For summer vet Goodwin, NBA hope springs eternal
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Archie Goodwin is about to set a record.
It won't be cause for celebration. Goodwin is a veteran of 165 NBA games, has scored 20 points on 10 different occasions, had a monthlong stretch with Phoenix two years ago where he started and averaged 16 points per game while playing against a slew of All-Stars in that span.
He thinks he's proven.
The rest of the league doesn't see it the same way. So he's back in the NBA Summer League — where, after scoring six points for Portland on Saturday in the Trail Blazers' 93-78 win over the Utah Jazz, he moved within 13 points of matching Coby Karl's all-time record for the Las Vegas event. Karl scored 337 points, Goodwin is up to 324, according to data compiled by RealGM.
"It comes with the job," Goodwin said. "My world is just different. I'm just trying to stay positive and continue to fight, looking for a chance to show how I can help a team."
Saturday was Day 2 of the Summer League in Las Vegas, with another 10 games on the schedule. More 10-game slates await on Sunday and Monday, and the tournament runs through July 17.
Most guys in Vegas are playing for the first or second time. Goodwin is playing in the event for the fifth time.
Drafted No. 29 overall by Oklahoma City in 2013, Goodwin has gotten NBA time with Phoenix, Brooklyn and New Orleans. He appeared in five preseason games with Portland last season as well, but doesn't even have as much as a training camp deal for this fall.
"I'm a resilient person," Goodwin said. "That speaks to how I was raised that way, to never give up on my dreams. Hopefully the right situation pops up."
Goodwin was one of the best guards in the G League last season, averaging 19 points on 53 percent shooting.
"I feel like I'm not getting a fair shake," Goodwin said. "But that's how it is. That's my motivation. I'm going to keep knocking at the door and hopefully someone realizes that this kid — I'm only 23 years old — can help a team and bring a lot of value to a team."
Saturday's summaries:
TRAIL BLAZERS 93, JAZZ 78
Wade Baldwin IV scored 20 points for Portland (1-0), which got 16 points from Gary Trent Jr. and 13 rebounds from Caleb Swanigan. Grayson Allen, Georges Niang and Tony Bradley all scored 16 for Utah (0-1). Allen struggled again from the field just as he did in two summer games at Salt Lake City earlier in the week, shooting 6 for 17, but added six rebounds and five assists.
PACERS 86, SPURS 76
TJ Leaf scored 17 for Indiana, which took control by outscoring San Antonio 22-8 in the third quarter. CJ Wilcox added 13 for the Pacers (1-1). Derrick White scored 19 for the Spurs (0-1), who got 15 points from Lonnie Walker IV.