The NBA Summer League is a national stage that is enabling former Illinois basketball players to get some shine.
Players will have two different experiences at the NBA Summer League. The Illini had Keaton Wagler picked No. 5 overall, so when he suits up, he doesn’t have to worry about making a team. It is about getting the speed of the game and showing he can be better than his competition.
And then you have players like Ben Humrichous. He goes undrafted and signs an Exhibit 10 deal, which doesn’t guarantee him anything. His experience with the NBA Summer League is completely different, as he is fighting for a job.
On Saturday, Humrichous kicked off his interview with the Brooklyn Nets, as they took on the Sacramento Kings in the California Classic portion of the summer league. The Nets didn’t start Humrichous, but he showed the world that he has the chops to be an offensive weapon in the NBA.
Brooklyn fell three points shy of Sacramento, but Humrichous was one of the best on the court. He finished with six points, two rebounds, two steals, one assist, and one block in 20 minutes of action.
Ben Humrichous can carve out a niche in the NBA with his style of play
Humrichous’ numbers aren’t jumping off the page, as he didn’t lead the team in scoring or anything like that. But there are a few numbers that pique my interest.
The Nets made five three-pointers in the entire game, and two of those came from Humrichous. He led Brooklyn by shooting 40% from three-point range.
I am also intrigued by Humrichous’ two steals and a block, which were first and second on the team, respectively.
What those numbers show me is that Humrichous worked on his shooting and defense this offseason. What he can do with those numbers is carve out a nice niche in the NBA.
There have been plenty of great three-and-D guys in the NBA. A player like Kyle Korver comes to mind immediately. He can give you 10-15 points in a game by knocking down three-pointers, and then come back down the court and play solid defense.
Humrichous doesn’t have to be an all-world player to be in the NBA. The NBA is made up of 90% of players who know their job and know their roles on teams. As long as you can carve out a niche, you will have a job for a decade-plus. With the way Humrichous played on Saturday, I think he can do just that.
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