Bullets Forever - Washington Wizards 2017 Summer League coverage"Ain't No Luck"https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48097/BulletsForever-fv.png2017-07-15T19:14:39-04:00http://www.bulletsforever.com/rss/stream/156358972017-07-15T19:14:39-04:002017-07-15T19:14:39-04:00Summer League struggles highlight Wizards’ issues with developing talent
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<figcaption>LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 12: Chris McCullough #1 of the Washington Wizards shoots a free throw during the game against the Miami Heat during the 2017 Las Vegas Summer League on July 12, 2017 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada.<br><br><br> | Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="asNNNV">Don’t blink, because if you did, you would have missed the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a>’ Summer League play in Las Vegas just this past week. Washington went 0-3 in league play, got bounced in the first round of the Summer League Tournament, and then lost their consolidation game.</p>
<p id="qxJZr8">It’s important not to focus solely on the team’s uninspiring 0-5 record as Summer League rosters are a hodgepodge of rookies, younger talent, G-League players, and players playing professional ball overseas. And coaches aren’t running things in an effort to win games, they’re focused on putting players in positions to grow and develop, even if that means struggling during games.</p>
<p id="aQEIXC">However, when you get past the record, the lack of talent that the Wizards put on the floor is just as eye-opening and is a microcosm of team’s struggles to develop talent outside of the can’t-miss players the Wizards took with top-three draft picks. </p>
<p id="lACh9L">This Wizards’ Summer League roster featured four players who spent time on the regular season roster last season: Sheldon Mac, <span>Chris McCullough</span>, <span>Daniel Ochefu</span>, and <span>Danuel House</span>. It also included two players - Michael Young and Devin Robinson - who will factor in the future as the team’s two-way players. </p>
<p id="wFtiFl">Of these six guys, Mac was the only one who looked like a legitimate NBA player. He was overpowering in attacking the hole and averaged 13.2 points per game over the tournament. His jump shot isn’t a thing of beauty yet, but he made up for it by overmatching defenders with his size.</p>
<p id="3Lvaal">Mac’s performance was very reminiscent of Kelly Oubre’s 2016 Summer League efforts, as Mac was the clear leader of this team. Sometimes he forced the issue, but that’s what you want to see, since he’s the player who has the best chance of being asked to create offense for the Wizards next season.</p>
<p id="x6q6vk">Daniel Ochefu raised some eyebrows with his play too. He wasn’t as flashy or nearly as athletic as Mac but was able to muster 7.2 points and 6.4 rebounds in just 21.2 minutes of action per night. Ochefu showed some bounce that we hadn’t seen before and some nifty post moves that generated easy baskets for himself and others, as he shot a very impressive 70 percent from the field in the tournament and averaged 1.6 assists per game out of the post. </p>
<p id="0r4zKa">However, when he was matched up against the up-and-rising talent in <span>Bam Adebayo</span> of the <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a>, Ochefu turned in his worst game of the tournament while Adebayo put up a rock solid 16 point, 7 rebound performance. </p>
<p id="5TjnKU">Even with Ochefu’s solid play, he’s in a poor situation as he’s currently the third or fourth center (if you consider <span>Jason Smith</span> a center) on the Wizards’ roster. So even though he showed some promising signs, he’s still low on the pecking order for this upcoming season. </p>
<p id="afuVGu">Chris McCullough, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wizards-insider/wp/2017/07/08/five-observations-from-the-wizards-summer-league-debut/?utm_term=.354d8b5e5654">the Wizards’ “first round draft pick”</a> is far from a finished product entering his third NBA season. There’s no denying his athleticism is second to none, but that’s where the buck stops. He only shot 29.2 percent from the field and struggled on the defensive end, especially with more physical players.</p>
<p id="omolII">His struggles were best exemplified when the Wizards played the <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a> in the third game of league play. McCullough was overmatched against Bulls’ rookie Lauri Markkanen. He knocked down some early threes which stretched McCullough out of his defensive comfort zone, and then used the spacing he gained to push the third year player around on the glass, as he grabbed <a href="http://www.espn.com/nba-summer-league/boxscore?gameId=400959199&league=nba-summer-las-vegas">four offensive rebounds in that game.</a> </p>
