Kasparas Jakucionis Bounces Back With Stellar Showing in NBA Summer League

Kasparas Jakucionis has been on a rollercoaster ride over the past couple of weeks. After the former Illini was projected as an NBA lottery pick – and even a potential top-five selection midway through the college season – he slid all the way to No. 20 on draft night.

Fast-forward to two weeks later, and Jakucionis had played three NBA Summer League games for the Miami Heat, having made a grand total of one field goal. Even given the reasonable understanding that it's unwise to overreact to Summer League performances, a 1-for-17 shooting stretch, along with a 1-to-2 assist-to-turnover ratio (six assists to 12 turnovers) is bound to draw some reaction – and it did.

Yet despite the increased expectations on his shoulders and the pressure to turn things around, Jakucionis finally responded Friday. In his first game in the Las Vegas Summer League, the 6-foot-6 lead guard was outstanding, pouring in 24 points, snagging four rebounds and dishing out four assists (while committing only two turnovers), while adding two steals for good measure.