photo courtesy of USA Today
Two former Arkansas players are making big moves in the NBA Summer League’s opening games. On Sunday, July 9, Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh proved themselves as playmakers on their teams.
Black scored 17 points for the Orlando Magic while playing against the Detroit Pistons. Compiled of five rebounds and three assists, Black showed precisely why he was the number 6 pick in June’s NBA Draft. Although Black gave up six turnovers, his explosive three-pointers and quick rebounds made up for it.
The Magic player told Sports Illustrated he did “Just a little bit of everything.” Black continued to say, “Making winning plays, distributing the ball, scoring the ball, defending. Just doing all types of stuff to help us win. Really just come out and be myself, play hard, make winning plays on both sides of the ball and also` show some leadership, show I know how to tell dudes what to do and get us organized.”
Walsh stood against the Razorback, earning the Boston Celtics 18 points as he played. Walsh got two steals in the process. Walsh spoke to the outlet about his drastic improvement as an outside shooter with his new team at the NBA Summer League. He credited the Celtics’ training and his teammate’s encouragement.
“Not only did they encourage me to shoot it, they forced me to,” Walsh began, “Them believing in me and giving me the opportunity and telling me to shoot it, that’s the biggest part because it puts confidence in me, and that builds confidence in the team for sure.”
Social media users praised the Arkansas-originated pair for their performances in the Summer League.