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One of the wisest things a basketball observer can do is not overreact to Summer League games when their favorite prospects go wild or lay a stinker.
The score is secondary because the main thing the fans want to see are their guys heading in the right direction.
Thats happening for the Memphis Grizzlies top youngsters but they had a tough showing on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks.
On Friday, the young players shined and the defense delivered.
This time, the Grizzlies let the Mavericks get a rhythm early in the open court and failed to contain the 3-point line.
Naturally, Cedric Coward, Cameron Boozer and Olivier-Maxence Prosper were tasked with carrying the offense and only Prosper shot decently (50 percent).
After the game, coach Erik Schmidt said that some of the problems were the 3-point shooting and poor free throw shooting (50 percent), while also citing, "too much slippage on the basic things" like keeping opponents out of the paint, screen-roll defense and gambling for the ball.
Cedric Coward: Cedric Coward, who is going into his second year, shot 30.4 percent, but thats because it took him until the fourth quarter to find his stroke.
He missed some shots hed normally make on the move and it seems he could have been trying to do too much, since hes also showing a bit more of his playmaking, which didnt go too well.
His passes were off target and he had five turnovers against four assists.
Coward gets a D+ for his performance, and his rebounding (12 rebounds), including on the offensive glass (6), saved his grade and is the type of stuff one likes to see from a player, which is impacting the game in another way when one option isnt working.
Cameron Boozer: Boozer had some nice moments, like backpedaling successfully against Jaden Springer, causing one of his three steals, euro-stepping into the lane and setting up Prosper with a sweet outlet pass in transition.
Yet, he didnt shoot well, as his timing was off at close range and he wasnt a threat on a high volume of 3-point attempts (8).
He finished the game logging 21 points on 41.2 percent shooting, with eight rebounds and three dimes.
His power game bouncing back is not a concern, but notably, eight 3-point attempts is more than double he attempted at Duke (3.6), and he only hoisted one in his SL Las Vegas debut against the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
Players should never be put in a box, but if they are going to give the defense a break by taking deep shots, they better be darn good at it.
Consider how Boozer attempted 7.4 free throws per night at school and how the at compromised a lot of opponents.
He took five freebies against the Mavericks, which is not enough for a player of his talent and caliber.
Factoring that into his performance, Boozer gets a C-.
Despite extra pressure on Boozer's shoulders since the Grizzlies picked him over Caleb Wilson, who has been a gunslinger and one of the top players at SL, having the stronger body type will come in handy againt the big boys in the NBA more so than a wiry frame.
Mateo has covered the Miami Heat and the NBA since 2020, including the 2020 Finals through Zoom and the 2023 Finals in person.
He also writes for Five Reasons Sports Network about the WNBA and boxing, and can be read at SB Nations Pounding the Rock for coverage on the San Antonio Spurs.
Twitter: @MateoMayorga23.