We’re nearly done with the group stage in Summer League. With just two days left, these games will show who will move on to play over the weekend. As we begin to wrap up Summer League, this will be the last look at NBA basketball until we kick off the regular season. So don’t miss it!
Jaylon Tyson #20 (CLE)
Tyrese Proctor #24 (CLE)
Nique Clifford #5 (SAC)
Devin Carter #22 (SAC)
On to the last group game for both of these teams. We’ve seen some solid play from both, but Cleveland has been the surprise in my eyes. They entered Summer League with an unassuming roster and haven’t done too badly. With Jaylon Tyson leading the team, he’s been a dependable first option. Proctor hasn’t been as polished as expected coming out of Duke, but the Cavs have found some other options on the team as well. Overall, this group is scrappy, with some talented athletes running the show. They’ve been able to push downhill on teams effectively throughout the tournament, and I expect to see more of that tonight.
The Kings, on the other hand, have been one of the standout teams of Summer League. Nique Clifford is continuing his strong play from Colorado State, while Devin Carter has given Kings fans reason to be optimistic. Both of them have been excelling against opponents, helping the Kings achieve a perfect 3-0 record so far. We’ve seen repeatedly that larger guards can excel in the Summer League environment. With both players possessing some size and strength for their positions, they’ve attacked the rim aggressively and created space for each other. I expect more of that today, which could be too much for the Cavs to handle.
Rob Dillingham #1 (MIN)
Terrence Shannon Jr. #4 (MIN)
Leonard Miller #33 (MIN)
Joan Beringer #19 (MIN)
Ryan Dunn #0 (PHO)
Khaman Maluach #10 (PHO)
Rasheer Fleming #20 (PHO)
This should be an exciting game if both teams keep their players on the court. Considering where we are in Summer League, I expect these teams to keep going, but you never know. Still, the Phoenix squad looks strong right now. They have some great size with Maluach controlling the paint and Ryan Dunn as the point-of-attack defender. However, while their defense has been solid, their offense hasn’t been as smooth, which has left them with a 1-2 record so far. It’s hard to tell if they’ll even keep their guys out there tonight. They pulled them early during the blowout against the Kings on Monday, but either way, Phoenix is going to have a tough time tonight facing Minnesota.
The Wolves have been one of the most exciting teams to watch this year. Terrence Shannon Jr. just looks too good to be playing in Summer League. He’s been lighting up the court throughout the entire tournament. As for the rest of the team, Beringer had some nice moments but still looks lost most of the time. His elite athleticism and frame still allow him to impact the game, which is wildly impressive. With Dillingham having his ups and downs and Miller looking solid as well, this group is stacked. There is a good reason they’re 3-0 right now. If the Wolves keep their guys playing like tonight, I think we’ll see them run the Suns off the court.
Matas Buzelis #14 (CHI)
Noa Essengue #24 (CHI)
Tyler Smith #21 (MIL)
This might not be the most exciting game of the day, but if Buzelis is playing, it’ll still be worth watching. He was electrifying the other night against the Pacers with 28 points. The second-year players were on fire offensively. Paired with Essengue, the Bulls' draft pick this year, and the Chicago team is extremely tall, which always helps in Summer League. Although the team hasn’t experienced a lot of success yet, they should be able to compete comfortably with the Bucks tonight.
The Bucks just don’t have enough draft talent to build a strong Summer League team. They’ve been digging deep into their roster trying to find anyone with some spark. Luckily for them, Chris Livingston was able to put it together against the Clippers on Sunday, but they still lost. Tyler Smith was the player I was watching for this team, but so far, it’s been a disappointing Summer League for him. Averaging just 6 points in 26 minutes per game across all their games, he’s struggled. Overall, this team just doesn’t really have it. It’s not that the Bulls are much better, but I think with Buzelis alone, their skill ceiling rises tremendously. Even if he ends up sitting out tonight, I still prefer the Bulls’ rotation players a little more.
Egor Demin #8 (BKN)
Danny Wolf #18 (BKN)
Ben Saraf #77 (BKN)
Nolan Traore #19 (BKN)
Drake Powell #4 (BKN)
Jase Richardson #11 (ORL)
Tristan da Silva #23 (ORL)
Noah Penda #93 (ORL)
Man, I can tell you I had high hopes for both of these Summer League rosters. They couldn’t even secure a single win between the two despite having a decent amount of talent on both teams. Brooklyn is the real letdown, though. You can’t bring first-round picks to Summer League and not win a game. The worst part is that Drew Timme has been their top performer. Nothing against Timme, but come on, none of your rookies could find their rhythm and have a solid game? I just don’t understand where the disconnect happened. With no reason to think things will improve, though, Orlando might just be bad enough to fall into a win tonight.
