With NBA Summer League now over, I thought that it would be fun to do a blog post about how former Cal basketball players did over these past couple of weeks in the NBA's summer proving grounds. You might be surprised to know that Cal had five former players playing in the 2015 NBA Summer League, two of which were on the same team.
David Kravish (Golden State Warriors): The encouraging part about David Kravish's summer league performance is that he got better with each game he played. During his first game against the Cavaliers, he had 0 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in six minutes of action. In his second game against the Kings, he played just two minutes, but he scored 2 points. In his third game against the Knicks, he played eight minutes and scored 4 points while also grabbing 5 rebounds. In his fourth and final game against the Pelicans, he had 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks in 18 minutes of action.
NBA Summer League is all about showcasing your skills and getting better. It's not about where you start, it's about where you finish. David Kravish didn't have the best start to NBA Summer League, but he had a very solid and encouraging finish. I definitely expect David Kravish to get an invite to an NBA training camp this fall. He certainly deserves it based on his improvement with the Warriors.
Richard Solomon (Oklahoma City Thunder): Richard Solomon had a decent NBA Summer League performance with the Thunder. He played 14.7 minutes per game and averaged 6.0 points and 3.7 rebounds. The good part about his performance is that he was consistent. He didn't have a breakout game, but he didn't have a game where he didn't make an impact, either. Every game, he got right around his averages, and that is a good thing because in order to succeed in the pros you need to be consistent night in and night out.
The fact that he got a good chunk of minutes each game is also encouraging. He's in the Oklahoma City Thunder organization as a member of their D-League team, the Oklahoma City Blue. It definitely appears as though the Thunder are keeping an eye on him and seeing how he develops. This means odds are very good he'll join the team in training camp and also be in the mix to get a 10-day contract should they need an extra body during the regular season.
However, it is also clear that he still has a lot of growing to do. He didn't block a single shot in his three games and he shot an abysmal 28.6% from the foul line. If he wants the Thunder to give him a 10 day contract next season and escape the D-League, he'll have to improve his defense and also knock down his foul shots. He definitely has the size to play in the NBA at 6'11, 230 lbs, but what appears to be holding him back is his lack of offensive polish and defensive abilities.
Justin Cobbs (Charlotte Hornets): Justin Cobbs didn't have the NBA Summer League performance he would have hoped for. He averaged a decent amount of minutes per game (13.3), but he didn't do much with the minutes he was given. He shot 14.3% from the field and averaged only 1.3 points per game. The only thing about his game that was a plus was his facilitating. He averaged 2.0 assists per game and demonstrated some potential to run an offense. But so long as he is unable to create his own shot in the NBA, he'll be forced to play overseas.
It should be noted that he had a very good season with the Fraport Skyliners last year in Germany, averaging 14.4 points and 4.4 assists per game. He has signed a deal with IBB of the Turkish Basketball League, which is a very respectable league overseas. Justin Cobbs appears to be on the right track to have a promising career overseas and someday be an effective Euroleague player. But as for his NBA potential, it isn't looking too good at the moment.
Jorge Gutierrez (Milwaukee Bucks): Jorge Gutierrez had the best NBA Summer League of all the former Cal basketball players from a statistical standpoint. He averaged 6.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game with a +10.67 efficiency rating. He definitely appears on track to be back with the Bucks' active roster this season. Their head coach Jason Kidd (another Cal Bear) likes him a lot and when given the chance to play, he has been productive. It definitely appears as though Jorge Gutierrez has found a home in Milwaukee.
Jerome Randle (Milwaukee Bucks): Jerome Randle is the third former Cal point guard who played in NBA Summer League this year and he certainly made the most of his opportunity, averaging 8.2 points and 3.6 assists per game. The Bucks also gave him plenty of minutes (21.0 minutes per game). At the moment, he is under contract with Eskisehir Basket in Turkey, but judging by how he played in NBA Summer League, odds look promising for the 28 year old that either the Bucks or some other NBA team will want to give him a look in training camp.
---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for NBA news and Cal basketball updates
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