For over two quarters, Jaylen Wells looked for his shot.
It hit the former Washington State star hard, about two minutes into the third quarter of Friday’s Memphis Grizzlies vs. Boston Celtics NBA Summer League game.
In Friday’s first half, Wells had trouble getting going and missed all four of his 3-point attempts, including one that came within inches of the basket and another that went well wide.
A brief period of icy photography evolved into a frenzy of Wells shots. In the third quarter, with 8 minutes and 14 seconds left, the second-year pro made his first 3-pointer. Fifteen seconds later, in transition, he took advantage of another opportunity by shooting from behind the arc.
While playing for Memphis in their Summer League game against Boston at COX Pavilion, the former Coug experienced both highs and lows. In spite of his inefficiency, Wells finished with 13 points, 3 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.
He went 2 for 7 from beyond the arc and 3 for 10 from the field. He also converted all five of his free throw attempts.
Compared to the bigger arenas he was used to playing in during his rookie year in the NBA, COX Pavilion—which seats only 2,500 people and looks more like a high school gym—was the first time Wells had trouble with shooting accuracy and depth perception, as he admitted.
I’ve been on this floor previously, so even though I despise that tiny gym, I’ve done some work there before.
So said Wells. “… They have a couple dead spots on the floor, I don’t know it’s a weird vibe in there.” Tuomas Iisalo, who was named Memphis’ head coach after serving as an interim coach at the conclusion of the 2024–25 season, nonetheless had good things to say about Wells’ performance.
“It’s always difficult to evaluate individual guys without looking at the film first,” remarked Iisalo. Looking at the film as a whole, I feel like Jaylen always makes the proper choices.
Even though he’s the one who usually takes the shots, it’s usually the defense that decides who gets hit. We don’t anticipate him to be the offensive catalyst, but he will play a key role.
I think he can do a lot of damage there, but you need the screener and the passer to get the entry pass on time and on target. However, he has unquestionably made progress.
Although Jeremy Jones, a former Gonzaga player, made four 3-pointers in the team’s last Salt Lake Summer League game, he was unable to replicate his performance in Memphis’ first game in Las Vegas.
After 12 minutes on the court, Jones failed to score on 0-of-3 field goals and 0-of-2 three-point attempts. Two boards, an assist, and a turnover were his stats.
Although he was selected eleventh overall in the draft, former Washington State and Eastern Washington wing Cedric Coward has been out with a shoulder injury and has not been with the team during Summer League stops in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
In Boston’s Summer League debut, Gonzaga’s Ben Gregg did not get any playing time since the team was focusing on its recent draft picks and players with versatility.
The team’s Summer League schedule starts on Sunday against the New York Knicks, thus Gregg, who just inked a professional contract with SIG Strasbourg of France’s LNB Elite, should get some playing time in the coming games.
In two minutes for Memphis, Efton Reid—who spent a season at Gonzaga between stints at LSU and Wake Forest—missed a jumper and failed to score.
—In New York’s 104-86 setback to Detroit, Anton Watson (Gonzaga) saw action for just five minutes. The Knicks’ Watson received one rebound, had two assists, and one shot attempt.
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