Utah has effectively been eliminated from the Summer League postseason — losing to both the Hornets and Warriors — but will have the chance to give the 2-0 Spurs their first loss in Las Vegas.
Even with a core of barely-legal adults, the injury bug struck the Jazz just like it did back in April. In total, Ace Bailey, Walter Clayton Jr, John Tonje, Elijah Harkless and RJ Luis were all sidelined/exited in their 10-point loss against Golden State. The Jazz saw some promise from Ace Bailey in their first two games played in Salt Lake City back on July 8th, but have yet to see the floor since then. The biggest story has been Walter Clayton’s rise to success with the offense running through his hands, posting 20 & 21-point performances since his finale in SLC.
San Antonio has seen a near-full health roster sheet throughout their Summer League campaign, only missing Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey’s Rutgers partner, in his debut. The Jazz have already played against the 4th pick, Kon Knueppel (though Ace Bailey was missing in action). Sarah Todd reported that the Jazz were hopeful that Ace would have been available yesterday, but all signs point to the Scarlet Knight teammates squaring off on NBA TV. Another point to be made is the Spurs’ 14th overall pick, Carter Bryant, who showed NBA readiness on the defensive end against Cooper Flagg. He’s been a walking jail sentence with the awareness to disrupt the ball in any area of the court.
How to Watch:
Who: Utah Jazz vs. San Antonio Spurs
When: July 14th, 6:30 PM Mountain Time
Where: Thomas & Mack Center
Watch: NBATV
What to watch for: How legit is Cody Williams?
Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images
On paper, former 10th overall pick Cody Williams has had two solid 20-point performances in Las Vegas. Williams put together an all-around performance Sunday, leading the team in scoring, rebounds, steals and tying for a team-high in assists.
With some context, Williams only made one of six shots along had three points at the half. In the second half, he scored 19 points on about 64 percent. The former Colorado Buffaloes’ ability to flip the switch mid-game has been one of the Jazz’s brightest spots this summer, despite the fact that he still occasionally gets outmuscled and has ugly misses from beyond the arc.
Things haven’t been perfect, but the promising tools make Cody Williams a giant question mark heading into his second season. You can tell that he’s been working his tail off to get fans back on his side. He’s also worked on becoming less passive on offense, and has filled out his frame to become more aggressive in the paint. Utah knew what they signed up for by drafting a project 18-year old. Time will tell when he looks to prove himself against a fleshed out San Antonio team.
