Former KU Jayhawks guard Ochai Agbaji ‘focal point of summertime defenses’ in Vegas

Former Kansas men’s basketball guard Ochai Agbaji of the Cleveland Cavaliers received positive reviews for his body of work in the recent NBA 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas.

Agbaji, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound, 22-year-old first-round draft pick of the Cavs, averaged 15.0 points and 4.8 rebounds a game while starting and playing in four of the five summer contests for the Cavs (3-2).

“If some fans weren’t wowed by Agbaji’s overall numbers in Vegas — shooting 37.3% certainly wasn’t impressive — he was somewhat a victim of his own success. He did enough to make himself a focal point of summertime defenses, taking away some of what he did well,” Steve Aschburner of NBA.com wrote Monday.

“That’s the sort of thing rookies face in the regular season as word gets out, so he will be prepared. Cleveland covets his shooting, but Agbaji brings detail work and intangibles to help the Cavs take another step,” Aschburner added.

Agbaji, who hit 37.5% of his threes and 90.9% of his free throws, hit four three pointers in two of the four games he played. The first-team All-American, Big 12 player of the year and Final Four MOP was given the green light by the team’s summer league coach, Mike Gerrity, before the Cavs’ first game in Vegas.

“We know how great of a shooter he is and how good he is running off screens,” Gerrity, the team’s player development coach, said in an interview with Cleveland.com. “I imagine that is going to be a way that J.B. (Bickerstaff, head coach) is going to utilize him come the regular season.”

Agbaji averaged 18.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game last season for national champion KU. He hit 47.5% of his shots, including 40.7% of his threes and 74.3% of his free throws.

“It’s great. It’s what everyone asks for. I’m blessed to have that opportunity and have those guys who believe in me that much,” Agbaji said to Cleveland.com referring to being allowed to shoot when open.

“It takes a lot of pressure off. That just gives me more and more confidence moving forward, knowing that they’re trusting me and betting on me for our success.”

Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor wrote that Agbaji, “was drafted to bring a ceiling-raising dimension on offense, creating space for Cleveland’s attack-minded guards. But having a better supporting cast (during regular season compared to summer league) will help mask some of his flaws. The Cavs don’t need another ball-dominant creator. They don’t need him to be a go-to scoring option. They don’t even need him to play 30 minutes per game. They need him to be a reliable — and willing — outside shooter and complementary piece. They need his movement-based skill set and off-ball package to help diversify a predictable offense.

“Summer League is a time for experimentation,” Fedor added. “Gerrity, who believes in Agbaji’s untapped potential as a ballhandler and playmaker, gave him opportunities to showcase that. Gerrity also raved about Agbaji’s tenacity and willingness on defense, something that stood out the first day of practice. If Agbaji can hold his ground on that end of the floor, the Cavs will finally have their two-way 3-and-D wing,” Fedor added.

Agbaji said before summer league started he wanted to prove he deserved to be a lottery pick (he was the 14th overall pick, the last lottery pick of the 2022 Draft).

“Vegas isn’t the place to do that. July isn’t the time,” Fedor wrote. “ He will get that chance during the regular season. But these past 10 days did show something — the many ways he can help.”

Agbaji hit 90.9% of his free throws and averaged 2.3 assists a game to 1.3 turnovers in Vegas.

“I think he’s got great intangibles,” Gerrity told Cleveland.com. “He’s a really good leader and just a hard worker and competitor. I think that pours over to his teammates. If he’s able to do the things on the defensive end, along with his shooting ability on the offensive end, he’s gonna have a great career in this league.”

Christian Braun cited as Nuggets’ top summer performer

Former Kansas guard Christian Braun did not play (coach’s decision) in the Denver Nuggets’ final summer league game on Sunday — an 82-72 loss to Utah. The 6-foot-7, 21-year-old Braun, who was the No. 21 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, averaged 11.8 points a game on 30.4% shooting (17-of-56) in four Nuggets’ games in Vegas. He hit 3 of 24 threes for 12.5%.

Braun went 10-of-18 from the line for 55.6%. He grabbed 6.0 rebounds per game with 4.8 assists against 2.5 turnovers for the (2-3) Nuggets.

SI.com’s Brett Siegel listed Braun as the Nuggets’ top player in Vegas.

“The Denver Nuggets may not have had the flashiest draft compared to other teams, but they went out and addressed key needs of their franchise on the wing and on the defensive-end of the floor. One of the guys they drafted in Christian Braun proved to be a ‘Swiss Army knife’ type of talent over the last two weeks,” Siegel wrote. “Denver envisions their first-round pick being the perfectly complementary bench talent out on the wing around their stars in Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic.”

Charlie Moore fares well for Detroit

Former Kansas point guard Charlie Moore, who finished his college career at Miami (Florida) last season, may have earned himself a spot in the NBA or the G League after his performance for the Detroit Pistons in Vegas.

“Undrafted after six years on college campuses, the 5-foot-11 guard shined,” wrote NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner.

Moore, who also played college ball at DePaul and Cal, averaged 9.3 points, 6.8 assists and 2.5 turnovers while playing four games in Vegas. He scored 21 points with eight assists, five rebounds and two steals in the (3-2) Pistons’ win over Orlando on Sunday.

The knock on Moore is his age (24) and height (5-11).

“In what is essentially the last try out before preseason training begins, Moore showed that he has exactly what it takes to be a point guard in the league. His 6.8 assists per game led Detroit and he demonstrated strong range, knocking down 46.7% of his three-point attempts,” wrote Collier Logan of SI.com.

“His shooting touch is something that the Pistons desperately need, having placed second to last in the NBA in three-point percentage last season. Detroit also finished in the bottom ten for assists and turnovers in 2021-2022, making Moore’s assist to turnover ratio of +2.72 even more enticing.

“The Pistons are guard-heavy right now and Moore’s contract with Detroit is technically finished, but he’ll almost certainly command an invite to training camp and should be at least a starter for their G-League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. There’s some speculation though that the Pistons could move some known backcourt entities in exchange for frontcourt support before the season. Having shown veteran intangibles and a firm grasp on Detroit’s system, Moore could be the next Miami Hurricane on an NBA roster,” Logan added.

Devon Dotson ends summer stint with Wizards by scoring 11

Former Kansas point guard Devon Dotson scored 11 points and dished five assists against one turnover in the Washington Wizards’ final NBA 2K23 Summer League game on Sunday in Las Vegas.

Dotson, a 6-foot-1 third-year pro who played sparingly his first two seasons in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls, averaged 8.3 points a game on 33.3% shooting (22.2% from three) while playing in four of the (3-2) Wizards’ five games. He averaged 4.3 assists to 1.3 turnovers. Dotson, who turns 23 on Aug. 2, is a free agent looking for a guaranteed contract.