LAS VEGAS — Glen Rice Jr. was filling it up all Las Vegas Summer League.
He and Washington Wizards teammate Otto Porter played well off each other, with Porter handling some of the shot creation and that set Rice up to just shoot and shoot — he averaged 25 points a game and had been shooting better than 50 percent until a rough last outing against the Kings (he finished at 46.9 percent). Rice is more of an attacking/slashing player than his father (one of the game’s great shooters) but he knows how to get buckets.
That was enough to make him the Summer League MVP.
It was well deserved as the guy who got in just 11 games for the Wizards last year made a case this summer that he should be allowed to back up Bradley Beal and be a scorer off the bench in Washington, maybe taking a few minutes away from Martell Webster.
Rice also made the All Summer League first team:
Guard: Glen Rice Jr. (Wizards)
Guard: Tony Snell (Bulls)
Forward: Otto Porter (Wizards)
Forward: Doug McDermott (Bulls)
Center: Donatas Motiejunas (Rockets)
Notice that the list has four second or third year players and just one rookie — even with talent it takes a while to adjust to the NBA game.
The All Summer League second team:
Guard: Russ Smith (Pelicans)
Guard: Tim Hardaway Jr. (Knicks)
Forward: T.J. Warren (Suns)
Forward: Jordan McRae (Sixers)
Center: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)