The Grizzlies blew out the Hawks 96-64 behind Cameron Boozer and Cedric Coward, while Karim López showed defensive promise in his debut.
The NBA Summer League is a hotbed for overreactions.
They're impossible to avoid. Fans are starved of NBA basketball. They want the games to matter, and they convince themselves that they do.
Take the Memphis Grizzlies' dominant Thursday 96-64 win over the Atlanta Hawks. That's an incredible margin of victory. Still, it has to be noted that the Grizzlies played far more projected 2026-27 rotation players than the Hawks did.
That said, there are still takeaways. Watching this game, certain areas leaped off the screen.
Here are three takeaways from the contest.
1. Cameron Boozer Is Legitimate
Boozer had 24 points, which is impressive enough. What really stood out was his 10-of-13 shooting from the field.
The Hawks could not contain Boozer. He scored in face-up settings, on the low block, and in transition. He only attempted one three - and he hit it.
Boozer was also solid defensively. He'll certainly face stiffer competition in the regular season, but he deserves credit for dominating the players in front of him. Boozer looked too good to be in this game - and that's the point.
2. Cedric Coward Will Be OK
Boozer led the charge with 24 points, but Coward was right behind him with 23. He was almost equally impressive in this contest.
Grizzlies fans were relieved to see him shoot 2-of-4 from downtown. His three-point efficiency has been wanting during the summer, so seeing him connect from that range was especially encouraging. Coward will need to be a reliable floor spacer to reach his NBA potential.
He also was able to score in isolation and finish on the interior. Coward looked like a potential second star in this game. Hopefully, he can build on that momentum and have a successful sophomore season.
3. Karim López Has Tools
By the box score, López's debut wasn't especially impressive. In 11 minutes, he attempted one field goal - and he missed.
That's fine. What's more interesting is that he blocked two shots and came up with a steal. Defensive activity was not one of López's main selling points as a prospect, so that type of per-minute production leaps off the page.
He had a relentless motor on the defensive end of the floor and impressive instincts. He didn't have much opportunity to strut his stuff offensively, but if he's the scorer and connective passer he looked to be for the Breakers last season, combined with that type of defensive intensity, the Grizzlies could have landed a steal with the 21st pick.
Although, his Summer League performance should be taken with a grain of salt.
