The 2022 Las Vegas NBA Summer League is complete. This event continues to grow and give fans a glimpse of the future of the franchise. Your Milwaukee Bucks finished 3-2 this year. As a result, they ended up as what some fans viewed as the third place game. Buck fans were all following first round pick MarJon Beauchamp’s summer progress. Also, fan favorites Sandro Mamukelashvili, Rayjon Tucker, and Luca Vildoza got their moments to shine. As well as G league ballers Lindell Wigginton and Zylan Cheatham who continue to try and stick to an NBA roster.
In addition to the Las Vegas Summer League, LA and SLC also host Summer games/events. However, Vegas is the main event of the summer. Especially, this year they awarded rings to the Summer League champions. Now, while it would’ve been awesome to see our Bucks win rings and bragging rights. Some might say they ended up in their consolation game due to some officiating errors. Despite this, the development of our rookies and depth is the key in these games. Let’s take a quick look at how these games played out for our young Bucks.
Game Notes:
Game 1 Bucks 94 Nets 90
AJ Green started the game 4-for-4 from the three-point line.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 9, 2022
14 PTS | 2 REB pic.twitter.com/4DOOQ8YsQc
First game of Summer League was a great team effort for a group that had never played together. For instance, they had four players in double digits and shot over 50% from three as a team. UDFA AJ Green, showed out hitting his first four 3 point shots. But, he missed his next four attempts. We saw some on ball defense by Beauchamp that impressed. Due to his defense, Nets ball handlers were calling for an on-ball screens every time they saw Beauchamp guarding them. Mamu and Wigginton led the Bucks by scoring 17 each. But, it was MarJon’s 4th quarter 3 with 1:18 left, putting Milwaukee up 93-82, that felt like a dagger. Lastly, I have to say that this was a great debut for Beauchamp.
- Beauchamp 16 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, (3-6 from 3)
- Mamu 17 pts, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, (4-5 from 3)
- AJ Green 14 pts, 2 reb, (4-8 from 3)
- Wigginton 17 pts, 2 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, (2-3 from 3)
Game 2 Celtics 111 Bucks 109
Beauchamp at the buzzer!! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/wVbLD4kWgS
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 12, 2022
Second game was back and forth with a couple late officiating errors and adjustments. Leading the offensive charge, Mamu and Wigginton scored into the 20s. Thrillingly, Beauchamp hit a buzzer beater to end the first. Both sides were really competing, some of that playoff series intensity carried over. Even Pat Connaughton and Grant Williams who were sitting courtside were exchanging trash talk. Bucks were down by 8 at halftime. However, at the end of the third Bucks were up three. Then things got weird. First, with a few minutes remaining the refs reviewed the scorebook and awarded an additional point to the Bucks. They thought they missed a FT. Next, with 11 seconds remaining, score Bucks 108 Celtics 107. The officiating team made the realization that it should be Bucks 107 Celtics 108. The Bucks went from trying to secure the game to trying to win it. Unfortunately, they fell short.
- Mamukelashvili 28 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk, (3-5 from 3)
- Beauchamp 15 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, (2-4 from 3)
- Wigginton 24 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl, (3-7 from 3)
- Sam Hauser 12 pts, 1 ast, (3-7 from 3) in just 18 minutes played
Game 3 Bucks 87 Timberwolves 75
Big block by Rayjon. Lindell with the finish. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/b42oZuYr6U
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 13, 2022
Third game of Summer League, Bucks got off to a slow start. They missed their first 6 shots. Luckily, they were only down six after a five scoreless minutes. Just then, Beauchamp and second round pick Hugo Besson hit back to back 3s to tie it. Consequently, Besson hit another in the first and the Bucks led by three at the end of one. It was another great all around effort by the young Bucks. For example, they had 25 team assists and won the rebound battle 47-34. Sandro was a monster on the boards collecting 15 of them. At the same time, Bucks team D swarmed the T-wolves in the fourth, limiting them to 12 points in the quarter. Late in the fourth quarter, Beauchamp hit back to back dagger 3s. As a result, five Bucks ended the game scoring double digits.
- Beauchamp 15 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, (4-8 from 3)
- Sandro 18 pts, 15 reb, 4 ast, 2 blk, (2-6 from 3)
- Rayjon Tucker 14 pts, 3 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, (3-5 from 3)
- Wigginton 14 pts, 1 reb, 6 ast, 1 blk, (4-6 from 3)
Game 4 Bucks 100 Mavs 89
MarJon working both sides of the ball.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 15, 2022
11 PTS | 4 REB | 4 AST | 2 STL pic.twitter.com/DmaIKvPIZM
Next up, the Dallas Mavericks, our last regular league scheduled game. After exchanging a few buckets to start the game, most of Bucks went cold and became turnover prone (8 in the 1st qtr). On the other hand, AJ Green went 5 of 9 from 3 for the Bucks. Because the outside shots weren’t falling for most Bucks; they started attacking the rim. This was a theme that continued throughout the game. Due to the consistent attacking the Bucks attempted 43 FTs. The Mavs were up by 11 at the end of the first. But cold shooting really slowed the Mavs down over the next two quarters. Furthermore, Beauchamp’s defensive prowess really showed through during the first half of this game. Bucks big third quarter made the fans feel confident. Of course, the Mavs made a run in the fourth quarter. But the Bucks made 12 fourth quarter FTs to ice the game.
