Detroit Pistons vs Houston Rockets LIVE ON ESPN 4K NBA2K26 Summer League NBA LIVE NBA TODAY
[Music] [Music] [Music] Hey baby. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] eyes on target. You can run at him. You can flat him. He still knocks it down. He gets the ball off so quick. He’s got elite athleticism in his feet and in his hands. And this guy is just getting better and better and better. They only played 52 games as a rookie, but Raphael Stone and the Rockets want him to have a big role this season. Reed Shepard caught up with Melanie a minute ago. I’m here with Reed Shepard. Reed, what a great start to Vegas Summer League for you. Now, you were a standout player in game one. What is it about the attention to detail do you feel like you’ve been following so far? Uh, I mean, there’s, you know, it’s just been fun being able to be out here and play. Um, you know, summer league is always a a fun time. You get to play with new guys. So being able to come out and just have fun, enjoy enjoy the whole summer league, the the vibes, the the fans. So it’s all been it’s been really fun. Well, and your coaches were saying last week they feel like you’ve become more vocal as you enter your second year. How is it that you feel like you’re displaying those leadership qualities? Yeah, you know, just trying to to talk as much as I can. Um, you know, you can see you have I followed Fred Vanmple all year. Uh, being able to watch him and just how much he talks throughout the game and throughout practices. So, uh, really just trying to trying to talk as much as I can just cuz I’ I’ve seen this year how important it is. Thanks, Reek. Thank you. All right, so 28 points for Shepard in his first game of summer league this year. Same thing for Ron Holland, who also was a top five pick last season. Is trying to establish himself more. Well, Ron Holland should be a college junior when you think about it. He went to Ignite. Uh, bottom line, 81 games he played in as a rookie. Uh, he had an 18-point third quarter in this game. He’s more and more confident with shooting the ball. He’s handling. His eyes are up. He’s looking to attack. I think what they want to see from him, continue to make the right play. Get in the paint, make a pass, but if you got something at the basket, go and get it. He is an elite athlete who is electric when he gets at the rim. And we’re off and running here at Thomas and Mack. Our officials are Tyler Ricks, Jay Flores, and Orlando Varela. 10-minute quarters here in the summer league. You get 10 fouls before you’re disqualified. And what a start for Detroit as Holland lobs it up to T to Smith. Toulu Smith has improved so much athletically since he’s been in the G-League and NBA level. He’s just showing it off right there. Pistons beat the Knicks 104 to 86 Friday in their first game of this 2K26 summer league. Here’s the thing about Shepard. He is not shy. He took 15 threes in that first game, which was a three-point loss to the Clippers. Three seconds. I think it was against Smith and Detroit. So Shepard will take that technical free throw. You see the starting lineups. All five of those guys for the Pistons who started Friday were in double figures. Yeah. And they really moved the ball well. I mean it they really did. Danish Jenkins was phenomenal and getting catch and shoots. Trevor Kees comes in and plays an outstanding game. Bobby Clintman showed scoring ability, but most importantly he showed that he is a he for that size, he is a very good passer when he doesn’t try to do too much. And these guys looking to crack NBA rotations. That’s what Shepard’s looking to do for the Rockets. They’ve got high hopes for him in his sophomore season coming up. Former number three pick out of Kentucky. Here is Clintman. Uber skilled at his size. And Smith kicks it out to Danish Jenkins. Late college ball at St. John’s. Finger roll won’t go. Smith the offensive board was knocked out of bounds by Andfali Dante who gets his hands on a lot of basketballs down there. Oh, you talk about a guy that’s improved athletically since college and Fly Dante has done that. He’s in great shape. He runs the floor, bigger strides. Great job showing length. Yeah. Closed it out against Smith, but called for the foul and free throws coming for Tou Smith. Well, talking to coach Jackson before the game, he talked about how much he’s improved getting up, guarding, playing lower. We saw some of that good quick resection back, just not great verticality. Came across and got it. Tou Smith 16 and 11 in that win Friday against the Knicks. Another double double for him. He was a double double machine last year playing for Motor City in the G-League. Had 22 of them. Well, what he’s done too is he’s he’s out of his range. He’s a rebounder now more where a lot of times in college he got the balls that came to him. He could be bigger and stronger, but now he’s moving. He’s playing with more quickness. Again, some of that is his conditioning, you know, growing into his body. He’s also improved his shot as you can see right there. Two in a row from him. He didn’t do that a whole lot of times in college. Well, you coached against him in the I did coached against a few of these guys and it’s fun to watch how much better they get as they as they continue to understand the seriousness that’s needed in their game. Well, speaking of the SEC, here’s Kennedy Chandler out of Tennessee. Lefty finger rolls off the mark and Smith clears the rebound. He’ll bring it up himself. Over to another Tennessee vault, Chaz Laneir, another dude who is not bashful from downtown. Chaz Laneir, one of the best shooters here in Vegas. And that’s what you see right there. Great poise under control. Didn’t have the first shot. Gets the side dribble. Nails it. So, four from Tou Smith, three from Chaz Laneir. And there’s the first field goal for the Rockets today as Kavon Harris puts it in. Former Steven F. Austin Lumberjack. Now, he’s the epitome in this game of streaky shooter. We’re going to see another shot pretty quick. He makes one, he’s usually taken the next one. And a lot of times it goes in. It’s a quick heat check for him. Chandler called for the foul by Cha Flores over here near side. Drew, I like what they’re doing today with Kennedy Chandler and Reed Shepard together. Kennedy Chandler did a really nice job the other day inside of this game. He changed the tempo of the game coming in for Reed Shepard and now they’re trying to see what they can get with the two of them together. And Chandler not the biggest guy at 6′ even. Shepard at 63 defending Jenkins chasing him around. Eight to shoot for Laneir. Here’s Smith against Dante. Nice feed to Jenkins climbing the ladder. Yeah, great feed. Danish Jenkins. Reed Shepard got caught watching the ball and Dana Jenkins just cuts right behind him. Great pass from Tou Smith. You can see the skills of Tou Smith on display. That pass from Shepard right to the bench. Look at this. Tou gets in the paint. We don’t get a great vision, but Reed Shepard’s watching the ball, ready to help. And in comes Jenkins on the cut. Excellent bounce pass. Let him just enough to let him take it up to the rim for the dunk. Both of these teams a gritty identity at the NBA level and both took a major leap last season, hoping to do the same again this year. Too Smith, best player on the floor. Two and a half minutes in. Going back to the line. Well, we can see the game plan right now is they’re going to attack the fives and they’re going to go right at Dante. They’re letting Tou do more from the elbow. They’re letting him do more from the wing. He’s aggressive. I think the biggest improvement he made last year in the G-League is really learning how to play at the top of the key, you know, and the zoom actions and and the handoff actions and all those different things that he was really good at finding people and you can see improved passing already in him this summer. Well, that’s the thing with these college guys, right, coach, is where, you know, when you’re the number one option at Mississippi State, like Tou Smith was on the block, you’re going to get a lot of touches in different areas than you will playing in the G-League or the NBA. Right. Well, exactly. And again, where’s your bread butter? When you’re when you’re him, it’s in the post a lot of times. And Ben Holland and Chris Jans both did an excellent job with him, but his body has changed. And that’s what happens so many times when guys come up to this level. They get in great shape. They understand they can’t survive without it. Their body changes. to get stronger, leaner. Rejected Reed Shepard. Yeah, he’s moving. That That’s not a great choice by Reed. You want to be aggressive, but you got to realize you don’t have that play right there. He gets into the paint. He didn’t have him beat. All right. That’s not a great play. And And Danish Jenkins was on his side the whole way. You’re going to take that shot. You got to pump fake and try to draw a foul. And I wonder if a guy like Reed Shepard, who’s a top three pick last year, feels like he’s pressing a little bit to show that he’s the best player out here as Harris missed the three. Offensive rebound to Chandler. Harris in the lane. Little up and under and the finish with a left hand. Kevon Harris was going to get some shots after that first one. Very aggressive. That’s his that’s his calling card. hasn’t played a ton of NBA games, but this is a guy that’s a survivor in this league that keeps coming day after day. Three balls on the way. Laneir missed it this time. Out of bounds off of Houston. It’ll stay with Detroit. One thing that changes so much, Drew, is you you cannot have a slow release in NBA basketball and summer league shows that right away. How quick you have to get the ball up off. That was not a problem for a guy like Chaz Laneir or Reed Shepard in college, but it’s even better than what it was inside of college. There’s a three from Danish Jenkins off to another good start. He had 18 points Friday and now picking up Shepard 94 ft, which is something we see all the time in summer league. These guys trying to prove they can defend all the way up the floor. Well, this play from Danish Jenkins, he has improved so much here, Drew, in making catch and shoot threes. So much of his game in college was off the dribble at Iona and St. John’s and he was good at it and he’s still good at it, but he’s really improved his catch and shoot ability. They just knocked it away again as they tried to inbound. We came from the deflection king and Rick Patino. So he he understands that this time a little too handsy from Detroit. The fouls on Ron Holland pleading his case with Orlando Varela. Vitali Patapeno comes out to separate them. Not many coaches. I don’t I think Vitali would have the uh the number. 604 NBA games. I think that leads to summer league coaches. I’m not I’m not going to do a quick deep dive research, but I think it is. Well, that’s what our statistician Steve Leau is here for. So, we’re in Vegas. I’ll put money on that’s the number. I don’t think anybody’s going to top 604. 11 years in the NBA for for top income. And a highly respected not only player, but a highly respected winner. And you can tell by our pregame chat with him before the game that he is a very serious coach and he talked more about the the principles of JB Bicker staff than he did anything else. Impressive. Well, Ron Holland just got teed up. So, Shepard shoots another technical free throw. Makes it again. Holland played 81 games for the Pistons as a rookie. The only one he missed was due to a suspension. Yeah, this is if you’re Ron Holland now, okay, you’re young, you’re a first round pick, you played 81 games, you got to lock in and be the best for your team right now. You don’t need to be shortfused with the referees. You don’t need to get frustrated. You need to bear down and show some real leadership for a 20-year-old guy. Here’s Shepard off the dribble. A steal by Clintman. Knocked away by Chandler. It’ll be Pistons ball, but Bobby Clintman showing you the good hands. He did. He’s got to grab that with two hands right there. I mean, he he he he was thinking dunk before he had the ball. And that’s where you just grab it with two. You’re athletic enough. You’ll keep going. But I’m really anxious to watch how Ron Holland comes out in this game. He’s aggressive, but he doesn’t have quite that confident look that he had the other day. And this is where you got to mature as a player. And I know it’s going to be about how you start. It’s going to be about how you process the game and how you keep going with it. Even if it’s not going great for you yet. You got to wonder how many games he’ll get to play out here in Vegas. the top five pick from last season. There’s a three from Lenir. He can really stroke and he shot like eight threes per game last season at Tennessee. And he’s he’s open. I mean, that’s going to come up with coach Jackson in the first timeout that you cannot be that under on Chaz Laneir. You got to stay up on top of him. See if they get it back to 20 in blue. Laneir Holland the bouncer. Smith looking for an outlet. It is Laneir gets to the mid-range. Missed that shot. Harris with the rebound for Houston. Rockets last year finished second in the West in the regular season. Lost to the Warriors in the first round in seven. Made some big changes to their roster this off seasonason. Kevin Durant the most notable addition as Shepard missed again. You see he’s aggressive but 0 for four from the floor. Well, he’s attacking which is what they’re going to want. He’s going to have to keep figuring out ways to get the shot up quicker or to get around the defender though. He does have a nice reach shot under, you know, brought it off his hip. That’s a good move for him. Finds Cameron Matthews here. Congratulations to him. Just signed today with the big club and he is fouled and will head to the line. We watch Chaz Laneir. Look at him come off. There’s the handoff. You can’t go under. All right. It doesn’t matter. Summer league, SEC, NBA playoffs. Be on top of him. NBA 2K26. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Thompson [Music] said both of these big clubs have a Thompson twin, but yes, that is a men Thompson sitting over there with the Houston contingent. Jabari Smith over there as well. Just signed a big 5-year contract. Talked with Ben Sullivan, the assistant coach. There’s Jabari. Just got a little wealthier recently. Uh I’ve known him for a long time. Welld deserved. I talked to Ed Pikney a few weeks back and he talked about the competition in the offseason workouts between Thompson and Jabari Smith. And it’s just like you, you know, it’s going to make that team that much better. Are they vying for a spot? Maybe. But they’re going against each other. I’m not sure there’s going to be two better uh bookend forwards coming into that position uh and most teams even in the West. That’ll stay here with the Rockets after the missed free throws. Now, this is a team that a lot of people expect to make some noise in the Western Conference. Mentioned they were second last year and and what they were missing was a closer, a guy who could go get you a bucket and Kevin Durant is that guy. Yeah, he he is. I mean, I would highly recommend anybody that gets a chance to go to a Kevin Durant game, get there as early as you possibly can to see how he warms up. Like, it’s it’s not just for coaches that love that stuff. Anybody that watches how he gets ready for a game and obviously the proof is in his career. It’s one of the great thrills of watching a guy prepare, it is at the top of his craft, how he locks into every shot when he’s getting ready to play. still scores it at a high level and a super efficient level as well. Now in his late 30s out of bounds, it’ll be going Detroit’s way. But do you think the Rockets after they took a big step last year are positioned to do the same thing again this year, coach? Oh, absolutely. Kevin Durant can stay healthy and and and provide there’s just going to be a different confidence level playing with a guy like that. I mean, there just is. You can’t help but have it. And I think it’s going to make Fred Van Lee better. But let’s Reed Shepard has got to be able to get into that rotation and and has got to be able to do more than make shots. He’s going to have to be able to hold his ground defensively and be a solid help defender for this team. But I I have no doubt they can get better. The emergence of Tari E and Thompson and Smith Jr. has been excellent. Laneir got his man in the air and a soft touch from Chaz Laneir. He got eight points already to lead all scorers. Well, right now both our first round picks from last year have not had great starts. Going to be interesting to watch as we watch this game unfold their leadership. I like how Ron Holland decided to guard right there. That is one thing there’s no question about in his game. Shepard draws the contact and gets himself back to the free throw line. Well, he threw it up. You know, he sold it. You know, whether it was a foul, whether it wasn’t, he sold it. Then he’s doing the look at his arm. He’s looked at his arm five times trying to show everybody he did get fouled. And that’s what you got to be if you got to be. You got to go in there. You’ve got to have a little bit of acting ability, but you got to be able to get the shot off. That’s exactly what he did. You know, all the tricks in the book, Tom. Well, you have to learn them at a young age. And then, uh, you know, the younger players come up the ladder. They know all the drills. A lot of times they don’t know the how and the why, right? They know what it is. They don’t always know, well, how how do I get this? How do I get the the the the ref to buy it? How do I get this shot off? And when do I need it? Where do I use it? Guy like Reed Shepard’s known that for a long time. Yeah. At 6’3, 180. One of the smaller guys out there. Super skilled as he deflects that pass. Yeah, we were talking about this off air. The job John Caliperry and that staff did with him in a year’s time. There’s no way anybody saw him being the third pick in the draft. I mean, early pro, yes, but just goes to show, I mean, what what what John Caliperry has done, they’re over $4 billion in current NBA money right now. Over six million if you count his career. Or six billion. And it’s just amazing. And the average age of those guys is 26. Clinton missed a three rebound down to the big Moses Brown at 7 foot2. Do you know your number for Oh, yeah. Yeah, of course I do. It’s a little over 1.5 billion, which is pretty high, but it’s not 4 billion. Yeah, it’ll be over 15 this year, but but we’re not in Calipar’s park. Nobody is with the with the pro money. Just wait for Anthony Edwards to sign his next Oh, yeah. We’re going to keep going. Yeah. Clintman makes the catch as Holland has thrown a couple of nice lobs in this first quarter and the Pistons look great. Yeah, I like what Ron Holland’s doing. He’s regrouped from that technical. He’s locked in defensively moving the ball. I like his mindset. I like his intent. Holland hasn’t even taken a shot yet, but he’s got a couple assists. Here’s Cameron Matthews into Brown and it’s out of bounds off of Houston. Look at his play. Balls thrown up. That’s a beautiful pass. And we didn’t see it in that clip, but with that clip, but Clintman got out. All right. And he took off out of the corner when there was the change of pace. He took off. He read it perfectly. If you’re Bobby Clintman, and this guy had a heck of a last NBA game, he hit a three late in the game against Milwaukee when both teams were playing a lot of their G-League guys. People can say that’s a throwaway game. Those things are invaluable for those guys getting into games like that, even if you don’t play very much your rookie year. Clintman the 37th pick last year out of Wake Forest. Blocked that time by Chris Ledham. Ledlham, another guy who wrapped up his college career at St. John. Started at Harvard 43 in White. There’s Shepard for two. His first field goal. He started 0 for five. And I love that because he covered ground on his dribble. He separated and he covered ground. Bryce Williams steps into one and missed it. Williams a big time score. Nebraska. Bad pass ahead. Another Houston turnover. Holland lines it up and laces a three. Reach Shepard’s turnovers have not been of the intelligent sort right now with the passes that he’s making. He’s got to be more deceptive. He’s got great eyes, but he’s looking at his target on all of these passes and this league is too good. They read that too well. Shepard has three turnovers and now one for seven from the floor. Zakai Ziegler, another Tennessee guy. The undersized Zakai Ziggler has his first two of this first quarter. And Detroit’s opened up a 16-point lead. Out of bounds. It’ll stay with the Rockets. And the Pistons looking like they’re trying to win a Vegas championship out here on top by 16. I’m the guy sitting next to your girl on the kiss cam. And this game just got a lot more interesting. [Music] Sheila. Mom. Fire. And if you don’t have the right home coverage, you might have to kiss your savings goodbye. Let’s go beat it. So get off, save, save money, and be better protected from mayhem. Yeah, like me, bro. Gatorade has the number one proven electrolyte blend designed to hydrate better than water. Made to rehydrate, replenish, and refuel so you can lose more sweat and earn a place in history. Gatorade, is it in you? Pick a [Music] The night cap is Warriors Jazz. For some of us, the night cap is Backstreet Boys at the Sphere, which I’ve heard is a terrific show. Well, don’t worry. I’ll I’ll be doing our preparation for tomorrow’s Chicago Indiana game. You enjoy the concert. I know you’re going to be in white because our hotel, the Virgin Hotel, 80% of the people in there are head to toe. What? In white. It looks like Wimbledon. Oh my god. Yeah. Yeah. I I kept waiting for center and out to walk through there, but they didn’t. You catch any of that match this morning? I sure did. I sure did. Center. Wimbledon champ. My wife plays tennis six days a week. Tennis is on all the time at home. All the time. Led with the catch and Clintman is called for a chippy in the back court with two minutes to play here in the first quarter. It’s been all Pistons. See, if you’re a young player like that, you’re trying to impress JB Bicker staff and Tan Langden. You’ve got length. You don’t need to reach in there. That’s where you want to show that you can guard the ball, show your length, extend your hands, and don’t get a silly foul in the back court that you didn’t need. Here’s Germaine Samuels Jr., here. Former Villanova Wild cat just tosses it up. He’s got a chance at an and one. Well, he’s a tough guy. I mean, he was a tough guy in high school. He played for Jay Wright at Villanova. Did an outstanding job. He’s got a shot. You would you would characterize it as funky. This wasn’t a funky move. This was a great move. Created contact with the shoulder. Step through. Look at him raise his eyes. He We always talk about finishing with your eyes. You take the contact. That’s exactly what he did. He’s got a jump shot that kind of comes off. It’s kind of a push. It’s kind of funky, but it’s his shot and he’s starting to gain confidence in that. He He’s definitely trying to make a name for himself inside that organization as a young player. Well, Garrett Jackson, who’s coaching the Rockets summer league team for the second year in a row, he said it doesn’t matter if it looks unorthodox as it goes in. He must have used the term with these guys, confidence, right? Like three, four times talking about different guys. Shoot it with confidence. Play with confidence. Make the next play with confidence. Clintman on the catch in the lane. Shovel pass and a nice defensive play from Germaine Samuels as Bryce Williams was trying to finish inside. Yeah, and Bryce Williams had a heck of a career in college. Finished with Fred Hoyberg at uh Nebraska and had some outstanding games in the Big 10. Started out at Charlotte and played for Aaron Fern and before that Ron Sanchez and he can score the ball. It’s good to see him get an opportunity out here. Averaged more than 20 last year for the Huskers. Does Zagler see the clock? He’s blocked anyway by Led who’s talking to him. Yeah, you can’t do that. You’re a point guard. You can’t make that mistake. He should He He needed to attack sooner out of the corner. There wasn’t enough time. But his defensive mindset, tenacity, I got a feeling he’ll turn that back around right here. We got a technical foul. I didn’t see that. Chris Ledham. So, two T’s in the first quarter. One on Holland from Detroit. Now, one on Ledham from Houston. [Applause] Good for these refs. They’re buying for positions. We had the NBA Top 100 camp a few weeks back at Rock Hill, South Carolina, and all the people from the NBA are there to train the officials. I think they hired 10 people out of 36 to join the GLeague this year. I mean, this these are big deals for these officials to be on top of what the rules say, not what somebody wants them to call. That’s a good point. A lot of these officials are are trying out as well. Absolutely. They they want to go and you got it’s a who’s who of officiating here and I saw it a month ago like I said in Rock Hill. I mean this is serious business and you come in here you get a chance to be in the Vegas summer league as a player it’s a big deal but it’s a really big deal for an official that wants to grow in the game. Rockets in the bonus bonus it sends Chandler to the free throw line. Kennedy Chandler so much of his shooting whether it was college whether it’s now he walked right off the line on that free throw. Watch here. See if he holds his follow through. He He He He walked off the line. He pulled his follow through. You got to get your hand through the ball like that. That’s That’s his jump shot. That’s his free throw. That’s the one Achilles heel in his shot. It’s a little bit low, but it’s that follow through and finish for him. How much did your teams practice free throws when you’re coaching college? A ton. And we coached what I did, whether they liked it or not. We coached every free throw. I mean, I I would we we we didn’t go to we didn’t, hey, go to a basket and shoot free throws. We assigned the baskets. We assign coaches to be at the baskets and and we talk through the free throw because free throw shooting so many times becomes about reminders. It’s not necessar you change the technique in the offseason, but you have to remind them a lot of times during the season not to fall back. Hold the follow through. Don’t fall off the line. Don’t let your shoulders drop. Those are all important things. Clintman protecting the rim for the Pistons now bringing it up himself. Holland on the cut. Final minute of the first quarter. Now we’re going to see if Dante is doing what coach Jackson said. Getting down, guarding, moving his feet on an island against Holland who finds Clintit. Gives it up to TJ Bickerstaff. Ends up back with Holland in front of his bench. Missed the three. About a 3se second difference shot clock and game clock. Chandler will maestro this final possession of the I hope we get this. I hope they switch and we see Clint have to guard the ball here. Oh, offensive foul. Illegal screen on Samuels. Good call. Had to hold. No question about it. I I I think that’s been a little bit different just watching these games. They’re they’re calling a lot of hand contact, you know, moving screens, holding. I think it’s been pretty good. Look, he’s got his hands in there. Okay, it’s wrapped around. We can see that Clinton does the right thing. He shows his hands. He’s showing the ref. You got to call that. That’s a no-brainer call. Now, may not be a no-brainer call in April and May, but it’s certainly a no-brainer call in the middle of July. Here’s a defensive stopper, Malik Wilson, who who played at Houston. Zagler shot over him and shot an air ball. So Malik Wilson with some good defense to wrap up the first for the Rockets, but all Pistons in the opening 10 minutes. They lead it by 13. Second quarter on tap. Lowe’s knows you want your first cookout to leave a good first impression. