Former UConn center Tarris Reed Jr. got his first taste of NBA Summer League action Friday night, and the San Antonio Spurs saw both sides of his game in a one-point loss at the California Classic.
Reed, who was introduced in San Antonio just over a week ago as the No. 26 overall draft pick, finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and one block in an 88-87 defeat to the Miami Heat. The scoring didn’t come easily - he shot 3-for-10 from the floor - but he still made his presence felt with work on the glass, rim protection and screening that helped open space for teammates.
“I think a lot of it is shaking off rust, maybe some jitters,” Spurs Summer League coach Corliss Williamson told reporters after the game. “You finally make it to the NBA, you’re missing some of the chippy shots that you’re capable of making.”
Reed opened with a miss on a rare 3-point try, then answered with an early block on Trevor Keels at the rim. He also grabbed seven rebounds, including three on the offensive end, and went 3-for-3 at the line. His last two free throws cut the Spurs’ deficit to one with 31 seconds left.
“There’s a lot to clean up,” Williamson said. “We expected there to be some rough patches there, but overall I was pleased with the way they tried to compete, tried to execute. We’ll try to clean some of the things up.”
The night also brought bad news for another former Husky. Alex Karaban will not debut for the Sacramento Kings on Saturday after suffering a right ankle sprain in practice Thursday while contesting a mid-range jumper. Karaban, the former Huskies captain and No. 29 overall pick, will miss the California Classic and be reevaluated in one week.
In Other News...
Alex Karabans NBA Debut Is Suddenly On Hold
Alex Karabans start with the Kings has hit a brief pause before it really got going. Sacramento said the former UConn standout will miss at least a week after hurting his right ankle in practice, putting a temporary hold on the NBA debut that had been set to begin with summer league action.
Karaban still has a chance to return for upcoming summer league events, but the next checkpoint comes next Friday when he is re-evaluated. For a player who arrived in Sacramento via a draft-night trade after being selected by Cleveland, it is an untimely setback, especially after a college career at UConn that was defined by rare availability and steady production. [Read more 🡒]