<p id="FDU1BC">McCullough has the tools to become a solid NBA player, but this Summer League tournament was an indication that he still has a long ways to go. If he truly was a rookie, that would be understandable, but it’s harder to stay patient with a player going into their third year, especially as the team has to make a decision on whether or not to pick up the team option on the fourth year of his rookie deal for next season. </p>
<p id="ZoeHmO">Michael Young averaged 9.4 points per game and showed that he can be a physical presence on the offensive end while finishing in traffic, but still has to work on his jumper before he can be a serious NBA threat. Devon Robinson has an even longer way to go. He is a very bouncy player with a jumper that might be even worse than Chris McCullough’s, but he still has time to grow.</p>
<p id="1KkH7G">So why does this all matter?</p>
<p id="KmFlBg">For starters, this shows that the Wizards have very little young talent to develop on their roster. As mentioned, Sheldon Mac was the leader and far and away the best talent on the roster but outside of Mac, there isn’t a whole lot to get excited about. The lack of draft picks from previous seasons looks to be catching up as not one player on the Summer League roster was drafted by Washington. Some of the other guys might be interesting if they can develop, but it’s harder to do that properly when you don’t have your own G-League affiliate where you can manage player development.</p>
<p id="8Q3kUq">The Wizards have had their troubles drafting outside of the obvious, top-three picks they made and have failed to turn young talent taken later in the draft and develop them into productive players. Those struggles came full-circle this summer with the lack of talent on display in Las Vegas.</p>
<p id="lbwm8H">Yes, it’s just Summer League, but the team’s struggles and lack of talent that was evident on this team’s roster just reiterated three areas that the front office has struggled with for years: keeping draft picks, hitting on draft picks, and developing young talent. </p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2017/7/15/15971204/washington-wizards-summer-league-nba-2017-player-developmentAlan Jenkins2017-07-14T18:38:54-04:002017-07-14T18:38:54-04:00Wizards fall 80-73, finish winless in Summer League
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<p id="pqVefN">For the fifth time in five games, the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> were in a closely contested Summer League game that came down to the final minutes, and for the fifth time in five games, they were on the losing end. The Wizards lost to the <a href="https://www.canishoopus.com/">Timberwolves</a> 80-73 on Friday afternoon, finishing their Summer League campaign 0-5.</p>
<p id="EwrIOO">Washington started out well, racing out to a 15 point lead in the first half, fueled by a balanced scoring attack from Sheldon Mac, Michael Young, <span>Jared Cunningham</span>, Marcus Keene, and <span>Danuel House</span>. But after scoring 51 in the first half, the Wizards only mustered 22 in the second half. Part of that was simple regression after a hot first half, and some of it was because Washington emptied out their bench to let some end of the bench players get an opportunity to play.</p>
<p id="fq7fKe">Washington finishes as the only team to go winless in Summer League competition. The <a href="https://www.slcdunk.com/">Jazz</a>, the only other winless team in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-summer-league">Las Vegas Summer League</a>, picked up victories in the Utah Summer League held earlier this month.</p>
<h3 id="Sur3np">Game Notes</h3>
<p id="HxZuja"><strong>Good shooting for Mac early</strong></p>
<p id="i4eGSk">Sheldon Mac isn’t going to be running the offense as much as he did in Las Vegas, so it was good to see him show off some of his off-ball skills in this one. He made a pair of threes and was much smoother with keeping the ball moving when his shot wasn’t there. He didn’t get a lot of playing time in the second half, but all in all, it was an encouraging performance for Mac, even though the numbers weren’t eye-popping.</p>
<p id="v91dS9"><strong>Danuel House finally channels his 2016 self</strong></p>
<p id="SplIBn">House parlayed a strong performance last summer into a contract with the Wizards. He hasn’t had the same success this time around. He went 1-12 from the field in the two games he played. But House finally got back to his 2016 form in this one, scoring 13 points in just 19 minutes on only 5 field goal attempts. He also had 5 rebounds.</p>
<p id="31028V">It’s too little, too late for House in terms of earning a roster spot for next season, but a performance like that should help him stay on the Wizards’ radar, if nothing else.</p>
<p id="r3omiv"><strong>Devin Robinson is very athletic</strong></p>
