Former Louisville Stars Making Impact in Vegas

The NBA Vegas Summer League is in full effect, and there are several University of Louisville players showcasing their talent. Last night, three former Cardinal standouts laced up the Nike’s and took to the hardwood. Juan Palacios, David Padgett, and Earl Clark all got some pt in Sin City.

Raptors 74, Suns 73
Earl Clark, the #14 overall pick in this years draft, by far had the best game of the Louisville Alumni. Clark led the Phoenix Suns in both scoring (13 points) and rebounding (12 boards). Clark’s final stat line reads: 27min, 13pts (5-12, 3-6ft) 12reb (9def, 3off), 1asst, 5to’s.

It appears that Clark is still having trouble controlling the ball with those 5 turnovers and that by far is the weakest part of his game. It’s good to see that he is crashing the boards and not taking stupid 3-point shots like he did at UofL.

Unfortunately, Clark’s Sun’s could not pull through in victory as they squandered a 9-point fourth quarter lead. DeMar DeRozen converted an ally-oop with 46 seconds left to give the Raptors a one point edge. DeRozen led all scorers with 20 points

Rockets 87, Trail Blazers 82
David Padgett, a huge UofL fan favorite, has caught on with the Portland Trail Blazers Summer League team this year. Last year he played for the Miami Heat’s summer squad before being cut and playing in the Virgin Islands. This year, Dave has taken his game Northwest in hopes of gaining a Portland roster spot.

Last night, Padgett saw some increased playing time. In his first game this past Tuesday against Toronto, Dave only saw 3 minutes of action and had no stats. Last night against the Rockets, Padgett was on the court for 10 minutes, recording 8 points and 7 rebounds. His final stat line reads: 10min, 8pts (3-4, 2-2ft), 7reb (5off, 2def), 1stl, 1to.

Through two games thus far Padgett is averaging 6.5min, 4pts, 3.5reb

There isn’t a guy that UofL fans want to see make it more than David Padgett. He plays with the most passion, hustle, and determination that hadn’t been seen in Freedom Hall in a long time. Padgett was the leader of the squad and perceived through countless injuries. It’s good to see David in the league, and hopefully he can catch on somewhere in the near future.

Bucks 87, Bulls 82
Juan Palacios saw 9 minutes of action last night for the Milwaukee Bucks. He wasn’t very productive however as he was held scoreless and had no rebounds. His final stat line reads: 9min, 0pts (0-1), 0reb, 1asst, 1blck.

In 4 games, Palacios is averaging 9.5min, 0.8pts, 0.5reb, 0.8asst, 0.5blcks, and 0.25to’s.

Nobody really expected Juan to become an NBA player as he just didn’t have enough talent to compete on the big stage. He was a very solid player at UofL, and was a huge reason we reached the Final Four in 2005 and the Elite 8 in 2008. It’s great to see a guy like Juan getting a chance, because he does deserve that. However, it’s not looking like Juan is going to make it in the NBA. He will be back across the pond this season.