Screen & Roll Vol. 6: Summer League, The Chi League Pro-Am & More

With the blink-and-you-missed it way basketball has infiltrated our online and television lives, it’s only fair you get some warning for what’s up next. Whether it’s a basketball game halfway around the world, the NBA Finals, a revealing interview, or a high school star’s mix tape, we’ve got you covered with our “Screen & Roll” recap of what’s coming on for the coming week.

PREVIOUSLY:
— Screen & Roll Volume 1: The NBA Finals, Draft prospect videos & more
— Screen & Roll Volume 2: “The Basketball Tournament,” The ’84 Draft & more
— Screen & Roll Volume 3: Drew League, NBA Rookies & More
—Screen & Roll Volume 4: NBA Draft, “Space Jam” & More
—Screen & Roll Volume 5: ESPY’s Nominations, Free Agency, Seattle Pro-Am & More

The following selections cover July 7 – July 13:

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2014 NBA Summer League – Orlando/Las Vegas

ORLANDO

The NBA’s first stint of summer league kicked off last weekend in Orlando and continues all this week. There are 17 games remaining to be played at the Magic’s practice court, including a five-game series on “Championship Day” to determine the winner on Friday.

Fans have already been treated with impressive performances from redshirt NBA freshman Nerlens Noel of the 76ers and rookies Aaron Gordan of the Magic and Jarnell Stokes of the Grizzlies. NBA sophomores like OKC’s Steven Adams, Detroit’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Brooklyn’s Mason Plumlee have unsurprisingly used their NBA experience to their advantage and stood out from the rest of the pack. On a downside, Boston’s Marcus Smart and Miami’s Shabazz Napier struggled in their NBA summer league debuts, but they have plenty of time left to quell those early jitters.

Don’t miss out on any summer league action as it concludes in Orlando this week and shifts to the desert this weekend. You won’t want to regret missing out on highlights from the fresh faces in the NBA like the ones below.

NBASL – Orlando airs throughout the week on NBA TV. Check your local listings for game times.

LAS VEGAS

Summer league will trek out West this weekend to the Thomas & Mack Center and the COX Pavilion on the UNLV campus in Las Vegas. The 67-game, 11-day basketball event will host 23 NBA teams and some of the brightest draft picks from last month, such as Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, and Julius Randle. Newly inked head coach of the Golden State Warriors Steve Kerr will be looking to defend his team’s crown as last year’s Las Vegas Summer League Champions in his coaching debut.

Just like the summer league in Orlando, NBA TV will be broadcast all games from Vegas, including 38 games live. If you are bored at work and can get away with it, you can also watch games on NBA.com and the summer league app with a subscription.

The first day of the summer league in Vegas will be must-see TV, as Julius Randle makes his NBA debut in a Lakers uniform to take on the Raptors at 6:00 PM EST on NBA TV. Then at 8:00 PM EST on NBA TV, Andrew Wiggins and the Cavaliers battle Jabari Parker and the Bucks. The #1 pick of the 2014 Draft against the #2 pick on the first day of action in Vegas? Not bad at all.

NBASL – Las Vegas runs from Saturday, July 11 to July 21 on NBA TV. Check your local listings for game times or click HERE.

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Stanley Johnson “Work” – Ballislife Mini-Doc

Surfing the web for new mixtapes and highlight reels from high school basketball phenoms has become the norm for every basketball nerd. We are always searching for the next big thing, especially when it comes to the world of sports. We love watching the results of a prospect’s athleticism and natural talent. What is often lost, though, and can often be more intriguing is the hard work, dedication, and preparation the young athlete puts into his craft on a daily basis.

Ballislife recently published a mini-documentary follows incoming Arizona Wildcat freshman Stanley Johnson. The 6-6 small forward from Fullerton, CA is a four-time California State champion (state record), a FIBA Americas U18 MVP, a McDonald’s All-American, a Los Angeles Times Player of the Year, a Balliflife All-American MVP, and has been selected to the US Today All-USA 1st team and the Jordan Brand Classic. Johnson is currently listed as the 7th rank of ESPN’s Top 100 college prospects.

This compelling and inspirational journey of Johnson as he transforms from a role player off the bench to a national high school basketball star destined for greatness on the hardwood, is an event not to be missed by any fan or basketball hopeful. The message of this stirring 27-minute mini-doc parallels what legendary coach Vince Lombardi once said about hard work:
“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”

(video courtesy of Ballislife)

Nike Chi League Pro-Am

Basketball proves that it never truly stops in the summer season. The NBA is currently hosting its annual free agency period while starting off their summer league programs in Orlando and Las Vegas. Away from the NBA, you’ll find countless credible and exciting pro-am and other amateur leagues in full swing across the country. In the past few weeks, Screen & Roll has shined the spotlight on these summer pro-am leagues, and fans saw what NBA superstars like Stephen Curry — at the San Francisco Pro-Am — and Paul George — at The Drew League can do when they stop by these events to ball. This week, we share what second-pick Jabari Parker showcased in his hometown of Chicago at the Nike Chi League Pro-Am.

The Chi League Pro-Am – sponsored by Nike and the Jordan Brand – is a 10-week, 12-team series featuring elite ballers – mostly from The Windy City – including current and former professional players. You can find stars like Anthony Davis, Scottie Pippen, and Derrick Rose sprinkled throughout the crowd at The Chi on the weekends. Notable NBA players such as Shawn Marion, Will Bynum, and Jabari Parker have laced up their Nikes at Whitney Young High School.

Before heading down to Las Vegas to make his NBA debut for the Bucks in summer league this weekend, Parker showcased his talents in front of his friends and family in Chicago. Parker checked in for his father’s team late in the first quarter, facing opponents he will battle against in the NBA soon, like the Warriors’ Draymond Green and the Pistons’ Will Bynum. You’ll definitely want to keep an eye out for future highlight reels of The Chi League as the tournament winds down.