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] off a big win. You’ve got a sizable lead right now. What’s working for you? Yeah, I mean, we’re just being super disruptive on defense and uh just really playing as a team and playing with pace. So, um, hopefully we’ll keep it up for the next three quarters. And then for your personal game, what are you working on in this summer league? Yeah. Um, I mean, just putting the ball in the basket, um, is what I do. So, really honing in on defense as well and, um, being disruptive and being on the same page as my teammates. All right. Good luck. Thank you. Thank you so much. All right. Melaner, talking about the defense, that’s the Pistons identity under JB Picker staff. They held the Rockets under 30% from the floor and forced them into six turnovers in the first quarter. Yeah, they do. And some of them were unforced. than what Reed Shepard did. But this is awesome that he’s getting guarded like this because he’s got to learn to separate. He’s got to learn to extend his speed. He’s got to change direction a little bit. Kon Harris, he is a scorer. There is no doubt about that. Don’t know if he called bank on that one, but he’s got seven to lead the way for the Rockets. Three for four from the floor for Cavon Harris. Back cut. No, they missed it. Here’s Holland. Tried to float it up there. Knocked away by Chandler. I thought Reed Shepard was the guard shot blocker on that team. That’s pretty impressive by Kennedy Chandler. That’s some serious bounce at 6’8. But that was not that was not a move that had a lot of chance. There was no force in that move at all. Ziggler on the inbound finds Trevor Kees, former Duke Blue Devil, and he throws it away. Shepard on the takeaway ahead to Chandler. Can’t lay it in and folly Dante with the offensive board. Chandler rise and fire comes up short. Tou Smith back in the game after his hot start in the first quarter. The big man going around the world. Miller caught Miss Detroit to Trey. Cop played his college ball at Northwestern and Indiana. Couple of stops in the Big 10. Now Shepard going back to work. Rough start for him in this game, but that’ll help. There you go. That you got to figure it out, you know, when you’re that size and you’re being guarded by bigger people. And again, he doesn’t do a lot with extending his feet offensively to get by you. He’s got incredibly quick hands as we just saw, but he’s got to be crafty and figure out a way to get his shot off on guys. Looked like he came up a little lame after making that play in the back court, but got the ball in his hands now. He’s all good. Chandler from the corner. Way too strong. No, you don’t want to take that shot right there in front of Eay Udoka. Raphael Stone, that’s not a good look for him. Ron Howen making string music from deep. Yeah, you want to be Kennedy Chandler. You want you want to get their attention with the ball movement, the attacks, the defense, not missing open threes. [Music] Watch Holland. Look at Tou Smith makes the pass right on time on target. Great job by Ron Holland stepping into that shot, knocking that down. Rhound the second I should say back at Ignite back in high school he’d have taken one or two dribbles tried to dunk the heck out of that thing but now he knows you got to be able to knock down that shot in the NBA. Ron Holland was four for five from distance in their first game here. He’s two for three today. Shepard that’s a nice move. Great job. He’s he’s he’s got to get that shoulder drop to get by people and we just saw him use it. Holland lines up another and Dante with the rebound for the Rockets. former Oregon Duck Harris, a two-way player for Houston. Lob it up to Dante who throws it down hard. Nice job. What a great job. Not only the catch and the dunk, but how he set it up. He accelerated on that slip. If we get a chance to see that again, he did a fantastic job with that. That looks simple. It’s not because he was coming into the screen roll. They refused it and he cut to the front of the rim for the lob. Man, the Rockets look energized to start this second quarter. Big run for them. Detroit needs a timeout. Reach Shepard’s hands, Drew. They are as quick as anybody’s out here. They’re Alex Caruso type quickness. Let’s look at this dunk right here as it comes off. And watch. There’s the setup. He explodes up in traffic. Knocks it down. Great pass. Great catch. Look at the hands. Quick. Takes it. Gets it in his left hand. Incredible hand speed. [Music] This melty white American cheese is the luckiest cheese alive. [Music] Hey. Hey. Hey. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Well, we are seeing double here at the Thomasson and Max Center. Both Thompson twins in the house as the Rockets play the Pistons. Assar sitting over there with his Pistons teammates, some men over on the sideline with a couple of his Rockets teammates. Have there ever been two twin brothers that were on first team all defensive team? We have to check that stat cuz that’s going to happen at some point. We’re going to check that right after we see if uh Vitalia Poppico has the most games played of any Well, we know that there’s nobody in here with 604. We’re pretty sure about that one. I’ll put I’ll put my money down on that table. Both of those guys, the Thompson twins, really fit the profile that both of these programs are trying to build. starting on the defensive end. Foul on Detroit. As good as they are, I mean, you look at them right now and we don’t have the three-point numbers up there. Their field goal percentages are good. They are they are two guys that are an allstar game away from just being a little bit more reliable with the three because they’ve got everything else. And once they hit that three, those all-star games, that high level basketball is going to be there for a long time because there’s not a lot of things they don’t do. In a league full of elite athletes, they are the elite of the elite. They’re in they’re in the top they’re in the top three to 5% at at worst. Great. OAR going to work out of bounds. Stays here with six to shoot. You get a chance to watch one of the Thompson twins in person, I highly recommend it. They they are amazing. Amazing to watch. You should have seen him in a those were shows. You know when those guys when there was open floor play it was a show. A late whistle. Cavon Harris draws the foul on Danish Jenkins and free throws coming for the Rockets who are outscoring the Pistons 10 to3 in this second quarter. Harris had a strong year for College Park of the G-League last year. Signed a two-way contract last week with the Rockets. He’s a survivor. He’s a guy that he just keeps he just keeps finding away. He makes it really really hard for you to say no to him. He’s tough. He’s from Georgia. Went to DME Academy in high school. Stephen F. Austin did a great job there. And and this is a guy that he just keeps coming, right? You you do, you know, you’re in for a long day when you got to go against him in practice and he’s trying to get your spot. You may get it, but it ain’t going to be easy. Just a reminder, summer league action continues in Vegas on NBA TV, ESPN, and the ESPN app. Miami and Cleveland tonight, 7:30 Eastern. Milwaukee and the Clippers at 9:30 and then tomorrow Atlanta Houston and Charlotte Dallas. He’s got his own rebound. That’s what you’re talking about. Look at the scrap from Harris. Shepard calls for it and hits a three. Beautiful. Again, he can knock it down. He’s tough. He’s got swagger. He’s a guy he will keep shooting it even if it’s not going in because he’s highly, highly confident. This was the second best catch and shoot three-point shooter in college. She was the number one overall three-point shooter in college. He just lines this up. Great catch. Hands are ready. Quick release. Head stays on the rim. Uh holds the follow through. I mean, you can’t draw it up a lot better than that. And and as he gets that separation game and being able to get by people, um that’s going to make his three that much better. His hands are unbelievable through the pass wasn’t great, but he’s so quick. This is the Reed Shepard game in the second quarter. out of bounds off the Rockets, but they have trimmed this lead all the way down to two after they trailed by 13 after one. Yeah, he’s got the uncanny hand speed, foot speed, quick twitch, block shots, reaction. I always said if he was a soccer player, we’d be talking to him about one of the one of the best in the in the country. Almost had another steal there on the gamble. Chaz Laneir with it for the Pistons into the corner. Bryce Williams. Shot clock gets low and a bailout call against the Rockets. It’s on great OAR. One of the best names in college basketball for the last five years. Montana State for two years, Utah State for a year and then wrapped it up at Washington. Shepard defending Jenkins. Screen from Baker Staff. Williams stole from his own teammate. Now Jenkins for three and he’s got a chance at four. That play just it it it took so long for Houston to react to that play and Reed gets his hands up late, hits him. But again, we said at the beginning of the show, Danish Jenkins has improved so much as a catch and shoot shooter since college. You can see it lines it up. Reed comes into him, he reacts late. He moves on the catch rather than on the pass. Not a hard foul, but just enough. Gets in his path. Great concentration by Jenkins. They’re going to take a look at this to see if it is a flagrant foul. This is a a fairly new rule in the NBA as of a couple years ago, trying to protect shooters, give him a chance to own their landing space. So, if Shepard got underneath Jenkins as he was coming down to the ground, this could be upgraded to a flagrant foul, trying to avoid those bad ankle injuries that happen a lot of the time. Yeah, I don’t see that. I just see a guy that reacted late. I understand the rule. I mean, he wasn’t down, right? I mean, and that’s if if you’re Re Shepard, you’ve got to treat defense and you’ve got to treat health defense and being ready to challenge shooters like that’s the most important thing you’re doing cuz that’s how you’re going to get on the floor playing for the Rockets. I think that’s move on. So, he’s just a split second late to react. Yeah. Yeah, it is. He’s just and he’s so quick, right? That that’s you got to take your strengths, which is his hand speed, his reaction speed up to a flavor. Penalty one for a reckless close out by Shepard. Jenkins is going to shoot two free throws to make one point. And then Detroit will get the ball free throw line extended either side with 24 on the shot clock. All right, so there’s the call from Tyler Ricks, but think about that. So they’ve already made a three, a chance to make a free throw here and then get the ball back. And that’s how different the NBA game is from college, right? that it to the average eye that doesn’t look that slow getting out there, right? But he caught it. He was in his shot before Reed Shepard really reacted to the shot. He leaves his feet. He doesn’t go really. He kind of lunges and he gets caught on a on a flag. If if he’s going to stick in the rotation, Reese Shepard’s got to be able to guard. I mean, that that is Eime Udoka and this Rocket’s identity. And there he is not letting Jenkins land. They were fifth in the league in defensive rating last season. That is where they they buttered their bread. Yeah, and I I look at it this way. Some people are going to say, “Well, you know, their defense is so good, they can cover for him.” Those veterans don’t want to cover for anybody. They want somebody that is in there that is locked into guarding. They’ll