The NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is off to a scorching start, headlined by two former Zags. It began with Brooklyn Nets forward Drew Timme proving that he might just be too good for the summer league.
After finishing with 22 points on 10-for-13 shooting, nine rebounds, one steal, and one block in the 90-81 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, don’t act surprised if the Brooklyn organization decides to shut him down early. Timme’s already shown that he’s too elite of a bucket getter for this level of play through the two previous summer leagues that he’s been in, and his nine games with the Nets to end last season.
Besides struggling from the free throw line while going 1-for-4, the only embarrassing part of his performance was when he was drilled in the head with an errant pass from teammate Danny Wolf. At least Timme still has his sense of humor when dealing with the media.
“I almost got CTE with that one, that was a bullet.” – Drew Timme via ESPN
In the primetime matchup on Day 1, Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard stole the show from the 2025 NBA Draft’s No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg. He did it all, displaying his playmaking skills and individual scoring abilities. Nembhard blew past Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James for an easy lay-in, with no one around him at the rim. He showed off his off-the-dribble step-back pull-up. Even hit the clutch shot from deep to take the lead in the final minute.
The undersized guard competed with a ton of toughness, finishing with a team-high 21 points on 8-for-14 field goals, 1-for-2 three-pointers, and 4-for-4 free throws in the 87-85 victory over Los Angeles. He also chipped in five assists, two rebounds, and a steal.
“He’s a great player. He has such a good feel for the game, so I love playing with him. It’s been a fun couple of weeks.” – Cooper Flagg on Ryan Nembhard
The overall quickness and basketball instincts are eerily similar to his brother, Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers. The older sibling was sitting courtside in Las Vegas alongside the pair’s father, Claude Nembhard.
Next on the schedule for Friday, July 11th, Memphis Grizzlies forward Jeremy Jones faces off against Boston Celtics forward Ben Gregg at 1 p.m. PT on NBA TV. New York Knicks forward Anton Watson goes up against the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. PT on NBA TV. And for the first time, Phoenix Suns guard Khalif Battle suits up in the summer league versus the Washington Wizards at 6 p.m. PT on ESPN.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on Twitter @a_cravalho
