be easy to forget by the morning. Topic finished with 11 points on 2-of-13 shooting, five assists and three rebounds. He shot 0-of-6 from 3 and went 7-of-8 on free throws. He also had three steals. This is a stereotypical game where the box score doesn't reflect the performance. While the jumper didn't fall, Topic had command of the Thunder's offense with the ball in his hands. He set his teammates up with plenty of good looks, but couldn't cash in on the looks. While the halfcourt offense has looked muddy, Topic has proven to be a real transition initiator. He can body through multiple defenders or find the open teammate. Those possessions should excite the Thunder, considering those could be a real regular-season fixture. Lastly, the free-throw numbers are what should be the biggest takeaway here. While it was on a lenient whistle, Topic managed to get to the line at a high rate. The Thunder should understand just how much that skill boosts your scoring with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Until the jumper develops, that's his best bet to score at the NBA level. Topić with the🔒and the 👀 Ajay Mitchell: C-plus Taking a moment, Mitchell battled through. A twisted ankle and constantly throwing his body against defenders eventually add up. The 23-year-old muscled his way through every Sixers defender thrown at his way. Mitchell finished with 16 points on 3-of-11 shooting, five rebounds and five assists. He shot 1-of-2 from 3 and went 9-of-9 on free throws. He also had a steal and two blocks. Reading the type of game being officiated, Mitchell attacked the basket every chance he had. Even if a seam wasn't open. The blue-collar drives to the basket resulted in a busy night at the charity stripe. Exactly the type of thing you want to see from your ideal backup point guard. In two Summer League games, Mitchell has stepped up as the top scorer. He hasn't faded into the background and let the game come to him, like in the regular season. Instead, he's taken advantage of the opportunities and has played like the Thunder's best player so far. Ajay corner pocket 3️⃣ 2️⃣5️⃣ zipping it inside 👀 Brooks Barnhizer: C-minus As the third-most important player on the Thunder's Summer League roster, you'd hope to see more of Barnhizer. Instead, one transition layup was the only time you looked up and noticed he was on the court. Barnhizer finished with two points on 1-of-5 shooting, two rebounds and an assist. He shot 0-of-3 from 3. He also had two steals. As of now, Barnhizer is the only Thunder two-way player. The 23-year-old couldn't live up to that status as he had a forgettable outing against the Sixers. The jumper will make or break his NBA chances. When he doesn't have it going and can't make loud hustle plays, it'll be tough for him to make an impact on the court. The good news is that this is just one game. Barnhizer will likely have the rest of the Summer League to familiarize himself with the Thunder. Plenty of the roster will likely be his teammates next season on the G League's OKC Blue. Mady Sissoko: B After a straight-up bad first game, Sissoko bounced back with a solid performance. Foul trouble wasn't a problem for the 24-year-old. Branden Carlson hasn't played in these first two games, which meant this was a golden opportunity for the former Golden Bear. Sissoko finished with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, nine rebounds and two assists. He shot 0-of-1 from 3 and went 3-of-4 on free throws. He also had a steal. As the starting center, Sissoko was a great play finisher. He was spoon-fed plenty of his buckets as the roller. That's exactly what you want to see from the undrafted rookie. Let's see if he can continue to build momentum the rest of the way as he fights for an OKC Blue spot. Getting 🆙 Topic ➡️ Brooks ➡️ Mady Highlights:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
3 observations after summer Sixers drop to 0-2 without Edgecombe
3 observations after summer Sixers drop to 0-2 without Edgecombe originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia The 2025 summer Sixers remain in search of their first victory. They dropped to 0-2 on Monday night, falling to an 89-78 loss to the Thunder. Advertisement VJ Edgecombe sat out with a thumb contusion and is day to day, per The Athletic's Tony Jones. The Sixers' top scorers were Judah Mintz (21 points on 7-for-12 shooting) and Jalen Hood-Schifino (17 points on 6-for-10 shooting). The team's final game in Utah before heading to the Las Vegas summer league will Tuesday night vs. the Grizzlies. Here are observations on the Sixers' loss to OKC: Hood-Schifino starts hot The Sixers started Mintz, Hood-Schifino, Justin Edwards, Johni Broome and Adem Bona. Hood-Schifino had a much stronger, more self-assured start than in the Sixers' loss Saturday to the Jazz. The 22-year-old guard made his first three shots, including a confident top-of-the-key three-pointer. Though Hood-Schifino's overall shooting numbers were subpar in his 13-game Sixers stint last year — 37.1 percent from the floor, 30.4 percent from three-point range — he did have a couple of nights that hinted at potential to handle the ball and knock down pull-up jumpers in the NBA. Advertisement In terms of passing, Hood-Schifino's decision-making was uneven. He threw a couple of cross-court passes into trouble and wound up with two assists and six turnovers. Hood-Schifino's backcourt mate had a nice night, too. Mintz again hustled defensively, drew fouls savvily and got to his spots in the mid-range. Broome's final stat line wasn't sparkling — six points on 2-for-7 shooting, four rebounds, two steals — but his outside shooting was a positive for the Sixers. The lefty big man canned an early corner three and is 4 for 9 beyond the arc so far this summer. Edwards not on his A-game yet While he's already established himself as a rotation-quality NBA player, Edwards has not