understand maybe what you don’t have as long as you’re bringing everything that you do have, especially if you’re a team that has championship aspirations. Shepard trying to make up for it. They’re all over Jenkins. Good defense inside from OAR and Harris there. Now go by him. Go by him. Separate and go. Jenkins staying attached to Shepard trying to use the OAR screen. Launches a long three. Comes up way short now. One for five from outside the ark. Ke is fouled by Harris. Both these teams are going to be physical. Yeah, absolutely. And and it’s a combination of learning how to play physical for your team because you try and impress the franchise, but the referees are got to got to do the job they’ve got to do. And that that becomes that becomes a challenge. But you got to figure it out. I mean, they’re giving them lessons. Figure out how to get your hands out. Show your length. My Clintman on top pounding the ball at 6’9. The Swedish big trying to get fancy. It’ll stay here with nine to shoot. See, and that’s where Clint is is. He’s trying to make a play, but he’s not really looking at making the pass. And there was nowhere really to go. Almost got to start your action what you’re looking for before you even start your move. Bigger snap on the offensive rebound. That’s what made him good in college, but taken away by Gavon Harris. Hits it ahead for a big time jam from Adonis Arms. Yeah, I like Adonis Arms. Played at Texas Tech. This guy’s been around aggressive, tough, been well coached, hard coached, knows what it takes. And Kio’s right back at you with a little teardrop. And we haven’t seen him shoot a three yet, but Trevor Kees has improved his three-point shooting so much, Drew. Last year in the G G- League, this is a guy that came out a year, his first year after Duke, went to the Knicks, and is trying to carve out a spot in the NBA. Him making shots, making runners in the lane will help. Still just 21 years old. Shepard again got his hand on a pass. Reed Shepard in the mix on the deck fighting with Bobby Clintman. I like we see the toughness, man. I mean, he’s he is definitely a tough kid. Look at the hands. He’s aggressive. Now, this is effort, man. Gets back in the play first of the floor. Clintman’s down there, too. They’re fighting for it. They’re scrapping for it. If if if Reed Shepard can figure out how to play lower, take some bigger steps, be better in that recovery game and a help and recover type thing with his speed of recovery and and really learn how to cover some ground, he’s going to be just fine defensively. He’s certainly tough enough on the jump ball. He’s given up six inches here against Clintman. See what kind of springs Reed Shepard has here. Pretty good. Knocks it ahead. Kennedy Chandler ahead of the pack. Showtime from Kennedy Chandler at 6 feet tall and Reed Shepard. What a play. That’s like a volleyball pass. He’s It’s all in there for Reed Shepard. Really is. Laneir missed it. Bicker staff working hard on the glass drawing a foul on Houston. T you sometimes he tricks you as an athlete, but there it is. He gets up. Great timing, great hands, great tip. Reed does so many little things. You know, they’re more than intangibles. They’re athletic plays that he can make and if he can just clean up the turnovers and clean up like we talked about with some of the the defensive efforts, he will help the Rockets this year. Rockets in his own look here. There’s Kes. That’s what you were looking at. The three-point stroke and that’s a thing of beauty. So much different than what it was in college and early in the NBA. And he’s got confidence when he takes it right now. Even his misses look like they’re going. And watch him set this up. He gets the pass again. The pass is on time. It’s on target. He rises up. Look at his eyes. Stays in it. Holds the follow through. Gives a signal. Let’s go, Trevor. Lowe’s knows rewards members save more. And now during member week at Lowe’s, all rewards members can save up to 40% with big deals on select products and home essentials. Join for free and save. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey. [Music] Hey. Hey. [Music] Heat. Hey, Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] But this kid’s a worker. You can see it. He’s He’s done a lot to improve his body, but there’s a lot of meat on the bone for him to continue to get better. No doubt. There’s no question he sees himself as the leader of this Rocket summer league club. Fouls on Clintman for a push out top. And Shepard still talking with Tyler Ricks. Yeah, they’re calling this game tight. And again, it may not be pleasing to the eye, but for these players to learn how to get down, to learn how to guard guards if you’re Bobby Clintman, to not put your hands and body in first, but to cover that ground, that’s what you got to have. Great steal. Jenkins says, “Give me that on a piler and a punch. Danish Jenkins and one.” Got some dabs from his Pistons teammates over there on the baseline. Yeah, this guy’s a tough guy. Danish Jenkins is a tough guy. Great read. He again, the pass, he could read it the whole way. Got his outside hand. Another Rick Rick Patino staple. Steal the ball with the outside hand. That’s exactly what he did. Gets it. And we were always taught that you get a good two to three steps on the recovery if you can get that outside hand steel. That’s exactly what Jenkins did there. Pistons lead back to nine. Javon Harris has shot the ball well. Three for four from the floor. Nine points. Shepard leads away with 14. Harris creates some space. Mid-range jumper won’t go. Yeah, Detroit’s playing with the uh the 3se second call a little bit right now. Be interesting to see. We had one of those calls early. Their help defense is is staying in that lane a little bit. You can get away with it, keep doing it. Force the refs to call it. Straight line drive. It’s Danish Jenkins again. He’s up to 14 leading the way for Detroit. He was he was just a fine for them on the uh on that GLeague team with the Crews last year. I mean, you can tell he comes he’s efficient. He’s trying to lead and he’s made fast improvements in his offensive game. Yeah, he had a tremendous city playing for a tremendous season playing for Motor City last year. That’s a foul on Jenkins. Now, if you’re the players, okay, we’re in the first half. How many of those calls that we had that are hand you got to recognize how the game is being called and and and that’s so important. You can’t get away. It’s a physical game, but it’s not a game where you can hold. And the quicker you can figure that out and still be aggressive without fouling, you know how they’re calling it. Figure it out and adjust. And it is a tight whistle. Three fouls combined in 18 minutes of play. These refs want to get paid too, Drew. Like you, they want they want to they want to rise up the ladder. Want a little air time. Shot clock down to three. Here’s Chandler defended by Laneir. College teammates against each other. And Chandler got the best of him that time. Now get up there and guard him, Reed Shepard. Let’s see. Let’s see that defense. Get down there and play. There you go. And there’s a foul against Harris. Another foul. Rockets number. Good job by Kennedy Chandler. He keeps the dribble alive. He doesn’t have a play. Sets him up. Leaves his feet. Laneir does. He scores with the layup. Coach Jackson told us before the game, they want to see Reed get up into the ball more. They pick the ball up earlier. Get up into it before the ball screen is called. play off the communication from the big more and do his work early. Laneir right back at you. That’s doing your work early right there. Chaz Laneir is always ready to shoot. He was at North Florida. He was under Rick Barnes at Tennessee and he’s doing the same thing in Detroit. Shepard catches that lollipop pass, takes a peek over at Jay Flores saying that was a foul. Just launches it from the parking lot. That’s not a good shot. Yeah, Reed’s not there yet where he can get distracted with what’s not getting called, right? This is where you want to play. You’re not at that point yet. You know, maybe at some point you will be, but but he hasn’t shown that he can he can go at the refs. He can be mad about a call and then turn around and and prove his point. Just play. [Music] Pistons in the bonus. sends Ron Holland to the free throw line. See, I don’t like this. The referee right here. Okay. End the conversation right now because now you’re giving everybody else on the team the ability and the license to think that they can talk to you or at length, which is what we see right here about anything. That That’s not what this is. That’s not what’s teaching these guys how to move to a next play. Yeah. This game is a physical game. They’re calling some tight plays. Yeah. Was it a foul? Probably was. Uh did he lose his balance? He probably did. You know, it’s all part of it. That’s where you just want to keep going. Don’t try to prove your point with a shot. Keep making a play for your team. The Pistons lead is up to 14. They’re nine for nine at the free throw line as a team. Sheepard can’t put it in, but got the whistle. And more free throws coming in this first half, which is approaching an hour. See, now that would aggravate me to no end right now that the referee that he was talking to at length about the call that he didn’t get, she’s the one that makes the call at the rim. And maybe it was a foul, but that’s not what you want to give these players. You don’t want to give them make your point. Say this is what it is and move on because that’s what they do at the highest level. All right? And that’s what these players have got to learn. And that’s why sometimes they get fool’s gold thinking they can get away with things with the referees. They’re never going to get away with those during the regular season. Play the Emirates NBA Cup tips October 31st. The much anticipated tournament returns with all 30 teams in group play and eight advancing to the knockout rounds, but only one will capture the cup. Visit nba.com/nbacup to learn more. Final minute of the second quarter. Jenkins finger roll is good and another chance at an and one for Dannis Jenkins who’s got his fingerprints all over this first half. Yeah, he really does right now the Pistons are bearing down and they’re playing right. They’re not getting distracted. They’re playing. It’s a physical game. Great job. Gets inside. Gets the snake dribble inside. All right. And goes to the rim. Dante gets his hands up late. Great finish by Jenkins. Great change of pace. was an efficient stat line for Dennis Jenkins. 23 years old, enters his second year as a pro. Laneir defending Chandler. By the way, should correct. They weren’t teammates at Tennessee. Lir got there a few years after. Spent four years at North Florida. They can both go back for homecoming weekend. Yes, they can. They both like that creamsicle shade of orange. Yeah. And they both played for Rick Barnes, which there’s a lot of things worse in life than that, right? That’s a man belongs in the Hall of Fame. I hope it doesn’t take much longer for him to get in there because he is an outstanding coach. One of the toughest people to go against year in and year out and just keeps finding ways to make players better, reinvent. That league is so good. I mean, the SEC is so loaded and he’s been a winner everywhere he’s been. Yeah. when you were getting ready to play Tennessee under Rick Barnes, what was the first thing you thought of? Well, you you you can’t get out toughed and that’s a lot easier said than done cuz you talk about physical. I mean, they’re very very physical. My first year in that league, they had Grant Williams uh inside of it who was ended up being player of the year. But you also had to you what what Rick does and what Chaz Laneir was so good at there is he teaches curl screens and reading screens and coming off looking for those shots as well as anybody. Does a lot of things well. But Jenkins going for the two for one. and he’s fouled. Shooting a three again. Three free throws coming. Guards are a little distracted right now for Tennessee right now. It it just keep figuring out what the game is. This is where the the front office, the head coach, the assistant coaches, they want to see how do you handle some conflict? How do you handle things that aren’t going your way? How do you make a play after the play you just made wasn’t good enough? And and and and the big word is maturity, but it’s more than that. You got to be able to process the game quickly and move on. You know, mental toughness a lot of times is a short memory and and too many times young players, they stay in the last play. They stay in what didn’t happen instead of moving right on. And right now in this game, so far in the first half, the Pistons have been the ones moving on. They dominated the first quarter. Rockets cut all the way into that lead to start the second. Shepard dominated the game and then the Pistons have punched back to extend it all the way to 16. Now 17 as Jenkins cashes in on all three free throws. 15 points in the second quarter for Danish Jenkins. Yeah, you do a good job right now with Detroit. You don’t foul. You’re going to get a look at the end of this. You want to get a great shot if you’re Houston. Force the switch. Shepard sets the screen. Chandler snakes it in the lane. Missed the shot. Offensive rebound. Samuels. Kick it out. Harris. He missed the triple. Rebound down to Clintman. Good hands from Cameron Matthews. Now 2 seconds. 