The NBA Summer League has been a roller coaster, from Tyler Ulis’s crazy buzzer beater to advance the Phoenix Suns to the Summer League semifinals all the way to D’Angelo Russell cursing like a sailor on live television. With all of the impressive young talent the NBA has displayed for us in Las Vegas this July, it wasn’t easy choosing who was the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Summer League. Through the hard competition, it was officially announced on Sunday that Minnesota native and Duke Alumni, Tyus Jones would be named the NBA Summer League MVP.
Getting most of his stardom in his first and only year at Duke in 2015, Jones was putting on a clinic as he earned the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player award to go with his National Championship. His rookie season in the NBA didn’t go much like his college career though, he played 37 total games and averaged 4.2 Points Per Game (PPG) and 2.9 Assists Per Game (APG) in 15.5 Minutes Per Game (MPG). With all of the young talent the Minnesota Timberwolves have, it’s been amazing news for them to see Jones playing like such a promising player. Putting up 19.4 PPG and 6.3 APG, all while shooting 45.7% from the field, Tyus Jones has been making the young Timberpups an even bigger threat for years to come. After the official Summer League tournament began, Jones hasn’t allowed the Wolves to take a single loss. Minnesota has won four straight games including a win yesterday over the Phoenix Suns where Tyus Jones scored a prolific 29 points along with 6 assists to bring Minnesota to the Summer League Championship.
Jones has been nothing short of great this summer and although he outshined players with the likes of Buddy Hield, Brandon Ingram and 2016 number 1 pick Ben Simmons this summer; the NBA Summer League also announced its All-NBA Summer League First and Second Teams to give recognition to the rest of the guys who gave almost as impressive presentations on the big stage as Jones did.
All-Summer League First Team
Tyus Jones (MIN)
Jordan McRae (CLE)
Bobby Portis (CHI)
Ben Simmons (PHI)
Alan Williams (PHX)
All-Summer League Second Team
Jaylen Brown (BOS)
Thon Maker (MIL)
Kelly Oubre Jr. (WAS)
Norman Powell (TOR)
Tyler Ulis (PHX)
The NBA Summer League championship is tonight, where Summer League MVP, Tyus Jones and the Minnesota Timberwolves will face off against All-NBA Summer League first team member, Bobby Portis and the Chicago Bulls to bring an exhilarating finale to the exciting pandemonium that the Summer League has brought to us this year. The Midwest neighbors (Bulls and Timberwolves), will duel tonight at 9/ET on ESPN 2 to see which Summer League team will bring home the Summer League trophy in hopes that it will be a Larry O’Brien trophy in a few years with these amazing young stars.
