Former Cyclones show what they have to offer in the NBA

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Kelby Wingert/Iowa State Daily

ISU coach Fred Hoiberg speaks with the media on the court after Iowa State defeated Kansas 70-66 in the 2015 Big 12 Championship final on March 14 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Garrett Kroeger

The 2015 NBA Summer League has gone and passed.

Six former ISU players and one former Cyclone head coach all saw action in this year’s summer league. However, some fared better than others.

Melvin Ejim of the Orlando Magic and Diante Garrett and Royce White of the Los Angeles Clipper all competed in the Orlando portion of the summer league

Ejim had a solid summer league with the Magic. In five games with Orlando, Ejim averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Also, he was either tied for the lead or led in rebounds in over half the games he played for the Magic.

He had his best game with Orlando when he put up 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists against the Indiana Pacers.

Ejim was not the only Cyclone to have a solid summer league in Orlando. Diante Garrett also put up solid numbers with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Though he started out slow with the Clippers, Garrett averaged 10.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He had his best game in a one-point loss to the Miami Heat when he put up 20 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Not all the Cyclones who participated in Orlando were able to take advantage of the summer league.

Royce White, who is attempting a comeback to the NBA, fell flat in Orlando. In the five games the Clippers played in Orlando, White only took part in three of them with his highest playing time being 13 minutes. White averaged 0.7 points, rebounds and assists with Los Angeles.

After the Orlando portion of the NBA Summer League, it was time for the Las Vegas portion.

In Las Vegas four former ISU players and one former head coach saw the court.

Three former Cyclones suited up with for the Chicago Bulls.

The three to be on the same team were Diante Garrett and Tyrus McGee, while being coached by former ISU head coach Fred Hoiberg.

Hoiberg led Garrett, McGee and the rest of the Bulls to the quarterfinals of the Las Vegas summer league bracket.

With the Bulls, Garrett averaged 9.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game and McGee averaged 9.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.7 assist per game with both playing six games with Chicago.

Garrett’s and McGee’s best games for Chicago were both against the Brooklyn Nets with Garrett putting up 13 points, 1 rebound and 8 assists while McGee put up 16 points and 2 rebounds. Also to note, McGee averaged an impressive 66.7 percent behind the three-point line.

Hoiberg, Garrett and McGee were not the only Cyclones to have an impressive Las Vegas summer league.

Former ISU guard Bryce Dejean-Jones suited up for the New Orleans Pelicans while in Las Vegas. He did not disappointed.

Dejean-Jones helped the Pelicans to the semi-finals of the summer league tournament. In six games with New Orleans, Dejean-Jones averaged 12.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.

His best game with the Pelicans was against the Nets when Dejean-Jones put up 26 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist.

The last former Cyclone to take part in Las Vegas was DeAndre Kane.

Kane took the court with the Atlanta Hawks. He and the rest of the Hawks went all the way to the semi-finals of the summer league tournament. However, Kane only saw the floor in four out of the six games with Atlanta.

In those four games with the Hawks, Kane averaged 6.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Kane’s best game with Atlanta was when he put up eight points, three rebounds and three assists against the Golden State Warriors.

With the 2015 summer league officially in the books, it will be interesting to see what former Cyclones will take part in the 2016 NBA Summer League.