The NBA Summer League is back after being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
All 30 NBA teams are using the summer forum to get a first look at their newly drafted talent.
This year’s NBA Summer League features 11 former Ducks –– including Chris Duarte, who was selected No. 13 by the Indiana Pacers.
In his first glimpse of professional action, Duarte looked calm and poised as he battled All-Rookie second team guard Immanuel Quickly from New York Knicks. Quickly powered his Knicks to a win behind a 32-point effort –– but not without a fight from Duarte, who led the Pacers in scoring with 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting.
Duarte’s athleticism showed on the defensive end where he tallied two steals and two blocks, including a volleyball spike block in transition.
In his second game, Duarte continued his aggressive play as his 8-of-19 shooting yielded a game-high 21 points, including three pointers to end the second and third quarters. In addition to his scoring, Duarte’s athleticism showed as he corralled seven rebounds, adding two steals and a block in a buzzer beater loss to the Hawks.
Another former Duck showing out at the summer league is Boston Celtic Payton Pritchard. The 2019-20 Bob Cousy point guard of the year at Oregon led the Celtics to a 85-83 victory over the Atlanta Hawks Sunday afternoon.
Pritchard, playing in his first summer league, dominated to the tune of 23 points, five assists and five rebounds –– including a highlight crossover that put rookie Sharife Cooper on the floor before he stepped back for one of his seven game- high three-pointers.
In his rookie year, Pritchard averaged 7.7 points per game in 19.2 minutes of action. With the departure of Kemba Walker, Pritchard looks to earn a larger ball-handling role for the Celtics this season, despite their recent acquisition of Dennis Schröder.
Former Duck Bol Bol added fuel to the fire of “what if’s” surrounding his time at Oregon in which he missed a majority of his single season. In his first game he notched 21 points and five rebounds for the Denver Nuggets in a loss to the Miami Heat.
The play of the night came when the 7-foot-2 center grabbed a rebound, put the ball behind the back, went the distance of the court in four dribbles and accelerated into a baseline floater for an and-one.
In their second games, Pritchard’s Celtics met Bol’s Nuggets. In a 107-82 blowout in the Celtics favor, Pritchard once again put on a show as 4-of-5 shooting beyond the arc, which led to 21 points, 8 rebounds and 12 assists to complete a near triple-double performance.
For the Nuggets, Bol was sensational again, clipping 3-of-4 from downtown en route to a 26 point afternoon. Bol showed signs of being an elite rim protector, blocking two shots and finishing strong near the rim on offense, leading his team in scoring and rebounding for the second consecutive game.
Another notable Duck is Louis King. The 6-foot-7 one-and-done from Secaucus, New Jersey had 10 points and four steals on the heels of a 19-point performance on Aug. 4 at the California Classic. King punctuated Sacramento’s 80-70 victory with a transition poster of Charlotte’s Nick Richards.
The Kings moved to 2-0 on the tournament Tuesday night with a 89-75 victory over the Washington Wizards. Lottery pick Daivon Mitchell’s defensive prowles showed, but it was King who led the team in scoring with 16 points –– including 11 in the third where he shot 3-for-3 from the arc.
In King’s second year in the NBA, he averaged 7.2 points in 14.2 minutes per game. Looking to improve his shooting consistency with his already impressive hops, King is using the summer league to showcase his skills and earn a more solidified rotation spot in this third season.
The duo of Eugene Omoruyi and LJ Figuora went undrafted, but both signed on to the Dallas Mavericks summer league squad. In their first taste of professional action, Omoruyi went for 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while Figuroa recorded 12 points and nine boards in a 95-73 loss to the 76ers.
The NBA Summer League continues on both ESPN and NBA TV until Aug. 17.
