Tipping off just a week after the NBA Draft, the NBA Summer League is filled with young, competitive talent hoping to make NBA rosters. Among this crop were six former NC State players. Here is what they have done so far:
Ralston Turner, Guard, 2012-2015
The 6-foot-6 sharpshooter got a gig with the Charlotte Hornets. Unlike his fellow NC State alumni, he played in the Orlando summer league, which took place from July 4-10.
Largely due to a crowded wing position, Turner only saw action in two games and registered 15 total minutes. In limited playing time, he shot 0-for-4 from the field but garnered two rebounds, two steals and a block. The Hornets ended the summer league 2-3, including 1-1 in the games Turner played in. His next step will likely lead him overseas.
Trevor Lacey, Guard, 2013-2015
The combo guard celebrated a stellar junior season with the Pack as the leading scorer on a Sweet 16 roster. After forgoing his final year of eligibility in favor of the NBA Draft, Lacey ultimately went undrafted but is spending time with the Cavaliers in the Las Vegas Summer League.
While he ended his collegiate career strong, his professional career has started out slowly. His first two games were respectable, as he combined for 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and just two turnovers, and he shot 4-for-9 from the field.
However, in his next contest, he shot a mere 1-for-7 from the field, including 0-for-4 from beyond the arc. Additionally, he scored five points but turned the ball over three times with no assists or rebounds.
Overall, Lacey has shot 0-for-7 from beyond the arc in the three games he’s played. While his 5-for-5 from the free throw line is encouraging, he will have to shoot better from the field going forward. The Cavs are 1-2 heading into the summer league playoffs.
T.J. Warren, Forward, 2012-2014
After earning the ACC Player of the Year honors and declaring early for the 2014 NBA Draft, Warren was drafted 14th overall by the Phoenix Suns. While he spent some time with the Suns’ D-League affiliate at the beginning of the season, he rejoined the Suns and earned more playing time as the season progressed. He will compete with P.J. Tucker for the starting small forward position this coming season.
Warren burst out onto the scene in his first summer league game: 20 points, three rebounds, one assist, three steals and a block. He followed that performance up with 22 points, four rebounds, two steals and a block in 30 minutes. While he saw his playing time drop to 22 minutes in the final preliminary game, he still made the most of it, tallying 16 points, two assists and one rebound.
Warren has shot very well in these three games, combining for 24-for-43 (55.8 percent) from the field and 10-for-13 (76.9 percent) from the free throw line. However, playing in a wing position, he needs to work on his three point shooting, and he is only 0-1 from beyond the arc this summer. The Suns hold a 2-1 record heading into summer league elimination.
C.J. Leslie, Forward, 2010-2013
Leslie went undrafted after forgoing his senior season to enter the 2013 NBA Draft. He had a brief stint with the Knicks, but has bounced around the developmental league and various teams overseas since then.
This summer, with the Sacramento Kings, Leslie has fared poorly. He played 20 minutes against the Raptors, but shot a sub-par 3-for-10 from the field totaling seven points, three rebounds, two steals and a block. In the next three games, he saw his minutes drop to 15, eight and nine, respectively.
Lorenzo Brown, Guard, 2010-2013
Like his former teammate Leslie, Brown declared early for the 2013 NBA Draft. Unlike Leslie, Brown was drafted in the second round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He spent most of his first two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers and with various D-League teams before returning to the Timberwolves in February 2015.
Up to this point, in three games with one start, Brown has averaged 12 points, 3.3 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. His best game came in the lone win against the Lakers in which he put up 17 points on 6-for-9 from the field, in addition to three rebounds, three assists and three steals in 31 minutes. Minnesota holds a 1-2 record heading into the elimination games.
C.J. Williams, Guard, 2008-2012
Williams had a somewhat uneventful career with the Wolfpack. Despite that, he has been productive in the D-League, earning him a spot with the Milwaukee Bucks last summer and with the Timberwolves alongside his former teammate Lorenzo Brown.
Williams has struggled to make much of an impact for Minnesota so far this summer, playing in two games with one start and averaging a meager 11 minutes per game. In those two games combined, he has totaled four points, three rebounds and one assist while shooting 2-of-7 from the field. Williams will have to be more efficient if he wants more playing time in the Timberwolves crowded backcourt for the little time he has left in the summer league.
