Four ProHogs Ready To Compete In NBA Summer League Action

Four ProHogs Ready To Compete In NBA Summer League Action

Four former Arkansas Razorbacks are set to play in the NBA Summer League beginning this week! Isaiah Joe, Moses Moody, Jalen Tate, and Justin Smith will all be suiting up over the next 2 weeks.

The NBA Summer League has provided newly drafted rookies, young players entering their 2^nd or 3^rd seasons of professional basketball, and undrafted free agents an opportunity to play for invites to training camps to earn a spot on an roster. While the formats have changed over the years, the opportunity is still great for these players.

This season there will be a short league in Sacramento and Utah and then the main Summer League action will take place in Las Vegas.

The Sacramento League will run from August 3-4 and features 4 teams: Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and Sacramento Kings.

The Salt Lake City League will run from August 3-6 and features 4 teams: Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, and 2 Utah Jazz teams.

The Las Vegas League will run from August 8-17 and features all 30 NBA franchises. Each team will play 4 games. After the 4 games, the teams with best record will move onto bracket play to eventually crown a Summer League Champion.

For 1^st and 2^nd round draft picks, it is their first taste of NBA basketball. The rules, pace of play, and talent are all a new experience for these players.

For 2^nd or 3^rd year players, they get reps and valuable experience to show how they have improved while maybe not getting much playing time during the NBA regular season.

And for undrafted free agents, this is a chance to show teams what they missed in the Draft and to earn an invite to training camp.

One of the biggest changes we’ve seen with the Summer League is the coverage available to fans. It hasn’t been many years ago when there weren’t any games televised. Now with ESPN’s total investment into the NBA, you can view most games between the ESPN family of networks and NBATV. Basketball’s growth continues. I love this change and look forward to watching games this month.

Now to the players.....

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Photo by Josh Leung/NBAE via Getty Images

Moses Moody, who was selected 14^th overall by the Golden State Warriors, will get his first chance to show Dub Nation what to expect from him on the court. Moody brings instant shooting to a franchise that prides itself on just that. Moody is a great fit for the Warriors.

California Classic Summer League(Sacramento):

August 3: 10:00PM(CT) vs Sacramento Kings (ESPN2)
August 4: 7:00PM(CT) vs Miami Heat (ESPNU)

Las Vegas Summer League:

August 9: 7:00PM(CT) vs Orlando Magic (NBATV)
August 11: 7:00PM(CT) vs Toronto Raptors (ESPN2)
August 13: 6:00PM(CT) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (ESPN2)
August 15: 8:00PM(CT) vs New Orleans Pelicans (ESPN2)

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Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

Isaiah Joe will begin his 2^nd season in the NBA in the fall with the Philadelphia 76ers. Joe was the 49^th pick in the 2020 draft, but due to the Coronavirus, the 2020 Summer League was cancelled. As a result, this will be Joe’s first Summer League to play in.

Las Vegas Summer League:

August 9: 3:00PM(CT) vs Dallas Mavericks (NBATV)
August 12: 8:00PM(CT) vs Atlanta Hawks (ESPN2)
August 14: 4:00PM(CT) vs Boston Celtics (NBATV)
August 15: 6:00PM(CT) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (ESPN2)

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Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Jalen Tate capped off a successful college career by helping lead the Hogs to their first Elite 8 since 1995 last season. Tate will play for the Houston Rockets in the Summer League. Jae’Shan Tate started 58 games as a rookie for the Rockets last year and is Jalen’s older brother. As of now, it does not appear that Jae’Sean will play in the Summer League, but that would be a cool experience if he were to be added to the roster late.

Las Vegas Summer League:

August 8: 5:30PM(CT) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (ESPN2)
August 10: 8:00PM(CT) vs Detroit Pistons (ESPN)
August 12: 7:00PM(CT) vs Toronto Raptors (NBATV)
August 15: 7:00PM(CT) vs Orlando Magic (NBATV)

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Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Justin Smith had plenty of workouts with NBA teams before the Draft and will play with the Miami Heat this Summer League. Considering what kind of player Smith is, this is a fit that makes total sense. Heat Culture is a real thing. Hard-nosed, disciplined defense and toughness. Both of those things encompass Justin Smith as a basketball player.

California Classic Summer League(Sacramento):

August 3: 7:00PM(CT) vs Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN2)
August 4: 7:00PM(CT) vs Golden State Warriors (ESPNU)

Las Vegas Summer League:

August 8: 9:00PM(CT) vs Denver Nuggets (NBATV)
August 11: 4:00PM(CT) vs Memphis Grizzlies (NBATV)
August 13: 4:00PM(CT) vs Utah Jazz (ESPNU)
August 14: 3:00PM(CT) vs Atlanta Hawks (ESPN2)

For those that may not have noticed: We have a Moses Moody/Justin Smith matchup on Wednesday night, August 4!

As always, thanks for reading!
For all things Arkansas Basketball, give me a follow on Twitter @BenBrandonHoops