Former Auburn Tigers hoops stars were heavily featured during Saturday's California Classic NBA Summer League matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat. Well, one was an absolute star, and the other two had more modest contributions.
The star was Miles Kelly, who is playing with the San Antonio Spurs Summer League team after being waived by the Dallas Mavericks. In Dallas, Kelly was a bit player but appeared in 14 games. In Sacramento on Saturday, Kelly had 16 points on 7/13 shooting, 2/5 shooting from the three-point line, four assists, two rebounds, and a steal. While the Spurs lost 88-87, Kelly was the best player on the floor for San Antonio's California Classic SL roster.
Meanwhile, Keyshawn Hall and Tre Donaldson struggled in their pro debuts, though to varying degrees. Both took and missed one three-pointer and had three turnovers each, but Hall had a +4 BPM and Donaldson had four rebounds and two assists. Combined, they pitched in six points in 34 minutes.
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Miles Kelly is an intriguing shooter for the Spurs to consider
Kelly could shoot his way into a role in Central Texas. San Antonio will perennially be looking for shooters around Victor Wembanyama, so Kelly has the chance to prove to the team's brain trust that he is the ideal complementary piece to the seven-foot-five generational big man.
On the Plains, Kelly sunk 88 three-pointers in his one season, with a 47.7% conversion rate on 25–30 footers. He has the chops to make it work at the NBA level. The Spurs would be an incredible chance to continue his pro career after a year in a different Texas Triangle city.
Keyshawn Hall needs to do more on the floor than score
Hall had his fair share of issues in East Central Alabama. He was suspended by Steven Pearl and had disciplinary issues all season this past winter. Still, Hall helped the team during their NIT Championship run in a big way to redeem himself.
Hall is going to have to overcompensate in the NBA. One-dimensional offense isn't going to cut it, especially with a history of problematic behavior. Hall needs to be the New York Knicks version of Michael Beasley, who had almost six rebounds and two assists per game.
Tre Donaldson may not have an NBA profile
Donaldson is a perfect college player with a high motor and elite physicality for someone who doesn't have overwhelming athleticism or size. Donaldson was a safety by trade before pursuing hoops, after all. Still, he may not make much sense for the NBA, even if his hustle shows up in the box score.
Donaldson simply doesn't have enough offense to hack it. His shooting has cratered since leaving Auburn, and it doesn't look great that the Michigan Wolverines became the best team in college basketball after he left for the Miami Hurricanes, and the Tigers made the Final Four after he was gone. Donaldson needs to prove himself this summer, way more so than he did on Saturday, if he wants to see the floor for an NBA team this winter.
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