ORLANDO — A look at top performers from Day 1 in Orlando
Treveon Graham and Briante Weber, Charlotte Hornets
The former college teammates at VCU set the pace with their intensity early in the summer league opener and showed the younger Hornets what it takes to play at the next level. Graham pulled his way inside with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Weber scored 17, grabbed five rebounds and came up with four steals in a 74-67 win over the Heat.
Travis Leslie, Indiana Pacers
The oldest player on the Pacers roster came off the bench to fire in 20 points (8-for-14) and grab eight rebounds in an 84-75 win over the Magic. The 27-year-old guard was a second-round pick by the Clippers in 2011 and spent last season with the Ft. Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA G League.
Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
There were times when Adebayo’s wheels seemed to be churning a little too fast for his own good. But the 14th pick in the draft was always strong and aggressive in collecting 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots in a loss to Indiana.
Dakari Johnson and Vince Hunter, Oklahoma City Thunder
The pair of big men worked the Pistons over on the inside in a come-from-behind 92-91 win. Johnson, a second round pick in 2-15, rolled to 18 points, nine rebounds and a blocked shot. Hunter came off the bench for 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting that included a pair of 3-pointers and couple of eye-opening dunks.
Fran Blinebury has covered the NBA since 1977. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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