What we learned from the Spurs Summer League loss to the Heat

Summer League feels different this year. It’s the first year the San Antonio Spurs haven’t had a lottery prospect to watch since 2019. There won’t be that eager anticipation of watching a Victor Wembanyama or Dylan Harper-level player suit up in the Silver and Black for the first time. With their most hyped-up draft pick, Jayden Quaintance, missing the summer games with an injury, the team is filled with depth players, two-way guys, and G Leaguers. Until Carter Bryant joins the team in Las Vegas, there isn’t really a player on the roster who is likely to factor into the Spurs’ regular-season rotation.

If anything, it makes this summer more interesting. We’ll get to see first-round pick and likely third-string center Tarris Reed Jr. get a lot of playing time. Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Maliq Brown, who just signed two-way deals, should play most of the summer and have plenty of opportunities to get accustomed to the NBA game. There will be room for a G League player to make a name for themself, just like David Jones-Garcia did last year.

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Like it is every year, the first game of the Summer League was ugly. Neither of these teams has played together before, which led to 36 combined turnovers in the game. There was aggressive defense and sloppy offense. It’s more of a showcase for talent and a way for prospects to get used to the NBA game than a place where you are looking for a winning team. San Antonio’s team has an interesting collection of talent this summer, and they showed it in the 88-87 loss to Miami.

San Antonio has two open roster spots and no open two-way slots. Two-way contacts can come and go. Summer League this year is going to be about the Spurs’ draft picks showing they can contribute as depth pieces, and G League players trying to prove they can earn a two-way deal, either in San Antonio or elsewhere. Plenty of players got off to a good start on Friday toward achieving those goals.

Takeaways:

• All eyes will be on Reed Jr. in the California Classic. The 26th overall pick had an up-and-down game in his first taste of NBA action. He finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and a block on 3-10 shooting from the field. He looked like someone who hadn’t played an organized basketball game since March. He was a step slow and got lost a few times off-ball on defense. However, his strengths (and in this case, that is literal) were on display. Reed Jr. is massive. He takes up a lot of space in the paint, which allowed him to grab three offensive rebounds. He set hard, physical screens that freed up his teammates all game long. He had a few good passes out of the high post, showing his potential as a playmaker. He lacked some touch around the rim early, but settled in late and hit all three of his free throws. There was a lot of positive stuff in his first game, but definitely some things to improve on as the summer goes on.

• There have been videos of Reed Jr. hitting threes in workouts, and some talk that teams think he may eventually be able to space the floor a bit. His first Summer League shot was a step-back three at the end of the shot clock… it airballed. Maybe he will develop a three-point shot eventually, but it seems unlikely he will take many early in his career.

• Brown was perhaps the most impressive rookie on Friday. Defense was his MO coming out of Duke. San Antonio used him both as a wing and a small-ball backup center. He thrived in both roles, always getting to the right spots defensively while picking up a steal and a block. He’s quick enough to switch onto ball-handlers and big enough to contest shots inside with his 7-foot wingspan. What was even more impressive was Brown’s shooting. He was 2-4 from deep on Friday, knocking down standstill threes from the top of the key and the corner, important locations for a small-ball five. Brown shot 26% from three in college. It’s unlikely that he will be a high-percentage shooter in the NBA, but if he is, with his defensive skill, he could become a steal with the 44th pick.

• Gillespie was the other rookie that Spurs fans had their eyes on. He got a lot of shots up, but was largely inefficient, going 3-17 from the field for 10 points and 8 assists. Gillespie found the ball in his hands a lot on a Summer League team without many primary ball-handlers. Despite missing a lot of shots, his game management wasn’t horrible. He only had 1 turnover with his 8 assists and picked up three steals on defense. He hit two impressive three-pointers off movement, which was enough to get me excited about his shot-making long-term. His defense off the ball was pretty ugly, as he got caught ball-watching a couple of times, leading to backdoor layups for the Heat.

• If you are looking for the Jones-Garcia of the summer, I have two names for you: Miles Kelly and RJ Davis. Kelly is incredibly smooth and has a sweet-looking jump shot. It won’t surprise me if he fills it up in a few games this summer. Davis has never seen a shot he doesn’t like. He went 4-8 from the field for 15 points off the bench. His potentially game-winning three was one of the ugliest shots of the game, but hey, someone has to shoot it!

• Sicko Summer League insight inbound: I loved watching Emmanuel Miller and Jayden Nunn on the wings. They are both super athletic and have good instincts in the passing lanes. Nunn had 4 steals in the loss, while Miller had 2. That’s the type of athleticism and instinct that you bet on and keep around the G League program, in case they develop an offensive skill that can translate to the NBA.

• I really liked what I saw from RJ Melendez. He made simple plays, but has a solid 6 points off the bench after hitting two threes. He also had 4 blocks, showing his versatility defensively on the wing.