Latest news with #LasVegasSummerLeague
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nets' Egor Demin still has question marks after solid summer league
Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin had a solid performance in the Las Vegas Summer League after being taken by the Nets with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Brooklyn was hoping to see Demin play well against the available competition in Las Vegas and while he had some surprising developments, he still has some questions that he has to answer. "Played three games at summer league. I thought that it was up and down, I think is what I would say. The good news is that he drilled 43% on eight attempts per game from three," The Athletic's Sam Vecenie said of Demin on his "Game Theory" podcast. As Vecenie alluded to, Demin impressed many by not only shooting 43.5% from three-point land, but by also shooting that well on 7.7 three-point attempts per game. "I think that if you're bullish on Egor because of the shot, you've got real reason to be bullish based on the shot falling," Vecenie continued by diving into the bad news regarding Demin's performance. "My issue with Egor was never just the shot. It was the shot that fell here (in Vegas), but I still have some questions about (Demin's shot) long-term mixed with the fact that he doesn't really get by anybody." Vecenie, along with his co-host, Bryce Simon of Motor City Hoops, then delve into some of the concerns of Demin regarding his activity inside the three-point line. Simon goes on to note that Demin attempted just four two-point shots and two free-throws in over 75 minutes of floor time for the Nets. Demin finished his time in Las Vegas with averaged of 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 40.7% from the field overall. "How does he ever get by anybody if he's not using a ball screen? That kind of showed itself in summer league," Simon said. Vecenie added that "he averaged 1.3 assists per game at summer league because again, he just couldn't get by anybody. My worry is that he's just not going to be able to actualize the passing in the way that we want him to despite the fact that he has this amazing vision which is incredibly real in my opinion." This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets' Egor Demin still has question marks after solid summer league
USA Today
19 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Nets' Egor Demin still has question marks after solid summer league
Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin had a solid performance in the Las Vegas Summer League after being taken by the Nets with the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Brooklyn was hoping to see Demin play well against the available competition in Las Vegas and while he had some surprising developments, he still has some questions that he has to answer. "Played three games at summer league. I thought that it was up and down, I think is what I would say. The good news is that he drilled 43% on eight attempts per game from three," The Athletic's Sam Vecenie said of Demin on his "Game Theory" podcast. As Vecenie alluded to, Demin impressed many by not only shooting 43.5% from three-point land, but by also shooting that well on 7.7 three-point attempts per game. "I think that if you're bullish on Egor because of the shot, you've got real reason to be bullish based on the shot falling," Vecenie continued by diving into the bad news regarding Demin's performance. "My issue with Egor was never just the shot. It was the shot that fell here (in Vegas), but I still have some questions about (Demin's shot) long-term mixed with the fact that he doesn't really get by anybody." Vecenie, along with his co-host, Bryce Simon of Motor City Hoops, then delve into some of the concerns of Demin regarding his activity inside the three-point line. Simon goes on to note that Demin attempted just four two-point shots and two free-throws in over 75 minutes of floor time for the Nets. Demin finished his time in Las Vegas with averaged of 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 40.7% from the field overall. "How does he ever get by anybody if he's not using a ball screen? That kind of showed itself in summer league," Simon said. Vecenie added that "he averaged 1.3 assists per game at summer league because again, he just couldn't get by anybody. My worry is that he's just not going to be able to actualize the passing in the way that we want him to despite the fact that he has this amazing vision which is incredibly real in my opinion."
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Can the Boston Celtics Summer League standouts crack Joe Mazzulla's rotation?