1 second. Laneir. It’s a bomb and it won’t go. But what a first half for the Detroit Pistons looking to move to 2 and 0 here in Vegas. Yeah, they really have turned it up. They had that rough few minutes in the second quarter and they said enough of that. Here we come. Going to be an interesting second half. Your cheeseburger deserves a nice [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey, [Music] hey, hey. [Music] college, right? So, what’s the story behind 12? Um um that was the original number that money on the war. Okay. Um so he wore it last year actually. Oh, you did? Okay. Just you know bringing it back my first year, you know, all humble beginnings. It’s where I began. So that’s where I’m going to begin in the league as well. And like a lot of young players like to score, right? So when do you think you adopted that to be such a paramount of your game? It was at Wasatch. Okay. Got it. Coach P. Coach P really really hammered that into into our our team and our system of really being defensive minded, really getting the ball out in transition and stuff like that. Really keep it popping. And I feel like I really adapted it through that. And then obviously with coach Paris and their coaching staff at South Carolina, we had the same philosophy was just get stops and run. How have you kind of enjoyed Vegas so far? Um, and how does it match up to what you heard about it? Well, it’s it’s been amazing. Um, the group of guys that we have felt like it’s unmatched. the chemistry that we already have. We’ve only been around each other for less than a month. Yeah. And and what what we’ve been able to accomplish um you know on and off the court with how we interact with each other. It’s been it’s been amazing. One in a lifetime like feeling for real. Okay. So I’m going to ask you to rank these former all-time great Raptors in your opinion. Right. So we have Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Kyle Lowry, Demard Rosen, and Chris Bos. Give me one through five in your service. I mean, you can just pick your favorite out of the five if you want. I’ll have to go with him. Okay. That’s that’s that’s Raptor culture right there. He’s what created Raptors culture and him and Tracy McGrady. So, I got to pay tribute to to a great one, great legend. For people who haven’t seen you play all that much, who uh do you think your game resembles? I don’t like to really resemble my game after somebody. Yeah. But I like to watch the game a lot. I’m real big student of the game. A lot of people say that Draymond, which I like that because of how intense he is. He won hustle player of the year, right? What Aaron Gordon did in this past playoffs was something I feel like I can make an impact on in my team. Absolutely. His his aggression, his physicality. Um he did all the little things that that the Nuggets needed. Right. Well, we we all can’t wait to watch the journey and I appreciate the time today, Kyle. Yes, sir. Thank you. Grind hard. Push pull. Chin up. Drop. Run it back. Grind hard. Push. Pull. Chin up. The king is back. Grind hard. Push. Pull. Chin up. The king is back. Grand entrances need a grand Highlander. Toyota. Let’s go places. Oh, look. I’m bottomless. Just like bottomless apps for $9.99 at Buffalo Wild Wings. That’s right. You can get bottomless mop sticks, fried pickles, and so much more for you and all your bottomless friends. Bottomless apps for $9.99 only at B-Dubz. What are you doing? Crunching numbers on every NBA matchup. But with the NBA app, you get real time stats and highlights while you watch all season long. We’re talking exciting plays, buzzer beaters, and behind the scenes access to the league’s brightest stars. All season, all free. [Applause] Thank you. You are welcome. You don’t get no second chances in March. This is what we’ve been prepared for. It does not get much bigger than this. I play for those three letters on our chest. To me, it really means something. When things get tough, my teammates look to me to be a leader. This is a big moment. I knew that I was going to have to step up. It’s sweeter if it’s harder to get what you want. Welcome back to the NBA 2K26 Summer League. All Pistons in that first half. Rockets made a nice little run to start the second quarter. Pistons responded in a big way. Thanks for hanging out with us here on this Sunday. Along with the coach, Tom Green. I’m Drew Carter. So, coach Dana Jenkins, he comes into this game. He’s a G-League star last year. And he’s not the biggest name on either of these rosters. And he’s the best player on the floor in the first half. Absolutely. Because he’s the best leader on the floor right now. He’s doing things. He’s showing his strengths, but he’s also showing his improvement as we watch. He’s become so much better as a catch and shoot. There he gets a back cut and a pass from Toloo Smith. There he lines it up in the corner. Holds the follow through. Takes a challenge at the close out. There he gets fouled. Has the presence of mind to stay in his shot as Reed Shepard gets under him. Gets a great outside hand steel. Gets to the rim. Gets the finish. He is a He is energizing his teammates on both ends of the floor cuz he’s not only scoring, he is moving the ball and he is leading the team. had 20 points on just eight shot attempts for Jenkins. Chaz Laneir shooting the lights out. Three for six from downtown. Shepard ball dominant player for Houston, but struggling with the shot. Just five for 14 and a few turnovers as well. I’m anxious to see how Reed cuz he it could be one of those things. He’s not going to play a lot more summer league games. Maybe he is. We don’t know that. But you want to make sure that you come out of this knowing that you got better. And right now too much frustration for him in that first half. He’s got to re respond right now and just play the game the right way that he’s capable of doing. A lot of chatter with the officials trying to go glass there on the first shot of the third quarter. Missed it and folly Dante fighting for the rebound. Ron Holland comes away with it for the Pistons. Nice pass. Great feed Clint to Smith and Toou Smith will head to the free throw line. Bobby Clintman. I know how disappointed Steve Forbes was when when Bobby left Wake Forest after one year. I thought he was going to be a star if he stayed another year. He goes overseas, comes back, gets drafted 37th in the second round, plays in the G-League. He is showing a skill set. That is a very good pass from a 68, 6’9 player, throwing it to Tou Smith, who did a great job getting out and running on the break. We’ve seen Clintman handle the ball a bunch in this game, too. Yeah. And that was the big storyline for him outside of what Ron Holland the second did the other day was how Bobby Clintman passed the ball. And I think that’s um he said he he was brought up as a passer. He said he first introduction to basketball was as a point guard because his older brother uh who he played with back overseas was the was the main guy. So he had to learn how to play point. I don’t think he was 69 then but but uh he’s definitely taken those skills and and brought him a long way. Lame violation on Kon Harris from the Rockets. So to Smith will shoot his second free throw again. Clintman grew up in Sweden. Played eight games for the Pistons last year. Coach mentioned a a big shot toward the end of the regular season when some younger guys were getting some looks and on the road at Milwaukee, too. I think it was on the road. So, trying to carve out a spot in the rotation here for a Pistons team that’s on the rise. One of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history last season. First team in the league ever to triple their win total from a year before. Protecting the rim well there as their lead has ballooned to 19. Laneir gets to his spot. Elbow jumper comes up short. Here’s Kievon Harris through the lane for two. Yeah, great job attacking the rim. The Pistons on uh on Friday were much more about playing on the side. Today they’re really trying to get the ball up into the middle of the floor. Good shot by Laner. It just didn’t go, but you got to get back when you get penetration like that from the ball handler. Harris the second rocket in double figures. He’s got 11. Clitman for three. That line drive delivery looks good. It’s a long two. Yeah, he he he looked like he’d worked on something there. He brought that thing crossed on the sideep, got the crossover, and knocked it down. Cameron Matthews, no dice. Here comes Clintman again. Summer League head coach Fatali Popico said he’s gotten so much better as a slasher and a driver. We’ve seen him round out his game. Shepard will let it fly from anywhere. Holland his shadow right now. 10 to shoot as Shepard backed into a corner. Dant is the outlet. Good recovery from Clintman. Feet inside and Harris gets two more. Nice play. And if you’re guarding Reed Shepard right now, you don’t want to trap cuz he’s going to find that he’s going to find the open man. What you want to do is switch and force him to see if he can get around you. The switch a lot of times is more important than the trap. See right here they bring the Jolu Smith leaves. Dante catches it at the high post. They rotate. The bottom man gets caught. He finds him cuz Clintman is there to play that pass. Kvon Harris reads it. Gets to the basket. Really nice pass from Dante Laneir. Way too much space for him. He missed the shot. Here’s Chandler on the run out. Shepard trailing the play again, defended by Holland. These are two top five picks from last year’s draft. Going toe-to-toe. Another bad pass. Clintman had it for a second. Matthews finds Dante for the jam. Great play by Cam Matthews. Had a very, very good career at Mississippi State under Ben Howland and Chris Jans. The Rockets announced today that he signed a contract with a big club. So, congrats to Cam Matthews, twotime all SEC First team defense. Clintitman is behind the play. Chandler takes advantage again. Nice pass to transition. D is not there right now uh for the Pistons. There is no doubt about that. Got to get that figured out. They’re getting they’re getting shots, but they’re not getting back. And right now, Houston is taking advantage of that. Chipping into this Pistons lead with a 6-0 run. And another tickytac foul on the perimeter. It’s on Chandler. Mel’s got more on Cam Matthews. Yeah, I do. I talked to his mom, Ruthie Matthews. She’s a proud mama to say the least. But she said, “Listen, I’m a mama bear to all of these guys.” I asked her, “Do you talk ball with your son?” She said, “No.” Ever since he was a kid, as young as five, six years old, he would come home from basketball practice and she would ask how it would go. He said, “I don’t want to talk about it with you, mom. I want us to keep our relationship mom and son and I’ll worry about the basketball thing on the court.” Well, I’m sure she is happy today as Holland finishes and he’s fouled. Really nice finish. Got the ball out in front. Got to the other side of the rim. We’re talking about this before the game, Drew. Cam Matthews, well, we’ll get to him, but watch this play. Holland catches it, rips it up, puts the ball out in his left hand. All right. Sees Dante there, has a great great step, covers ground off his dribble, gets to the other side of the board. Beautiful shot. should go try out for Cir to Sole here in Vegas with some like that. Oh, I believe so. They’ll probably be at Backstro Backstreet Boys tonight, too. Yes, I’ll see. Cam Matthews, only guy in the SEC history. We were talking about this. 950 plus points, 850 plus rebounds, 350 plus assists, 250 plus steals in his SEC career. Two-time all SEC defensive team. and and you can tell why he’s got an opportunity cuz he is a he is a hustle, make effort plays, rebound cut. He’s got to get the shot better. Shepard got it back after the miss 10 to shoot. He’s got Clintman on on the perimeter looking to take the big man to the rack and he does with a nifty finish. That might be the best play Reed Shepard’s made all day. Got the man on his side, pushed the dribble out. All right, they couldn’t get to the block shot. Got to the other side of the board. Beautiful move. Brown with the steal. Ahead to Wilson for the flush. Malik Wilson played his college ball at Houston. Now playing his pro ball for Houston. They force a Detroit timeout. 