The NBA’s annual Las Vegas Summer League gets underway this weekend on the campus of UNLV on the famous Las Vegas Strip.
Twenty four teams will participate in the event this year with each team playing a minimum of five games beginning Friday through Monday with preliminary games followed by a seeded bracket to determine a champion.
This year, two teams will feature former Green Bay stars. Alec Brown will play for the Los Angeles Lakers summer league team while Alfonzo McKinnie will play for the Toronto Raptors.
Brown will be playing for the Lakers this time around after playing the last three summers with the Phoenix Suns. Phoenix selected the 7’1” Brown with the 50th pick of the 2014 NBA Draft but released his rights back in September.
He played last season with the Windy City Bulls in the NBA D-League where he averaged 10.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. He also shot 36.4% from beyond the arc.
Following the D-League season, Brown played six games in Spain for Estudiantes and averaged 14.5 points per game while shooting a blistering 63.3% (14/22) from three point land.
“[The Lakers] were the most adamant about getting me to play with them,” Brown said, via the Winona Daily News. “I went out to work out with them. There were a couple of teams who invited me, but they really made it seem like they wanted me.”
“I think I can fit in with what they want to do.”
The Lakers first game in Vegas is Friday at 7:30 PM against the LA Clippers and will be broadcast live on ESPN. The final two preliminary games are Saturday at 7:30 against Boston (ESPN) and Monday at 9:30 against Sacramento (NBA TV).
Other notable names on the Lakers roster include 3rd overall pick Lonzo Ball, former Marquette star and reigning NBA D-League MVP Vander Blue, and former Onalaska High School and Iowa State star Matt Thomas.
As for McKinnie, he is coming off a massively successful D-League season, also with the Windy City Bulls.
The 6’9” forward was a D-League All-Star this season after earning a roster spot by attending a Bulls open tryout last summer. He averaged 14.9 points and 9.2 rebounds in 50 games last season while shooting 51 percent from the floor and 30.8 percent on threes.
Toronto opens their summer league slate against New Orleans at 5:00 PM on Friday on NBA TV. Games against Minnesota (Saturday, 5:30, NBA TV) and Denver (Monday, 7:00, ESPNU) wrap up the preliminary round before the “playoffs” begin on Wednesday.
The championship game is Monday, July 17th on ESPN.
2017 NBA Summer League schedule:
(Times listed are Central time)
Los Angeles Lakers (Alec Brown)
Friday, July 7; 7:30 PM vs Clippers (ESPN)
Saturday, July 8; 7:30 PM vs Boston (ESPN)
Monday, July 10; 9:30 PM vs Sacramento (NBA TV)
Toronto Raptors (Alfonzo McKinnie)
Friday, July 7; 5:00 PM vs New Orleans (NBA TV)
Saturday, July 8; 5:30 PM vs Minnesota (NBA TV)
Monday, July 10; 7:00 PM vs Denver (ESPNU)
Categories: 'Nix in the Pros
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