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Basketball is (technically) back!
The Milwaukee Bucks may be the reigning NBA champions, but basketball never sleeps. This week, the Bucks will take part in the Las Vegas Summer League, an annual extravaganza that combines young prospects with more experienced players (many of whom will never see a minute of NBA time) to host a tournament punctuated with highlights, the general fouling and turnarounds. So many turnovers. This morning, the Bucks announced their list who will represent Milwaukee this time around:
The Bucks’ second second-round pick in this latest NBA Draft, Georgios Kalaitzakis, is clearly missing from the roster. According to Harris Stavrou, international sports journalist, Kalaitzakis’ availability is an open question that may or may not be answered in time for Vegas.
The Milwaukee Bucks are still awaiting the authorization letter from Giorgos Kalaitzakis, in order to evaluate him in the Las Vegas Summer League. Unfortunately, FIBA does not operate 24/7.
-Harris Stavrou (@harris_stavrou) August 8, 2021
Another surprising omission is Elijah Bryant, a last-second regular-season signing by the Bucks who has no other NBA experience other than his previous Summer League and training camp involvement. As we discussed ad nauseam during opening week of free agency, Bryant has a fully unsecured contract for this season and would be the most obvious candidate to give up in order to free up another spot on the roster. Since the Bucks aren’t sending him to Vegas, it’s possible they’ve seen enough to know what Bryant is up to and, if the circumstances demand it, they’ll be comfortable letting go of him without no extra attention.
In terms of who is In the Summer League, Jordan Nwora and Mamadi Diakite are the only players representing the 15-man squad. Nwora comes off a remarkable performance with Nigeria at the Olympics, and Diakite remains the only reserve center for the Bucks behind Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis. These two characters get the majority of fan and Scout attention, and each has a clear area of improvement to focus on. For Nwora, offense is never an issue (when you can strike as hard as he can, passing is a secondary focus), so most will be watching his defensive performance to see if there is a noticeable improvement. For Diakite, he clearly knows how to play the game and use his length, but his overall athleticism and strength kept him from breaking into the league.
Going down the list, the Bucks signed second-round pick (both ways) will also be with the squad, and Sandro Mamukelashvili could be in the running for the ‘Funniest Summer League Player’ award. . The Seton Hall center was drafted 57th overall and obviously has fundamental questions about his viability as an NBA big man. Even still, a read of his strengths shows a player who moves remarkably well for his size, is eminently comfortable with the ball in his hands, and appears capable of both hitting shots and setting up teammates. His screening report gives the viewer the impression that Mamu is playing like he’s trying to emulate Nikola Jokic, the league’s reigning MVP. Jokic, too, was a second-round pick and largely ignored until he was given the keys to offense and was simply allowed to produce. Expecting the same from Mamukelashvili is, in a nutshell, unrealistic, but Summer League is the perfect time for takes as hot as the temperature, so let’s sit back and enjoy the show.
The latest player worth considering on the Vegas Bucks roster is Theo Pinson, most recently a member of the New York Knicks with a two-way contract. The Bucks have been linked with guards from the Westchester Knicks before, but Pinson’s acceptance of the Summer League invitation suggests Milwaukee might be interested in him as a two-way contender, especially if Kalaitzakis doesn’t. is unable to join the team for some reason. . Pinson, 25, has an NBA statistical resume that might make spectators wonder why he plays basketball (seriously, his numbers are excruciating), but reports say he’s just a big locker room presence and someone else. ‘one that you want around your team. the males do Does he still have a final spot in the regular season roster, and maybe the team wants to push Thanasis Antetokounmpo to continue to develop as a man of hype?
A source has confirmed that Theo Pinson plays for the Bucks Summer League team. Pinson was on a two-pronged contract with NYK last season, cited by several teammates as an important part of NYK’s chemistry in 2020-21. MIL posted a video of Pinson earlier this evening: pic.twitter.com/YjvOWraCFf
– Ian Begley (@IanBegley) August 7, 2021
The madness that is the Las Vegas Summer League begins tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. Central time. What do you hope to see from this year’s Bucks squad?
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