12-point lead for the Pistons. Vitali Popico wants to talk it over. We’ll be talking with a Rockets head coach Emeoka when we return. Lowe’s knows you want your first cookout to leave a good first impression. And with convenient same day deliver [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] K26 Summer League and welcome back to Vegas where the Pistons lead the Rockets by 12 midway through the third quarter and it is a pleasure to be joined now by Rockets head coach Eay Udoka. Eay, thanks for doing this. What’s your favorite part about coming to Vegas for summer league? getting a chance to watch young guys uh you know watch the coaches develop as well but uh chance to see some guys in different roles um you know obviously want to see these guys confident aggressive and see what can carry over into the regular season. I’d heard from Ed Pikney back about a month ago some of the battles that were going on inside your workout facility between Ben Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. what what do you see uh for those two guys as far as the way they battle together and what they can do um moving forward into this next year? Yeah, I think all our guys are very competitive obviously the depth that we have and all these guys kind of coming up together. Uh they always go at it but uh fight together on the court even more than they do with each other and so uh yeah it’s always great to sharpen sharpen your tools against some really high level defenders. I think all these guys have a competitive nature. We’ve seen that from day one and um they’ve both grown together and um you know the future’s bright with these two and and love to see them going at it but like I said they all have each other’s back on the court when it comes game time. Now Rafael Stone said that you’re not a developmental team anymore and we saw that last year. You guys are the two seed in the West seven game series against the Warriors. What’s the key for your group to take another step after you just took a huge one? You know, I think the the IQ department is a big one. uh experience is a big thing and and having that playoff experience and going through the MCE tournament and some of these uh very challenging situations this year will bode well for us going forward. And so uh when you have the amount of young guys we had there’s a first time for everything and I think they’ve gone through that now and have those experiences to kind of uh kind of carry over into next year. And so you add the add the vets that we’ve added. I think those guys have helped expedite the process with our young guys as far as growth. But now it’s up to them to do the experience and they’ve done that last year and looking forward to it next year. Let’s talk about Jabari Smith Jr. for a minute. He gets a contract like that. We all know I’ve known him since the 10th grade how competitive he is. What do you want to see him for sure take the next step on on both ends of the floor right now as he goes into this year with you? You know, a big thing for excuse me, big thing for Jabari was uh, you know, growing in the strength department and, uh, people don’t realize how young he is coming out Auburn after one year, and that’s going to take some time. You know, everybody doesn’t pack on muscle as fast as I’m in or some of these guys. And so, you’ve seen him grow in that department so far in the offseason. I think uh, his strength on both both ends of the court that will help obviously defending and and driving to the basket with confidence. And we’ve seen him take a big step so far in the in the postseason so far. So those things will be good for him going forward. But just to continue to be aggressive, hunt his shots. Uh continue to work on his handle and all the things that we kind of shared with them. That was Tou Smith with a big stuff on one end. Offensive rebound to Moses Brown out of bounds. It’ll be Pistons ball. Now the big news in the offseason is you guys bringing in Kevin Durant, a guy you worked with when you were in Brooklyn and you played against as well. Have you seen the clips circulating on social media of you locking up Kevin Durant? I’ve never locked up Kevin D. I’ll just start with that. But if he misses a shot, it probably has nothing to do with a 65 guy trying to contest him. And so, uh, you know, I remember obviously him coming in as a rookie and saw the growth that he had from year year one to year two to year three. And obviously he’s carried that through his whole career, but uh, yeah, working with him in Brooklyn and Team USA was really good for um, me to see the day-to-day development. I think those things will be big for our young guys to see as well. one of the hardest workers, extremely uh diligent in his craft and obviously very competitive on the court. So that’ll continue to rub off on our guys like Fred and some of the other vets did the other day when uh Raphael said that that Reed Shepard has to basically get into that rotation. It’s it’s got to happen now. What do you want to see from him on the defensive end that is going to not only give you confidence as a head coach, but is really I think sometimes people lose sight. Well, you got a really good defensive team, so they’ll just cover for him. No, really good defensive players want to make sure everybody else is giving their best effort and energy, too. What What do you think he has to bring for his teammates to see that he belongs out there on the court with them on the defensive end when they’re trying to lock down and win games? Yeah, it’s really to take that challenge and have the defensive mindset. Uh, you know, he has really good hands and you see the steel numbers that he has today and yesterday and last game. um we want him to take the initial hit a little bit better, not not give up the blowbyss and rely on reaching and those things, but uh take that challenge. Uh teams went after him was no secret early in the season last year. And so you’ve seen him take steps in that already, but we don’t want to have any weak links on our on the court. And you know, guys take pride in not being a defensive liability. So he’s taken on that challenge. Everybody knows the shot creation and um obviously the IQ that he has, but a big thing for us is guarding. You know, all of our guys being able to guard and he’s really grown in that department. lost it there. Pistons with another takeaway. 20-point lead here inside of four minutes to play in the third. And we just saw Dorian Finny Smith walking by. We talked about Kevin Durant already. I mean, as a coach, does it make your job a little more simple when you have those vets in the room as opposed to an entirely young team? Yeah, it’s obviously different. We, you know, when I got here, we had seven uh first round draft picks in the last three, four years. And um still have a really young core with five of those guys still here. But um anytime you can add those guys, obviously their IQ, the experience, like I mentioned, those things go a long way. But you know, credit to Fred and Dylan and Jeff Green and all the guys that we did bring in that allowed our young guys to grow, but at the same time, uh shared those experiences with them. And now you add Kevin and Dorian and Stephen Adams came along. Clint Capella coming now. So it’s a really good mix of youth and experience now. And so, uh, but we don’t want to rely on the vets to come in to save the day. We’ve always said that the most growth we’ll have is by the young guys taking steps and they’re continuing to do that. With all the maturity and and that that that G that you gain as they grow and get older and grow together like that, you bring in a KD, you bring in Clint Capella. When you look back at last year, you see maybe there’s something on both sides of the ball that you say we are going to have to address this immediately in the in the fall and when we get to camp for us to take the steps that we want to take as a team cuz obviously the next step is is to be good enough to win the championship cuz you’re right there. Is there something that you look back at from the season you’ve studied in the offseason that says we’ve got to be better on both sides of the ball in these key areas? Yeah, I would say the one that stands out is some of the shooting numbers. Uh, you know, we got we want to shoot a better from three. Obviously, um, have had some guys that had really good years. Um, but you add some guys as well. Obviously, Kevin coming and being a part of that will definitely help, but like I said, we’re not just relying on him. We need guys to continue to work on their shot creation. Uh, other guys be able to create for each other and not just relying on Alpie in the post or Fred handling pick and roll or, you know, Kevin to bail us out. Everybody else to grow in that area. So we look at Tari, Amen, Jabari, the young guys that we have, they’ve taken those steps and that’s really been a focus of theirs in the offseason to continue to grow as a team and the more weapons we have out there, the better we’ll be. You’re a great athlete yourself. You’ve coached a lot of amazing athletes. Where is Amen Thompson on the scale? Like I said, I am didn’t lock up KD and great athlete is something I probably haven’t heard much, but fine. So Bruce’s like on retainer right here with your athleticism. That’s pretty cool. You got to see the clip of him locking up KD. I’m going to use that term again. But for all the guys you’ve coached, Amen Thompson, does he even pop among those guys from an athletic perspective? Absolutely. From day one, we saw that and um you know, it was it was striking to see him in person and the quick twitch he has. But yeah, he’s he’s a freak as far as that. um ultra competitive and and also uh really good good guy off the court, great player and he’s continuing to work extremely hard, but doesn’t just rely on his athleticism, wants to be all-around player, but that part some of those things you can’t emulate and he has those natural tools and abilities that most people don’t have. He’s a special guy. Euda, special coach. Thanks for coming over, man. Appreciate it. Thank you. Have fun. Good luck this season. Thank you, guys. Appreciate it. I know what you’re thinking. Total glow up. What’s our secret? Fine, I’ll spill. I totally upgraded with Verizon. Everyone gets a free phone with any plan, even if you’re already a customer like me. Now I have Google Gemini. It’s like a little glam squad in my pocket. Gemini, what eye makeup goes with this lipstick? I’d suggest a classic cat eye. Wow. Setting the bar high for daycare pickup. [Music] Get in on this. The Bush Guide. Cold and smooth survival skills. My watch is broken. You could tell time by measuring the sun’s distance from the horizon. Looks like happy hour. Head for the [Music] [Music] used in any form without the express written consent of the NBA. Well, the NBA family is heartbroken by the loss of life and the devastation caused by the flooding across the Texas Hill Country. In a powerful show of unity, the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs are teaming up to support those impacted. All three teams will be wearing Texas Strong warm-up shirts during summer league. These shirts are available now for purchase with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Texas Sport for Healing Fund. To learn more, visit NBA Cares.com. Rockets and Pistons here late third quarter. Welcome back to the Thomas and Max Center. Great to have Eme Udoka with us earlier on. And Kevin Durant. Yeah, speaking of Texas basketball, KD, former Longhorn now joining the Rockets this season and they expect to contend in the Western Conference. Well, I think he hit it and we could have we could have talked about that forever. The what they’re going to gain from being around KD and his work ethic and how he prepares and and the way he gets ready for games and just obviously the confidence that he brings to older or young players. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun watching that team grow. And beyond that, just in basketball terms, I mean, they really need a guy who can shoot. He That was the first thing you said when you asked him what needs to improve to take another step. It’s shooting. Yeah. And that’s exactly why the Reese Shepard defense and those type of things become important, too, because now all of a sudden, whether Reed’s on the ball or off the ball, you got to guard him every possession. So, that that makes the game easier for everybody else uh in Houston as well. And it and and anytime you have a shooter like that that you can’t bring help from makes the drivers and all those guys significantly better at making their decisions and reads. That’s the gravity that guys can bring when they can really shoot. They brought Fred Van Van Vleet back, added a year to his contract, restructured it, signed Jabari Smith to the big contract, 5 years, 120 million plus. Ron Holland with the steel and the athleticism to throw it down. make the save. He’s so quick. Fant is he quick. I mean, he gets the That ball came out of nowhere when he dumped it. So, this is going to be interesting now for the Pistons to keep playing that type of that type of hardness, right? Going after balls, going after deflections, rotation. Great job right there. Great defense. Well, you could just feel the culture shift for the Pistons last season. They go from the worst team in the league to the six seed in the East. These guys are feeling good here in Vegas. The lead’s up to 23 as Bryce Williams strokes the three. Yeah. And when you look at the Pistons, okay, we know who they added and Caris Levert and and Duncan Robinson. You’re bringing back Jaden Ivy, who was really doing a good job last year and and and it’s going to take a little time. I I wouldn’t I wouldn’t think you could expect him to be uh where he was at early on, especially you’re coming off an injury like that, but they get to mid year um he’s going to be phenomenal. And the other guy that never gets talked about enough in Detroit, especially with losing Beasley like to have is Tobias Harris. I mean, he’s a pros pro man. I mean, he you can just wind him up. He’s going to get 20 no matter what. And and and he wins. He knows how to make people better. We look at Isaiah Stewart there and Jaylen Duran. Those guys took big steps for the Pistons. But the Pistons are like the Rockets. They’re still relatively young. They’ve got to take an Everybody’s still got to take a couple more steps. And when you’ve got that kind of youth, you’re capable of it. Three ball on the way again from Williams. Just made one. This one’s a miss. Rebound to Chris Led. Pistons had a good chance to knock off the Knicks in that first round series. Lost it in six. With all that youth that coach is talking about, they got a chance to be really good in the Eastern Conference that’s there for the taking. Arms with a spin. What a move from Adonis Arms. Yeah, we knew Coach Jackson said we would see him today after not seeing him the other day. I mean, you look at his body, the shoulders, and that’s what you want right now. You’re studying the Rockets to see who is going to do everything they can do right now the rest of this game to to bring that score down to impact the game and and to keep making their teammates better and not just about taking shots and coming down and getting looks, but making the right plays. 