<p id="0FePtQ">This is why you give someone a two-way contract to develop:</p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WizSummer?src=hash">#WizSummer</a> <a href="https://t.co/slZGhkazcK">pic.twitter.com/slZGhkazcK</a></p>— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/885970311186833408">July 14, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/drobbb3">@drobbb3</a> said N !<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WizSummer?src=hash">#WizSummer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WizWolves?src=hash">#WizWolves</a> <a href="https://t.co/93acy8OO9c">pic.twitter.com/93acy8OO9c</a></p>— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/885981915802591232">July 14, 2017</a>
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<p id="ceCT1n"><strong>One last Marcus Keene highlight for the road</strong></p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The 2017 college basketball scoring champ (30 PPG), Marcus Keene drains the buzzer beater at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBASummer?src=hash">#NBASummer</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards">@WashWizards</a> 51 / <a href="https://twitter.com/Timberwolves">@Timberwolves</a> 39 <a href="https://t.co/EwriPvPLYU">pic.twitter.com/EwriPvPLYU</a></p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/885972160250097666">July 14, 2017</a>
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https://www.bulletsforever.com/2017/7/14/15974566/washington-wizards-minnesota-timberwolves-final-score-recap-nba-summer-leagueJake Whitacre2017-07-13T08:52:57-04:002017-07-13T08:52:57-04:00Wiz eliminated from tourney in 89-88 loss
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<figcaption>Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="Oy74By"><span>Lamond Murray Jr.</span> blocked a shot attempt by Sheldon Mac as time expired to hand the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> an 89-88 loss on Wednesday evening. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lamond Murray Jr. with the game-winning blocked shot! What a finish in Vegas! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HEATSummerLeague?src=hash">#HEATSummerLeague</a> <a href="https://t.co/pCOojkH5MC">pic.twitter.com/pCOojkH5MC</a></p>— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) <a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiHEAT/status/885290547560103938">July 13, 2017</a>
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<p id="Cae3WY">With the loss, the Wizards are now 0-4 and eliminated from tournament action.</p>
<p id="BJkUX8">Things started out promising for Washington, <a href="https://twitter.com/ZacharySRosen/status/885258385465200640">first with Miami announcing that Bam Adebayo and Okaro White would be rested</a> by the team as they faced their third game in three days. Washington took advantage, as they jumped out to a 49-41 lead going into halftime, fueled primarily by their bench. </p>
<p id="NP6Byr">However, Miami ripped off an 11-2 run to open the second half and retake the lead. From there, it was primarily a battle between Marcus Keene and Justin Robinson as they traded bucket after bucket until the final possession, when Murray made a great recovery on Mac’s backdoor cut to deny his shot at the rim that could have won the game.</p>
<p id="7qhsmL">Washington will have one last chance to get a win in Las Vegas on Friday afternoon against the Timberwolves in the Consolation Round.</p>
<h3 id="AbkHFH">Game Notes</h3>
<p id="kDqAoK"><strong>Marcus Keene keeps getting buckets</strong></p>
<p id="3eW41f">Washington leaned more on their bench since they were playing their third game in three days, which opened up a chance for Marcus Keene to play some big minutes. He responded well, with 18 points in 25 minutes on 8-16 shooting and 2-6 from deep, as well as a pair of assists.</p>
<p id="YXoDUB">Keene certainly had his share of defensive struggles against Justin Robinson and others, but at the end of the day, he helped the cause a lot more than he hurt it. </p>
<p id="yT177Q"><strong>Michael Young delivers off the bench</strong></p>
<p id="vp15a5">The Wizards opted to bring Michael Young off the bench in this one, after starting him in the first three games in Las Vegas. Playing him more with Marcus Keene and <span>Jared Cunningham</span> opened things up for Young and allowed him to have a much better outing. He finished with 11 points on 5-7 shooting and 4 rebounds in 21 minutes of action. </p>
<p id="JY0aKB">Clearly, Young is still trying to find his place here at Summer League, but this was a good step in the right direction.</p>
<p id="x5vVOg"><span><strong>Chris McCullough</strong></span><strong> can dunk</strong></p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr"> <a href="https://twitter.com/briskuno">@briskuno</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WizSummer?src=hash">#WizSummer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WizHeat?src=hash">#WizHeat</a> <a href="https://t.co/IhjqGdEraQ">pic.twitter.com/IhjqGdEraQ</a></p>— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/885269444473135104">July 12, 2017</a>
