What should fans and teams be looking for from the most interesting prospects at Las Vegas summer league?
What should fans and teams be looking for from the most interesting prospects at Las Vegas summer league?
Our NBA Insiders go team-by-team, giving one player to watch and why.
Trae Young| Guard
After the Hawks essentially opted to pass on the likes of Luka Doncic, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Mohamed Bamba by moving back to secure Young and Dallas‘ 2019 protected first, all eyes will be on Young — the 2018 draft’s most polarizing prospect.
While most NBA owners coveted his fan intrigue and statistical models gushed over his productivity, not every scout is as enamored with him. Given his feast-or-famine style, Young is bound to pop off for a couple big games in Vegas. The key will be whether or not he’s able to maintain efficiency given his size and style of play, relying on deep pull-ups and skill finishes.
Keep an eye on how Young looks physically compared to NBA prospects, particularly on the defensive end. Summer league is more an appetizer than anything, but there’s still quite a bit of pressure on Young to excite Hawks fans given the big swing this organization took at the top of the draft. — Schmitz
Hawks‘ summer league roster
Robert Williams| Center
A likely top-10 pick if he stayed in the 2017 draft, Williams slid all the way to No. 27 due to concerns about his work ethic and health. He’s off to a rough start after missing a team flight and a media conference call.
Williams might need an established organization like the Celtics more than GM Danny Ainge and company need the physically gifted center, but Vegas is an excellent opportunity for the springy 6-10 big man to show fans why he’s the most talented prospect selected outside of the lottery in this year’s draft.
Keep an eye on Williams‘ motor in Vegas. When he’s fully engaged and playing with ferocity, he looks the part of the next Clint Capela as a vertical spacer, rim protector, switch-defender and rebounder. Should Williams give the Celtics even 75 percent of what he’s capable of while maintaining a clean bill of health, Boston stole one. — Schmitz
Celtics‘ summer league roster
Rodions Kurucs| Forward
With Dzanan Musa not expected to play due to a long season overseas, all eyes shift to the Latvian forward. This will be the first time we’ve seen Kurucs — considered a fringe lottery pick a couple of years ago — play extended minutes outside of Barcelona, where he’s had extreme ups and downs due to injuries and inconsistent playing time. Kurucs has logged just over 900 minutes in the past two seasons, and Vegas is an excellent opportunity for the 20-year-old to showcase his talent at 6-10,215 pounds with offensive versatility built for the modern NBA.
It’s also worth tracking the progress of guard Caris LeVert, one of the more proven players to suit up in Vegas. Second-year guard Milton Doyle is also a bit of a sleeper and could turn some heads. — Schmitz
Nets‘ summer league roster
Malik Monk| Guard
Forever remembered for being selected two spots ahead of Donovan Mitchell, Malik Monk enters an important summer. The 20-year-old needs to start showing some signs of life after an underwhelming rookie campaign that featured a poor 47.6 true shooting percentage. He struggled to stay on the floor for long stretches last season and would benefit from finding more ways to impact the game when shots aren’t falling for him. Has he improved his body, ballhandling, and defense?
We’ll also keep an eye on rookie forward Miles Bridges, who will likely look more comfortable as a small-ball forward with fewer shot-creation duties than he had at Michigan State. — Schmitz
Hornets‘ summer league roster
Chandler Hutchison| Forward
Wendell Carter Jr . was a no-brainer at No. 7 overall and figures to impact winning right away in Chicago, but the jury is still out on Hutchison, especially when you consider the fact that the Bulls shut him down early in the pre-draft process with a promise at No. 22 overall.
I’m looking forward to seeing how Hutchison looks with a different role and NBA spacing, as he was tasked with a lot of shot-creation duties without much shooting around him at Boise State, leading to some ugly possessions. At 6-7 with a 7-foot-plus wingspan and long strides, Hutchison is built for a more free-flowing game. The key will be whether or not he can make enough shots to force hard closeouts and unlock his slashing potential. — Schmitz
Bulls‘ summer league roster
Collin Sexton| Guard
With LeBron James now a Laker, the Young Bull has a golden opportunity to earn the keys to a franchise that’s in flux. Sexton should provide his fair share of highlight moments in Vegas with his aggressive penetrating and tough defense. However, it’s his shooting and ability to run a team that we’ll be watching most closely. Summer league should allow us to get a better feel for how Sexton stacks up against fellow class of 2018 point guards Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and even Aaron Holiday.
Former McDonald’s All American Billy Preston will also get some burn with the Cavs. While he’s a long way from contributing at the NBA level, he’s one of the more intriguing names on the roster. — Schmitz
Cavs‘ summer league roster
Luka Doncic| Guard
Doncic told reporters this week he may only play one game in Las Vegas, having played a full schedule in both the Spanish ACB and EuroLeague this season, which concluded for him barely two weeks ago. Doncic was also at last check still awaiting FIBA clearance to play for his new team.
