We’ve handed out Summer League awards. We’ve named some winners and losers. Now, with the festivities in Las Vegas wrapping on Sunday, I want to take a look at some of the biggest takeaways from Summer League.
Yes, there is a disclaimer; hear me out. I use a pencil for Summer League to either understand more information or mark something to see if it improves later. What about the meeting of skill set and context could unlock something both now and down the line for a player? What weaknesses have been exploited, what strengths were lying in wait?
It’s less about a declaration and more about a curation of curiosity. What can I see now that I’ll look for in the preseason and regular season as these talents join their true context? With that, I give you the things that got me to tilt my head during Summer League.
Cam Boozer is the summer league equivalent of comfort food
It’s not that I was unaware that Cameron Boozer could do this. It’s more a salute to Boozer for not just displaying it in Salt Lake City, not just flying it to Las Vegas, but also playing in four games this past week as a highly touted rookie. I did not anticipate seeing him in the lineup against the Hawks on Thursday and then looking up and realizing he had four points in the first minute.
The Grizzlies have clinched a spot in the semis and who knows if Boozer, who’s averaging 20 points and seven rebounds in Vegas, plays all the way. But it’s been interesting to watch them lean a little bit more into getting Boozer in the post when he has a mismatch. With defenses showing help that has unlocked even more of Boozer’s passing. That’s on top of him getting to show a little more on the short roll, while continuing to be involved in movement and spacing. If the SLC Summer League was Boozer displaying how his versatility can have impact, Vegas has been about showcasing a comfort and confidence.
Caleb Wilson has answered some questions and raised the people’s eyebrows
Wilson was the last of the top-four rookies to debut, but that did not mute the impression he left in Vegas. You could point to the seven made 3s against the Grizzlies in his first game. You could highlight the spectacular dunks he delivered, or the self-creation and the confidence. What’s stuck with me, though, is his competitive level. The swagger, the moxie, the dawg mentality, if you will.
Whether it was sliding his 35-point debut to the left because the Bulls lost, or letting everyone know he could shoot but “college basketball,” or expressing disappointment other rookies stopped playing early, Wilson has delivered in a way that lets us know he may not agree with how comfortably a lot of people had him as the fourth-best player in this draft class.
Summer League is rarely a perfect world, but taking the size and athleticism and stacking a desire to self-create and attack in different areas is a plus. As many great dunks as Wilson provided, his play on Thursday against the Lakers where he lost the ball, made an effort to get it back and then ran back to block the shot at the rim highlighted the foundation Wilson attempted to lay down.
AJ Dybantsa’s attacks are too juicy, drives too buttery
It’s not like his ability to score or drive wasn’t a part of his calling card coming into the draft. The takeaway has been how much fun it’s been to watch those drives within this type of spacing and context. It’s like he’s gliding out there at times. There’s a command and control that was on display that you couldn’t look away from.
Look, I know the handle may not be as tight as folks would like it on Day 1 and, yes, he does enjoy a warm midrange jumper on a breezy evening. But there’s a confidence he showed in Vegas that can’t be ignored: working to get to counters, being patient to get to his spots, not afraid to initiate contact but also not afraid to add a hesitation or head fake to open up room to make another long stride. Imagining that type of skill set without having to carry that type of workload opens up how much Dybantsa could help change things for the Wizards.
Darryn Peterson added to what he showed early
Similar to Cam Boozer, we salute Peterson for playing deeper into the Vegas Summer League portion than many expected. One thing that has been interesting to see from Peterson is how and when he’s looked to use his turbo button to try to win drives with speed. In SLC, there was a poise and a pace that stood out. In Vegas, Peterson has been unafraid to boost his way into the paint.
This has felt like an environment for him to try some different things after his initial debut. A high pick-and-roll turns into a reject to work to get a paint touch. If there’s an under, Peterson has looked to put a little extra zip before trying to turn the corner. The comfort with attacking defenders working to stay in front or stepping back to create separation felt comfortable. Even in a rough outing against the Spurs, we saw Peterson working to find a way to get in the paint and get going. Oftentimes in the summer the attempt is just as important as the result.
Darius Acuff worked through it
I’m not one to have a strong belief in delivering a hot take during Summer League. I do understand that Acuff is the exact type of prospect to inspire others to do so, though. If a prospect struggles in the summer, I’ll always look to how they absorb the performance and adjust going forward.
It felt important for Acuff to drop 26 points on 50% shooting from the field with 5 assists on Tuesday. Just a reminder of what is there. Acuff looked a little more comfortable showing patience in that one, reading the defense, attacking until he found an opening and then making sure he made that count. It was about working to get re-screens, seeing where the defense was helping once he got to the second level and kicking out of it. Blending that in with his natural scoring ability gave a glimpse into what the Kings (and Acuff) believe to be the future.
Allen Graves as a concept
There are moments in time where you watch the game of basketball and quickly understand a very simple concept: He can hoop. There have been a lot of moments that I’ve watched Graves play for the Summer Raptors and exclaimed this exact sentiment with some sort of expression on my face. It’s likely the little things that stick, the ability to compete on both ends, but the lack of hesitation is what really feels like the ceiling raiser.
