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USA Today
12 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 Summer League thoughts: What Ajay Mitchell, others did to stand out
Usually, the NBA champion has little to look forward to in the Summer League. With low draft picks, they spent the two-week extravaganza rewatching playoff highlights on their way to the Larry O'Brien trophy. But the Oklahoma City Thunder remain an exception to the rule. The Thunder had a productive Summer League. They played eight games in Utah and Las Vegas. Nikola Topic's debut after sitting out last season recovering from a torn ACL was worth the watch. The Thunder lost to the Charlotte Hornets in the playoff semifinal. Reflecting on the 2025 Summer League one last time, let's give one quick thought for the 16 players that suited up. Thunder Wire will divide the entries into three separate articles: Ajay Mitchell A couple of weeks removed from playing in the NBA Finals, Mitchell entered the Summer League as a player who knew he was too good to be there. The 23-year-old was the Thunder's undisputed top scorer. He averaged over 20 points and constantly drove to the rim. You have to be encouraged by the free-throw numbers. Mitchell received plenty of calls at the Summer League. That's always the next step of a scorer. If he can carry that over to the regular season, he has a real chance to pen himself into the rotation and stick out from other bench players. Branden Carlson After missing time from an ankle sprain, Carlson suited up for the Thunder's final three Summer League games. It didn't take long for the two-way player to dominate the competition. He averaged 15 points and six rebounds. The seven-footer used his size to finish inside and knocked down his catch-and-shoot looks. Carlson is the perfect player to have on your two-way deal. The 26-year-old can stretch the floor in a minimized NBA role. In the G League, he can put up numbers and destroy the competition. Easy to see why they brought him back on a two-way deal. Chris Youngblood Speaking of two-way deals, Youngblood made a strong case for the Thunder to give him the final spot. The 23-year-old was the best of the undrafted rookie bunch. As the event progressed, he gained more minutes and even received starts. The outside shot is his bread and butter. Youngblood shot 52% from 3 on five attempts at Vegas. The numbers are eye-popping, but the type of outside attempts he took was also impressive. He took catch-and-shoot looks but also created off the dribble. He was an active movement shooter. His quick release gave him plenty of spice on his attempts. Zack Austin While he was in the rotation, Austin didn't have an impact. He was given a start but didn't do much with it. The stats weren't pretty, but it's tough to take much away from them with such a small sample. Maybe he showed enough in the predraft process to stick around. Austin went undrafted out of Pittsburgh. He could try to get a G League spot elsewhere, but tough to see the Blue sign him from the little he showed in the Summer League. Let's see what the rest of the offseason looks like for him. Maddy Sissoko Given the first few starts because Carlson was out, Sissoko struggled to take advantage of the opportunity. Instead, foul trouble was what he was most known for. Which isn't great considering the Summer League allows players to commit 10 fouls. Sissoko is an undersized center. He's also not athletic enough to overcome that. That puts him in an awkward tweener spot. It was a subpar Summer League for the undrafted rookie. He saw his playing time dwindle by the end of the event.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
"It's a tough place to be, mentally" - T.J. McConnell on why Kyrie Irving is the toughest guy to guard in the NBA
"It's a tough place to be, mentally" - T.J. McConnell on why Kyrie Irving is the toughest guy to guard in the NBA originally appeared on Basketball Network. T.J. McConnell is one of the peskiest defenders in the NBA today. The 6'1" guard, who has a habit of picking up opponents full court and harassing them from end to end, proved his worth in the 2025 NBA playoffs, especially during the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, when it comes to guarding Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Kyrie Irving, McConnell himself admits there's almost nothing he can do. "You're on an island," the Indiana Pacers point guard said. "And you just don't know what he's gonna do. You can force him one way, but he still ends up getting the way you don't want him to go. Like he just… his handle is impeccable. He's got the greatest handle I've seen. And he can really shoot it, like he's fast. It's just, it's a tough place to be mentally, guarding Kyrie." Kyrie has ridiculous handles Many consider Irving the most offensively skilled player in the game today. He is incredibly shifty and has great ball control, which enables him to get to his spots on the court. Once he gets to where he wants to be, the Mavericks point guard is impossible to contain — he is a great penetrator and finisher, but also has a very effective jump shot from all areas on the floor. Still, the most jaw-dropping aspect of his game is his handling. Irving is a magician with the basketball, and many pick him as the greatest ball handler in NBA history. McConnell feels the same way. "I don't want to talk about the whole era thing. But like, the best handle I've ever played against? Easily him, yeah," he praise for Irving as a ball handler McConnell was also offered an alternative: to pick Allen Iverson as someone who had better handles than Irving. But the Pacers guard didn't do it. In fact, neither did Iverson himself. The Philadelphia 76ers legend once admitted that Irving is a better ball-handler than he was. And like McConnell, he also singled out his jumper as the thing that makes him unstoppable. "Hell yeah, he has the best. He's the best. And Steph's handle is crazy, but Steph... And Kyrie's jumper is wet, too. But Steph, his jumper gets him over a lot. 'Cause he hit you with the handles, and he crosses halfcourt, he can let it go," A.I. said. "I heard Rod Strickland on 'All the Smoke,'" the legendary guard added. "And I love Rod Strickland, too. And he said basically, he just goes, 'Kyrie will have you beat and then bring it back and play with it.' Like he's toying with people. You know what I mean? Like, he can still just go. But if he feels like playing with you…" Irving may not be considered the greatest player ever, but when it comes to the best handles of all time, most players, current and former, mention his name at the top of the mountain. That's a testament to his on-court greatness, without even mentioning the accolades. But basketball, for players at least, has never been about that. It's always been about the experience; about what happens on the court. And McConnell is just one of many who said that it doesn't really get tougher than facing a guy wearing a No. 11 Mavericks story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Watch: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues 2025 offseason workouts
