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The 2021 NBA Summer League schedule started on Tuesday, August 3rd with the California Classic getting underway as well as games in Utah. The Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors faced off while the Los Angeles Lakers played the Miami Heat. The Utah Jazz played a split squad against the Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs. We’re going to provide a few key takeaways from the games early on.
Davion Mitchell shines for Kings
Sacramento took the guard out of Baylor with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. His first taste of action with the Kings resulted in a 23-point performance in a 89-82 loss to the Dubs in the Cali Classic on Tuesday. Mitchell shot 9-of-18 from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers to lead all scorers. This could be the second straight year the Kings nail their first-round pick after taking Tyrese Haliburton in the lottery in 2020. Sacramento’s guard depth is going to be pretty impressive if Mitchell pans out. De’Aaron Fox is a borderline All-Star and Buddy Hield is one of the best shooters in the NBA.
Who is Omer Yurtseven?
Yurtseven is a 7-footer out of Turkey who is 23 years old and played a bit of college ball at NC State and Georgetown. He signed with the Miami Heat back in May of 2021 after spending time with the OKC Thunder’s G League squad. Yurtseven went undrafted back in 2020 and of course landed in Miami, which is becoming a haven for undrafted free agents (Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn).
All Yurtseven did against the Lakers in his first SL game of the summer was drop 27 points with 19 rebounds, shooting 11-of-19 from the floor with three 3-pointers. Yurtseven also had 7 turnovers and fouled out, but that’s besides the point! The Heat have been known to develop undrafted FAs and Yurtseven could be the latest one.