Former Tennessee basketball player, Kyle Alexander is having a nice NBA Summer League for the Miami Heat. Here’s a look at his first three games.
Kyle Alexander was on the outside looking in when it came to Tennessee basketball players getting drafted in the 2019 NBA Draft. Grant Williams went No.22 to the Boston Celtics, Admiral Schofield went No.42 to the Washington Wizards, and Jordan Bone went No.57 to the Detriot Pistons.
Despite not getting drafted, Alexander took a deal to play in the NBA Summer League for the Miami Heat. So far, the Heat have been rolling with a 3-0 record, and Alexander has helped out quite a bit.
Now, I doubt this leads to an NBA contract. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if Alexander inks a G League deal with a team.
In game one against the LA Lakers, Alexander saw 15 minutes of action but went 0-for-5 from the floor. The slow shooting performance didn’t stop him from contributing in other ways, something we got used to with Tennessee. He added four rebounds, two blocks, and two points. Maybe most impressive, Alexander finished the game with a +/- of +23.
Game two against the Kings was much closer than the 106-79 blowout of the Lakers. The Kings game came down to the final seconds with the Heat taking a one-point win. Alexander played just 13 minutes but had a better shooting night going 3-for-5 from the floor. The big man added six rebounds and one block to go along with his six points.
Finally, in game number three and arguably his best game, Alexander got the start. He played 21 minutes and finished the game with two points, two blocks, and ten rebounds.
Again, Alexander probably isn’t going to make an NBA roster, but getting this experience is invaluable for his future. You can watch the former Vol play next on Friday at 5:30 pm vs. the China National team on ESPN U.