A month since he captured an NBA championship, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is back in the lab. The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter the 2025-26 season with strong chances to be a rare repeat winner. Gilgeous-Alexander is the biggest reason for that. He's fresh off one of the greatest individual seasons ever. He won about every award imaginable. He was the MVP, Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP winner. The consistent 30-point scorer stepped up in the playoffs to bring home a ring. To do that, Gilgeous-Alexander quietly works in the offseason. The summer is when players completely revamp their skills. The regular season keeps you too busy to do that. Even though the Thunder's offseason is shorter than most because of their playoff run, the 27-year-old has already started to get back into the gym. Gilgeous-Alexander's personal trainer Nem Ilic has regularly posted social media videos of the MVP winner's workout routine. Most have been lower-body workouts, which makes sense considering how drive-heavy of a scorer he is. More of SGA's offseason workouts from his trainer Nem Ilic: Shai using Ares as weight during his warmups 🤣(via unlkdnem/IG) As we saw in the playoffs, the Thunder will only go as far as Gilgeous-Alexander takes them. He's ascended into one of the league's best players. His offseason work routine is the grounds of that. The three-month break allows him to make massive improvements every year.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Isaiah Hartenstein on differences between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, other NBA superstars
Journeying through his basketball career before he finally found his role, Isaiah Hartenstein has played with his share of NBA superstars. The 26-year-old has been around long enough to understand the differences between one franchise player and another. After being mostly a starter, Hartenstein enjoyed his first NBA championship with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Safe to say it was a successful first year after he left the New York Knicks in the 2024 offseason. The seven-footer was able to see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have one of the greatest individual seasons ever highlighted by the MVP, Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP trophies. Playing with other all-time greats like James Harden and Jalen Brunson, Hartenstein detailed the difference on his "Podcast P with Paul George" episode between Gilgeous-Alexander and the rest of his past superstar teammates. The former career journeyman had the chance to learn from some of the best before he found his footing in the NBA. "He has no ego. There's no, 'I'm just gonna score and make it about myself.' It's never that," Hartenstein said. "There were even times at the beginning of the season when he threw me a pass when he got trapped. I threw it to the next man to get a shot. I was like, 'Sorry, I'll finish it next time and give you an assist.' He was like, 'I don't care. I just want to win, so do whatever you need.' Even when he's putting up those huge numbers, he's not searching for them. He's in the flow. He's trying to make the team as best as possible." There's always a degree of stat-padding involved with players the caliber of Gilgeous-Alexander, if that's what you want to call it. When you're one of the best, it's easy to pretty up your box score numbers for several reasons. But according to Hartenstein, Gilgeous-Alexander more often plays within rhythm. The receipts back it up, too. Before Gilgeous-Alexander broke it this past season, his previous career-high was just 45 points. Pretty pedestrian for modern times. It became a running gag on social media. The consistent 30-plus point scorer should've had it higher considering his pedigree. Hartenstein also said that Gilgeous-Alexander was a rare two-way superstar player. He might be a decent defender on the Thunder, but his steal numbers back up that he could play on both sides of the floor and doesn't bleed points by being attacked. "Him playing on both sides of the court, I think that's underrated. He plays defense. You can't go pick on him. He tries on defense," Hartenstein said. "It's not like, 'I had this iso for five seconds. I'm tired. I'm just going to chill on defense.' He doesn't do that. When you see that, it gives us the push and confidence he's going to do it both sides of the court." Always interesting to hear from Hartenstein. What he thinks of Gilgeous-Alexander has added weight to it, considering all of his stops before he joined the Thunder. Being arguably the best teammate he's ever had, what he does beyond the monster scoring numbers is the major difference for him.
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Hamilton to hold rally for NBA MVP and champion Gilgeous-Alexander
Will be recognized on Thursday Aug. 7 at "Shai Rally Day" in Hamilton. Get the latest from Ryan Wolstat straight to your inbox Published Jul 21, 2025 • Last updated 2 minutes ago • 1 minute read Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder celebrates with the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player trophy. Getty Images Canada's king of the court has won just about everything possible this year, but is about to receive another honour. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was born in Toronto but claims Hamilton as his home, will be recognized on Thursday Aug. 7 at 'Shai Rally Day' in Hamilton. Gilgeous-Alexander was named NBA MVP after finishing second last season (Steve Nash was the only Canadian to previously win the award), and helped Oklahoma City win its first NBA title last month after a stirring playoff run. He was also named NBA Finals MVP and led the league in scoring in the regular season. Gilgeous-Alexander also took home the ESPY last month as best male athlete. The rally will start at 3:30 p.m. at Hamilton Stadium, Hamilton mayor Andrea Horwath will present Gilgeous-Alexander with the key to the city there. Later he'll make an appearance at the Canadian Football League game between the Tiger-Cats and B.C. Lions. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I'm absolutely thrilled to bring Shai Rally Day to Hamilton,' Horwath said in a release. 'This is our city's official celebration of NBA Champion, NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP, NBA Scoring Champion, ESPY Best Athlete — Men's Sports, and proud Hamiltonian, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.' Gilgeous-Alexander makes his off-season home in Hamilton with his wife and son. Previously, a mural and commemorative banner went up Gilgeous-Alexander's former high school in Hamilton, Sir Allan MacNab Secondary. Read More Celebrity Canada Toronto & GTA Other Sports World