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<p id="7GgRK6">The rest of his performance was pretty uninspiring, but this was very good.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2017/7/12/15962388/washington-wizards-miami-heat-final-score-summer-league-nba-2017Jake Whitacre2017-07-11T20:20:57-04:002017-07-11T20:20:57-04:00Wiz fall to 0-3 in Vegas after 82-73 loss to Bulls
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<img alt="2017 Las Vegas Summer League - Dallas Mavericks v Chicago Bulls" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/N0iYszfM9yWNTtlUS-sOJ5YGz-c=/1285x16:2864x1069/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55669381/810944260.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p id="XVsYxj">Sheldon Mac scored 20 points but didn't get a whole lot of help from his teammates as the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> fell to the <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a>, 82-73 on Tuesday night. </p>
<p id="qSmB8C"><span>Lauri Markkanen</span>, the Bulls prized first round pick scored 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds and Antonio Blakeney scored 23 points as Chicago was able to hold off a late run from the Wizards to secure the victory. </p>
<p id="1YkBzA">After going 4-35 in Summer League action on Monday, the Bulls started 4-5 from range en route to a quick 20-7 lead. The Wizards shot just 29 percent in the first quarter and were only able to muster 15 points as they trailed, 33-15 after one. </p>
<p id="N9hYFv">After a very passive start, Sheldon Mac got in attack mode. Mac finished in traffic and had a nice transition layup to spark a 7-0 run for the Wizards. Mac and <span>Daniel Ochefu</span> combined for 17 points in the first half but the team shot just 31 percent from the field and trailed, 52-36 at halftime.</p>
<p id="i9K0t8">Mac stayed in attack mode to start the second half with two quick baskets. <span>Chris McCullough</span> finished a tough putback at the rim and just like that, the Wizards had trimmed the lead to 10, 55-45 midway through the third quarter. Mac’s 12 third quarter points brought the Wizards within nine as they trailed 62-53 after three.</p>
<p id="Jm9Mcc">Marcus Keene, no stranger to letting shots fly, got hot in the fourth quarter as he sliced his way into the lane for a tough layup only to follow it up with a three-pointer. The Wizards were able to cut the lead to one, 67-66 midway through the fourth quarter but the Bulls would get hot from three-point range to secure the victory, 82-73.</p>
<p id="3JDhqT">With the loss, the Wizards fell to 0-3 in league play. They will play again on Wednesday against someone in the opening round of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-summer-league">Las Vegas Summer League</a> tournament.</p>
<h3 id="lcB4jx">Game Notes</h3>
<p id="QAjQyh"><strong>Outside of Sheldon Mac, the Wizards’ regular season players were underwhelming</strong></p>
<p id="kRL5Y9">Mac had a team-high 20 points tonight with 12 of those coming in the third quarter. Outside of Mac, the rest of the Wizards’ regular season players didn’t produce a whole lot. It looked like Ochefu might be in for a big game as he scored nine points in the first half and was active on the glass. However, Ochefu was a non-factor in the second half. </p>
<p id="vT7AoV"><span>McCullough</span> was overmatched as he was guarding Markkanen for most of the evening. The third-year player was no match for the rookie as he hit shots from deep and was active in the painted area. <span>Danuel House</span> scored just one point tonight and missed all seven of his shots.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2017/7/11/15952116/washington-wizards-chicago-bulls-final-score-summer-league-nbaAlan Jenkins2017-07-10T20:49:17-04:002017-07-10T20:49:17-04:00Wiz fall to 0-2 in Vegas after loss to Heat
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<p id="IRy4TD">The <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> fell to 0-2 in Summer League action with a 91-87 loss to the <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a> on Monday afternoon.</p>
<p id="97PfX8">After Washington’s bench carried the load on Saturday, the starters did more to help in this one. Sheldon Mac led all scorers with an efficient 18 points on 10 shots. Unfortunately, Mac wasn’t as efficient in handling the ball. He had a 1:4 assist-to-turnover ratio.</p>
<p id="mLYyHf">The passing issues were a team-wide trend. Washington finished 23 turnovers and only 9 assists. Six different Wizards committed at least two turnovers.</p>