3 second split, shot clock and game clock. TJ Bickerstaff out on the perimeter. Nephew of DJ Bickerstaff, the Pistons head coach Kon Harris on the leave for Samuels for two. Kevon Harris has had a really nice game. 15 points, four boards, and now three assists. Oh, don’t let him dribble it straight up. That’s where you want to come pick him up. [Music] Well, the Pistons 10 minutes away from moving to 2 and 0 here in the summer league. Reed Shepard with a good quarter, but all Detroit right now. Lowe’s knows. [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey, hey, hey. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Uh, like you said, just the physicality. We got to come out here this fourth quarter and be physical, be a more tougher team. I think we’ll be in a good position. Well, and something that Garrett Jackson was saying in your huddle, he wants you guys to keep pushing it in transition. What is it that you’re saying to each other on the court to make that happen? Uh, take it and go. We don’t look for the point guard. You know, we got a lot of guys that can bring it up. So, just try to be on the side of aggression and let’s go win this game. That’s all I’m telling them. That’s it. Thank you. Thank you. Well, we ran into Kavon Harris at halftime and that’s a guy you would have loved to have at Georgia, right? No question about it. I mean, that’s just it. He is a a hard playing uh full-time warrior. I mean, and that’s that’s what you want. That’s how he’s trying to stick. Shepard back in the game now. 6 for9 from the floor. Just one for seven from beyond the arc. Here’s a guy who can shoot it from out there. Miller Cop Harris with a rebound. Got TJ Bickerstaff and Folly Dante getting into it a little bit now. Kennedy Chandler joining. Oh yeah, TJ TJ’s from Atlanta. Uh if I’m if I’m not mistaken, he played with Jabari Smith Jr. and so uh for some point in time in high school. Just got the tea on that. So obviously there were a few words there. It wasn’t the uh quantity of the words, might have been the quality of the word that got him that technical. and Folly Dante just laughing it off. Ron Holland playing Peacemaker. One guy that doesn’t get talked about enough in the history of basketball for what he did is TJ’s grandpa and uh JB’s father, Bernie Bickerstaff. I mean, my my memories as a kid of of being a Bullets fan living in Michigan and being a Piston fan and learning about the game. Bernie Bicker Staff is an incredible incredible coach. I think he’s still active in it. uh I think in a consultant role, but but the bottom line is what a great coach. Coach with Dick Mada, coach with the bullets and obviously JB went in did excellent at Cleveland and went in right into Detroit and established what his program was all about. Yeah, he’s done an incredible job just one year. And in year two under JB Picker staff, expect him to take another step as Chandler goes to the floor and draws the foul on Holland. [Music] second. It’s his fourth personal. Four fouls on Holland. You get 10 in these summer league games before your DQ. Now, the game is 18, but there’s still or I’m sorry, the game is 20. Yeah, 18. But there’s still room for somebody to change momentum this momentum of this game from Houston and and because Detroit got the play right off the bat, right at the start of the quarter, get the layup on the post pass and uh they could just play off the strength. Cle Houston can’t let that happen. Somebody’s got you’re you’re they’re playing for jobs. They’re either playing for minutes, rotation spots, or jobs. And there’s no there’s no giveaway quarter. [Music] Well, summer league action continues in Las Vegas on NBA TV, ESPN, and the ESPN app. On NBA TV tonight, you got Miami and Cleveland at 7:30 Eastern, then Milwaukee and the Clippers at 9:30. Tomorrow night, NBA TV Atlanta, Houston, 4:30 Eastern, and then Charlotte and Dallas. We got a little delay in the action here. Tyler Ricks is over there at the scores table. Vitali with Top and Co asking him what the deal is. And it looks like we’re ready for action. Now, if the Rockets want to chip into this league, they got to shoot the ball better. They missed nine threes in a row. They’re two for 16 for the game. Shepard and Harris, the only two with a made three. Here is Reed Shepard. Ziggler sticking to them like glues. is a Kai Ziggler, a two-time SEC defensive player of the year, just created a steal. [Applause] Shepard behind the play. Nice hands from Kennedy Chandler and better hands from Steve Leau over here at the table. Now, this is where Reed Shepard is has got to get better at either creating more space, separation. I say he’s got to take bigger strides and drop the shoulder because he’s not getting by. See, he’s high. He’s up high. He hits him with the shoulder, but he never gets low and sets him up to go by him. And frankly, there wasn’t a lot of space there. But that’s a big step for Reed Shepard. And you can’t spin move on a guy like Zakis. Zakai Ziggler’s got a room full of defensive awards from Tennessee in the SEC. Dante protecting the rim. Holland went down. Cop gives it up to Bickerstaff. Driving on Dante. Those guys just got into it and they called the foul on Folly Dante. Rockets might think about challenging this. are taking a look at the iPad over there. Well, it’s either that or they got the set list for Backstreet Boys cuz they’re all going too. It’s possible. Everyone’s going to be there. Tom, you should I won’t be. I appreciate the invite. That’s not me. Much as I’d like to see the spear, that’s not me. I don’t even know any of their song. I know one of them. You’ve been singing. You’ve been singing it. You know, at least Since we got in the car, you’ve been singing. Ziggler beating the horn there to push the lead back to 20. Zakai Ziegler won a lot of games at Tennessee. 109 wins playing for Rick Barnes. Tied with Jamaak, his teammate for most in program history for a player as Harris missed the tray and a foul again. This one’s on Vickerstaff fighting with Dante for position. That’s 42 fouls combined in this game. Yeah. And you know what? As a player, you’ve just got to move on, right? And and it’s not aesthetically pleasing for anybody, but at the bottom line is they want jobs. They want to make the NBA as well. And the part of this, the mental toughness part for the players, you get over it quickly and you move on to the next play. You don’t just play out the string of the game. And and right away, the pass was made against the Pistons, that pass to the corner in the first half. They were stealing that pass. Their hands were down on that play. Dante the rollman. Makes the catch on the pass from Shepard. Waits and scores. Good patience from Folly Dante. Yeah, that’s the kind of guy you’d like to see make it. This is a guy that that his last year at Oregon, they start talking about him not being able to play because of a knee injury. They took him to Chicago. Coach Brian Fish took him to Chicago. They met a doctor named Dr. Brian Cole at that that was able to look at his knee and say, “Not only are are you going to be able to keep playing, you’re going to be able to keep playing sooner rather than later.” And the way it was explained to me, Dante was, “Well, I want to make sure it’s good because, you know, when I get to the combine, I want to make sure that my knee is sound.” He said, “I can promise you I think it’s going to be fine because I’m one of the doctors at the combine.” So goes to Chicago, gets his knee operated on, gets it fixed, goes in uh to Oregon, finishes that year for a young guy from Mali. He’s in there trying to make it in the NBA and he’s definitely shown improvement. Yeah, Dante played on a two-way deal last year back in the summer league. So just 23 years old. Speaking of age, Trevor Kes is still 21. Crazy. Hard to believe it. He played at Duke with Paulo Pancero and Mark Williams who I just saw walking by. Wendell Moore, AJ Griffin. That was a stack Duke team. Guess most of them are. Now Trevor Kes is the guy you root for cuz he’s tough. He’s toughminded. Should he have left after one year? Maybe not. But at the end of the day, here he is. And instead of just looking and playing the game the way he wants to play it, he has dove in and made improvements in his game, especially with that jump shot. Ziegler can’t finish this time. Tou Smith working hard on the glass. Rockets ball. That’s a stunner. Trevor Ke still 21. We’re going to talk to Scotty Barnes in the next game. I had to look at it twice. He’s still just 23. Yeah. And he’s not even going to be uh 24 till till August. Amazing. [Music] You think of Scotty Barnes, you think about a 10-year bet, right? Only 23. OAR missed it in tight. 20-point lead here for Detroit. They beat the Knicks 104 to 86 on Friday. One of the most impressive teams in the early going of this 2K26 summer league. There is KES. Can’t finish it, but he’s fouled. We’re going to get to 50 fouls on this game. It’s on OAR. Flow is hard. That’s why execution is is so important. And obviously, you know, you got a chance to get any type of contact right now, you’re going to get a chance to get to the foul line. But again, who can come down, run their offense, keep moving it cuz Arms back in there for Houston. Shepard takes a seat. Got to think his day is done. We’ll see how much more he plays here in Vegas. Now this is what Trevor Kes can do. He can get up into you and guard you. Use that body. Use that strength. Oh, that’s tough call. Another That’s a tough call. I’m trying to look at the glass half full. They’re all I’ve said it 10 times. They’re trying to get jobs, too. Those are tough, though. Three fouls on each team here in the fourth. Look at Kes all over the ball. Could have his right hand on Kon Harris’s bat. Six and a half to go. Kennedy Chandler at the wheel for this Rockets offense. Here comes Cam Matthews. And another whistle. [Music] Matthews. Yeah, as he goes to the line right now, the jump shot part of him, there’s a little bit of hitch in that shot that that he’s not quite been able to take care of yet. We we heard coach Jackson talk about shooting it with confidence. And I think like again, he misses that free throw. He’s got a good release, but he falls back on it. His shoulders go back. He’s a wide shouldered kid. Just need or young man. He just needs to be able to catch the ball. go straight up, keep your shoulders forward, hold your follow through. He’s a throwback in how he plays and also because he was a 5-year senior at Mississippi State, which is increasingly rare to stay at one school for all five years. But what I like about it, too, is it just goes to show, I mean, if you you stuff that stat sheet with a lot of different stats, it’s not always about your three-point percentage, not about your field goal percentage. It’s about doing all the things that lead to winning. He’s been a part of some good winning at Mississippi State as was Tou Smith. Chandler driving it on Kes looking to get the whistle. He doesn’t and that’ll be Pistons ball and it’ll send us to a timeout. When we return, Melanie talk with Jaylen Duran of the Pistons. NBA 2K26 Summer League is proudly sponsored by NBA 2K26, rated E for everyone. Your cheeseburger deserves a nice big slice. