#ProTops: Who Is Coleby Fighting For Summer League Minutes Against?
On Friday, Dwight Coleby became the first Hilltopper to land on an NBA Summer League squad after the New Orelans Pelicans announced he was…
On Friday, Dwight Coleby became the first Hilltopper to land on an NBA Summer League squad after the New Orelans Pelicans announced he was a member of their roster.
Coleby joins a squad of eight players who are listed, in some capacity, as a forward, meaning that minutes will be well sought out and well earned throughout the tournament.
But, who exactly will Dwight be competing for minutes with/against?
Of the seven other listed forwards, two are listed as combos: Marvin Jones his listed as a F/C and Shavon Shields is listed as a G/F. So, we are going to not include them in this debate, because if Dwight is going to spend time on the floor with them, it’s more than possible they’ll be at another spot.
So, whit that being said, Dwight will be playing along side
Cliff Alexander (6'9", 245 pounds)
Cheick Diallo (6'9", 220)
Garlon Green (6'7", 215)
DJ Hogg (6'9", 215 — Texas A&M)
Derek Willis (6'9", 228)
Alexander, Diallo, Green and Willis all played some form of pro ball last year, be it overseas, in the G-League or with the Pelicans in the Association (in the case of Diallo). This could be a strike against Coleby seeing some meaningful minutes, especially when it comes to Diallo and Willis who the Pelicans are going to want to get a good look at.
Hogg posted similar offensive numbers (actually, posted an identical 11.1 points per game) as Coleby did in 2017/18, but proved to be a bit more versatile — what he lacked in rebounds (Dwight hat 8.0, Hogg finished with 5.3), he made up for in assists: Dwight averaged less than an assist per night while Hogg averaged 2.6.
Dwight is listed as 6'9", 245, matching the measurement of Alexander and is one of the biggest men on the NOLA roster. If I had to guess, I’d say we’re going to see a lot of Dwight and Alexander (another one-time Kansas Jayhawk) splitting time in the middle of the paint at the five.
While Coleby might not be big enough to play there on a full-time basis against NBA competition, the Summer League is a bit of a different story, and is a time for coaching staffs to see what players can do in different situations.
New Orleans will face Toronto to open the LVSL on July 6 at 2:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.