Jaxon Kohler dominated the headlines on Friday as news broke that he was named in an injunction filed on behalf of 2022 class players who are apparently fighting for a fifth year of eligibility.
Although there’s now more uncertainty regarding his future, Kohler played his latest NBA Summer League game as scheduled because he can’t just assume that he’ll get a fifth year. And even if he’s granted the option for a fifth year, there’s a chance that he just says “no thanks” and signs a G-League contract. He’s already gone through the draft process, so why start over again?
There is still a chance that he comes back, but maybe not to Michigan State. Either way, Kohler was the topic of conversation on Friday before he squared off against a former Spartan teammate.
The Utah Jazz got to face Frankie Fidler and the Portland Trail Blazers, and the most recent Spartan alum got the better of the Omaha transfer with an 83-79 win. Not only did Kohler’s Jazz pick up the win over Fidler’s Blazers, but he also played much better than his Spartan counterpart.
Kohler came off the bench and played just 14 minutes, but he made the most of that time, scoring nine points with three rebounds and a block. He was 2-for-5 from the floor and he was part of a bench unit that carried the Jazz against the Blazers. Every single starter for the Jazz finished negative in the +/- category while Kohler was +11 — second-highest on the team.
As for Fidler, he really struggled in his 20 minutes. A day after dropping a team-high 16 points in a win for the Blazers, he looked like the worst shooter on the floor, going 1-for-8 from the floor with just five points and five rebounds. Despite those struggles, he was still +2. Fidler was one of just five Blazers who finished with a positive in the +/- column.
The head-to-head win was fun to watch, but it should have been the second matchup with a former teammate for Fidler but Jase Richardson missed Sunday’s game.
Consistency may hold Frankie Fidler back
While Kohler has been relatively consistent during Summer League action, I feel like I’m getting a brand-new look from Fidler every single game.
One day Frankie is looking like a future role player for the Blazers, leading the team in scoring, and the next he’s going 1-for-8 from the floor. That inconsistency is going to hold him back when teams start identifying their two-way players, but the coaching staff likes him enough to continue starting him each game out.
If he doesn’t work on that consistency, he’s going to be buying a one-way ticket back to Latvia where he was playing before joining the Blazers’ Summer League squad.
As for Kohler, he became much more consistent as a senior and that’s carried over into some solid NBA Summer League performances. He’s not breaking out, by any means, but he’s proving to be a trusted big man around the rim. I think the Jazz need to sign him to their G-League roster.
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