<p id="eTbCI4">They also let the Heat get 38 free throws in a choppy game where neither team could find a steady rhythm. Seven of the ten players who got playing time in this committed at least four fouls. <span>Daniel Ochefu</span> committed 9 fouls by himself, finishing just one short of fouling out in Summer League’s relaxed format, where players can commit up to 10 fouls.</p>
<p id="km0I2O">Washington will be back in action Tuesday evening against the <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a> at 6 p.m. ET. </p>
<h3 id="GJSg8A">Game Notes</h3>
<p id="1gzf61"><strong>Marcus Keene shows some promise</strong></p>
<p id="YIavHX">The undrafted rookie out of Central Michigan had some nice moments during his 11 minutes of action off the bench. </p>
<p id="D1HMT5">He seemed intent on shedding his label as a shoot-first guard in this one. He wound up with more assists (3) than shot attempts (2) and that doesn’t even include a few good scoring opportunities that his teammates botched. That said, when he did call his own number on this play, he made a very nice move to get open:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">That step back from <a href="https://twitter.com/Marcus3Keene">@marcus3keene</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WizHeat?src=hash">#WizHeat</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WizSummer?src=hash">#WizSummer</a> <a href="https://t.co/UbZ4smwZnb">pic.twitter.com/UbZ4smwZnb</a></p>— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/884521073491951616">July 10, 2017</a>
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<p id="xRv6KD">Defensively, he had his share of issues - some because of his stature, some because he was just out of position - but all in all it was an encouraging performance. It would be nice to see him get some more opportunities in Las Vegas to have a chance at earning a two-way deal.</p>
<p id="Tz5hvI"><strong>Random fun fact</strong></p>
<p id="1GRaoA"><a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200511230GSW.html">Ike Diogu played against Nick Van Exel in his first career NBA game</a>. He had 8 points and 5 rebounds off the bench for the Wizards in this one.</p>
<p id="rh9TAk"><strong>McCullough shows off the good and the bad</strong></p>
<p id="1VjBIY">If you need a highlight that sums up McCullough’s career to date, this one does the best job:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">So, this play was weird. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wizards?src=hash">#Wizards</a> <a href="https://t.co/DacCqB4Btf">pic.twitter.com/DacCqB4Btf</a></p>— CSN Wizards (@CSNWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/CSNWizards/status/884516579790245888">July 10, 2017</a>
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<p id="gex49c">There’s clearly some intriguing talent there, it just hasn’t come together in the way everyone would have hoped just yet. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wizards-insider/wp/2017/07/08/five-observations-from-the-wizards-summer-league-debut/?utm_term=.7c31c8a8657e">It might not be the best idea to consider him this year’s first round pick</a>, but you can see why he’s intriguing. Here’s to hoping he can figure out a way to show some more flashes the rest of the week.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2017/7/10/15949446/washington-wizards-miami-heat-final-score-summer-league-nba-2017Jake Whitacre2017-07-09T19:37:17-04:002017-07-09T19:37:17-04:00Preview/GameThread: Wiz take on Heat in Vegas on Monday
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<h3 id="O092GM">Game Info</h3>
<p id="eVDVyX"><strong>When:</strong> Monday, July 10 at 4:30 p.m. ET<br><strong>Where:</strong> Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada<br><strong>TV and streaming:</strong> CSN Mid-Atlantic, NBA TV, ESPN 3</p>
<h3 id="3HBs0B">What to watch for</h3>
<p id="BWMKrW"><strong>Can Washington anything out of their starters?</strong></p>
<p id="dYQjvD">Don’t the final score from the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a>’ narrow loss against Memphis fool you. Washington only kept things close because Jared Cunningham and the Wizards’ second unit dominated the game nearly as thoroughly as Memphis’ starters on Saturday.</p>
<p id="KLZoqR">The Wizards’ starters - Kevin Pangos, Sheldon Mac, Michael Young, Chris McCullough, and Daniel Ochefu - combined to shoot 15-48 (31.3 percent) from the field. Ochefu was the only one of the starters who made more shots than he missed and the only one who didn’t have a negative plus/minus.</p>
<p id="YJ0u28">In a normal basketball context, we’d say something here about how the starters need to play better because they play the larger share of the minutes and they have to be successful in order for the team to be successful. But when it comes to Summer League, the starters need to be good simply because they’re the ones who will be on the Wizards’ roster when games matter this winter. If the Wizards’ young core can’t show some improvement, it’s going to put even more pressure on the team’s veterans to deliver next season.</p>
