Someone still has to win Bright Side Baller of the game…
There’s always a sting of disappointment when you’re fired up for a game — ready to watch, emotionally invested — and then find out the players you were most excited to see aren’t suiting up. That was the case on Sunday. No Khaman Maluach, the Phoenix Suns’ 10th overall pick. No Rasheer Fleming at 31. No Ryan Dunn. A big chunk of what had us tuning in was suddenly missing.
But that’s Summer League for you. It happens every year. There’s always a game…or two…where the exhibition mirrors the NBA in all the wrong ways. Scheduled rest. Cautious management. Missed opportunities. You show up hoping for fireworks and instead get flickers.
I’m genuinely relieved I didn’t make the drive to Vegas this weekend. I thought about it. You really can pack the car at 6AM in Phoenix, hit Vegas by 11, catch a game, grab a bite, and head home, all in one day. It’s doable. And it was tempting. But how let down would I have felt if I got there and found Moses Wood and Yuri Collins tasked with carrying the offense?
No disrespect to them, but that’s not what pulls you to Vegas in mid-July.
So yeah, I stayed put. Saved the gas, skipped the letdown. And honestly, I’m glad. I still haven’t been to Summer League, and I want my first time to be memorable, not a lopsided loss to the Hawks without the players I came to see.
Still, someone’s got to ball out, right? Someone always does. So who takes home the Bright Side Baller for Game 2 of Summer League?
Let’s check the standings. One game in, and Koby Brea holds the title. But after Sunday, it might be time to update the leaderboard.
The Nominees
Oso Ighodaro
18 points (8-of-12 FG), 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 5 turnovers, -7 +/-
Koby Brea
15 points (6-of-14 FG, 2-of-5 3PT), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, -9 +/-
Yuri Collins
12 points (4-of-13 FG, 0-of-2 3PT), 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, -13 +/-
Alex Schumacher
8 points (3-of-5 FG, 2-of-2 3PT), 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 turnovers, -1 +/-
Moses Wood
10 points (3-of-11 FG, 2-of-8 3PT), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 5 blocks, -26 +/-
Boogie Ellis
6 points (2-of-8 FG, 2-of-3 3PT), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals, 3 turnovers, -8 +/-
Time to cast your vote. Get it in now, because the polls close soon with the Suns tipping off tonight at 7PM.
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