Joe Mazzulla faces a tough task in the upcoming season. Since being hired as the Boston Celtics head coach, Mazzulla has led a championship-level roster. Now, for the first time in his tenure, his remit will be to develop some of the younger talent under contract, either to help them cement themselves as part of the team's future or to help build up their trade value. Brad Stevens has given Mazzulla multiple young players to work with, from Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh, who have been with the team for a year or more, to Luka Garza and Josh Minott, who are looking for a bigger opportunity in the NBA. And that's before we factor in the latest round of rookie additions, highlighted by 19-year-old Hugo Gonzalez. In a recent episode of NESN's "Hold My Banner" podcast, Adam Pellerin and Ountae Campbell discuss whether Walsh and Gonzalez — two players who thrived in Las Vegas Summer League — can find a way of breaking into Mazzulla's game day rotation, and if so, what type of role they could command. You can watch the full podcast episode by clicking on the embedded video above. Watch the "Taylor Talks Celtics" podcast on: YouTube: Website:
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Hugo Gonzalez's former coach reveals what the Boston Celtics can expect
Despite a strong showing in Las Vegas Summer League, Hugo Gonzalez is still an unknown commodity for Boston Celtics fans. The 19-year-old wing has spent the early part of his career in Europe, fighting for minutes on Real Madrid's roster — one of Europe's best and most competitive teams. Despite fighting against former NBA talents and some of the best players in Europe, Gonzalez began to break into Madrid's primary rotation toward the end of last season. Therefore, there's certainly some excitement about his overall upside and what he will bring to Boston's rotation. He's already more experienced than most 19-year-olds entering the NBA. Recently, Marc D'Amico sat down with Real Madrid head coach Chus Mateo to get the inside scoop on the type of player Boston acquired with the 27th pick in the 2025 NBA draft. Mateo detailed Gonzalez' basketball and mental attributes and how those skills could translate to steady improvement in the years ahead. You can watch the full interview by clicking on the embedded video above. You can watch the full podcast episode by clicking on the embedded video above. Watch the "Taylor Talks Celtics" podcast on: YouTube: Website:
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
5 takeaways from the Nets playing in the Las Vegas Summer League
The Brooklyn Nets were hoping to see which of the five players they selected in the 2025 NBA Draft would have impressive performances in the Las Vegas Summer League earlier this month. Brooklyn finished the event with a 1-4 record, but along the way, they were able to see what four of the five rookies looked like against some NBA competition. Forward Drake Powell, the 22nd overall pick in the Draft by the Nets, was unable to play in Las Vegas due to left knee tendinopathy, something that isn't considered to be serious. However, Powell was held out of action by Brooklyn to ensure that he didn't make the injury worse by playing in the summer league when the team will have time to evaluate him over the rest of the offseason. The Summer league is usually the chance for all 30 NBA teams to evaluate their younger players along with some veterans who are looking for a chance to solidify themselves within a team's rotation or be seen by another team. With that being said, here are five takeaways from the Nets playing in Las Vegas, including a player who showed what he could do in a featured role: Drew Timme Showed He Can Play While Timme showed that he can play last season in his limited amount of game at the NBA level, his time in Las Vegas displayed a different level of impact that Timme could have thanks to his footwork and ability to remain calm under pressure. Timme came away from the summer league averaging 25.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 55.4% from the field and 64.7% from the free-throw line. Egor Demin Can Shoot Demin, the eighth overall pick in the Draft and the first pick that the Nets made in the first round, came into the league with one of his biggest questions being his ability to play off the ball due to his poor shooting numbers. While Demin had serviceable numbers to the tune of 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, he also showed that he can be efficient playing off the ball as he shot 43.5% from three-point land on an impressive 7.7 attempts per contest. Nolan Traore Is Fast Traore was one of the four players that was able to play in Las Vegas, but his evaluation was always going to be tough because of his having to fit in with three other players that are used to having the ball in their hands. Traore had some tough moments when it came to shooting and taking care of the ball, but his speed with the ball is as advertised so it's plausible that everything else will fall into place as he gains more experience. Ben Saraf Is Interesting For someone like Saraf, his place in the NBA will be dependent on how well he can balance being a scorer and a passer given his unique ability to do both at fairly-high levels prior to the NBA. Saraf shot just 30.4% from the field over the course of his three games played in Las Vegas, but his confidence grew by the game and his skillset is reliant on him trusting his instincts and playing in a free-flowing manner. Danny Wolf Is Exciting Wolf was already one of the more interesting players coming into the summer league due to his ability to handle the basketball while standing at 6-foot-11 and 250 pounds. Similar to the rest of the rookies that played in Las Vegas, Wolf had his struggles with efficiency in multiple areas. However, Wolf still shot 40.0% from deep on 3.3 attempts per game and he showed that the stage of the NBA will not stop him from using his package of flashy passes and stepbacks that he used to elevate himself to first-round pick territory during his college career.
