Summer League doesn’t always hand you polished basketball, but it usually gives you something worth watching. On Friday in Las Vegas, the Memphis Grizzlies got a narrow 97-96 win over the Chicago Bulls, and the final minutes were messy enough to fit the setting. Memphis’ offense stalled badly in the fourth quarter, shooting 31.6 percent, and the game stayed close until Chicago’s poor backcourt foul turned the closing stretch into a two-possession spot with 10 seconds left.
The biggest individual force on the floor was Chicago rookie Caleb Wilson. He finished with 35 points, the most in a Las Vegas Summer League debut, and he was the player most responsible for keeping the Bulls in it. His deep jumper was falling, and he put together a scoring burst early in the third quarter by hitting two treys and a long-two in a row before adding another late.
For Memphis, Cedric Coward continued to look like a player who can affect a game in a lot of different ways. He spent significant time guarding, made smart reads, and even delivered a slick left-handed pass on the move that didn’t count as an assist.
At halftime, he had 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists, then added just one basket after the break. Even so, his defensive pressure never let up, and that mattered when the game tightened.
Coward’s biggest issue showed up the same way it often does for young wings: bigger defenders can knock him off rhythm, and his handle still needs work. That said, he was active enough to earn a B+ in this one.
Boozer also drew plenty of attention, especially in his matchup with Wilson. Memphis had him pressuring Wilson before half court on several possessions, and that approach led to a pick-6 on one play while forcing two more wing turnovers. The assignment was basically to make Wilson’s life miserable, and Boozer did that for stretches, though his aggression also got him into trouble with a foul on a deep jumper.
He was just as assertive on the other end. Boozer threw a nice alley-oop pass early in the second quarter, attacked with confidence, and found points by cutting off the ball. He looks strong enough to bully smaller defenders, and the Grizzlies could create real mismatch chances for him with inverted screen rolls.
Wilson still got the better of the matchup, outscoring Boozer by 12 points, and Boozer picked up two unnecessary fouls against him. He also finished with only six rebounds, all of them coming in the second half.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper added his own brand of chaos, playing a little out of control but bringing nonstop energy. One of the game’s best moments came when he finished a lob in transition, a play that fit the pace and looseness of the night perfectly.
In Other News...
Tony Allen Sees Something In Isaiah Stewart Grizzlies Fans Will Love
Isaiah Stewarts arrival in Memphis has already drawn a familiar kind of attention, the sort that usually comes when a team adds a player whose edge shows up as much in the defensive end as anywhere else. Former Grizzlies standout Tony Allen liked what he sees, pointing to Stewart as the kind of tough, physical presence who can fit right into a franchise that has long valued effort, resistance and a willingness to make every possession uncomfortable.
For Memphis fans, the appeal is obvious: Stewart is not arriving as just another frontcourt piece, but as someone who could help shape the tone of the roster. Allens view is that Stewart has the ingredients to matter in a way that goes beyond box scores, with the chance to become part of a new defensive identity and revive some of the spirit that once defined this team. [Read more 🡒]
One Tight Grizzlies Win Put The Spotlight On Their Young Core
A one-point Summer League win does not usually carry much weight in July, but Memphis got a useful look at several pieces that could matter down the line in a 97-96 escape over Chicago in Las Vegas. Cameron Boozer showed why the Grizzlies are interested in his all-around game, finishing with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists while affecting both ends, and Cedric Coward added another steady showing with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
The bigger takeaway for Memphis was the way the young group kept finding answers in a tight game, with Boozer and Coward helping set the tone around the perimeter and on the glass. Caleb Wilson was the headline performer, and the Grizzlies will want to see whether that kind of shot-making can translate beyond a single night as the summer schedule continues. [Read more 🡒]
Beloved Former Grizzlies Guard Just Landed Another NBA Opportunity
A familiar name is getting another shot in the league, and for Grizzlies fans it is easy to see why this one still carries some weight. Mike Conley Jr. has been around the NBA long enough to become one of the most respected guards of his era, with a career that has stretched across Memphis, Utah and Minnesota and made him a steady presence wherever he has landed.
Even as his on-court production has dipped in recent seasons, Conley still brings the kind of leadership and experience teams value when the games get bigger and the margins get tighter. He is also closing in on a rare career milestone, one that would put him among a very small group in NBA history, and it adds another layer to a run that has already lasted nearly two decades. [Read more 🡒]