: Summer Suns (1-0) vs. Summer Hawks (1-0)

: 12:30pm Arizona Time

: The Pavilion — Las Vegas, Nevada

: NBATV

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It’s a heavyweight clash. Two undefeated titans squaring off on a Sunday afternoon. Two teams enter. One leaves unscathed.

...Or not.

Sorry, got ahead of myself. It’s Summer League. I need to calm down. Got about eight months before I can bust out those kinds of headlines, if the regular season gives me anything close to that kind of drama. And with this Suns team? Let’s just say I’m not holding my breath. So I’m cashing in my dramatic phrasing now. Here. In July. In Vegas.

Because the Summer Suns are back.

They take on the Summer Hawks in game two of the Las Vegas showcase. After a convincing win over the Washington Wizards on Friday night, the Suns are looking to double down, focusing not on the scoreboard, but on what Summer League is actually about: development, cohesion, vision, and execution.

Fewer turnovers. Sharper sets. Cleaner rotations. More flashes of what could be.

Game one started as expected — jittery, frantic, chaotic — but somewhere in that second quarter, things clicked. The team found its rhythm. So now, we get to see what growth looks like between games. We get to see who learned something from Friday, and who’s still just running.

It’s not a championship bout. But it is something. And for July basketball in the desert, that’s more than enough.

All eyes will once again be on the rookies. Which one, you ask? All of them.

But our focus centers, as it should, on Khaman Maluach, the No. 10 overall pick. His debut was uneven. Nerves were visible, butterflies firmly intact. The physicality wasn’t quite there. His handle looked shaky. And the three-point shots? Not his strength. Not yet, anyway. But context matters.

Maluach was asked to stretch the floor. Why? Because he was sharing it with Oso Ighodaro, a non-shooter in every sense. And instead of retreating into comfort, Maluach leaned into growth. He tried. And that’s what Summer League is for: development, not dominance. It’s trial and error in real time.

That willingness to stretch — literally and figuratively — is a good sign.

On the opposite end of the spectrum was Koby Brea, who didn’t just shoot the three, he owned it. There was something smooth about his release, something eerily familiar. Too early to throw out a name like Devin Booker, but if Brea keeps up this level of marksmanship, the Suns might have a future bench weapon built for the modern game. A career sharpshooter. One who, hopefully, stays in Phoenix.

And then there’s Rasheer Fleming, the man everyone wanted to see… and didn’t.

Knee soreness kept him sidelined last game. Maybe we'll see him today. And no, I don’t expect fireworks. Maybe six points, three rebounds, a couple of deflections. But it’s not the box score I’m watching. It’s his feel. His movement off the ball. His anticipation on defense. Phoenix has been starving for a 3-and-D wing who plays with grit in the margins. Fleming might be that guy. Or he might not. But this is just the beginning, not the verdict.

As for the Hawks, don’t expect to see Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He’s not suiting up for Summer League. But they do have Asa Newell, taken 23rd overall. In his opener, he chipped in with 8 points and 8 rebounds.

The breakout star? That would be Jacob Toppin — yes, Obi’s younger brother — who poured in 19 and grabbed 10 boards. But the engine was Kobe Bufkin, who exploded for 29 points, including 14 in the fourth to bury Miami.

So that’s the setup. Suns. Hawks. A canvas for kids, hopefuls, and question marks.

It’s Summer League. No need to go in-depth here. It’s not about the score...unless you’re a degenerate gambler trying to cover the spread.

Summer Suns 97, Summer Hawks 91

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