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Happy Friday!
Nothing gets my Friday going like a figurative trip out to the desert to see NBA hopefuls with Hawkeye ties do their best to make a roster. I can just feel the grit from here.
Jarrod Uthoff, Detroit Pistons (4-0)
The former Hawk had a brief cup of coffee with the Dallas Mavericks his first year out of school but has yet to catch on anywhere stateside. He spent the past season at Zenit Saint Petersburg, per his Wiki, where he averaged 7.2 points in 16 minutes on 46% shooting.
In Vegas, he’s averaged 11.5 points on 55% shooting and 4 boards in 20 minutes during the 4 games for the team with the best record. Check out this nifty bounce pass!
It's a combo move by Jarrod Uthoff and Bruce 'WestBruce' Brown. #Pistons #NBASummerLeague.
— Kim H Jun (@kim_xxyn) July 11, 2019
Uthoff who played in #Mavs in the past is a really unselfish player in terms of his passing rate and efficiency.
IDK about contract issues on him, he could be a valuable addition for DET. pic.twitter.com/ro9oOh8GZr
And this buzzer beater!
Jarrod Uthoff beats the halftime buzzer for the @DetroitPistons! #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/dqeoxj2LKL
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 10, 2019
Nice haircut!
As the first tweet alludes, it might be not be in the cards for Uthoff to be in the NBA this upcoming season because of his current contract with ZSP. But, he’s on the radar of the Sacramento Kings, so that’s something to watch.
Peter Jok, Orlando Magic (1-3)
After bouncing back from a tough rookie season in the G-League, Jok has yet to get it going in Summer League play, averaging just 4.5 points in two games played, with the bulk of his production coming from one game:
Former Hawkeye Peter Jok had 8 points (2-3 from 3-point) and 2 assists in 15 minutes today for Orlando's NBA Summer League team.
— Mike Hlas (@Hlas) July 9, 2019
If he’s not able to gain any traction, he might be able to do so in The Basketball Tournament, where he was identified as the top player for Iowa United.
Tyler Cook, Denver Nuggets (1-2)
Tyler Cook has totally been doing Tyler Cook things en route to averaging 4 points (66% shooting) in 11 minutes per game.
TYLER COOK POSTER ALERT pic.twitter.com/2vaHTCbgb2
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) July 11, 2019
(sorry for the Dakich, I thought he blocked me from Twitter)
Tyler Cook with the athletic finish! #NBASummer@nuggets 27@warriors 16
— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2019
: @ESPNU pic.twitter.com/EjVrsCI8sr
Hawkeye Insider had a nice quote from Denver’s summer league coach, Jordi Fernandez:
“He’s one of our [Summer League roster] guys that I see playing in the NBA. His quickness and his body, how strong he is, he’s definitely a kid who is going to have looks [by NBA teams] and have a chance [in the NBA]. We’re happy he’s in our program. He’s here because we believe in him.”
Bonus!
Aaron White’s rights were traded to the Brooklyn Nets recently and our SB Nation brethren had some things to say about his prospects:
Of the two, White, a 6’9”, 230 pound small forward has the more NBA potential. He was originally selected with the 49th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by Washington after a four-year collegiate career (2011-15) at the University of Iowa. The 26-year-old Ohio native most recently played for Zalgiris Kaunas of the Lithuanian League.
They went on to say “White was optimistic” about playing in the NBA and his prior team’s (Washington) GM said he was in their 2019-20 plans. (But Brooklyn is a big step up from Washington at this juncture)
Here’s some highlights!