The Summer League has given the Cleveland Cavaliers’ roster plenty of opportunities to showcase their skills over the last three games.
Cleveland has taken a 3-0 record with victories over the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies. Cleveland scored 101 points as it outlasted Brooklyn at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nev., barely pushing past a potential upset as the Nets nearly fought their way back from a 52-38 deficit at halftime.
Some of Cleveland’s more exciting players had the opportunity to shine as Cleveland faced lottery picks, second-round selections, former college stars and standouts from the NBA G League alike.
Guard Sam Merrill has averaged 18.7 points per game over the three games he has suited up for, knocking down 48.4% of his 3-point shots while shooting 10.3 per game, according to NBA.com. Forward Emoni Bates, who the Cavs took a chance on with the No. 49 pick in this year’s draft, is averaging 16.3 points per outing on a 41.5% shooting percentage.
What were some of the top individual performances by the Cavaliers during the NBA Summer League so far?
Sam Merrill: 27 points against Memphis Grizzlies
If there was any time for Merrill to showcase his 3-point shooting, it would be Monday.
Coming off of an inconsistent 4-11 from beyond the arc against the Raptors and 3-9 against Brooklyn the game before, the player who hit 42% of his shots from the 3-point line during his time at Utah State needed a spark to show he could play with the best of them at the Summer League.
Thankfully, he didn’t disappoint.
Merrill seemingly could not miss from the 3-point line when the Cavs took on the Grizzlies on Monday. He hit eight of his 11 3-point attempts, firing lightning-quick catch-and-shoot and fadeaway shots as Cleveland faced Memphis in Cox Pavilion. The former Utah State standout added two rebounds and two assists against Memphis.
A confident shot off a screen from center Khalifa Diop highlighted his 3-point barrage. He fired a shot off the dribble while two Memphis defenders when up to contest it.
One can only hope the former second-round pick in the 2020 draft can continue his stellar shooting streak when the Cavs take on Chicago on Thursday.
Emoni Bates: 21 points against Memphis Grizzlies
It took some time for Bates to find his rhythm as Cleveland went through its July schedule.
Bates showed signs of improvement over every game he played of the Summer League. He hit four of his 13 tries from beyond the arc and five of his 18 field goals during the team’s first matchup against Brooklyn before cutting his attempts down to 12 against the Raptors.
On Monday, he showed a small glimpse into the type of scorer he can be.
Bates did well when sizing up his opponents on the perimeter, highlighted by an isolation 3-point shot over forward Jake LaRavia during the early minutes of Monday’s matchup. He ended the night with 21 points, four rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
Bates will need to continue to flash the encouraging signs he showed against the Grizzles if the Cavs are going to leave thier Summer League showdown with Chicago on Thursday with a 4-0 record.
Sharife Cooper: 27 points against Brooklyn Nets
It always helps to see a solid performance in the Summer League’s opening game.
While Merrill had a good showing on the stat sheet after he posted 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, it was Cooper who led the way with an efficient scoring night against Brooklyn.
Cooper, who led the Cleveland Charge with 21.3 points per game last season, exploded for 27 when Cleveland faced former Houston guard Armoni Brooks and the Nets. He hit eight of his 12 shot attempts and two of his four 3-pointers as he dove in for layups in traffic against Brooklyn’s interior defenders and hit contested tries from the perimeter.
He may have dipped to eight points against the Raptors and the Grizzlies. But, for one night, Cooper carried over the solid scoring from his time in the G League to help lift Cleveland to a much-needed Summer League win.