Summer league has passed us once again and it’s time to review what we saw and pick the winners and losers from the annual summer festivities. Certainly, none of what we saw really informs what the longer term prospects for these players will be, but it is a first look at how they perform on the NBA’s undercard.
Winners
Houston – At this point it looks like Houston snatched the pick of the draft in Cam Whitmore who fell from a projected 4th pick to 20th before being picked. Rumour has it that there could be an underlying issue with Cam but the young man played his heart out and was chosen Summer League MVP. Over his 5 games he averaged 19.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the field. Well done Cam! I sincerely hope you move past any potential issues and have a long and illustrious NBA career. Go get yourself some of those 100’s of millions of dollars young man!
Jabari Smith Jr. Rockets – After a disappointing 1st year with Houston, the No. 3 pick in the 2022 draft lit it up early in summer league, scoring 33 and 38 points respectively in his first 2 games and took home the annual “Too Good For Summer League” award after the first weekend. All aspects of his game looked much improved from his handles to creating his own shot. Hopefully, his sophomore season will see him shine and meet the expectations held for him before the draft.
Keyonte George and the Jazz – George fell out of the lottery on draft night and he carried that chip on his shoulder into his first Summer League game in Vegas. The Baylor freshman was the star of the day on Saturday, showing just how dangerous he can be as an offensive weapon.
The biggest knock on George going into the draft was his shot selection and decision-making, but he’s capable of lighting it up on nights when he’s on. That was the case in his debut against the Clippers, where George poured in 33 points to go with 10 assists, displaying his NBA-caliber shot-creation skills and playmaking.
He looked a step quicker getting downhill to the rim and finished through contact. He made split-second reads off of a live dribble. He shot the 3-ball with confidence and made some tough contested looks.
It’s just one game, but George looked like the offensive-minded guard that the Jazz needed for their young core.
The Spurs – While Wemby might have been a little slow to find his groove, there is little doubt he’s going to make a tremendous impact in the NBA. Records could fall – if he stays healthy. And that is something that only time will determine but history is not on his side. Hopefully Wemby doesn’t continue growing. He averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks in his 2 games at summer league and only Zion Williamson drew more views to their first summer league match.
The NBA – Wemby is a tonic for the NBA and the NBA fan not into Rap and all it’s trappings. Smart, well spoken and incredibly driven, he’s going to bring new fans into the league and drive greater TV numbers than ever before.
Losers
The Raptors – 1 and 4 in their 5 games, Gradey Dick failed to impress and the tiny point guard Markquis Nowell looked good at summer league but is bound to get lost amongst the giant sequoias in the NBA.
The Charlotte Hornets – Looks like Jordan is getting some money out just in time. The Hornets didn’t have a true floor general and facilitator on their Summer League squad and it showed. Charlotte went 1-4 with Miller struggling offensively, averaging 17.3 points in three games but shooting only 35.4% from the field and 26% from 3-point range. Probably means nothing of course, but will likely cause much angst among Hornet fans who will wonder if he’s a bust after a few summer league games. I still believe he’s going to have the best career of any player in this draft.
Scoot Henderson – Fell to 3rd before being drafted by Portland and given the chance to play with the great Damian Lillard, what more could a young point guard want? What? Dame has demanded a trade? Because they didn’t trade the pick and instead drafted you? Ouch. Then, to add insult to injury or injury to insult, Scoot goes down in game one summer league before he can impress anyone. Did I mention he fell to 3rd in the Draft after being expected to go second?
Basketball Fans Who bought tickets after Day 3 – Sure there was still lot’s of fun to be had but after day 3 many of the top players were gone; Wemby after 2 games, Scoot before he finished his first as well as Amen Thompson who was picked 4th overall.
Brittney Spears – Oops, she did it again! Need I say more?
Do you have any winners or losers I missed? Leave me a comment and let me know!