While many flocked to see Lonzo Ball in Las Vegas this summer, there were a number of former Bruins showing off their talents in the other NBA summer leagues.
There was little doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers’ newest point guard Lonzo Ball was one of the biggest attractions at the Las Vegas summer league last month. In fact, the Lakers were involved in the three most watched summer league games this year.
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People tuned in to see if the oldest Ball brother could duplicate his court command and smooth passing ability he displayed at UCLA last year. For the most part, he did not disappoint averaging 16.3 points with a Vegas summer league high of 9.3 assists in six games.
But while Ball is already assured a spot on the Lakers’ roster, there were other former Bruins who were trying to impress coaches and scouts. Let’s take a look at other former Bruins trying to earn a spot on an NBA roster.
TJ Leaf, PF – Drafted First Round by Indiana Pacers 2017 NBA Draft
Even though guaranteed a spot with the Pacers, Leaf was hoping to have a positive summer in Orlando. In three games he was able to do some things the Pacers hoped to see but Leaf also struggled in a few aspects of his game.
Leaf averaged 12.7 points a game while shooting 48.5%. He also grabbed nearly 6.5 rebounds a game.
But the sweet passing big man was only able to get one assist a game, although some of this was due to other players missing shots that a regular NBA player would make during the season.
Leaf also failed to block a single shot during the summer.
The most disappointing stat for Leaf was that he only shot 2 for 10 from beyond the three point line. That was way under his 46.6 average that his had at UCLA. One of Leaf’s most valuable weapons as a stretch 4 is his ability to pick and pop and hit from the three point line.
Now, three games in the summer league are not the end all for Leaf. He did shot well from the field and even was able to play decent defense.
This season Leaf should carve out a nice place for himself in the Pacers’ rotation. Perhaps not starting a first but possibly moving into the starting five by the end of the season.
Bryce Alford SG – Undrafted in 2017 NBA Draft
After going undrafted, Alford joined the Warriors in the Las Vegas summer league. Golden State seemed like a good fit for the skilled shooter who ended his career fifth all time on the Bruins’ career scoring list.
During his six games this summer, Alford did what he does best. Shoot the ball. He averaged 9.3 points a game but only hit 38% of his shots, well under his senior year average at UCLA when he made nearly 45% of his shots.
Like his former teammate TJ Leaf, Alford struggled from three point land, connecting on just 5 of his 23 attempts for 22%. Since Alford is not the best defender, he is going have to do better than 22% from beyond the arc to expect to make it onto an NBA roster.
Alford was released from Golden State but has recently signed with Oklahoma City. This will give him a chance to either make the Thunders’ roster or possibly sign a two-way contract. A year in the G-League with a few call ups to the big club may give Alford time to develop his defense and learn the NBA game.
Isaac Hamilton, SG – Undrafted in 2017 NBA Draft
The Pacers seemed to have watched a great deal of UCLA games last year because Hamilton is the second of three Bruins (another to be mentioned later) to sign with Indiana.
After the four-year Bruin went undrafted, he jumped at the chance to play for the Pacers in the Orlando Summer League. But in the three games he appeared in, Hamilton only averaged about 14 minutes per contest. In this limited time on the court, Hamilton only averaged 5.3 points and one rebound a game.
Anyone who watched these early summer league games could see that it was mostly players trying to make a name for themselves, shooting the ball after only one or two passes each time down the court. So for a player like Hamilton, who was only on the court for about seven minutes per half, it was difficult to get into a rhythm and be productive.
Hamilton could easily go and play overseas this year while gaining a ton of professional experience if he doesn’t get picked up by a G-League team.
Jonah Bolden, F/C – Drafted 2nd Round by Philadelphia in 2017 NBA Draft
After playing one year in a limited role for Coach Steve Alford and UCLA in the 2015-16 season, Bolden decided to leave school to play professionally. After putting up decent numbers (12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds) for FMP Beograd in Serbia, the Australian native was drafted 36th overall by the 76ers in 2017.
Playing in both the Utah and Las Vegas Summer League, Bolden averaged 9 points and 6 rebounds while showing off his athletic ability. Unfortunately for him, it was not enough for the 76ers to keep him around and Bolden ended up signing with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel.
Kevon Looney, PF – Drafted First Round by Golden State in 2015 NBA Draft
Looney’s arrival in Westwood was highly anticipated and in his one season there, he showed flashes of greatness. Averaging nearly a double-double with 11.5 points and 9.1 rebounds, Looney was a big part of the Bruins’ success. But after his freshman year, the former Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year decided to make the leap to the NBA. He was drafted 30th by the Golden State Warriors.
He was limited by injuries his first year in the NBA then averaged just over 8 minutes a game the next season.
This summer Looney was again playing in the Vegas Summer League where he put up some not so impressive numbers. In about 19 minutes per game, Looney averaged 6.8 points and 6.4 rebounds.
I still think that Looney could have benefited from staying one more year at UCLA to get stronger and improve his overall game. Although that could just be me wanting a great Bruin player to stay a bit longer in Westwood. Hopefully this will be the year Looney stays healthy and gets the minutes to contribute to the Warriors before hitting the free agency market next year.
Travis Wear, C – Undrafted in 2014 NBA Draft
Travis transferred from North Carolina (along with his brother David) to UCLA in 2011. While not a star, he definitely was a hard worker and a key part of the Bruins’ success. This hard work has paid off as Travis still find himself playing basketball for a living.
After playing his rookie season for the New York Knicks, Travis made his way to Spain to play a year for San Sebastián Gipuzkoa.
He came back to the states the following year and joined the South Bay Lakers.
This summer he played about 17 minutes a game for the Lakers scoring about 8 points and pulling down nearly 4 rebounds a contest.
Wear currently remains on the South Bay Lakers’ roster.
Larry Drew II, PG – Undrafted in 2013 NBA Draft
Since leaving UCLA in 2013, Larry Drew II has bounced around from the NBA to the (then) D-League to France, Lithuania, and Puerto Rico playing basketball. But after each stop, he’s returned to the NBA summer league trying to earn a spot on an NBA roster. This year was no different.
Playing for the Philadelphia 76ers team, Drew was able to showcase his point guard skills. In the Las Vegas League, the former Tar Heel turned Bruin finished fourth in the league averaging 6 assists a game.
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He is currently back with Sioux Falls in the G-League but maybe this will be the year Larry Drew II returns to the NBA.