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] And we are back here here in Vegas at 2K16 Summer League. I am standing here with Jaylen Duran and squad. How y’all feeling watching your guys out there putting on a clinic? They putting in work right now, getting the job done. Last six minutes going to finish it out. This has been a physical game. What about what you’re seeing here is going to translate into the regular season. The physicality for sure. The uh the attitude that we’re bringing, it’s kind of it runs through the whole organization. You know, we all train the same way, the mindset the same way. We all got the same chip on our shoulder. Well, and speaking of your organization, you did something that was historic last season. I mean, it was one of the greatest turnarounds in NBA history. Talk to me about what went into that. How these guys were accountable for all the things you were able to do. Man, it it was a whole team effort. It was like a family. We stayed together and got the job done. There’s nothing much to really say to it. We got a long way to go. Um, it was just the start of a long journey. Thank you for your time, Drew. All right. M clearly well liked by his teammates. All of them over there sitting on the baseline. Part of that interview Oklahoma City style interview by Hey, it works for them, right? Exactly. Works for them. They’re by It’s so good to see Jaylen Duran having that type of success. I mean, he was a must-sea guy whether you recruiting him or not when he was in high school playing for team final, goes to Memphis, plays for Penny Hardway for a year, and he’s just gotten better and better in Detroit. And it’s it’s great to see him playing with with confidence. And uh we use that word a lot, but he’s got it. He’s earned it. You could tell he’s put the work in. Watching him play in college, it was like a man amongst boys a lot of the time. And I don’t think he really knew how good he could possibly be, right? He was always big and and there’s so many guys that come out of that area. Derrick Lively, Jaylen Dur, and like they get up here, man, and they just take off. I mean, the improvements Derrick Lively made in Dallas from when he got drafted to where he was going into the NBA finals two years ago was incredible to me. And and uh again, we’re seeing it in here. I mean, the game is not indicative of it right now, but this is your job, but you can’t ever look at it like it’s a grind when you have to get better. You’ve it’s an embracing of a lot of work, of a lot of technique, of doing it the right way and building up that not only mental toughness and mental fortitude, but that skill development that can carry you through when when when you’re dependent on, but can also you’re confident enough that when it’s not there, you can continue to impact winning. And that’s what you you learn about some of these guys in situations like this. Even in a game like this, it’s a 20-point game. And if you think about their turnaround last season, it’s up there in terms of win percentage with the greatest turnarounds in NBA history. But what was different about it is those other teams added Hall of Famers in the offseason before. Like think about KG and Ray Allen going to Boston, the Spurs drafting, David Robinson and Tim Duncan, Steve Nash going to the Suns. Those are the big turnarounds. Pistons added Tobias Harris and Malik Beasley, right? And then they added a new coach and JB Picker staff and the guys continue to improve and Jaylen Duran is certainly one of them. It was an organic turnaround and that franchise deserves a ton of credit and the arrow is pointing up for the Pistons. There’s no doubt. And obviously the Malik Beasley situation is what it is, but the year that he had for the Pistons. Oh, Chandler tried to snatch the life out of Danis Jenkins, but he missed it. Blocked by the rim. Chaz Lane Lenir with the three. Tou Smith the offensive board. Jenkins lines it up, knocks it down. What a game for Dannis Jenkins. 23 points on 10 field goal attempts plus six assists. That’s a credit to a lot of people that work with him that keep giving him the confidence to be able to knock those shots down. Whether it’s Jeremy Hart back at SMU, whether it’s the people he had back in college, whether it’s the Pistons developmental coaches, it’s a great pass, great oore to Adonis. [Music] You mentioned the Malik Pisa situation. Tan Leon was on the broadcast Friday talking about how it sounds like they are ready to move on. Of course, the investigation still ongoing, but the Pistons went outside Duncan Robinson to help with their shooting. also lost Tim Hardaway Jr. in the offseason. He’s going to Denver as Jenkins rises up for the swat. Yeah, the Malik Beasley situation that year that he had, you could argue it was the best year of his career. Not just the way he played percentage-wise in the threes, but how I mean, he was he looked like a great teammate to me on that team. I mean, part of their personality, no question. No question. and and uh and you mentioned Tobias Harris with the way that he played, but Duncan Robinson is has got some bonafideed skills and I always remember Duncan Robinson in college. We game planned for him at Indiana as a help defender, not just as a shooter. And and people don’t believe that. We can ask any of our players. He was so good and helped defense that we had to move him on the weak side because he could cover for his teammates so well. Even going back then, I remember doing one of his games uh at Iowa telling John Beine like, “I think he’s going to have at least a six-year NBA career.” And I was way off on that. I was way off. You undersold him. I undersold him. But I definitely And it wasn’t just the shooting. You could see that from the moment he came from Williams to Michigan that how much better he got defensively helping his teammates, being a smart player, being a smart defender, talking to his teammates, and uh I didn’t I didn’t I didn’t get the whole the whole belief that he wasn’t going to be good enough defensively in the NBA and he’s definitely able to hold his own. Well, he got paid this off seasonason three years 48 million. Caris Levert two years 29 million. The Pistons add around their young superstar Kate Cunningham. Bryce Williams on a triple and the basketball is in the building as Williams hits another. Final three minutes of regulation here. The Pistons have run away with this thing on top by 22. Chandler with a nifty finish. Great move. That that’s that’s a Kennedy Chandler move. He was always good at extending his dribble, keeping that dribble alive. High school to one year at Tennessee. Great move. I thought he came in on Friday and changed the energy of the game. Today, he got the starting nod, but that’s how you got to carve it out. You got to be a a nasty pest defensively when you’re that size and you’ve got to be able to make your shots, but you got to be able to make the other guys better and get them open. Looks like this. Led a double clutch. Chris Ledham way upstairs. Played in France last year. Was the MVP of their second tier league over there. Laneir wide open. What do you think? Yeah, it it’s that’s what you’d love to see from him. His big thing is going to be this. People know he’s going to make shots and he’s always going to be a threat to score. He’s got to be able to impact the game. Whether it’s the Pistons this year, whether it’s the G-League, when he’s not making shots just like that, does he continue to impact the game? He’s definitely a good enough defender, but when you’re a shooter like that, you can get down too early, too easy. Leak Wilson and one. He’ll be shooting a free throw when we return. It is lovely to be in Las Vegas. There’s a look at the sphere. We’ll be there seats, by the way. No, not No, we are. You Where’s your seats at? Domino’s best deal ever is back. Any hand toss, pan, thin crust, or New York style pizza with any toppings for just $9.99 online. Last time you got sausage, bacon, chicken, spinach, beef, buffalo sauce. What are you going to get this time? Get Domino’s $9.99. Best deal ever before it’s gone. Lowe’s knows you want your first cookout to leave a good first impression. And with convenient same day delivery, we’ll help you make sure every [Music] Hey, [Music] [Music] blue. [Music] NBA game. It’s Tuesday night, 8 Eastern on ESPN. Caitlyn Clark and The Fever are taking on Tina Charles and the Sun at the TD Garden in Boston. You know that place, right, Drew? I do. Coverage begins with Countdown at 7:30 in the TD Garden. What a building. They did that last year where the Sun played at the garden. It was a great great environment and that will be a sellout. There’s no doubt about it. I mean, Tom Kan’s not even one game into his summer league broadcasting career and he’s already doing promos. Yeah. What you want to do is you want to no matter the age, you want to keep getting better and you want to prove you’re versatile. Look at Zagler missed the shot. That was a million dollar move. He almost had himself a bonafide highlight after the ankle breaker upstairs for Ledlam again. Chris Ledlam went to China. He in uh I’m sorry, what country? France. France. My bad. I get him confused. But I watch you film him. I thought he did a really good job last year. You know, the league wasn’t great, so he was able to get fouled a lot, but he really went over there and worked on his shot. And I think that’s going to be important for him if he’s going to carve out any type of career over here. That’s what all these guys are trying to do. Carve out a spot whether it’s for the team they’re wearing the jersey for here or somebody else. Adonis Arms with the jam. Kennedy Chandler racking up the assists. Yeah, that’s the important thing. I mean, it’s not only your team. It’s not only the 29 other NBA teams. It’s all the G-League and it’s all of these different countries and teams that come from those countries. They’re looking to build their programs and their rosters. I mean, it’s so that’s why it’s a summit up there. It’s just an absolute world summit for basketball here. Ledum talking a little bit after the block on Ziegler. There’s Chandler looking for the call. And for once, the whistle did not blow. 49 combined fouls in this game. Are we going to get to your 50? You call 50. I I I don’t think so, Tom. And if we do Oh, I wouldn’t say never. Chandler lines it up and sticks a triple. But this is Pistons wireto-wire. It’s another dominant performance from Detroit here in Las Vegas. And Ron Holland was the superstar with 28 points in game one. Dennis Jenkins their best player today with 23 points on 10 shots. TJ Bickerstaff down low. Got the offensive rebound back. Tough jumper off the mark. See if Chandler takes one final shot. He does. Not going to count. Not going to matter. 15-point win for the Pistons as they remain unbeaten here in Vegas. And they look good doing it. [Music] Now Reed Shepard, he was carrying a lot of responsibility in this game. Took 19 shots. Ends with 18 points. just one for seven from beyond the arc and turned it over at a level that he’s going to be upset with after the game. The Rockets fall 0 and2 after they lost to the Clippers by three on Friday and the Pistons move to 2-0 with two convincing wins. Yeah, Danis Jenkins, I mean, again, Ron Holland the second, I thought he really turned in and did some good things. They had good all-around play, but Danish Jenkins was excellent in this game. Jenkins going through the handshake line. Melanie’s going to try to grab him. Jenkins had 18 points in game one here Friday and 23 points today and made a massive impact on both sides of the floor defending and picking up full court a lot especially against Reed Shepard. Another strong game from Ron Holland, who’s leading this Piston summer league team after he played 81 games for the big club last year and Melany’s with Dana Jenkins. Congratulations on the win. A dominant wire-to-wire win for you guys. Talk to me about what went into this effort tonight. Oh, I mean, you know, we’re just trying to come out and compete. You know, it’s summer. We just taking advantage of our opportunities and we just want to uh come out and show what we can do. Show how much we got better and improve our improvements and we just having fun. Well, I see you dapping up your vets. How much does it mean to have their support here on the sideline? Oh, it means everything. You know, that’s that’s that’s what we have uh here in Detroit. You know, we just our camaraderie is is very good. We just trying to keep that going. Well, and you’ve got another young teammate here next to you. Talk to me about what you’ve been seeing from him lately. Uh this dog pound junior right here. So, you know, you know what it is. Um, you know, he he he you know, I mean, you just you can’t table, you know, you just look at him, he go, he play hard, and that’s what Detroit Pistons is about. Well, the Detroit Pistons, what a historical season for you guys. What is it about this team that works so well? Oh, I think it start with the administration first. Um, the coaching staff they brought in and then obviously the players uh that’s been here when it was rough times, you know, they just ready to follow good times. So, they ready to put the work in and they brought the right pieces in to keep that team the way it’s supposed to be. and we going high. Thank you so much. Congrats on the win. All right. Thank you, Drew. All right, Mel. Yeah, Danis Jenkins again as he gets a little dab from his teammate Ron Holland. I mean, coach, obviously the goal for these guys is to earn themselves a spot in an NBA rotation. Does J is Janus Jenkins doing enough here, you think, to impress the Pistons. Oh, he’s right there. And and he’s right there. And and again, it’s because he’s made so many improvements. And obviously, he’s got the experience of it. He did a good job during the year. And again, I’ve said it 20 times, that catches you shot is so much better. [Music]
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