Former Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd wastes no time turning heads in NBA Summer League

Surprise, surprise, when Nick Boyd finally got an opportunity in Summer League, he made the most of it. After a great California Classic performance and a call-up to the Golden State Warriors' top team, Boyd was left out of the rotation in game one of Las Vegas Summer League, which, in retrospect, clearly put an even bigger chip on the 25-year-old's shoulder.

Now, in game two, when Boyd finally got his shot, he did what he always does and stood out, finishing with 14 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal while shooting 5-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from three. Even more impressive, he did all of this coming off the bench for Golden State.

It doesn't look like it's going to be possible to keep the undrafted free agent off the floor, evident by him playing over 18 minutes, the second most of any Warriors bench piece.

Impact in a Multitude of Ways

As for how he made his impact, it was the typical Boyd NBA experience, as he has morphed his game into a more cohesive role that can fit into any lineup. Boyd was as stellar as ever at creating for himself and others both in the half court and in transition, consistently creating advantages with his handle and pace.

The jump shot being a threat was big for him as well, allowing him to play off guys like Yaxel Lendeborg and LJ Cryer, who command more touches within this Golden State offense. Having that kind of threat away from the ball inherently opens up other aspects of his game as well, giving him more favorable closeouts that he can choose to attack, along with giving him more malleability with how coaches get him involved.

Boyd's defense continues to be stellar as well, this time taking on one of his toughest matchups to date in first-round pick and former Big Ten rival Bennett Stirtz. Even though Stirtz has a considerable size advantage on Boyd, who stands around 6-foot-1, he still struggled to create when guarded by him, especially in reps where Boyd picked him up full court.

His quickness in this setting shines, as Boyd is able to cover an immense amount of ground, cutting off angles and recovering lost ground, giving him more freedom to guard aggressively. Defense was, of course, one of the bigger questions with him as a prospect, with his senior year in Madison being a very rocky experience as to what kind of impact he made.

However, through his first handful of Summer League games, it looks as if point-of-attack defense may end up being one of his stronger traits and one that undoubtedly makes him more attractive to NBA front offices. Boyd still has a ways to go in regards to proving himself if he wishes to stick around on an NBA roster, but there is no doubt that he has turned some heads with his performances thus far.

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