The game was overshadowed by the Blazers’ earlier announcement that Shaydon Sharp suffered a torn left shoulder. Sharpe, the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, suffered a shoulder injury against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday and his recovery timeline is unclear. This was expected to be a showcase for Sharpe and 8th pick Daniels. But Dyson became the third single-digit pick to suffer an injury in Summer League (the other was Detroit’s Jaden Ivey), rolling his ankle in one move. The Pelicans looked decidedly lost after his exit, with some motivated by Portland’s frantic defense.

Players

Almost any criticism of a Blazers player could be shortened to “he doesn’t shoot very well, but he really worked hard on defense.” Jabari Walker looks good. For any second-round pick, the hope is that they can simply hold their own in Summer League, and Walker has done just that. He sparked the Blazers’ key 18-point first-half run that turned the score around and blew the game open. He had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and a block in 18 minutes. Keon Johnson’s defense led to multiple turnovers and his offense was good. Good night for Keon, who may have improved his ankle at some point. He filled the sheet with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, but 3 turnovers. Greg Brown III’s performance is reminiscent of last year’s Summer League. Tons of energy, plenty of hops and always visible. He finished with 7 points (on 2 shot attempts), 4 rebounds and the usual highlight block. Didi Louzada was generally invisible. He didn’t score, but he had 2 assists and 2 rebounds. Trendon Watford was the stable, grizzled veteran of the team. Never too high, never too low, and he knew where to be on the court. He led the team with a double-double, 17 points and 11 rebounds, plus 5 assists. Brandon Williams didn’t shoot well, but he made enough attempts to reach double figures. He scored 14 points on 4-14 shooting. Kyle Alexander (4-5, 9 pts), Craig Randall II (6 pts) and Colby Ross (4-5, 8 pts) each had solid offensive performances, giving the Blazers extra points in big moments off the bench.

Next Game

The Blazers faced off on Monday night against the New York Knicks. Frame Score