NBA Summer League: Deonte Burton hits game-winner

Remember when we recently discussed The Basketball Movement and Edge Sport's Deonte Burton? He has been a busy man.

Just a few weeks ago, we talked about the ascension of former Iowa State Cylcone, Deonte Burton. After college, he played overseas, where he was the most valuable player of the Korean Basketball League. This year he was invited to work out and play for the OKC Thunder's Summer League squad. Now, he is under contract for the season.

Burton has already signed a two-way contract for the 2018-19 NBA season. The two-way contract means that he will split time with the Oklahoma City Thunder and their G-League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue. The contract means that he can play a maximum of 45 games for the Thunder.

Each team gets just a pair of two-way contracts. Last year was the first year for them and OKC used theirs on Daniel Hamilton and PJ Dozier. They both got a lot of run in the G-League and played in six and two NBA games respectively.

Burton was signed once his workouts at the Thunder training facility were complete - so they did not even need to see him in Summer League action to know that they wanted him on the team. He still decided to show out in Summer League anyway.

The highlights are already underway for Burton

Rob Yanders has done a lot to help Deonte Burton with the mental side of the game, which is huge at every level - especially the NBA. Deonte's full game was on display this Summer League, with heady defense, eye-popping athleticism, and yes - a game-winning jumper.

Did you watch the above video? Seriously, take the two minutes to watch this guy in action. The Basketball movement is very proud of what Deonte has already accomplished, but he is clearly destined for so much more greatness.

He finished his NBA Summer League outing with averages of 11/6/3 in just 20 minutes per game. Most impressive is his 1.6 steals AND 1.6 blocks in his five games of action.

The OKC Thunder have to find a way to work The Basketball Movement's Denote Burton into what they're doing this season. We will be watching closely as his career heads in a great direction, so keep it locked right here and follow us on Twitter @BBall_Movement

All stats per NBA.com

 

 

Pro baller Deonte Burton - The Basketball Movement

With a year of pro ball under his belt, Deonte Burton is poised to make a splash at the NBA Summer League this year.

The Basketball Movement's Deonte Burton is already working out at the OKC Thunder training facilities preparing for Summer League. Playing for the Thunder's team will get him plenty of exposure as he looks to advance his professional basketball career. 

Burton played his college ball at Marquette and Iowa State. He played last year for Wonju DB Promy of the Korean Basketball League, where he was the league MVP.

Burton was the Big 12 newcomer of the year in 2016 when he tranferred to Iowa State, despite having to wait out multiple games per NCAA policy. By his senior season, he was second-team all big 12, and clearly ready for the next level.

Honestly this whole article could be highlight videos. From high school to Korea - the big shots, blocks, and dunks haven't stopped coming. Burton is going to make sure that they do not stop any time soon either.

Playing professional basketball

When asked to compare the Big 12 to playing overseas in Korea, Burton said "It's really apples and oranges". The style of basketball may be very different, but he notes that the discipline and competitive style from college helped translate to any variant of pro basketball.

“I went from playing 30 games to playing 60. You have to really take care of your body and work on the little things. Things like stretching everyday that you didn’t really worry about in college.”
— Deonte Burton on his pro experience

Burton explained that though he was playing more games, conditioning was similar because it's a two way street. "The more games you play, the better shape you'll be in" Deonte said.

Deonte said that this has been his first time overseas for more than a year. He says that it has been a fantastic experience and he has learned a lot about Korean culture and about himself. Wonju is a very traditional South Korean town that has allowed him to learn a lot about Eastern culture.

Deonte Burton and Rob Yanders - Milwaukee guys

When asked how Deonte got hooked up with Robert and The Basketball Movement, he threw it way back. He said his older brother and Robert were great friends growing up in Milwaukee. The connection remained and Rob remained great example for Burton on and off the court.

 He discussed how Robert has been helping him with the mental side of the game.

“That part of the game is really big. I’m physically gifted, but so are other people at this level. Discipline and hard work separates everyone.”
— Deonte Burton

Shooting has been the biggest focus for Deonte this Summer. He is already a solid shooter, but he said that you must constantly improve because every league requires you to be able to shoot the ball.

