Anthony Black, Jordan Walsh show out in first Summer League games
After hearing their names called in the NBA Draft on June 22, both Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh got their professional careers started Saturday in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Black was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the No. 6 pick, and Jordan Walsh was picked by the Celtics in the second round with the 38th pick. Both made splashes in their first professional games for their respective teams.
Walsh and the Celtics played first on Saturday, facing the Miami Heat. He was especially effective from beyond the arc, something he didn’t showcase much while he was at Arkansas. He was 4-of-6 from three, and scored a team-high 18 points on 55% shooting for the Celtics in a 99-88 loss. He also recorded five rebounds and two steals.
Jay King of The Athletic reported Walsh said after the game he wanted to stay ready to hit the shots that were given to him.
"Obviously I wanted to play sort of like a role that I would if I was playing with a guy like Jayson Tatum,” Walsh said. “Just being ready to hit those open shots and make easy plays.”
Black took the court by storm, and made his presence known for the Magic. He finished the game with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting and logged five rebounds and five assists as well. Three of those points came on a three-pointer from the wing. where he drew the foul and still got the shot to fall.
Where Black will need to improve is in the turnover column. He had seven total turnovers in the game.
Another recognizable face was on the Detroit sideline, as former Razorback Stanley Umude was playing for the Pistons. He logged 16 minutes of action and scored three points on one-of-three shooting.
Walsh’s next game will be Sunday against the Washington Wizards at 6:30 p.m. Black will be back in action on June 10 against the Indiana Pacers at 7:30 p.m.