Nonetheless, any Doncic appearance will be a must-watch to see how his skills translate against NBA-caliber athleticism. — Pelton
Mavs‘ summer league roster
Malik Beasley| Guard
With Wilson Chandler ’s departure, Beasley could be in line for a larger role in his third season after playing just 748 minutes combined his first two seasons.
Beasley was among last year’s leading summer scorers, averaging 19.4 points per game. He’ll again be featured on a Denver team that will play without first-round pick Michael Porter Jr., who has no timetable for his return to full 5-on-5 basketball at this point. — Pelton
Nuggets‘ summer league roster
Bruce Brown| Guard
Luke Kennard ’s development is the main point of emphasis for Detroit, but don’t sleep on No. 42 overall pick Bruce Brown, who could turn out to be a draft-day bargain if he regains the form he showed as a freshman at Miami. At 6-5 with a 6-9 wingspan, defensive toughness, and playmaking ability, Brown is a Swiss army knife of sorts who will surely benefit from spacing and talented scorers around him. The key for Brown has always been his jump shot, as his confidence wavers drastically and he’s yet to prove himself from the NBA line. If he can build momentum as a shooter, Brown should be able to impact winning during his rookie season.
Creighton 3-and-D guard Khyri Thomas was also a tremendous value pick for the Pistons, as his shooting and defense should stand out in Vegas. — Schmitz
Pistons‘ summer league roster
Jacob Evans| Guard
More than most teams drafting at the end of the first round, the Warriors are counting on this year’s first-round pick to contribute immediately, especially after using their taxpayer midlevel exception on DeMarcus Cousins rather than adding wing depth.
Expect Evans to have the opportunity to play both on and off the ball as Golden State gauges what role he can play with more talented teammates. — Pelton
Warriors‘ summer league roster
Zhou Qi| Center
The Rockets‘ 2016 second-round pick played just 124 minutes in his first NBA season, so unless you’re closely following the G League — where Zhou averaged 15.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per 36 minutes — this will be the first chance to evaluate his progress from last year’s summer league. — Pelton
Rockets‘ summer league roster
Edmond Sumner| Guard
Aaron Holiday should quickly prove that the gap between he and rookie point guards like Trae Young and Collin Sexton isn’t quite as large as his draft slot would suggest. Pacers fans should fall in love with his pit bull defense, shot-making and downhill penetration.
Given Holiday’s fairly steady play, though, I’m more interested to see how a wild-card guard like Sumner looks. Slowed by injuries and inconsistent play in the G League, Sumner has some physical tools to work with at close to 6-6 with a 6-9 wingspan and explosive athleticism (when healthy). His feel for the game and shooting leave much to be desired, but the 22-year-old is gifted enough to keep tabs on in Vegas, as we’ve really yet to see him at full strength since making the jump to the NBA. He’s currently on his second year of a two-way contract with plenty to prove. — Schmitz
Pacers‘ summer league roster
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson| Guards
Taken two picks apart, Gilgeous-Alexander and Robinson represent the Clippers‘ backcourt of the future.
They’ll have the opportunity to begin building chemistry and perhaps make the case to crack the team’s rotation as a fourth guard this season, over the next week-plus. — Pelton
Clippers‘ summer league roster
Moritz Wagner| Center
With the Lakers passing on Cousins and losing Julius Randle and perhaps Brook Lopez in free agency, Wagner may have a chance to play as a rookie. His stretch game offers a different look than newcomer JaVale McGee and incumbent Ivica Zubac. Wagner has gone 3-of-12 on 3s in two games at the California Classic, scoring a team-high 31 points but committing seven turnovers so far this summer. — Pelton
Lakers‘ summer league roster
Jaren Jackson Jr.| Center
Jackson’s debut in a Memphis uniform saw him drain eight 3s in 13 attempts, showcasing the shooting ability at 6-foot-11 that made him the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft.
Jackson is more of a work in progress inside the arc, where he’s shot 3-of-9 in two games at the Utah Jazz summer league. — Pelton
Grizzlies‘ summer league roster
Derrick Jones Jr .| Forward
The 21-year-old Jones has all the makings of a longtime NBA role player at 6-7 with a 7-0 wingspan, elite leaping ability, defensive versatility and an improved stroke. Recently elevated from a two-way contract to a guaranteed deal, Jones could very well put together a breakout season of sorts in Miami, starting with a big Vegas campaign.
Jones already started to show signs of life last season, starting eight of 14 games played with the Heat and shooting 35.6 percent from 3 with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. It’s important to keep in mind that he’s just over a year younger than incoming rookies like Michael Porter Jr., Deandre Ayton, Trae Young and Mo Bamba.
The progress of Bam Adebayo is also worth tracking. — Schmitz
Heat’s summer league roster
D. J. Wilson| Center
March Madness darling Donte DiVincenzo is the headliner for the Bucks, but I’m most interested to see if 2017 first-rounder D.
