Miami basketball alum Davon Reed was the Hurricanes best former player in the NBA Summer League on Friday. Reed scored 18 points on seven of eight from the field and made four of his five three-point shots. Bruce Brown struggled in his professional debut with Detroit.
Reed’s stellar performance led all Miami basketball alums in scoring on Friday night. The former Hurricanes forward also led the Phoenix Suns in scoring in a 92-85 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Reed contributed three rebounds, an assist two steals and a block.
Reed started and played 25 minutes on Friday night. The second-year professional’s performance overshadowed the debut of former Arizona center DeAndre Ayton who was the first pick in the NBA Draft by Phoenix. Reed needs a good summer after missing the three months of his rookie season.
Reed was out until January with a meniscus tear. That’s the same injury that sidelined Lonnie Walker last summer and fall. Reed made his professional debut with Phoenix’s G-League team the Northern Arizona Suns January 2. He played his first game in Phoenix on January 29.
The Suns next game is Saturday night against the Sacramento Kings at 7:30 ET on ESPN. This should be the marquee matchup of the Summer League. Sacramento has the draft’s second overall pick Marvin Bagley from Duke. Ayton and Bagley played their Freshmen season of high school together in the Phoenix area.
Brown struggled to find his shot in his professional debut on Friday night. He and the Pistons were throttled 90-63 by the Milwaukee Bucks. Brown scored 12 points on three of 12 from the floor and one of three on three-point attempts.
The Miami basketball assist and rebounding leader this past season did have a good floor game on Friday night. Brown contributed eight rebounds and two assists.
Brown started and was listed as the power forward. In reality, he was a part of a three-guard lineup for the Pistons. Henry Ellenson who is at 6’11 was listed as the small forward, was more likely the power forward than the 6’3 Brown.
Detroit’s second game in Las Vegas is Saturday night at 9:00 ET against the Memphis Grizzlies on NBATV and watchESPN.
Walker and the San Antonio Spurs were off Friday night. They played their final of three games in Salt Lake City on Thursday.
San Antonio lost to Indiana 86-76 in 2018 Las Vegas debut on Saturday afternoon. Walker led the Spurs with 15 points. Canes Warning will have more on that game in the Saturday wrapup.
8 Points, 9 Seconds
Walker is joined on the Spurs Summer League team by another former Miami basketball player, Trey McKinney-Jones. McKinney-Jones scored eight for San Antonio.
The fifth former Miami basketball player in Las Vegas is forward Kamari Murphy. Murphy is playing in the summer league for a second straight year with the Brooklyn Nets. He played this past season with the Nets G-League team on Long Island.
Murphy started and played 21 minutes on Friday, but didn’t provide Brooklyn with much production. Despite playing the third most minutes on the Nets and second most in the frontcourt, Murphy scored just four points and had one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block. Brookyn lost 86-80 to the Orlando Magic.
The former Miami big man spent his entire rookie season with the Long Island Nets. Murphy averaged 10.4 points per game, 7.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and one steal and one block with the Long Island Nets last season. If he is going to make an impression with the Nets he needs to produce more this summer.
Next: Lonnie Walker improves in 2nd summer league game
The Nets next game is at 7:00 PM ET against the Oklahoma City Thunder on NBA TV. and WatchESPN. The game against the Thunder is a good opportunity for Murphy OKC doesn’t have any marquee names upfront on their summer league team.