NBA Summer League
Summer League: Studs & Duds Day 2
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Day 2 of the 2014 Orlando Summer League wrapped up Sunday. Here’s a look at who impressed, and who didn’t.
Studs:
G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – Detroit Pistons
30 points (10-20 FG), 12 rebounds and two steals
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope carried the Pistons to a win over the Memphis Grizzlies by scoring 30 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He also helped the Pistons top the Houston Rockets in the first day of Summer League by scoring 26 points and having six steals. From the looks of the first two Summer League games, Caldwell-Pope has improved his game since his rookie season ended. He is playing with a lot of energy and consistency and is putting up big numbers.
F James Ennis – Miami HEAT
29 points (10-12 FG), four rebounds and two assists
James Ennis dropped 29 points in just 25 minutes against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night. Ennis shot 10-for-12 from the field and 7-of-8 from downtown. Ennis also had a solid performance on Saturday morning against the Boston Celtics. In that game, he scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds. If Ennis continues to play this way, he will be a nice addition to the HEAT roster.
G Jordan Adams – Memphis Grizzlies
20 points (6-13 FG), seven rebounds and two assists
The Grizzlies rookie is doing well for himself in his first couple of games in Memphis gear. After coming off the bench on Saturday and contributing 22 points, he was incorporated in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game. Adams contributed 20 points in the losing effort against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday afternoon. He was aggressive throughout the game and took create contact often.
Duds:
F Brian Cook – Detroit Pistons
4 points (1-9 FG), two rebounds and 5 PF
Brian Cook struggled on Sunday afternoon against the Memphis Grizzlies. The 33-year-old forward took eight shots from downtown and only made one. He also picked up five fouls in 19 minutes. Cook along with his teammates will have Monday off and will take on the Miami HEAT on Tuesday afternoon.
F Adonis Thomas – Brooklyn Nets
8 points (2-10 FG), four assists and two turnovers
Adonis Thomas did not have the best performance on Saturday night. He shot 2-of-10 from the field but managed to add eight points by drawing fouls. Thomas had a similar performance on Saturday morning against the Boston Celtics. In that game he shot 4-of-8 and added nine points. Last season, Thomas was called up from the D-League to play for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Orlando Magic on 10-day contracts and hopes to land on a training camp roster this coming season.
F Tyler Honeycutt – Miami Heat
2 points (0-3- FG), two turnovers and six PF
Tyler Honeycutt went 0-for-3 from the field, added just two points and picked up six fouls in just 13 minutes. Honeycutt was added to the starting lineup on Sunday after a good performance off the bench on Saturday against the Celtics. Honeycutt will have Monday off to refocus for Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons.
Recap done by Mary Stevens
