After two weeks of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas/Orlando/Utah, with the Summer League playoffs kicking off, it is time to gather what information we can from the rookies in action. The most important thing to keep in mind is not overreacting to a performance. Lots of the competition in the Summer League is players that will not be in the NBA, which means that judging too heavily players like Lonzo Ball or Jayson Tatum would be foolish, but so would ignoring them.
Three Surprises
1 – John Collins has balled out for the Atlanta Hawks. Most of his young NBA career has been spent airborne, throwing down jams or recording blocks. Collins has averaged 17.5 points and 10.3 blocks in his four games. He was dominant on the glass and on offense was really fun to watch. He has found a lot of ways to score instead of just letting the offense come to him. He gets after offensive boards, is big on pick and rolls and has done well in creating scoring off of turnovers.
2 – Only two players have averaged a double-double in Summer League that included 15-plus points. Collins and Caleb Swanigan. Posting 15 points, 10 rebounds through four games, he was great in the post as expected. But he also does a great job getting to the charity strip, where he has shot 93 percent, and in his game against the Celtics, he saw the floor really well, fighting the double team down low by finding open guys on the perimeter. He is a piece in the front court to pay attention to while he progresses. The Trail Blazers are a solid forward away from relevance.
3 – Jaylen Brown has been impressive, but chiefly for what he has done off the court. Calling a meeting for rookies and establishing himself not only as a leader, but as a member of the Boston Celtics that is focused on getting better and winning, even in Summer League, is what you want out of your young talent. Especially out of someone who has the potential to be as key as Brown in the Celtics’ future.
Two Dudes Living Up to the Hype
Lonzo Ball – You can be mad all you want about the poor first showing, the 11-point triple double and his dad, but Lonzo Ball is still Balling out (could not help myself). His shot will adjust, and as long as he keeps making spectacular passes and his court vision stays crisp, he will not be a liability. But he can still knock down open jumpers and slash to the basket effectively. There are plenty of things that he does really well, all of which can be taken to the regular season.
Dennis Smith Jr. – Coming into the draft, despite his ACL injury around a year ago, he was hyped as possibly the most athletic player in the 2017 draft. The way he has shown how explosive he is in his short time during Summer League has already been difference making for the Dallas Mavericks. The most enticing part is his fit for the Mavericks when he plays with starters. Nerlens Noel and Dirk Nowitzki posting up down low for the feed from Smith would keep the team big and beat other teams down with a front court. When the team needs to play small ball, they can throw in Seth Curry, Harrison Barnes and Yogi Ferrell to spread the floor and let Smith drive and kick or hurt defenses with a weak paint presence. Smith gives this team a lot more options, along with a stud point guard who has All-Star potential.
Three Big Picture Takeaways
1 – Tatum and Ball are really good, as both have at least a two parts of their game that translate to the next level. Ball sees the court incredibly well and passes accordingly, paired with an efficient slash to the basket. Tatum is great in the catch and shoot with a consistent spin and layup move. Watching these two adapt to the real thing will be a smooth transition.
2 – The 76ers need to keep their players away from basketball, sports and contact of any kind for as long as they can until the season starts. In order for any of us to see if “The Process” has any real merit, these guys actually have to play. Much like Ben Simmons last season, Markelle Fultz was looking good until an ankle injury may set him back. These players need to be wrapped and safely stored until real games.
3 – Overall, the forwards played really well, plunging all over the floor. The league is favoring the stretch 3 and 4 men that can play like 1s and 5s. The biggest thing to take from Summer League is this: Every year, the summer is a way to continually gauge which way the NBA leans based on who these GMs continually invest high picks. Brad Stevens may have it right when he said, “I don’t have five positions anymore. It may be as simple as three positions now. You’re either ball handler, wing or big.”
