Kenneth Lofton Jr.’s professional basketball career began with an effective shooting performance Tuesday night in Salt Lake City.
Coming off the bench for Memphis in an NBA Summer League game, Lofton hit four of his five total shots, scoring 9 points in a Grizzlies win over Philadelphia. The Port Arthur native played 15 minutes, adding 3 rebounds to complete his stat line.
The 103-99 win marked Lofton’s first move since signing a two-way contract with the Grizzlies. He was not selected after declaring himself for the NBA Draft out of Louisiana Tech.
Lofton made some big plays that got people talking Tuesday night. Here are some highlights from Lofton’s strong start in the NBA:
Blow by dunk
Lofton is known for his bully-ball style, but showed speed and athleticism at the rim with that first play. He fakes a handoff near the top of the key, then rolls hard into the lane for a layup and the fault.
Lofton’s agility might surprise some people.
Post trips
Lofton isn’t afraid to go old school with his tried-and-true post moves. He did it here with good footwork and an effective fake shot.
It’s safe to say that Lofton will show more of that skill in the position going forward.
Pic and roll
Instead of faking the transfer like he did earlier in the game, Lofton actually passes the ball this time and then rolls hard to the edge. He is rewarded with a tough bucket for the Grizzlies.
Memphis will play three more Summer Championship games this week, including Wednesday night on ESPN2 against Oklahoma City at 6 p.m.
MFaye@BeaumontEnterprise.com
Twitter.com/mattGfaye
Comments are closed.