KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Eight former University of Tennessee men’s basketball players wrapped up play at the 2024 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this past weekend, with six averaging at least 12.8 PPG over the course of the 11-day event.
Jordan Bowden | Atlanta Hawks 3 GP, 13.3 PPG, 25.8 MPG, 34.8 3P%, 3.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.7 SPG
Bowden saw action in each of the Hawks’ final three Summer League games, posting averages of 13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals across 25.8 minutes per contest.
In a July 19 showdown versus the Chicago Bulls, Bowden logged a well-rounded effort, with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, three rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. He connected on a triple to put the Hawks ahead by two with under five seconds to go, before the Bulls captured an overtime win.
The following night, versus the New York Knicks, he tallied 16 points to go along with three rebounds, two steals and an assist, all while shooting 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.
Bowden was 10-for-11 from the stripe in Las Vegas, good for a 90.9 percent clip.
Chandler saw the court in each of Portland’s five Summer League contests, averaging 12.8 points on 52.0 percent shooting. He also put up 5.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 23.8 minutes per game.
He increased his scoring total each outing, scoring six, then 10, followed by 12, 15, and finally 21 points in sequence as the games progressed.
In the Trail Blazers’ Summer League finale, Chandler added six rebounds, three assists and two steals to his 21 points, connecting on 9-of-13 field-goal attempts versus the Houston Rockets.
James earned playing time in each of Indiana’s final three Summer League affairs.
In a July 18 matchup versus the Denver Nuggets, he recorded three points, four rebounds, two steals, one assist and one block in just over 14 minutes of play.
Facing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Pacers’ fifth and final contest of Summer League, James totaled six rebounds, two assists and a steal in nearly 18 minutes.
Johnson started in all five of Brooklyn’s Summer League games, registering 16.0 points, 5.2 assists. 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest, while shooting at a 47.5 percent clip from the floor in 29.2 minutes per game.
Opening play in style, Johnson knocked down the game-winning shot for the Nets in overtime, a turnaround fadeaway jumper from just outside the paint to defeat the Pacers, 97-95, on July 12. LVFL Candace Parker, a three-time WNBA Champion, was on the call for Johnson’s 16-point performance, in which he added six assists, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals and led the team in the plus/minus category with a +7 figure.
His highest scoring outing of Summer League action came two days later, as he poured in 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including a 4-for-8 mark from 3-point range, against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He chipped in six rebounds, four steals and two assists.
In yet another two-point, overtime victory for the Nets on July 18, a 102-100 win versus the Magic, Johnson notched a 12-point, 10-assist double-double, adding five boards and a team-best plus/minus rating of +19 in just under 33 minutes of action.
Following his stellar play in signed a standard multiyear contract to return to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. He was previously on a two-way contract, splitting time with Brooklyn and the G League’s Long Island Nets.
Knecht produced the fifth-best scoring average (min. 3 GP) among 435 total players at the Summer League in Las Vegas, including the top figure among rookies, at 21.3 points per game. He also notched 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game in his three appearances, in all of which he reached the 20-point threshold.
In the Lakers’ opening game versus the Houston Rockets on July 12, he posted a game-high 25 points while shooting 9-for-18 overall and 5-for-11 from 3-point territory, also collecting six rebounds and four assists.
In LA’s second outing versus the Boston Celtics on July 15, Knecht paced the Lakers in scoring once again, tallying 19 points to go along with three rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block.
Knecht’s next action came three days later, as the Lakers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers. His 20 points led the way for Los Angeles, as no other Laker scored even 14 on the night. He added seven rebounds, one assist and one steal to his final stat line of Summer League play.
Phillips, entering his second season of professional basketball, played in four of Chicago’s five Summer League games, accounting for averages of 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.0 block across 32.5 minutes per game. He scored at least a dozen points three times, reaching the 17-point mark twice, while once scoring over 20 points.
He opened play on July 13 with a strong, 17-point, 10-rebound double-double in the Bulls’ seven-point win, 96-89, over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Three days later, versus the Detroit Pistons, Phillips compiled 12 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 34 minutes of action.
He capped his proficient showing in Las Vegas with 21 points, shooting 6-for-10 from the field and making 4-of-7 attempts from beyond the arc, against Atlanta. He also compiled three steals, two rebounds and one block.
strong performance from Julian in tonight’s Bulls win
In his lone Summer League outing with Boston, Springer scored a team-high 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting and made 3-of-6 attempts from 3-point range versus the Miami Heat on July 13. He added six assists, two rebounds and two steals in under 25 minutes of action.
Santiago Vescovi | Golden State Warriors 4 GP, 3.0 PPG, 12.1 MPG, 40.0 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 2.3 RPG, 2.5 APG
Vescovi posted averages of 3.0 points, 2.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game during his four Summer League contests. On July 21, he registered his best performance of the event, with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including a 2-for-3 mark from deep, four rebounds and four assists in a well-rounded showing.
