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The Vegas Summer League, which was scrapped last year due to COVID-19 and the change in the NBA schedule, is back with games set to begin on Sunday. It’s an opportunity for teams to evaluate their new draft picks, some young returnees and players who are looking to earn a training camp invite. Given the absence of so many veterans, it can be difficult to evaluate first-round picks from a fantasy standpoint. The role that many of these players will be asked to fill in Las Vegas may not line up with their responsibilities once the regular season begins. With that in mind, below are seven questions that I have heading into the Vegas Summer League.
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1. How will Hayes and Cunningham coexist in Detroit?
Detroit has selected a primary playmaker in each of the last two lotteries: Killian Hayes was the seventh overall pick last year, and Cade Cunningham was the top overall pick in this year’s draft. Dwane Casey has already said that Hayes and Cunningham will be playmakers “1A” and “1B,” so there’s already clarity in that regard. The question worth asking now: how quickly will those two be able to establish the chemistry needed to be effective in those roles?
Hayes, who missed a significant portion of last season due to a hip injury, rarely shared the court with another point guard. According to Cleaning the Glass, the highest number of possessions for any lineup including Hayes and Joseph was 27, with the number jumping to 33 when Hayes and Lee were paired. At 6-foot-8 Cunningham adds a different dimension to the point guard position, and that size combined with his athleticism makes him a better fit to share the backcourt with another lead guard.
2. How quickly can Evan Mobley adjust to the power forward position?
With the Cavaliers re-signing Jarrett Allen, as was expected even before free agency began, the team has its starting center. Mobley, selected with the third overall pick, displayed the ability to play away from the basket in spurts while at USC. But as we all know, the college and NBA games are entirely different deals. Playing time shouldn’t be a major concern for Mobley in his rookie season, especially if Cleveland can move a couple of their veteran frontcourt players, but will he be able to take on minutes at the four?
The Cavs are in the midst of a rebuild that’s going to take some time, so the 7-footer should be allowed to play through mistakes this upcoming season. Las Vegas represents a good opportunity for Cleveland to get Mobley extensive work at the power forward position, even though he’s the tallest player on the team’s summer league roster. He has the potential to extend his range out beyond the 3-point line, and Mobley was also solid when it came to moving laterally in ball-screen situations on the other end. If he can hit the ground running in Vegas, that would do wonders for Mobley’s value to the Cavs frontcourt (and his fantasy value, as well).
3. Can Jalen Green hit the ground running?
The second overall pick in last month’s draft, the Rockets wing is well-positioned to be a key building block for that franchise. While the team has yet to release its Summer League roster, Green should be front and center in Las Vegas. There are some who believe that he has the potential to be an NBA scoring champ down the line, and Green won’t lack for opportunities to score either in Summer League or when the games truly count. He was able to score on all three levels with G League Ignite, but the NBA can be a different beast. A lights out showing in Las Vegas would not only boost Green’s odds in Rookie of the Year betting, but also set him up to be one of the top fantasy rookies.
In total Houston has four first-round picks, with forwards Alperen Sengun and Usman Garuba, and wing Josh Christopher joining Green. Garuba was with Spain for the Tokyo Olympics and, while the Spaniards were eliminated by the United State in the quarterfinals, it remains to be seen if he’ll be with the Rockets in Las Vegas (and how much he’ll play).
4. Which “veterans” stand to flourish in Las Vegas?
In recent years there’s been no shortage of examples as to how beneficial having a season of NBA experience to fall back on can be for returning players. While the lottery picks may be the ones who garner the early headlines, it’s those second (and maybe even third) year players who truly shine in Las Vegas. Who has a good chance of fitting that bill this summer? Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley (more on him below), one of the top rookies in the league last season, and Warriors holdovers Jordan Poole and Mychal Mulder all fit the bill. That being said, it’s worth asking if there would be a point when their respective teams would shut these three down. Quickley will once again be a rotation player for the Knicks, and the same should be said for Poole.
Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, who made 27 starts as a rookie, is another name to keep in mind. After the All-Star break he posted averages of 8.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.3 3-pointers per game. And in those 33 games, McDaniels shot 49.1% from the field and 38.3% from three. With Rookie of the Year runner-up Anthony Edwards not playing in Las Vegas, McDaniels and Jaylen Nowell shouldn’t lack for opportunities as two of the Timberwolves’ more experienced options. Raptors guard Malachi Flynn, Grizzlies returnees Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman and Bulls forward Patrick Williams are four other players who should stand out in the desert.
5. How much time will Quickley get on the ball?
While the Knicks guard certainly has the ability to run the point, he didn’t do a whole lot of that during his lone season at Kentucky. And as a rookie, Quickley was at his best when paired with Derrick Rose. With Rose having been re-signed and the Knicks set to add Kemba Walker, the point guard position stands to be better than it was last season. So where does that leave Quickley? Likely in a similar role, although getting him more time on the ball as the primary playmaker would be a good approach to take in Las Vegas.
New York will also be evaluating second-round picks Miles McBride, and late-season signing Luca Vildoza is also on the team’s summer league roster. Rokas Jokubaitis, also a second-round pick, is on the roster as well, but he will be playing for Barcelona this upcoming season. Of these players it feels safe to assume that Quickley is the priority, given the fact that he has already carved out a place for himself within the Knicks rotation.
6. Which “veterans” are under pressure to perform?
With Kevin Knox having been ruled out due to health and safety protocols, there’s one less person to be mentioned in this space. Pistons forward Sekou Doumbouya, the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, would certainly qualify. He hasn’t had much of an impact in his first two seasons in Detroit, and the emergence of Saddiq Bey last season pushed him even lower in the pecking order. Detroit did pick up Doumbouya’s option for next season back in December, but that doesn’t guarantee him rotation minutes. A good showing in Vegas could give Doumbouya’s career a welcome boost heading into his third NBA season.
Another player in need of a good showing is Suns forward/center Jalen Smith, a lottery pick who appeared in only 27 games as a rookie. He’ll need to hit the ground running in training camp in order to have any chance of cracking the rotation, and that work begins in summer league. And it won’t be easy, even with Dario Saric set to miss a significant portion of the 2021-22 season due to a torn ACL. Frank Kaminsky is expected to return on a one-year deal, and the Suns have also reportedly signed JaVale McGee. So where does that leave Smith? While the ability to play some at the four in bigger lineups could prove useful, he’s got quite the climb to make in order to earn minutes next season.
7. Is Kira Lewis Jr. ready to step forward?
New Orleans has undergone a number of changes this offseason, beginning with the head coach. Stan Van Gundy is out, with Willie Green replacing him. Also of note: Lonzo Ball moving on, as he has joined the Bulls by way of a sign-and-trade. New Orleans filled the void by acquiring Devonte’ Graham from the Hornets, but it’s also worth asking where Lewis Jr., the Pelicans’ first-round pick last season, fits into the equation at the point. Throughout the course of last season a greater emphasis was placed on using Zion Williamson on the ball, and the approach did work.
Will Green stick to that? Or will he look to use Graham as the team’s primary playmaker? The answers to those questions will impact Lewis as well, as (on paper) he sits behind Graham in the pecking order. Lewis and Naji Marshall, who managed to crack the rotation last season, are the only two players on the Pelicans summer league roster who played for the team last season, so one would hope that they can take on “starring” roles. A good showing would go a long way towards ensuring that Lewis figures more prominently in the Pelicans’ plans this season.
