Former Auburn guard Miles Kelly made the loudest statement of the day in Sacramento, while Keyshawn Hall and Tre Donaldson had quieter showings in the Miami Heat’s California Classic NBA Summer League matchup with the San Antonio Spurs.
Kelly, now with the Spurs’ Summer League group after being waived by the Dallas Mavericks, looked like the most polished player on the floor for San Antonio’s roster in the 88-87 loss. He finished with 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting, knocked down 2 of 5 from deep, and added four assists, two rebounds and a steal. In Dallas, he had been a bit player and appeared in 14 games, but Saturday was a much bigger stage for him.
That performance only reinforced why Kelly remains an interesting name for San Antonio to evaluate. The Spurs are always going to need shooting around Victor Wembanyama, and Kelly’s profile fits that search.
At Auburn, he buried 88 threes in one season and hit 47.7% of his attempts from 25-30 feet. That kind of range gives him a real shot to carve out a role if he keeps it going.
Hall and Donaldson, meanwhile, both had rougher pro debuts, even if their stat lines weren’t identical. Each missed his lone three-point try and committed three turnovers.
Hall finished with six points in 34 combined minutes for the pair, while Donaldson added four rebounds and two assists. Hall posted a +4 BPM, but neither player made much noise offensively.
For Hall, the challenge goes beyond putting the ball in the basket. He dealt with disciplinary issues at Auburn, including a suspension by Steven Pearl, though he also played a major part in the Tigers’ NIT Championship run.
In the NBA, that kind of one-note production won’t be enough. He’ll need to bring more across the board, the way a player like the New York Knicks version of Michael Beasley did, with nearly six rebounds and two assists per game.
Donaldson’s path looks different, but the question is just as real. He’s the kind of college player coaches love: high motor, physical, and willing to do the dirty work.
But his offensive game has not translated cleanly since leaving Auburn, and the box score on Saturday didn’t help his case. He needs a much stronger summer if he wants to put himself in position to see NBA minutes this winter.
In Other News...
Auburn Fans Wont Love How Alex Golesh Is Being Judged
Brian Hartline did not waste much time putting his own stamp on USF, and part of that meant taking a public shot at the program Alex Golesh left behind. Hartline acknowledged there was some success during Goleshs three-year run, but he also made clear he believed the Bulls were still nowhere near where they should have been when the handoff took place. For Auburn fans, it is a reminder that the coach arriving on The Plains comes with a rsum that is still being argued over in another part of the sport.
Golesh has already moved on to a bigger stage in the SEC, where the expectations are different and the margin for progress is thinner. Auburn is betting that his next stop gives him a better chance to build something more complete, and maybe even put the Tigers in position to chase bigger goals in the rivalry picture. The frustration at USF is part of the backdrop now, but the more interesting question is how quickly Golesh can turn that fresh start into something Auburn can feel good about. [Read more 🡒]
Andre Jordan Jr. Could Be Auburns New Answer At Corner
Andre Jordan Jr. arrived at Auburn with a track record that made him easy to notice before he ever took a snap in orange and blue. The transfer from UCLA brought All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition from last season, and since then he has quickly worked his way into the conversation as one of the Tigers top cornerbacks, giving Auburn a veteran presence in a spot that needed one.
Spring practices have only strengthened that impression. Jordan has stood out in scrimmage work, and Auburns cornerbacks coach and teammates have pointed to his experience and upside as reasons for optimism in the secondary, which has started to look less like a concern and more like a group with real potential if he settles in the way the staff expects. [Read more 🡒]