As a part of the eight-game slate of NBA Summer League action taking place in Las Vegas tonight, the Utah Jazz face off with the Charlotte Hornets. This matchup has already lost a bit of the hype with Ace Bailey being ruled out due to a hip flexor injury. This was expected to be a showdown between the fourth and fifth overall picks, but Kon Knueppel will need to wait for his next opportunity to take on the former Rutgers star.
Even still, there is plenty of young talent to get excited about in tonight’s matchup. The Jazz are coming off a 3-0 showing at the Salt Lake City Summer League tournament, while tonight will be the first game of the summer for the Hornets.
DraftKings Sportsbook is listing the Utah Jazz as 4.5-point favorites at -205 on the Moneyline ahead of the contest. The Charlotte Hornets hold +170 odds on the Moneyline with the game total set at 180.
Jazz vs. Hornets Preview, Prediction:
It was an up-and-down start to Ace Bailey’s summer league experience, and the rest of the roster will make up for the 13.5 field goal attempts per game he took in Salt Lake City. Look toward Walter Clayton Jr. as the biggest beneficiary of this as he already showcased his shot-making ability on this Jazz roster. The Florida product opened eyes with his play in Salt Lake City, including dropping 20 points in the game that Bailey missed. Kyle Filipowski also stepped up during this matchup with 18 points and 15 rebounds. The Duke product had a solid rookie campaign in which he averaged 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds and will be looking to further cement his outlook with the organization with a strong showing in this tournament.
Isaiah Collier has shown some nice flashes but needs to continue taking strides as a shooter as was evident during the regular season. Cody Williams has not shown the progress that was hoped for during his time in Salt Lake City, but the slate is wiped clean in Las Vegas. He has notably filled out his frame a bit, but has not taken the desired step forward in his basketball ability. Jaden Springer is trying desperately to find his NBA footing as he has gotten lost in the shuffle the past few seasons after being a first-round pick back in 2021. Elijah Harkless has shown some encouraging flashes while RJ Luis missed the Salt Lake City stint due to knee soreness and will be looking to prove what he can do.
This is the full Jazz Summer League roster for Las Vegas listed below:
Tonight will mark the first Summer League action for the Hornets and the first showing for Kon Knueppel in a Hornets uniform. The Duke product was selected with the No. 4 pick after a successful one-and-done season. Knueppel is the type of low-usage player who makes the most of his touches, and there could be some untapped ability that he showcased during Cooper Flagg’s brief injury absence at Duke. He will be joined by fellow first-round pick Liam McNeeley, who was selected 29th overall in this year’s draft. The Connecticut and Montverde product also has an NBA-ready game. He will be counted on as a key contributor here.
Charlotte also selected Ryan Kalkbrenner with the 34th overall pick. The four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year walks into a great opportunity for minutes at the big man spot and knows exactly who he is as a basketball player. He should be a force in this Summer League setting. Right before Kalkbrenner, Sion James was selected with the 33rd overall pick. The scrappy defensive-minded guard was overshadowed a bit at Duke by the high-level talent around him, but will be eager to show what he can do in this setting next to Knueppel once again.
Last year’s sixth overall pick, Tidjane Salaun, will also suit up after a rocky rookie season. The Frenchman is still raw in his skill set, and the organization will look for him to take a stride forward in his second season. Charlotte also added KJ Simpson with the 42nd overall pick in last year’s draft, who showed some encouraging flashes last season. Former Clemson standout PJ Hall played 19 games with the Denver Nuggets last year and will be looking to carve out a role for himself in Charlotte. Jamiya Neal also spent last season playing next to Kalkbrenner at Creighton and averaged 12.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. Keep an eye on the 6-foot-6 forward finding a way to make an impact as well.
Jazz vs. Hornets Pick: Hornets ML (+170)
Utah dropped from a 5.5-point favorite to a 4.5-point favorite following the news of Ace Bailey being unavailable, but I was ready to back the Hornets regardless. Both these teams have exciting young cores and plenty of talent that will be on display.
While Utah has the advantage of having a few games under its belt, Brice Sensabaugh successfully earned the “too good” for Summer League label and will not be on the Las Vegas roster after such a strong showing in Salt Lake City. In addition, there should be more continuity on this Hornets roster than in most cases. Kon Knueppel and Sion James are familiar with playing each other, while Ryan Kalkbrenner and Jamiyah Neal face the same situation.
Ace Bailey has already had his chance to showcase his skills to the NBA world, but this will be Knueppel’s first opportunity. The 6-foot-5 forward averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting over 40% on three-point attempts at Duke. Look for him to showcase some other areas of his game that he was not quite able to next to Flagg. Kalkbrenner will be the most polished and talented big man in this matchup, so expect him to make his presence felt as well. The loss of Sensabaugh will be felt based on how the Jazz looked in Salt Lake City, so count on the Hornets to capitalize by taking the +170 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
