Blake Shines In First Week Of NBA Summer League Play
7/13/2004 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
July 13, 2004
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Former Terrapin point guard and current Washington Wizard Steve Blake raised a lot of eyebrows this week in NBA Summer League action with his play on the hardwood in Orlando.
Blake, the floor leader for the Washington Wizards' Pepsi Pro Summer League squad (4-1), averaged 12.8 points per game, good for sixth overall in the league and 5.6 assists, which ranked second. Blake led the Wizards in scoring in two of the five games, including a 20-point effort against the Orlando Magic last week. He capped off his performance by nailing a game-winning jumper with 1.8 seconds left to give the Wizards a 79-78 victory. Showing no signs of letdown, Blake scored a game high 27 points and also dished out five assists the next afternoon in an 81-72 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Laron Profit, another familiar Terrapin face, also took the court for the Wizards. Profit had a solid showing for Washington as he averaged 7.0 points, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 50 percent from the field. Blake and Profit helped propel the Wizards to a Pepsi Pro Summer League best 4-1 record. There will be no rest for the former Terrapins, as they now head to Las Vegas this week to begin play in the Reebok Vegas Summer League (July 13-18).
Former Terrapin big man Ryan Randle, a member of the 2002 National Championship team, also took part in the action in Orlando for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Randle averaged 2.0 points and 2.2 rebounds for Cleveland, who finished 2-3.
Jamar Smith, a member of the 2004 ACC Championship team, was the fourth former Terrapin to compete in the Pepsi Pro Summer League in Orlando. Smith averaged 2.0 points in limited action for the Orlando Magic, who went 3-2 in league play.
On the West Coast another former Terrapin is putting up solid numbers in the Long Beach Summer Pro League in California. Final Four participant Terence Morris, a member of the Los Angeles Clippers summer league team, is averaging 9.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in the first two games for the Clippers, who are currently 1-1. Morris scored 14 points on 7-of-10 field goals and grabbed five rebounds in a 94-73 win over the New York Knicks on July 10th. Morris hoped to join former Maryland teammate Chris Wilcox in summer league action, but Wilcox has been hampered by a mild right ankle sprain. Wilcox suffered the injury in mini-camp while preparing for league play but is listed as probable for the final four games of the Long Beach Summer Pro League.
In the Minnesota Summer League, Tahj Holden just completed summer league play for the Detroit Pistons. Holden averaged 5.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in five games for the Pistons, who finished in second place at 4-1.
The last Terrapin to begin summer league play will be Drew Nicholas, who will suit up for the Atlanta Hawks' summer league team in the Rocky Mountain Revue (July 16-24) in Salt Lake City, Utah. Nicholas, who played professionally in Italy this past season for Fabriano, averaged 27.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 29 games. He earned Eurobasket All-Italian Legadue Newcomer of the year honors for his play, as well as an All-Italian Legadue first team selection.
