Summer League basketball is pure fun. It’s entertaining.
It’s also chaotic, guard driven, sloppy, stylistically often resembles more of a pick-up game at the Y than an organized contest, and it’s not a great predictor of NBA success. Like Vegas itself, Summer League is entertainment lacking substance. The games are filled with open big men ignored by guards looking to pad their stats, and Vegas is home to the million-dollar move followed by the 5¢ finish. Some players struggle in Summer League because their games just don’t fit the style, while others thrive in the chaos but can’t translate that to an NBA court.
Yet, we do learn some things. Some players stand out in Summer League and look like their games will translate. After five days in the Las Vegas heat, here are 11 players who stood out to me this year, broken down into a few categories. (Note: This is not an exhaustive list, I didn’t see everyone, this is just some players I noted.)
PLAYERS WHO ARE TOO GOOD FOR THIS LEVEL
These are second-year players who got regular NBA run as rookies, were brought back to Summer League, and quickly showed their games had evolved past this level.
1. Cam Thomas (Brooklyn Nets)
He was a bucket getter in Brooklyn last season, and going against the less talented and far less organized defenses of Summer League, Thomas has thrived. Through three games, he leads the Vegas Summer League averaging 28.7 points a game — he can get to the bucket at will and finish, plus he’s gotten to the line an average of 13 times a game. The only issue of concern, he has not shown improvement from beyond the arc, shooting just 15.4% from 3.
Cam in the clutch 🚚 pic.twitter.com/d6xndQ6qCX
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) July 10, 2022
2. Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City Thunder)
He leads the Vegas Summer League in assists at 8 per game, plus he scored 13 a night in the two games he played. Giddey was on the court in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas to get reps with new Thunder big man Chet Holmgren. He got those reps but in the process showed he had evolved beyond the Summer League level.
3. Quentin Grimes (New York Knicks)
There could be a lot more talent and competition at the two guard spot in New York this fall — although Grimes could be in Utah, where there will be less competition — but he showed in Las Vegas he’s ready for whatever comes next. Grimes has grown and evolved his game, adding some playmaking to go with his defense and shooting. He has averaged 24 points a game plus racked up rebounds and assists in Las Vegas, showing an impressive versatility to his game.
4. Moses Moody (Golden State Warriors)
The Warriors sent three players to Las Vegas that they need to lean on next regular season, with the team hoping to see signs the youngsters are ready for a bigger role. James Wiseman looked good in flashes (but questions remain), while Jonathan Kuminga seemed disinterested in his first outing but bounced back to dominate his other games with his athleticism.
Then there is Moody, who has been the best of this trio and looked too good for this level since he stepped on the Vegas court, averaging 27.5 points a game. He was polished and absolutely looked like he was ready to take on a role and keep Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson’s minutes down next season.
5. Trey Murphy III (New Orleans Pelicans)
The Pelicans will have plenty of firepower next season (especially if Zion Williamson is healthy), but Trey Murphy is going to demand minutes and touches if his play in Sin City is any indication. He has averaged 26.5 points and seven rebounds a game, and his shot creation skills have been impressive. He’s more than just a shooter.
TOP PICKS LIVING UP TO THE BILLING
Our second category of players is pretty self-explanatory.
6. Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
When he had the ball in his hands, Banchero showed everything the Magic could have hoped for in a No. 1 pick — handles, creativity and floor vision. He averaged 20 points and 6 rebounds a game, and his passing was creative and better than advertised (he averaged 5 assists a game but that would have been higher if the guys he played with could have caught those passes). Banchero is not a skinny 19-year-old trying to grow into his body, he already has an NBA build and strength.
Banchero turned the ball over 10 times in two games — his handles are good for a 6'10" guy, but he has to figure out what he can pull off against NBA defenders — and his defense, while better than expected, has a long way to go (he would lose focus on that end). That said, he had the block that may be the best highlight of Summer League.
#1 Overall pick Paolo Banchero gets the game-saving rejection! pic.twitter.com/jAqtXGUr5A
— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2022
7. Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Holmgren tops my “much more impressive in person than on video” list. Watching him play, as much polish as his game needs, you can see why the Thunder took him No. 2 overall — the potential is so high. He can do a little bit of everything, and at 7-feet. The offensive side of the floor is where the growth is most needed, but he can handle the ball (they had him bring the ball up a few times and initiate the offense), has a nice shot, and plays an aggressive style that suits him well (and he will be able to play that better once he gets stronger). Where he can help right now is on defense. Coach Mark Daigneault needs to develop a system that lets Holmgren help as more of a free safety, because he is a problem in that role.
8. Keegan Murray (Sacramento Kings)
I was one of the people who questioned taking Murray at No. 4 over Jaden Ivey, and long-term we’ll see how that plays out (Ivey was, as promised, explosive but a bit raw in his limited Summer League run). Murray, however, is an excellent fit for a Kings team with the stated goal of making the playoffs this year — Murray just knows how to play the game. He gets to open spots on the floor, can create a little (he can get his own shot in Las Vegas, that will be harder at the next level), and he just has a natural feel for where the spaces are in a defense. He averaged 24 points through three games, with 6.3 rebounds a contest, plus he shot 37% from 3. You can see everything you need to know about him on the 3 that forced overtime against the Magic — his ability to know where to be, create space, and when defenders rushed him as the clock ran down he calmly pump-faked and got the shot he wanted. He plays like a veteran.
KEEGAN MURRAY & NEEMIAS QUETA COME UP HUGE IN THE CLUTCH FOR THE @SacramentoKings! pic.twitter.com/mr3MNwWV8a
— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2022
OTHER ROOKIES OF NOTE
9. Tari Eason (Houston Rockets)
Everyone showed up to Rockets games to watch Jabari Smith play (and he was good, but not sure Summer League game best fits his skill set) but came away raving about Eason. He was drafted No. 17 as a defender and he is strong on that end, but his offensive game has looked good in Las Vegas, averaging 16.7 points with 11.7 rebounds a game while shooting 33% from 3. Eason looks like a player who can push Jae’Sean Tate and Eric Gordon for minutes at the three this season in Houston.
“Everything that I bring here I think translates to an NBA court,” Eason said of the transition from Summer League to the NBA game. “I don’t think I’m playing out of myself, doing too much,” Eason said. “I think that my ability to space the floor, rebound, defend, and knock down an open three are all things that I’ve tried to showcase to the people that I could do here, and I think all those things would translate.”
10. Jabari Walker (Portland Trail Blazers)
How did Samaki Walker’s son fall all the way to the No. 57 pick again? Through three games he’s averaged 13 points on 68.2% shooting overall and hitting 37.5% from 3, while pulling down 8.3 rebounds a game. He makes good cuts off the ball and can finish at the rim. The Trail Blazers have already given Walker a regular NBA contract, and he looks like he could be the steal of this draft.
11. Caleb Houstan (Orlando Magic)
Maybe he just didn’t fit the system at Michigan because Houstan — whose draft stock fell because of his struggles in Ann Arbor — has played well for the Magic in Las Vegas. He has come back to earth a little after a hot first game but has averaged 10.7 points a game and was good at finding space and playing off Banchero. Houstan is dealing better with the physicality in Summer League than he did at Michigan, and the Magic may have found a shooter to put next to their creators.