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NBA Summer League: Update on Tar Heels in summer league play

By Blake Cockrum

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 18: The North Carolina Tar Heels Ram walks the floor during a timeout against the Texas A&M Aggies during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 18, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 18: The North Carolina Tar Heels Ram walks the floor during a timeout against the Texas A&M Aggies during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 18, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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Former UNC stars playing big minutes in NBA Summer League

A number of former North Carolina basketball players are participating in this year’s NBA Summer League. Some have done really well, while others have had a difficult time getting on the court.

Marcus Paige, for example, couldn’t find summer work with an NBA squad, so he recently signed a contract with KK Partizan Belgrade of the Basketball League of Serbia. Brice Johnson, on the other hand, was picked up by the Charlotte Hornets in June, but released just a few days later.

Isaiah Hicks signed a two-way contract with the New York Knicks right around the same time that Johnson was released. It was Hicks’ second such contract in as many years. He’s recently been hampered with an injury that’s kept him out of the Knicks’ lineup.

Related Story: Isaiah Hicks signs new contract, Brice Johnson released

Joel Berry II has been dealing with an unfortunate and untimely ankle injury that has kept him out of the Lakers’ lineup for the first two weeks of summer league play. It’s particularly bad for Berry, who likely needed to play, and impress, in order to get a roster spot in the coming season.

The same goes for second-year big man Kennedy Meeks, who’s played limited minutes in summer league play. On Wednesday night, Meeks got on the court for just six minutes, recording two points and one rebound for the Nuggets.

Former UNC wing J.P. Tokoto, who left Chapel Hill in the spring of 2015, joined the Golden State Warriors’ summer squad. After a poor performance with the Warriors in two games of the inaugural California Classic, he’s played much better over the past week in the Las Vegas Summer League.

Through four games, he’s averaging 7.3 points, four rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.3 steals. He’s shooting 48 percent from the floor and playing just under 22 minutes a game. On Wednesday night, he scored seven points and hauled in 10 rebounds in 32 minutes of play.

Second-year center Tony Bradley averaged 14.7 points and 12.3 rebounds per game in the Utah Summer League. After receiving Utah Jazz Summer League Standout honors, he’s continued his solid play in Las Vegas. He’s averaging 16 points and 3.5 rebounds in just 21 minutes per game. He’s been incredibly efficient offensively, hitting 13-of-15 shots from the floor.

Related Story: Tony Bradley grew over an inch in the offseason

Rookie wing Theo Pinson has played well over the past week, averaging 11 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and one block per game for the Brooklyn Nets. He had one of his best performances to date on Wednesday night when he scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor and an impressive 4-of-6 from three-point range. He also recorded five assists, four rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 26 minutes.

Justin Jackson has performed better than any former Tar Heel in the NBA Summer League to this point. Despite a poor shooting performance in Wednesday’s game, he notched the fifth 20-point game in his last six, and led the Kings in scoring for the fifth time this summer. He’s averaging 19 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in Las Vegas.

Meeks, Tokoto, Bradley, Pinson, and Jackson will all be back in action over the next couple of days during the NBA Summer League Playoffs.

Next: UNC and Duke are battling for this 5-star big man

Stick with Keeping It Heel for more on UNC alumni in the NBA Summer League.

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