The playoffs for the NBA Summer League get underway on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas. While there were six undefeated teams, only the top four teams reached the postseason, with point differential being the deciding factor. That leaves us with a matchup between the Hornets and Thunder in the first round, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s championship game.
While I’m sure all the players on the floor are going to care about this game (yes, these guys do get rings), it’s Charlotte that has more talent. The Hornets and Spurs were both 3-0 when they met on Thursday, essentially already playing for a potential postseason birth against another team in the same position. The Hornets came out and throttled San Antonio behind a very balanced effort, by a final score of 106-81. No. 4 overall pick, Kon Knueppel was one of a handful of standouts, but his 19 points and plus/minus of +26 both matched game-highs.
I think getting the Hornets as an underdog here feels like strong value to begin with, but there’s also a chance that Charlotte could wind up with an even larger advantage. Oklahoma City might’ve shown its hand when it decided to rest its two best players, Ajay Mitchell and Nikola Topic, in the last game. While OKC still beat a dreadful 0-4 Pelicans team, the willingness to sit those guys down might indicate a reduction in their roles moving forward. Remember, these guys haven’t only played a few games in Vegas, they also played three games prior in Utah.
I lean to the Hornets here in Saturday’s playoff game regardless, but might be adding if Mitchell and Topic are ruled out.
Summer League Play: Hornets +2 (-110) – 0.5-units
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