Rockets Vs Raptors
Time: 8:30 PM CST
Watch: Prime Video, not sure if VSL is on SCHN?
Location: Vegas
And we’re back! NBA Las Vegas Summer League, the NBA’s trade convention plus basketball exhibition rolls on, with the 1-0 Rockets playing the 0-1 Raptors.
Tonight’s big question is whether #31 pick Bruce Thornton can continue to keep up his scoring pace with top NBA draft picks in game two of VSL. Thornton matched the 27pts of AJ Dybantsa, but the Bulls Caleb Wilson scored 35pts on 12-21 shooting and 7-11 from three point range. Wilson, if he hadn’t been injured might well have been picked ahead of Daryn Peterson and Cam Boozer, or he might not have. Going #4 is nothing to be ashamed of, and we’ll see if the three point shooting holds at a high (but not 7-11 high, most likely) level.
This really does look like a great class so far, but it’s always worth remembering: this is Summer League. It might tell you something about the players, and their core skills, strengths and weaknesses. It’s also low stakes and fun. What it doesn’t tell you is how a young draftee will hold up against NBA players on an NBA team. Summer League amounts to GLeague pick up basketball, with a sprinkling of top prospects, and notional organization. It’s useful for evaluation to a degree. Looking terrible in summer league is rarely a great sign, but isn’t necessarily fatal, especially for players that rely on others to set up their scoring.
It’s a low stakes way for players to be introduced to a higher level of professional basketball (because if we’re paying NCAA players, it’s professional basketball, isn’t it?). And it is, of course a hoops trade show, not just for the NBA, but for the world. Players will be signed to contracts in other countries out of VSL, and a few might make their way into the NBA or GLeague from VSL, as well.
Anyhow the Rockets are playing again. The Raptors, unlike Denver where we didn’t see #26 pick Taris Reed play, should have their #19 pick, Alan Graves, out of Santa Clara available.
Of the Rockets with a good +/- from last night, all three are the players you might expect to get some minutes, or stick around as two way players or as Rio Grande Vipers: Thornton, Quadir Copeland, and Isaiah Crawford. Undrafted Purdue center Oscar Cluff (at 6’11” and at least 255) had a nice game, controlling the boards, and might stick around with the Rockets in some fashion as well, though he’s not super athletic or mobile.
The Rockets main attraction remains Thornton, and I’d urge some patience. Of course the smallest guy on a defense is going to be attacked. That’s pretty much going to happen with any player. As the New York Knicks amply demonstrated, whilst nearly sweeping the final three rounds of the NBA playoffs, a good coach, and team defensive structure can compensate for that, and if it can’t, then at least one of the coach and structure isn’t good.
Also, ESPN’s generative AI recap of the previous Rockets game gave us this gem:
(Definitely Not A Bubble)
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