yet shined at summer league. Advertisement As was the case Saturday, Edwards had a cold, somewhat shaky start offensively. He posted 11 points on 3-for-11 shooting, six rebounds, five assists and five turnovers. Of course, there's no need for concern with Edwards. It's been two games and he may very well be the kind of player who's much better with greater talent and structure around him. Fouls aplenty There were tons of fouls and missed jump shots on both sides. Smooth offense was sparse and overzealous defense was everywhere you looked. OKC shot 32 for 38 at the foul line in the 40-minute game. The Sixers went 23 for 34. Bona's been whistled for 14 fouls over the Sixers' first two summer games. Jalen Slawson picked up six fouls Monday in 18 minutes off the bench. Advertisement After missing the Sixers' summer league opener with an ankle sprain, rookie Hunter Sallis played on the second unit and had three points and three rebounds in 16 minutes. All of his points came on free throws.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Player grades: Nikola Topic makes debut in Thunder's 92-80 SL loss to Grizzlies
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JULY 5: Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looses control of the ball under pressure from Jaylen Wells #0 and Jeremy Jones #22 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half of their NBA Summer League game at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on July 5, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Picking up a low pass, Nikola Topic glanced up at the expiring shot clock. He only needed two dribbles to let off a deep pull-up 3-pointer that swished in before the buzzer sounded. That last-second outside heave was worth the two hours spent watching an exhibition with the broadcast quality of 360p. The Oklahoma City Thunder couldn't keep up in their 92-80 Summer League loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. It was the first of three games to be played at Utah before flying out to Las Vegas for the more traditional summer event. Advertisement The results don't matter in this environment. Instead, all eyes were on Topic and Ajay Mitchell to see how they looked against similar competition. They are the Thunder's top prospects who headline their Summer League roster. Safe to say both shined in the first game. Both of these teams had slow starts. Probably from a mix of rust and unfamiliarity. Oftentimes, these rosters are thrown together with just a raw collection of talent and no real rapport built in. The Grizzlies held a 19-18 lead after the first quarter. After that, both teams figured it out. The offenses ran smoothly. Mitchell and Jaylen Wells played like a pair of players who are knocking on the door of graduation. The Grizzlies scored 26 points in the second frame. The Thunder entered halftime in a 45-40 deficit. Despite the deficit, Thunder fans liked what they saw. Mitchell took over as the lead scorer. He got into a groove and drove to the basket with several fancy finishes. Meanwhile, Topic looked better as the game progressed. Brooks Barnhizer also shone as an all-hustle guy. Advertisement The buckets came in a flurry in the second half. Both teams figured out how to play against each other. Such is the modern nature of the NBA. Where even the exhibitions see teams score buckets at a fast pace. After Topic muscled his way through contact for a layup, the Thunder only faced a 61-60 deficit with a little over two minutes left in the third frame. Then the Grizzlies went on an 11-1 run to close the quarter. They scored 27 points in the frame. In the blink of an eye, the Thunder were in a 72-62 deficit after the third quarter. Wells and GG Jackson II took over. That must've been exciting to see if you're Memphis, as they're your two best available Summer League players. The Grizzlies stiff-armed the Thunder on the scoreboard for the rest of the way. The closest OKC would get was within eight points. Armando Bacot's easy layup pushed Memphis' lead to 82-68 with a little over six minutes left. That was their largest lead of the night. The Thunder shot 48% from the field and went 7-of-23 (30.4%) from 3. They shot 11-of-17 on free throws. They had 14 assists on 31 baskets. Three Thunder players scored double-digit points. Advertisement Mitchell led the way with 24 points and six assists. Topic finished with 14 points and four assists. Barnhizer tallied nine points and 13 rebounds. Jazian Gortman had 10 points off the bench. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies shot 43% from the field and went 10-of-27 (37%) from 3. They shot 24-of-25 on free throws. They had 23 assists on 29 baskets. Three Grizzlies players scored double-digit points. Wells finished with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists. Jackson II had 20 points and three rebounds. Cam Spencer tallied 14 points, five assists and five rebounds. You had to like what you saw from the Thunder's Summer League debut. The three most important players on the roster showed out in their own ways. That's all you can really ask for in these types of games. Topic finally made his OKC debut after a year's wait and Mitchell looked like a guy who just finished playing in the NBA Finals. Advertisement Let's look at Thunder player grades: Nikola Topic: C-plus Dribbling the ball behind the back, Topic had Phlandrous Fleming Jr. moving in the opposite direction. He saw an open lane and spun around to trick the Memphis defender one last time. He picked up his dribble and carried the ball in his bicep for the layup. That's quite the fancy way to score your first bucket. Topic finished with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, four assists and one rebound. He shot 2-of-4 from 3. He also had two steals. Over a year later and 15 pounds later, Topic finally suited up for the Thunder. He quietly developed in the