The Sacramento Kings picked up their first win of the Summer League in Las Vegas Tuesday afternoon, knocking off the Memphis Grizzlies by a final of 94-80. With the victory, the Kings improved to 2-4 overall on the summer.
Wins and losses don’t mean much, but there are plenty of items to glean from the games. Here are five takeaways as the Kings move towards the elimination phase of the tournament.
- Justin Jackson looks great as a primary scorer. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely he’ll have that role when the regular season starts in October. As a focal point, Jackson dropped in 20 points or more for the fourth time in six games. He shot an impressive 8-of-13 from the field and knocked down 2-of-4 from long range on his way to a 20-point, two-rebound performance.
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- Harry Giles is gaining momentum. The Kings haven’t had a player like Giles since Ron Artest. The 20-year-old big plays the game with an intensity and force that Sacramento desperately needs. He still makes plenty of rookie mistakes, but his defensive acumen is off the charts, especially for a player that’s sat for most of the last three seasons. He posted his second double-double of the summer, finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes of action. In three games in Vegas, Giles is averaging 12 points and 7.7 rebounds in 23.3 minutes a contest.
- Frank Mason has struggled to find his footing while running the show, but he looked better against the Grizzlies. The second-year point guard managed to score 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting and chipped in 13 assists. Mason currently ranks third in assist during the Las Vegas Summer League at eight dimes per game. He’s struggled to get his offense going, but he’s setting up his teammates well and he turned the ball over just once in 26 minutes of action.
- The Kings are loaded at the center and power forward positions, but Zach Auguste looks like a player worth giving a longer look. The 25-year-old out of Notre Dame scored 13 points, grabbed five rebounds and added a block and a steal in 19 minutes of action. He’s mobile, rebounds and has a nice post game. The Kings only have two roster spots open for the regular season, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to offer Auguste an invite to training camp and possibly a look in Stockton this season.
- Anthony Brown and Matt Jones both contributed to the Kings’ win. At 6-foot-7, 210 pounds, Brown has good size for the wing spot. He’s bounced in and out of the league over the past three seasons after being taken in the early second round of the 2015 NBA Draft. Jones spent last season with the Bighorns after going undrafted out of Duke in 2017. He can shoot the rock, but the Kings are set at the shooting guard position.
