Drew Peterson recently signed a two-way deal with the Charlotte Hornets. That reunites him with Charles Lee, Blaine Mueller, and Jermaine Bucknor. They were all on the Boston Celtics' coaching staff when the six-foot-nine forward first joined the franchise.
After two years in Boston, the writing was on the wall for Peterson. The Celtics still have forward Miles Norris on a two-way deal. The expectation is for this year's second-round picks, Amari Williams and Max Shulga, to join the team in that arrangement.
With the organization's two-way contracts seemingly spoken for, he wisely chose a landing spot offering familiarity and opportunity.
As he departs for the Queen City, Norris told Hardwood Houdini he reached out to his now-former teammate.
"That's my guy," said Norris on the heels of Peterson signing with the Hornets. "I'm excited for him. [I] hate to see him go, but I'm excited for him in Charlotte. It's good for him, [a] good opportunity for him. But I try to reach out to him, talk to him, because that's my guy, so I talk to him a lot."
How did Miles Norris look at Summer League?
Frankly, he didn't stand out the way one would have hoped. Norris averaged 9.3 points and shot 36.8 percent from the field, per NBA.com. He took 6.0 of his 9.5 shots from behind the arc. The six-foot-seven forward made 25 percent of them. He also grabbed 4.3 rebounds and came up with 1.3 steals per contest.
Summer League statistics hold little weight. Still, for someone whose standout trait is his shooting, one wishes he had a higher conversion rate. On a more encouraging note, Norris made a few plays off the dribble, getting to the basket off the bounce.
He figures to spend the majority of his second professional season in Maine. If the 25-year-old can build off what he showcased in Sin City in that regard, it could help him evolve into a more dynamic offensive weapon.
Norris is working toward his hope of going from a two-way deal to a standard NBA contract. As he does so, that development is a needed one.
Miles Norris shares who he's modeling his game after
As the former Oregon Duck tries to take the next step in his career, at Summer League, he shared who he is studying and what he's looking to apply from those film sessions.
"A couple [of] guys shooting-wise," voiced Norris. "Michael Porter Jr., spacing the floor, but [also] athletically, running the floor, [and] on defense. Obi Toppin, my player-coaches have told me, watch those two guys.
"And then defensively, I try to watch Robert Covington be more of a defensive playmaker. So, those three guys I try to watch a lot -- not really emulate my game, but [I] try to watch them. Take some things away from them."
Applying what he learns from that trio could unlock more from Norris and help him convert his intriguing potential into the production that will enable him to maximize his talent.