Focusing on a well-rounded offensive game is what he would like to demonstrate in the Summer League; defense, his improved shooting, and whole offensive repertoire.

His workouts with OKC this offseason he calls well-balanced, but overall similar to what he's been through many times before. The NBA Summer League tips of in early July, so Deonte Burton is ready to show the world what he can do. His goal?

"Dominate Summer League"

We believe he can. The games will be televised between ESPN and NBA TV, so remember to tune in!

DaShaun Stark - The Basketball Movement

An athletic 6'5", DaShaun Stark is working with The Basketball Movement to prepare for the pro-scene.

Friendly and articulate with a humble confidence, DeShaun Stark is poised for basketball at the professional level.

Originally from the area, DaShaun Stark moved to Arkansas around age 10, where he went on to play high school ball. Many from Southwest Missouri may recognize DaShaun Stark from his freshman and sophomore seasons as a Drury Panther (2013-2015).

After red-shirting a year back down south for the Arkansas Razorbacks, Stark got much more run his senior year for William Woods University. Stark shot nearly 50 percent from the field that year, also using his length to grab boards, disrupt opposing players, and now - draw attention on the pro-scene.

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Asked what us next for him in his career - Stark says that improving is his number one priority. 

“I have to keep improving and just get in front of some teams in the G-League. From there I can keep rising.”

One of the experiences that Strark draws on the most is his time at Arkansas. He says that his eyes were opened to the level of basketball he was capable of playing. He also cites his first collegiate game - an exhibition at Duke - for igniting his passion for continuing to play the game.

Stark's time with The Basketball Movement

Playing on his Step-Father's team back in 8th grade, DaShaun recalls going up against a Robert Yanders-led squad. He said the Rob liked his game, approached him, and made the connection.

DaShaun said that he has become a much better player mentally since putting in work with The Basketball Movement. Rob's experiences have been really applicable to his circumstances and mindset. He is also striving to transition into more of a point guard role, so Rob is working with him to improve his handles and shot from deep.

The further you go in a basketball career, the harder it is on your body. Stark had a standout point that he has been learning about: water.

“I’ve never been big on water or just hydration in general, so that’s been a big change. The little things day-to-day have become more important - what to eat and especially what not to eat.”

DaShaun is very appreciative of his time with Robert Yanders. He says that The Basketball Movement has helped his game "tremendously". Professionalism, routine, and specifically catered curriculum are a few of the highlights that Stark pointed out to us.

“Rob has been a great basketball influence for many years.”

When asked about his ceiling, Stark said that his mindframe is that he has no ceiling. "Sky's the limit." After seeing his game and committment, we believe him.

Perseverance: 32-year-old rookie makes a splash

After 10 years in the NBA's G-League (formerly the D-League), Andre Ingram finally plays an NBA game.

Andre Ingram was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers to play the final two games of their season. Several of the Lakers' young players are nursing injuries and the team has been officially eliminated from the playoff race for over a week now.

At 32-years-old, Ingram was called up for the first time from his 10-year stint in the G-League. According to the NY Times, he is the oldest American rookie in 50 years. He got the nod to enter the game in the first quarter from Head Coach Luke Walton. It was then that Ingram did what he had been doing for years, made it rain from deep.

Apparently, this fella has hit three pointers at a 46 percent  clip in his G-League career. He is the all-time leader in made triples in the league. He drained all three of his attempts from deep in the first half, finishing the home loss with 19 points, 3 boards and blocks, one 1 assist, steal, and turnover.

Basketball has given us a shining example of perseverance in Andre Ingram

The man's G-League stats are a bit of a head-scratcher. How had this three point sniper not been called up before? No doubt Ingram had been scratching is now greying head before any of the rest of us. Yet he patiently waited for his time to come, and he stepped up to the plate when his number was called.

This type of feel-good story is not uncommon in the sport of basketball. The sport requires a lot of hard work and grit, and this player personifies that. More often than not, hard work pays off in some shape or form. Sometimes, that requires patience, which is not always easy.

We are thrilled that Andre Ingram got to live out his dream (and make approximately 73 percent of his G-League salary in three days). We wish him luck in the Lakers' final game tonight. Maybe someone will take a chance on the long range shooter next season and we can continue to watch his story unfold.