Archie Goodwin becomes Vegas Summer League all time leading scorer

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 7: Archie Goodwin #70 of the Portland Trail Blazers handles the ball against the Utah Jazz during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 7, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Archie Goodwin has become the NBA Summer League’s all time scoring leader.

Becoming the leading scorer of any league is an honor, and yesterday, Archie Goodwin, playing for the Portland Trail Blazers became the all time leading scorer in Las Vegas Summer League. However, in this case, it’s also a bit of an ignominious honor as the only players who appear in Summer League year after year are those fighting for a roster spot, players who have yet to find their spot in the NBA. This becomes even more clear when one learns that Coby Karl, the player he passed to earn the record, played a grand total of 24 NBA games.

Goodwin was drafted 29th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2013 draft following one season at Kentucky where he averaged 14 points per game. On draft night, Goodwin was traded twice with his rights transferring from the Thunder to the Warriors before finally settling in Phoenix with the Suns. He played 150 games in Phoenix during his first three years in the league before playing a combined 15 games in the 2016-17 season for the New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets.

He did not play in the NBA in the 2017-18 season, though. Instead he appeared in 34 games for the Northern Arizona Suns of the NBA G League. In those games, he averaged 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game on 52 percent shooting. Most promising there is his improved shooting, as apart from his 2016-17 season where he only played 15 games, he never had an effective field goal percentage of over 50 percent. Although, he still only shot 31 percent from 3, and it’s hard to imagine a shooting guard getting major minutes in the modern NBA without a reliable 3-point shot.

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Despite being drafted five years ago, Goodwin is still young — not turning 24 until Aug. 17 — and while he lacks a good outside shot, he is an above average playmaker who has displayed an ability to get the ball in the hoop seemingly at will, albeit at levels lower than the NBA. Nevertheless, perhaps his above average play in the G League, along with his consistent scoring in Las Vegas Summer League over the past few years will convince a team desperate for guards to take a chance on Goodwin this coming season.

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