UNC Basketball: Former Tar Heels Summer League Recap
With the conclusion of the Utah and Orlando Summer Leagues, how did former Tar Heels do for their respective teams?
The NBA Summer League. provides fans with two things.
It gives them a chance to see some of their favorite team’s young players in action and the chance to see some basketball since the NBA finals ended with a Golden State triumph.
The summer league has two circuits beginning with Utah and Orland before transitioning to Las Vegas.
Outside of being a chance for some rookies and sophomores to shine, it also gives some free agents a chance to make a roster.
With that in mind, the Tar Heels have several former players playing in the summer league. So how did those guys perform in the Utah/Orlando Summer leagues?
. Marcus Paige. . team. 149. .
The near-hero of the 2016 national championship game was drafted by the Brooklyn Nets and then later traded to the Utah Jazz.
Paige went on to spend the rest of the season with the Salt Lake City Stars of the now renamed G-League. There he started 40 games and averaged 12 points and two assists per game.
All of that got him an invite to play with the Oklahoma City Thunder Orlando summer team.
Paige played in three of the five games and started one.
He finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in 53 minutes of action.
He did have two DNP-Coaches decisions in the team’s last two contests.
However, that could have more to do with the fact that he was off getting ready to play with Minnesota in the Vegas Summer League.
. . . Tony Bradley. . team. 118
Bradley was a first round pick for the Utah Jazz this past draft. In the Utah Summer League, Bradley saw his first action as a starter.
The Florida native started all three games averaging eight points and four rebounds in 19 minutes per game.
Bradley was often shadowed by the play of Dante Exum and fellow rookie Donovan Mitchell.
He did show some consistency though his playing time slowly decreased each game.
He also struggled shooting finishing 11-23 from the field in the three games of action.
118. . . . JP Tokoto. . team
Tokoto left a year early and missed out on the back-to-back Tar Heel national title games. Known for his athleticism, Tokoto was a selection of the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2015 NBA Draft.
This is Tokoto’s third-straight summer league having previously played for both the 76ers and the New York Knicks, though never caught on with either team.
In 39 total minutes Tokoto finished with nine total points on 3-for-6 shooting, all his baskets were made three-pointers.
In his three games, which included a DNP and a start, Tokoto also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists.
Tokoto has played for three different G-League teams. Based on his summer league stats, he may be looking at a fourth if not overseas.
Well, that does it for the Tar Heels in this recap. The Vegas Summer League offers far more former Tar Heels including all three of the guys mentioned above. So stay tuned to KIH for more updates.