- Wigginton 25 pts, 2 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl, (2-5 from 3)
- Beauchamp 11 pts, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk, (1-5 from 3)
- Mamu 19 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, (1-4 from 3)
- AJ Green 15 pts, 2 reb, (5-9 from 3)
Game 5 Raptors 80 Bucks 69
Iverson Molinar showing off his athleticism. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/hrY03WciUP
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 17, 2022
Lastly, the Bucks finished up Summer League getting matched up with the Toronto Raptors. After the first four games the Raptors were the third ranked team and the Bucks were fourth. This was based off of teams records and point differential. This means Bucks missed the championship in their awkward loss to the Celtics. At the same time, this has been a strong showing for the Bucks. Wrapping up Summer League against the Raptors provided a competitive matchup for our squad.
Once again, the Bucks got off to a slow start. Missing their first seven shots, coach Vin Baker went to the bench to find a spark. As a result, UDFA Iverson Molinar demonstrated his speed and athleticism. Molinar scored six straight points for the Bucks and snatched a steal in just 3 minutes. Unfortunately, the slow start was a sign. The Bucks finished the first half 1 of 10 from deep. Raptors defense was long and hustling. So, they were down 38-26 at half. Shooting woes continued for the Bucks. Trailing as much as 21 at one point, Bucks were able to battle back to being down just 6 with four minutes to go. That’d be the closest it would get. In the eyes of the beholder, Bucks finished 4th in the Las Vegas Summer League.
- Wigginton 11 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk, (1-5 from 3)
- DeWan Hernandez 10 pts, 7 reb, 1 ast
- Iverson Molinar 8 pts, 1 ast, 1 stl
Concerns:
First concern, turnovers. When it came to the turnover battle the Bucks were 1-3-1. Ironically, their loss was the one game they won the turnover battle. Some turnovers came from loose handles. Others, from late or lazy passes. These type of turnovers are increased due to the lack of chemistry. Players end up overhandling the ball and hesitate when passing. Luckily, we will see these type of turnovers lessen when our contracted Bucks join the A squad.
Second concern, rebounding. Only time Bucks won the rebounding battle was when Mamu grabbed 15 for the team. Numerous Bucks were guilty of not finding a body when shots went up. Therefore, three teams were able to snag double digit offensive rebounds on the young Bucks. Rebounding comes down to doing the fundamentals and wanting it more than the next guy. If you’re trying to make an NBA roster I wouldn’t be standing around at any moment.
Positives:
First positive, 3 point shooting. For example, we had 3 players that will see time with the Bucks that shot over 40% from 3. They were Mamu, MarJon, and Wigginton. Now, while they won’t likely receive a critical amount of minutes. This helps deepen this teams shooting and gives hope in our developing of talent. Also, AJ Green had two dymanic shooting games. Against the Nets he was 4 of 8 and against the Mavs he was 5 of 9. With coaching and being on the floor with other shooters, Green has a chance of working his way into a standard contract in a couple years.
Next Positive, the demeanor of these young Bucks. Seven players on this Summer League have contracts with the Bucks. This core group of guys really pulled together throughout these ten days. We saw possessions of moving the ball well. Defensive plays that turned into fast break points. Selflessness and hustle showed that this group of guys have a passion for basketball. This is great for the Bucks organization, culture, and future. Those players are MarJon Beauchamp, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Luca Vildoza, Rayjon Tucker, Iverson Molinar, AJ Green, and Lindell Wigginton.
Last Positive, MarJon Beauchamp. I am focusing on MarJon since he is our last first round pick until 2028. Unless, we trade for one. But, as it stands right now, we need him to be a big part of our future. He averaged 12.8 pts and 45% from 3 in these five games. Now, while this is a small sample, it’s up another difficulty level for him. However, what really impressed was MarJon’s defense. His length and hustle helped him on the wings. His toughness helped him to average a block and steal per game. He’s also willing to track down rebounds. I expect to see him averaging 10 minutes a game by season’s end.
Final Facts:
- Bucks top scorer was Lindell Wigginton with 18.2 ppg
- Bucks top achiever was Sandro Mamukelashvili with 17 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.6 ast, 1.1 spg, 1 bpg
- Flavor Flav is friends with MarJon and claims that Beauchamp can lay down some bars