<h3 id="7PE6HB">Most Likely Wizards Killer (YES WE’RE STILL DOING THIS FOR SUMMER LEAGUE): <span>Bam Adebayo</span>
</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="2017 NBA Draft" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3XHER34KFHh1WhOCIA-g1LFCby8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8823599/699988506.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="ANZVx0">The 14th overall pick in this year’s draft got off to a good start in Vegas on Saturday. He had 18 points and 10 rebounds in the <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Heat</a>’s win over the <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a>. More impressively, he avoided some of the common pitfalls big men face in Summer League. He only committed one turnover and three fouls in 29 minutes of action. Daniel Ochefu will have quite the challenge in this one.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2017/7/9/15944996/washington-wizards-miami-heat-how-to-watch-preview-nba-summer-leagaueJake Whitacre2017-07-08T18:51:05-04:002017-07-08T18:51:05-04:00Wiz comeback falls short in 91-88 loss to Grizzlies
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<img alt="NBA: Summer League-Los Angeles Clipper at Los Angeles Lakers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DgQmsNEiyJfx2-Sr5i997BNiq6U=/0x0:2400x1600/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55627717/usa_today_10150549.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="Mm3Pm5">Wayne Selden hit an and-one jumper with 2.3 seconds left to hand the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> a 91-88 loss in their <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-summer-league">Las Vegas Summer League</a> opener.</p>
<p id="XmuILg">Selden’s shot helped fend off a late charge by the Wizards, who overcame a 16 point third quarter deficit to take a lead late in the fourth quarter. They had a three point lead with 52 seconds left, but Selden came through in the closing seconds, scoring the final six to help the <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzlies</a> secure the win. He finished with 28 points.</p>
<p id="29cvKE">Washington will return to action on Monday as they take on the <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Heat</a> at 4:30 p.m. ET.</p>
<h3 id="z0kfmK">Game Notes</h3>
<p id="78V0xH"><span><strong>Daniel Ochefu</strong></span><strong> holds it down</strong></p>
<p id="NTy674">The second year man out of Villanova didn’t do anything spectacular, but he played well within his role as a low-usage, screen-setting big man who can patrol the paint. He finished with 5 blocks, he was active on the glass with 4 offensive rebounds, and finished with 13 points, thanks in large part to going a perfect 7-7 from the line. </p>
<p id="pHNmII">He definitely needs to cut down on his fouling (he had 7 fouls in 30 minutes of action) but all in all, he was probably the best Wizard on the floor who has a contract with the team for next season. You can make a decent living in this world as a tall guy who plays hard and stays within himself.</p>
<p id="nL4JbV"><span><strong>Jared Cunningham</strong></span><strong> lights it up off the bench</strong></p>
<p id="tgYdsk">Cunningham was the most experienced player on the Wizards who got playing time in this game, and he played like it throughout the game. He finished with 26 points in just 19 minutes on 12 shots. </p>
<p id="GDVtyv">Unfortunately, he’s at that tough spot where he’s a little too good to be playing in the Summer League, but just isn’t good enough to hang in the NBA. If nothing else, his performance should help him get another good contract overseas this season (he has too many years of service time in the NBA to sign a two-way deal). In the meantime, it’s good to have his shotmaking ability to lighten the burden on the rest of the squad, and keep games competitive.</p>
<p id="VL4kuk"><strong>Rough start for Michael Young</strong></p>
<p id="AbhuDx">Young, <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/2017/7/5/15925274/nba-free-agency-michael-young-pittsburgh-panthers-pitt-washington-wizards">who the Wizards signed to a two-way deal earlier this week</a>, did not have a great debut. He got off five shots in the early going and missed all of them, some of them very badly. He calmed down as the game wore on, and showed some nice flashes in the fourth quarter as the Wizards made their comeback, including this nice block:</p>
<div id="ME4eNs">
<blockquote class="twitter-video">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Mike Young said GET OUT. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wizards?src=hash">#Wizards</a> <a href="https://t.co/PO8GBeEGuR">pic.twitter.com/PO8GBeEGuR</a></p>— CSN Wizards (@CSNWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/CSNWizards/status/883806932821307392">July 8, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p id="LusZDr">He finished with 10 points on 13 shots, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. It will be interesting to see how he performs Monday now that he has the jitters out of his system.</p>
