Wiz fall, but make progress in 95-90 loss against the Spurs

The Wizards couldn’t notch their first win of the summer against the Spurs in a 95-90 loss, but the team looked much more cohesive and with some encouraging progress from the three biggest names on the team’s NBA Summer League roster.

Though it ended in a loss, the Wizards saw major steps forward from Troy Brown Jr., Devin Robinson and Thomas Bryant.

What they did

After missing six straight shots in the first half, Brown finished the game with 21 points and went 8-17 from the field while snatching 12 rebounds. Bryant finished with 20 points while going 9-11 from the field and was dominant start to finish. Devin Robinson really shined, pouring in 24 points — two of which came on this incredible dunk over Lonnie Walker.

Game notes

While he didn’t make too many spectacular plays, Brown did all the right things and was excellent defensively with four steals. He showcased his handle a bit, but it still needs some work — he was picked clean by Lonnie Walker for an and-1 late.

But he’ll continue to improve as he grows into his role as a secondary ball handler. Moments like these should make him better. He still made a lot of good passes and good decisions. He also showed a real ability to work his way inside against other NBA competition — even if it is just summer league.

Bryant was a huge inside presence on offense from start to finish doing most of his work on the inside. His two misses came from three point range and is something he’ll need to work on a bit more. Along with his scoring Bryant snatched seven rebounds and finished with four assists. He’s a much better passer than anticipated.

Robinson made an impact on both ends of the floor, which is important if he’s ever going to make it to the next level. Legitimate 3&D players are hard to come by, but Robinson fits the bill. He only shot 1-6 from deep today, but that changes around better talent. He showed the ability to switch and stay on the perimeter against first round talent in Lonnie Walker and also showed excellent help skills. He didn’t grab a rebound, but that’s fine — it’s not necessarily his role here. But to make it in the NBA, that’s a skill he’ll need to develop. Still, it’s hard to ignore what he did on defense and that could take his game to the next level.

What’s next

The Wizards play again on Monday at 5:30 p.m. ET against Zhaire Smith and the 76ers. This will be another interesting matchup for Brown against a player who the Wizards considered at 15 but passed up on.