Going 0-3 in the California Classic is not good… I wouldn’t necessarily call it bad either. Summer League isn’t about wins and losses. It’s about seeing if your contracted young players can stand out, or finding diamonds in the rough in the G League. In Monday’s 88-84 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs got exactly what they needed from their new draftees.
Tarris Reed Jr. and Ja’Kobi Gillespie had their best games of the summer, nearly leading San Antonio to a comeback win. Reed Jr. got a low-post seal, turned his shoulder, and finished through the contact for an and-1 opportunity late in the game, but rimmed out the free throw that would have tied it. Gillespie hit some big threes down the stretch to put the Spurs within striking distance.
It was clear that both of those guys belong on an NBA court in some capacity. That’s about all you can ask from a Summer League squad. Now the team will head to Las Vegas, where Carter Bryant will join the team and almost certainly get to show the Spurs what he’s got in his offensive bag. With an NBA rotation player on his way, the team could find more success when they head to Sin City.