<p id="aOSiuX"><strong>It wasn’t Easy, Mac</strong></p>
<p id="ZnPs5J">Sheldon Mac committed the foul on Wayne Selden’s game-winning shot, and missed a three at the buzzer that could have forced overtime. It was the culmination of a rough game for Mac, where he went 2-9 from the field and struggled against Selden defensively. </p>
<p id="bl5YRb"><a href="https://twitter.com/cmillscsn/status/883805918277771265">Chris Miller of CSN Mid-Atlantic reported during the game</a> that Mac was limited by ankle injury throughout mini camp, which could explain a lot of his struggles during the game. Hopefully having a day off before the Wizards’ next game will help Mac get back into form for the rest of Summer League.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2017/7/8/15942156/washington-wizards-memphis-grizzlies-final-score-summer-league-las-vegas-nbaJake Whitacre2017-07-07T22:03:14-04:002017-07-07T22:03:14-04:00Preview: Wiz start Summer League action vs. Grizzlies
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<img alt="NBA: Preseason-Washington Wizards at Philadelphia 76ers" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/uFi9C7psd1f_ylraeKjmJO1tOT4=/6x0:4061x2703/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55622371/usa_today_9594288.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<h3 id="P1czdm">Game Info</h3>
<p id="Be39pI"><strong>When:</strong> Saturday, July 8 at 4 p.m.<br><strong>Where:</strong> Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada<br><strong>TV and streaming:</strong> CSN Mid-Atlantic, ESPNU, and ESPN3</p>
<h3 id="zrc1EC">What to watch for</h3>
<p id="Y1DtMS"><strong>Who is going to start at point guard?</strong></p>
<p id="O9QeT9">The <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> are pretty set 2-5 on this roster. Sheldon Mac, Michael Young, and Daniel House will get lots of burn on the perimeter, while <span>Chris McCullough</span> and <span>Daniel Ochefu</span> should be the key big men. But who’s going to be the one handling point guard duties, especially with the starting unit?</p>
<p id="1i8QC0">Marcus Keene, who led the nation in scoring last season, is intriguing, but he’s more of a scorer than a distributor. Do you want him taking away shots from the rest of the starting lineup who need to get reps? </p>
<p id="MCcGvP">On the other end of things you have guys like Maalik Wayns and Kevin Pangos, who are more traditional and experienced point guards, but aren’t as explosive off the dribble, which may make it harder to create openings for the guys the Wizards really want to shine.</p>
<p id="6IvfMy">It seems like it would make more sense to bring Keene off the bench and have Wayns or Pangos run the show, but if Keene can leverage his ability to score off the bounce and fire away from anywhere into better looks for the other starters, maybe it’s worth it in the end. We’ll see how it plays out soon enough.</p>
<p id="qhpfeB"><strong>Can Sheldon Mac take the next step as a scorer?</strong></p>
<p id="80yp5R">Mac had some nice flashes as a scorer with the team as a rookie, but if he wants to solidify his place in the league, he has to do better outside the arc. Last season, he was only 7-30 from deep. This summer will give him a chance to show if he’s made any improvements from deep. If he can take the next step, <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/2017/7/6/15930654/nba-free-agency-jamal-crawford-washington-wizards">perhaps it will make the team think twice about pursuing Jamal Crawford</a>.</p>
<h3 id="mO4Coo">Most Likely Wizards Killer (YES WE’RE STILL DOING THIS FOR SUMMER LEAGUE): <span>Dillon Brooks</span>
</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Oregon v North Carolina" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ebdGabUDf8vy-L15DTUpa-vR3mU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8815829/663581320.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images</cite>
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<p id="FvKt5Q">The <a href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Grizzlies</a> traded a future second round pick to Houston for the chance to take Brooks with the 45th overall pick in June’s draft. There are questions about how his game will translate to the NBA level, but if nothing else, he should be quite a scoring threat in Vegas. He can get to the hole, he shot over 40 percent from deep last season, and he’s a respectable passer as well. The Wizards will have their hands full trying to keep him in check.</p>
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https://www.bulletsforever.com/2017/7/7/15937910/washington-wizards-memphis-grizzlies-summer-league-preview-how-to-watchJake Whitacre