We’re just a couple of days into the NBA Summer League and there’s one Michigan State rookie standing out already. Spartan big man Carson Cooper had a strong first showing with his new NBA franchise.
Cooper went undrafted but was immediately signed by the Memphis Grizzlies on a two-way deal, becoming the latest Spartan big man to play for the organization over the past couple of decades. He follows guys like Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Randolph, Xavier Tillman, and Deyonta Davis who have all made appearances for the Grizzlies since 2009.
Memphis is going through a massive rebuild so there’s a decent chance that Cooper could make some appearances in the NBA this season but he’ll spend a lot of his time in the G-League.
Cooper’s NBA Summer League debut happened over the weekend and he turned some heads while playing against a familiar opponent. Cooper was matched up with Michigan lottery pick Aday Mara.
The matchup went better than the regular-season showdowns this past season. The Michigan State rookie finished with 11 points and five rebounds with three assists and he made his only 3-points attempt. He also put Mara on a poster in the third quarter of a blowout.
Although it’s just the Summer League and no one is making NBA rosters based on an 11-point performance, he made a strong impression in his debut. If he plans on spending some time in the NBA this season, he’s going to need more performances like this one against talented bigs like Mara.
Cooper is off to a great start to his pro career ahead of a big matchup on Monday.
Carson Cooper is gearing up to see another familiar face
Cooper got to see an old rival over the weekend, getting the better of Mara, and on Monday, he’ll face a friend and fellow Spartan.
Jaxon Kohler’s Utah Jazz will face Cooper and the Grizzlies in a Summer League showdown on Monday night. This will actually be the second time these two have faced each other since leaving Michigan State with the previous meeting happening in the Portsmouth Invitational.
Michigan State fans will have to tune into ESPN at 9 p.m. ET on Monday night to see the Spartans square off. There may not be many Kohler minutes to go around as he didn’t play in Utah’s first game over the weekend.
I think I speak for all Spartans when I say that I’m hoping for some post-Fourth of July fireworks between the former Michigan State stars on Monday.
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