One wasn't supposed to make a mark and the other upset Indiana Pacers fans when the team reached for him with the 23rd overall pick. Nonetheless, former Arizona Wildcats Grant Jerrett and Solomon Hill have each gotten off to hot starts for their respective teams in their first action as NBA players in the Orlando Summer League.
On Sunday, Jerrett and Hill clashed, and it was the younger of the two who got the best of his former teammate. Jerrett led the young Oklahoma City Thunder to a 76-68 win by scoring a game-high 17 points and hitting 4-of-5 three-pointers. Hill didn't do much in the box score during that first game, scoring nine points and later saying he was forcing the issue too much.
He recovered on Monday and led the Pacers to a 92-72 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers while scoring the difference on 6-for-8 shooting. The former Wildcats forward hit all four of his three-point jumpers, grabbed seven rebounds and added four assists.
Monday also went well for Jerrett. He again led the Thunder in scoring with 14 points while hitting another four three-pointers.
The takeaway through two days is that Sean Miller's teachings -- especially in the realm of shooting mechanics -- have produced pretty solid results. Hill and Jerrett have been two of the most dangerous players beyond the three-point line.
Hill certainly looks like a solid ball handler, doing as he did at Arizona but with more aggression; after all, the summer league is prime time for players looking to be overly-selfish with the ball. He continued to prove his ability as a playmaker. Most importantly, he was engaged in every play, hustling to chase down loose balls and finishing through contact.
In the early game, Jerrett struggled against a true NBA center -- one with a good deal of experience as a rookie last year -- in the Orlando Magic's Andrew Nicholson, who went 7-for-13 from the field. Jerrett accumulated eight fouls (there isn't a six-foul limit) and was only reasonable on the rebounding front. Nonetheless, he continued to be very dangerous as a pick-and-pop player against relatively unorganized defenses.
So maybe the Pacers were taking a risk in drafted someone with meager college averages. Maybe Jerrett took a risk himself in leaving Arizona early. But so far, so good.