The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Chicago Bulls in their fourth summer league game. This places them at the very top of the standings, sitting with Houston as the only team with four wins and no losses.
Key Players
No one player looked overly dominant in this outing, but there were a few players who played key roles in securing this win.
The standout player in this outing was Craig Porter Jr with 22 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. This was a game where the 22 felt like 32 because of the explosiveness with which Porter scored. Whether he was shaking off defenders while driving to the rim or hitting a step-back in the mid-court, Porter Jr. was proving that he can score in a plethora of ways.
Along with the impressive scoring performance he also put his playmaking ability on display. Looking like a quarterback he completed multiple three-quarter court pitch-ahead passes, setting up his teammates for easy buckets.
Another player who showed a high level of playmaking was Sharife Cooper. Although he was only able to contribute 11 points (leaving the game after 11 minutes due to a groin injury), each of his assists were reflective of the high basketball IQ he’s shown all summer.
Isaiah Mobley continues to improve and show why he might be the most NBA-ready player on this team. Putting up a line of 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists over 32 minutes Mobley proves again to be valuable on both ends of the floor.
Other standouts
Emoni Bates continues to put up respectable scoring performances, this time dropping 15 points and grabbing six boards. He was unable to find any open teammates leading to a score and struggled at times to keep up on defense, but still scores at a level that suggests a high ceiling.
Pete Nance (eight points, five rebounds and two assists) continues the long history of Nance’s in the Cleveland system. His father, Larry Nance, leads the Cavaliers franchise in blocks in a season (243), highest season block average (3) and highest career block average while playing with the Cavs (2.5) while his brother (Larry Nance Jr.) donned a cavalier uniform both during and after Lebron’s second stint in Cleveland. While his numbers aren’t impressive they are solid, and it’s likely the Cavs will continue to work on developing him into the next Nance to play for their NBA-level team.
Cavs remain undefeated going into Summer League semis
Their fourth consecutive win places the Cavaliers in the semi-finals of the Summer League. The Cavaliers aren’t just winning games, but beating the teams they play. Rarely looking like the unpolished teams that come to play in summer league, they’re winning by an average of 13.5 points. The Cavaliers will hit the court Sunday night against another top team for the semis, and look to continue their undefeated streak.
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Featured photo courtesy of NBA.com
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