This article was originally published on HoopHerald.com on July 14, 2023.
If you’re playing in NBA Summer League in front of the basketball world, you’ve got to take advantage of the minutes that are given to you. All it takes is one executive from the right team to turn things in your favor.
Golden State Warriors big man Reggie Perry has been the perfect example of what it means to be impactful in the playing time he’s gotten.
Since arriving in Las Vegas, Perry has averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds in just under 21 minutes per game on an absurdly efficient 81.1% True Shooting percentage. His shooting splits are .739/.500/.800 in those three contests.
Perry has produced 37 points and 25 rebounds in his last two games in total. In the July 12 contest against the Dallas Mavericks, the Mississippi State alum set Golden State’s summer league franchise record with 17 boards and was a plus-19 in the close overtime loss.
“I’m really excited about breaking the rebounding record,” Perry said. “I was told by the Warriors’ coaching staff and management that rebounding was important for my role. My main goal coming out to summer league was to show that I can rebound at a high level and impact winning without scoring.”
The 6-foot-9, 250-pound big man has punished opponents in the paint and put himself in the right spots with precise timing, either converting on acrobatic finishes or forcing his way to the free-throw line.
“I’ve worked on my touch so I can score over bigger defenders on top of working on my explosiveness,” Perry said. “I put a lot of work in this summer, and it’s great to have a chance to show it.”
And while he’s been at the charity stripe, he’s gone 11 for his last 13. If he’s not doing it at the line, Perry is showing off a bit of his baseline mid-range game and being a dribble-handoff hub on the elbows. He’s also done a solid job of setting screens and darting to the rim without the ball under control, using his footwork to stop on a dime and keep defenders off balance.
🆙🆙🆙
Perry made that look easy. pic.twitter.com/X2AtfgIe4A
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) July 12, 2023
Before latching on with Golden State’s summer league squad, Perry spent time with the Brooklyn Nets as a two-way contract rookie in the 2020-21 campaign. He also participated in Toronto Raptors training camp the fall afterward before having multiple stints with the Portland Trail Blazers and a 10-day contract with the Indiana Pacers.
“It’s taught me how to deal with a lot of things on and off the court, the ups and downs throughout the season,” Perry shared of his early NBA experience.
Perry did a ton of damage in the G League with each of his teams, putting up 19.9 points and 8.9 rebounds on average over his 61 games. He played for the Long Island Nets and Raptors 905 before finding footing with the Motor City Cruise, the Detroit Pistons’ affiliate.
Most recently, after the G League season came to a close, Perry traveled overseas to play in the Korean Basketball League with the Changwon LG Sakers for three games. (Note: Perry was on opposite sides of Jameel Warney, whose journey we profiled a few weeks ago on Hoop Herald.)
Back in the United States to put his talents on display, while still two-way contract eligible, Perry is only getting started at 23 years old — and teams should be taking notice.
“I have had many lessons already,” Perry said. “And now I can still have a full NBA career with those lessons helping me throughout.”
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