The Brooklyn Nets took on the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday in the second game of their 2024 summer league slate, ultimately falling by a score of 87-78. The Nets trailed wire-to-wire in the game, but the final result is secondary to what transpired on the court.
As we’ve covered previously, the Nets have some exciting young talents on display in Vegas for Summer League with their development being the main attraction. With that said, let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from Sunday’s action.
Keon Johnson puts up an electrifying performance to lead the bright spots
Keon Johnson was an after thought on the summer league roster. Without any sort of real contract, many believe he was simply summer league fodder. He latched on with Brooklyn last season, playing in just 5 unimpressive games, making it three teams in three years in the league for the former first-round draft pick.
However, in the Summer League, Johnson has been shining bright for the Nets. On Sunday he erupted for 27 points on 9 of 16 shooting including 4 of 8 from beyond the arc. He also crashed the boards tallying 6 rebounds, 4 of which were offensive, while being a menace in the passing lanes on defense logging 4 steals. All of this comes after a 16-point, 5 rebound, 6 assist performance in the opener.
Coming out of college, scouts noted that Johnson was a long, springy, athletic two guard who needed some time to refine his shooting stroke, all-around offensive game, and defensive instincts. Through two games in the Summer League, we’ve seen those traits and their refinement on display. While it’s easy to overreact, Brooklyn has plenty of developmental forwards and centers, but outside of Cam Thomas no young guards worthy of developmental. The way Johnson has been playing, he could very well earn that roster spot and a chance to develop into a long-term piece.
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Don’t sound the alarms just yet over Dariq Whitehead’s struggles
The stat line was a little better for the young wing, but there were plenty of struggles on display on Sunday. Finishing with 10 points on just 3 of 12 shooting, Whitehead has yet to look comfortable coming back from multiple foot and shin injuries.
While finally healthy, Whitehead hasn’t shown the explosion with the ball in his hands that made him such a highly touted prospect. He struggles to turn the corner against defenders, and when he does get in the lane, he’s still settling for floaters rather than be aggressive towards the basket.
On the defensive end, things have been better. Whitehead has been active, finishing Sunday with a steal and a block and 3 steals and 2 blocks in the opener. One has to wonder if the root cause of his struggles is simply adapting back to game speed, especially for a player who’s hardly played at the NBA level. In addition, having the confidence in his legs again that he can cut, change directions, drive, and explode to the basket after three serious lower leg injuries will take time.
The hope was for Whitehead to hit the ground running in the Summer League, but as of now, it looks like he’ll need time in the G-League to get his confidence and feel for the game sorted. If he can do that and the athleticism that made him so enthralling is still there, this will just be a minor blip on an otherwise successful journey. Either way, it’s something for Nets fans to keep an eye on.
A few other quick-hitting takeaways from the Nets’ second Summer League game
Noah Clowney had another solid outing with his three-ball starting to fall. He finished the night with 13 points on 5 of 10 shooting including 2 of 4 from deep. He also posted 7 rebounds and 2 blocks, showing again that he can be counted on to protect the rim on the defensive end.
Jalen Wilson had a so-so night. After his big 25-point explosion in the opener, he put up a more modest 12 points on Sunday. He shot only 4 of 14 from the field but went 4 of 10 from three showing a willingness to fire away and connect at a very solid clip. A catch-and-shoot three-point shooter is his role in the NBA, so it’s encouraging to see his stroke from three be so productive thus far.
Jacob Gilyard continues to get the lion’s share of the minutes at point guard over the buzzy undrafted free agent signee, Mark Armstrong, much to the surprise of many. Gilyard played 36 minutes to Armstrong’s 8 in the opener and Sunday was nearly identical with Gilyard logging 31 minutes to Armonstrong’s 9. Neither has impressed thus far, but it’s surprising to see the 26-year-old journeyman get so much run at the 20-year-old rookie’s expense.
Next up, The Brooklyn Nets vs. The New York Knicks on Tuesday 7/16 @ 4:30 PM
