The NBA Summer League in Las Vegas always comes and goes in the blink of an eye.
- Dalton Knecht and Alex Sarr lead the list of the best players in the NBA Summer League
- Dalton Knecht offers insight into the Lakers’ potential
- Alex Sarr’s terrible shot
- The jury is still out on who will be the first pick in the draft, Zaccharie Risacher
- Donovan Clingan sets Summer League record for blocks per game
- Zach Edey and Stephon Castle show potential despite injuries
- Sophomores too good for Summer League: Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and more
- Scott Henderson’s decision not to play
Once the NBA Finals are over, there’s no time to breathe. It’s straight to the NBA Draft, and days later free agency. The California Classic and Salt Lake City Summer Leagues start before you know it, and after that the entire basketball world heads to Las Vegas.
In a summer when Team USA is also preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics, it can be difficult to keep up with all the offseason action.
That’s what we’re here for.
If you missed the Las Vegas Summer League, The Jugo Mobile has some of the biggest NBA stories to tell.
If you’re looking for some thoughts on Bronny James’ Summer League performance, TSN’s Gilbert McGregor has it covered here.
Dalton Knecht and Alex Sarr lead the list of the best players in the NBA Summer League
Dalton Knecht offers insight into the Lakers’ potential
Bronny James got most of the attention surrounding the Lakers’ Summer League roster, but there’s no forgetting about Knecht, the No. 17 overall pick. After shooting poorly in his first two games, the Tennessee product started to find his groove.
He’s scored at least 19 points in each of his last four games, highlighted by a 25-point performance with five 3-pointers against the Rockets. It’s easy to imagine how new coach JJ Redick will design plays to create open space for a shooter of Knecht’s caliber.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rQkVaZlCAs
LeBron James and Anthony Davis will enjoy having a floor-spacer like that to shoot off of this season.
DECOURCY: Team USA makes a great choice with LeBron James as Olympic flag bearer
Alex Sarr’s terrible shot
The Wizards’ second overall pick made headlines for all the wrong reasons in Las Vegas.
Sarr was the No. 1 player in many 2024 NBA Draft rankings, including my own. His high level of play as a shooting threat and rim protector was a big reason for that, and we saw flashes of how good he can be defensively.
But Sarr showed that beyond dunks and rebounds, the rest of his offensive game is a work in progress. His performance against the Trail Blazers, where he shot 0 of 15 from the field and 0 of 7 from 3 It was one of the worst performances of the entire summer.
Sarr was trying to do too much. Some of his shots It reminded me of the famous Patrick Ewing. “What kind of shot is that?” rant when he was head coach at Georgetown.
Summer League isn’t the end-all-be-all solution, though. Sarr should be fine when he returns to his regular role with the Wizards.
The jury is still out on who will be the first pick in the draft, Zaccharie Risacher
Risacher hasn’t gotten much attention despite being the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He had a chance to make a big statement in the Summer League but ended up being pretty mediocre for the Hawks.
He averaged 14.5 points in two games and shot 4-of-16 from three-point range before being sidelined with a quad injury. He didn’t show much potential as an impact defender and there are still questions about his ability to create his own shot or be a go-to scorer.
We didn’t see enough of Risacher to be able to judge him fully in his first NBA experience. That will have to wait until the preseason.
Donovan Clingan sets Summer League record for blocks per game
Clingan was ranked as one of the best rim protectors in the 2024 NBA Draft class, and he looked to cement that title during Summer League.
The Trail Blazers center continued to put a stop to the basket, challenging virtually every shot attempt in the paint. With 17 blocks in four games, Clingan’s 4.2 per game were the most in Summer League history, surpassing top teammates Victor Wembanyama and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Entering tonight, Donovan Clingan is averaging 4.3 BPG, the most in Summer League history ?? image.twitter.com/3LTZEiLc9E
—Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) July 19, 2024
Zach Edey and Stephon Castle show potential despite injuries
We didn’t see much from the Grizzlies’ Edey and the Spurs’ Castle, but the small sample sizes were encouraging for both top-10 picks.
Edey played (and dominated) a Salt Lake City Summer League game against Jazz center Walker Kessler, but an ankle injury forced him to sit out the opener in Las Vegas. He had 14 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks, proving he has no trouble keeping up with one of the league’s best young centers.
He missed three games in Las Vegas and had six points (3-3 FG), three rebounds and a block in eight minutes in his return, but sprained his ankle again.
Zach Edey posts a double-double and hits a last-second shot to force overtime in his first Summer League game with the Grizzlies ?
14 points
15 REB
4 BLACKAn impressive start for the ninth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft… image.twitter.com/vgoumIeeNq
— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2024
Castle played in two California Classic games and one in Las Vegas before being sidelined with a wrist injury. He averaged 17.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals. His versatility on both ends was on full display, but more importantly, He showed improvement as a ball player.
That development will be crucial if he wants to play point guard for the Spurs, and adding veteran Chris Paul will only help in that regard.
Sophomores too good for Summer League: Brandon Miller, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and more
Every year, a few sophomores return to Summer League and quickly prove that they are too good to be there.
This year’s honors go to Charlotte’s Brandon Miller, Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr., Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski and Utah’s Keyonte George, to name a few.
Miller played in one game and scored 23 points with five 3-pointers. Jaquez was impressive in two games, averaging 26.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 58.1 percent from the field. Podziemski filled the stat sheet in two games, averaging 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 1.5 steals.
George was cut from Las Vegas after scoring 30 and 31 points in two Salt Lake City Summer League games.
All four players were named to the All-Rookie Team and are expected to make an even bigger impact as sophomores.
Scott Henderson’s decision not to play
On the other hand, it was disappointing to see Henderson on the court in street clothes during the Trail Blazers’ games in Las Vegas.
The second overall pick failed to live up to expectations in his debut season. He was not named to the All-Rookie Team and only averaged 14.0 points, 5.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds on an ugly .385/.325/.819 field goal percentage.
Although he started to find his footing towards the end of the season, the Summer League would have been a great opportunity to showcase his off-season work and regain his confidence.