background of OKC's historic season that ended with a championship. Usually, the NBA champion has nothing to look forward to in the Summer League. The prospect cupboards are bare. Advertisement But thanks to the Thunder's rich draft haul, they had a blue-chip prospect already on the roster. Someone argued as a top-five pick before he sustained a partially torn ACL in May 2024. Topic showed flashes, but is still a work in progress. The drives to the basket were impressive. Topic looked under control. An element that's rarely seen from a 19-year-old. He showed some nice feel around the basket with a floater and finishes. The outside shot was also showcased with a couple of rushed 3-pointers that swished in. A couple of kick-out passes to outside shooters resulted in assists. The ball-handler looked right at home running the show. Especially in transition. He thrived in the chaotic nature of a fast break. Everything you wanted to see out of Topic in his first game was there. You also saw somebody who looked like he hadn't played in front of fans in over a year. Seven turnovers were mostly created by being rushed in his decision-making process. Wells picked him up full-court in the opening minutes. That rattled him for a bit. Advertisement This was a good first step in Topic's journey. He's the biggest name on the Thunder's Summer League roster. All eyes will be on him for the rest of the way. No matter how long that might be. Ajay Mitchell: A-plus SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JULY 5 : Efton Reid III #16 of the Memphis Grizzlies grabs a reobund away from Ajay Mitchell #25 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half of their NBA Summer League game at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on July 5, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Dancing with Fleming Jr., Mitchell spun around the Memphis defender and tripped him over his feet. He then bodied through Lawson Lovering's vertical contest for the fancy finish around the basket. The 23-year-old was in rhythm. After all, Summer League must've felt like small potatoes compared to the NBA Finals. Mitchell finished with 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting, six assists and one rebound. He shot 1-of-3 from3 and went 3-of-3 on free throws. He also had a steal. Advertisement Carrying the baton from Jalen Williams a couple of summers ago, Mitchell looked too good to be on the floor. He resembled his MVP teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with constant drives to the basket. He had no problem muscling his way through traffic or throwing up a soft floater that went in. Fresh off a contract extension, Mitchell had 16 points in the first half. He was OKC's sole source of offense. He continued that in the second half. Everything looked too easy for the second-year player. This is the type of domination you wanted to see from your most NBA-ready player on your Summer League roster. Let's see how many more Summer League games Mitchell has left, but this was an awesome start. Viewers tuned in for Topic but left impressed with Mitchell. Those two could battle it out for the backup point guard minutes next season. Brooks Barnhizer: B-plus SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JULY 5 Brooks Bamhizer #23 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives againt Cam Spencer #24 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the first half of their NBA Summer League game at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on July 5, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Diving for a loose ball in the final moments, Barnhizer quickly got up and called a timeout. So far, his scouting report has looked pretty accurate. The 23-year-old played like a Red Bull can compensating for a lack of jumper with extra-effort plays. Advertisement Barnhizer finished with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting and 13 rebounds. He shot 1-of-2 from 3 and went 2-of-3 on free throws. He also had a steal. The board numbers pop out. Barnhizer was a great rebounder for his size at Northwestern. Looks like that strength easily translates to Summer League competition. Remains to be seen in the NBA, though. But the two-way player doesn't need to be a miss-shot magnet to be a positive on the court. Everything advertised about Barnhizer was shown in his Summer League debut. He can't score but can do a whole lot of else. He could swing a game in the Thunder's favor by winning on the margins. You saw that when he chased after a loose ball despite the score. Alex Ducas: C-minus SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JULY 5: Nate Hinton #8 of the Memphis Grizzlies tries to push through Zack Austin #52 and Alex Ducas #88 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half of their NBA Summer League game at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on July 5, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) After an injury-plagued first year, Ducas hopes to flip the page for a better second season. He's off to a much better start now than he was this time last year. Just by simply being available. Advertisement Ducas finished with six points on 2-of-5 shooting and one rebound. He shot 2-of-4 from 3. He came off the bench. To be honest, outside of the above three players, nobody else on the Thunder really stood out. Branden Carlson didn't suit up, so Ducas was the other notable name. He was a two-way player last season. The 24-year-old will need to be lights out from the outside. That's his bread and butter. He'll have the entire Summer League to argue for himself why he should be back on a two-way deal. The only player officially under a two-way deal is Barnhizer. Carlson was tendered a two-way qualifying offer. Highlights: This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Topic debuts in Thunder's 92-80 SL loss to Grizzlies