In the moments where he has been open from 3, the shot has gone up. It’s also the timing on the cuts if a defense works to deny. And it’s the rhythm, setup and footwork on his drives that make you feel like the business is true. It’s always fun to find a player who has a whole lot more in their bag than expected, and Graves feels like he checks a lot of boxes for the Raptors. Few things unite the eyes and the spreadsheets like a player with a high defensive motor and a level of confidence on offense.
Khaman Maluach, a reminder of what bigs can do in July
Summer League is typically a land where scoring guards can hit the jackpot with glee. Bigs tend to have their charm, but might not come up even perception-wise. Maluach has worked to flip that narrative on its head with quickness:
High effort to rim-run in transition to get lobs. Activity to move anyone in front of him to crash the glass. A knack for working to improve in pick-and-roll. A screen, a roll and, if it’s a catch, an attack. A desire to swarm and protect the rim. The kicker is likely the fact that he shot 40% from the 3-point line.
Will it be a full copy and paste for the Suns during the regular season? Probably not. Is it a good reminder of the ceiling you believed existed? Absolutely. Opportunity is important, but sometimes a player puts in the work to earn more chances. Sometimes there is a self-awareness to understand what needs to be displayed to get to the next step. That’s what this summer felt like for Maluach.
Jase Richardson wanted to graduate from Summer League
I am a massive appreciator of a returning player who is playing with a high level of determination to never ever do this again. Richardson has shown flashes with the Magic’s main roster, but this summer has felt like a large “get me out of here.”
His scoring ability lends itself to being able to pass the class, but the mindset is what stood out to me. It might be a catch-and-shoot 3, it might be a stepback, it might just be a strong drive with a strong finish to boot. Sometimes the takeaway is in the fact that the assignment was understood, and Richardson continued to work himself to that part of the program.
Hugo González is not hesitating, not even a little bit
González played in Summer League after playing in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. I imagined he might come to the team, get some work in and call it a day. Instead he suited up and raised some eyebrows. The raw numbers may not feel as great, but the beauty of Summer League lies in the ability to experiment.
It’s one thing to have more responsibility and be more involved, it’s another to combine that with a high level of aggression. Hugo made quick decisions to work to get downhill, to open up plays for others. If he was open, he let it fly. The fight to drive in the paint and play out of it was impressive. “More responsibility” quietly bled into more cutting at times. Sometimes you just need to see how sure a player is of what he can do on top of who he is.
Sergio De Larrea can pass that rock
So I was told that De Larrea can pass, and he proved that in his debut. Then he faced the Thunder and did it again. I tend to give guards a lot of grace in Summer League. There is a level of predetermined plays and missed reads that can become best friends with errors. But the reads from De Larrea have felt precise for the most part. If he gets two on the ball, the pass is there right away. If the defense is in a drop against him, there is an ability to a) get into space and b) get that lob pass off on target right away.
Audacious passing is an underrated fun part of Summer League and De Larrea delivered it in spades. It’s not just the vision, it was the ability to pass guys into the openings. Wherever the ball needed to go, he made sure he worked to get in there, and that’s a good sign for Dallas.
I am aware that some have had questions about the Detroit Pistons’ offseason. But one of the questions they absolutely worked to answer was shooting. Quick, go look at the players they added and tell me they want to hear you talking about shooting anymore. Now add second-year guard Chaz Lanier and what he has chosen to do in Las Vegas.
Through four appearances, Lanier has averaged 9.8 3PA a game (the volume that some of you like) while shooting 51.3% — now hold on — on five makes a game. The comfort and ease that he’s gotten the 3s up is what surprised me. If it’s a handoff and you’re under, it’s gone. If it’s a kick-out and you’re not close, it’s going up. Did I fumble my dribble? Here is a 3-pointer. Filling a need with potential internal development will make a franchise happy, but you tip the cap to Lanier for bringing a single carry-on to Vegas that contained zero hesitation.
Someone forgot to bring the buckets to the first-quarter bucket party
Lastly, I thought about giving a salute to the still fun Yang Hansen and a real strong dap to the steady two-way play of Bruce Thornton. But sometimes there are things that should not happen and you have to address it.
On Wednesday, the Sacramento Kings scored four points in the first quarter on 2-of-21 shooting from the field with zero assists. They had as many blocked shots and steals as they had made field goals. And then the Atlanta Hawks told the Kings to hold their beverage and everything in their pockets. On Thursday, they scored two points in the first quarter against the Grizzlies on 1-of-13 shooting and 0 of 8 from 3, did not make a free throw and had 8 turnovers.
For a Summer League that has always found its way back to the warmth of bucket-getting, back-to-back days of single-digit first quarters was like seeing your text messages turn green. I don’t know what the next move is and this isn’t good. Not the kind of history you want to make.
Others receiving votes
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Bruce Thornton is a force.
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The commentary teams have been fun and fire.
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The jerseys. I had no idea they sold bubble jerseys until this week.
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