Phoenix closes out Summer League against the Blazers.
Who: Summer Suns (1-3) vs. Summer Blazers (3-1)
When: 6:30pm Arizona Time
Where: The Pavilion — Las Vegas, Nevada
Watch: NBATV
This is it. Just 40 more minutes of basketball before we’re swallowed by the void. No more Phoenix Suns until October 3, a date that feels like a summer away because, well, it is.
This is our last look. One final glimpse at the rookies and sophomores before they scatter to the wind, diving into offseason workouts, refining their flaws, and sharpening the tools they hope to bring back to training camp.
And you know what? It’s been fun. Genuinely fun. There’s life in this youth movement. There’s energy, raw and unpolished as it may be. Summer League has shown us flashes; moments that hint at something more. Sure, the road is long and the work is far from over. But there’s a spark. And in this long desert of uncertainty, sometimes a spark is enough.
So tonight we watch. One more time. One more game. Then the quiet.
Probable Starters
What to Watch For
Probably the most intriguing matchup of the night features a clash between two lottery-sized gambles: Phoenix’s 10th overall pick, Khaman Maluach, and Portland’s 16th pick, Hansen Yang. Some draft analysts labeled Yang a reach, but at that stage of the draft, it’s not about consensus, it’s about conviction. You take your guy. And Portland clearly sees something.
This duel between towering prospects could be a preview of battles to come. If all goes right, Maluach and Yang could be squaring off for the next decade, growing into the anchors of their respective franchises. But tonight? Tonight is about the early signs.
Want a real test for Maluach? It doesn’t get much better than Hansen Yang. Dubbed the “Chinese Jokic,” Yang is a floor-reading, pass-slinging, basketball-processing center who looks to dissect you more than dominate you physically. He’s not just big. He’s clever. And for a still-developing Maluach, who hasn’t even hit his 19th birthday, this is the kind of matchup that reveals something deeper.
It’s about reaction time. Reading the floor. Understanding the rhythm of the game as it unfolds around him. These are the subtle, cerebral aspects of the position that take years to master, but they start with moments like this.
Another test. Another step. And for Maluach, another chance to show who he might one day become.
Prediction
Just for fun…one more time.
Summer Suns 98, Summer Blazers 82
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