The 2023 NBA Summer League is in the books, and it gave a number of players the opportunity to flash their potential and possibly earn a spot in the big leagues.
The Los Angeles Lakers had a mix of can’t-miss players, prospects that are looking to get playing time with the big league squad and those who are fighting for a spot somewhere in the league.
One player who auditioned for a spot in the league this year was Sacha Killeya-Jones, a 6-foot-11 big man who played two years of college basketball at the University of Kentucky and spent time in multiple pro leagues across the globe.
Killeya-Jones has a lot of work to do in order to make it in the NBA
Killeya-Jones started in the summer Lakers’ first game of the California Classic against the Miami Heat on July 3. He grabbed seven rebounds and had two steals and two blocked shots, but he went 1-of-5 from the field and 1-of-4 from the free-throw line in 19 minutes.
He quickly lost his starting job. Colin Castleton started to display his potential and supplanted him at the center spot.
From that point, Killeya-Jones played in three of the Lakers’ six remaining games. At times, he showed some promise on the boards, but overall he was a disappointment.
He made an offensive contribution in the first game of the Las Vegas Summer League when he shot 4-of-5 versus the Golden State Warriors and scored 10 points in 12 minutes, and in their final game when he connected on all four of his shot attempts.
Perhaps Killeya-Jones will get a G League roster spot with a team. But he has a lot of work to do if he is to make it in the big league,; he needs to stick out in at least one area. It looks like his best bet is to double down on his ability to rebound and block shots while developing a 3-point shot.
Final Grade: D
