Michigan State Basketball: Nick Ward ends Summer League on high note

Though he had a rough go of things early on, former Michigan State basketball big man Nick Ward ended NBA Summer League on a high note.

One final opportunity stood between Nick Ward and the rest of the NBA offseason. He had a couple of shaky performances for Atlanta’s NBA Summer League team, but knew that he had one more chance to make a good impression.

And he did just that.

Ward finished his final game with the Hawks by scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds and he had an impact on the defensive end of the floor with three blocks and a steal.

It wasn’t just dunks and layups that got Ward in the scoring column, either, it was dribble drives and nifty spin moves, too.

https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1149896771406987264

After watching these highlights, it’s obvious that he’s been working on his overall game. He has been solid on defense and he looks comfortable putting the ball on the floor and driving to the basket — something he never would have imagined doing at Michigan State.

Ward also showed that he has solid conditioning, playing 27 minutes which was the second-most on the team and he showed plenty of energy throughout and ran the floor well for a big.

Although making the roster is a long-shot this fall, Ward put himself in a position to potentially earn a two-way contract with the Hawks. They may have noticed what he can bring to the table and want an opportunity to explore his skillset even more in the G-League and part-time on the active roster.

Ward seems to be on a quest to prove everyone wrong, and he did a solid job of that in his final Summer League game with Atlanta.