Struggling throughout their time in Vegas as well, I had some reasonably high expectations for Orlando. They brought back da Silva, who was a standout last year in Summer League, and they also added Richardson and Penda. I had much more modest expectations for both, but Penda has clearly been the more productive player. Richardson was a project pick anywhere, so I understand the lack of production, but this team overall is just blah. They sat all their main players in their last game against OKC, so I don’t expect a return of the main three tonight either. That leaves them very thin with minimal scoring. This game is likely a toss-up for who is the worst, but I think Brooklyn might find a win, mainly because of Timme.
Johni Broome #22 (PHI)
Adem Bona #30 (PHI)
VJ Edgecombe #77 (PHI)
Cooper Flagg #32 (DAL)
Ryan Nembhard #9 (DAL)
Okay, color me confused. The 76ers sit Edgecombe for the first two games but then play him in game three against the Wizards? I didn’t see that coming. Regardless, it was nice to see VJ on a court at Summer League, and it completely changed what the roster looked like. Even though he didn’t shoot well, he managed to score 15 points. The rest of the team had some modest performances against the Wizards in what was a snooze fest for most of the game. However, with the size of Bona, Broome, and now adding Edgecombe back into the mix, this team is one of the more competitive groups. I don’t think they’ll end up making the tournament this weekend, but we’ll see if they can give themselves a shot against the Mavs without Flagg.
There's not much to say about the Mavs now that Flagg is out. Rayn Nembhard is about the only noteworthy prospect left on Dallas's list. He’s had some solid moments this Summer League, and I think he’ll get some playing time in the League this year. But if that’s the top-tier talent on this roster, it’s a bit concerning. I don’t have high hopes for this squad tonight, whether they face Edgecombe or not; I believe the 76ers will win this game regardless.
Thomas Sorber #12 (OKC)
Ajay Mitchell #25 (OKC)
Nikola Topic #44 (OKC)
Jeremiah Fears #0 (NOL)
Yves Missi #21 (NOL)
Derik Queen #22 (NOL)
The woes continue for the Pelicans as they suffer their third loss to Portland last night. Now sitting 0-3 in Summer League, this is not what you want to see from a team that invested heavily in this draft. This team just can’t shoot at all, which was one of the biggest crits of both Queen and Fears coming into the draft. Both operate well within the arc, but as soon as you ask them to do anything outside, things fall apart. That’s exactly what happened against Portland last night. They packed the paint, forced the ball outside, and the Pels couldn’t do anything. They hit 3 threes in that game, and shot 15% from the three-point line. I don’t think they stand a chance against a solid OKC roster.
With a 3-0 record, OKC continues to dominate Summer League. Ajay Mitchell, in particular, looks a step above most of the competition. It’s not surprising for someone who has experience on a championship team, but it has also boosted the whole Summer League team. Incorporating Topic has been excellent as well. Although his shot hasn’t been falling, his passing keeps the team fluid. Overall, even with Sorber out of the lineup, this team is a challenge for a strong roster. Based on recent performances from the Pels, the Thunder will probably run away with this game.
Bub Carrington #7 (WAS)
Kyshawn George #18 (WAS)
Alex Sarr #20 (WAS)
Dillion Jones #33 (WAS)
Cody Williams #5 (UTA)
Isaiah Collier #8 (UTA)
Ace Bailey #19 (UTA)
Kyle Filipowski #22 (UTA)
Lastly, we have the Jazz and Wizards closing out the evening. Since neither team is making the tournament, this will be the last time we see both of them. The Jazz surprisingly haven’t recorded a single win in Summer League yet, despite Kyle Filipowski averaging 30 points per game. It’s been a really strange Summer League for them, but Filipowski has been outstanding. Coby Williams had a few notable moments, and Isaiah Collier is looking okay. Even with the team missing Ace Bailey for the entire Summer League, they still have a talented roster. They took the Spurs to overtime in their last game and competed early against a stacked Hornets team. The only bad loss was to Golden State. Still, even in that game, the Warriors shot the lights out. I don’t think this team is bad despite their record, and I believe that will show tonight, especially against the Wizards.
The Wizards had a solid Summer League run, but in their last game against the 76ers, they sit everyone out. They went from one of the most talented Summer League rosters to the weakest. It makes sense, since they'll need all their young players to get significant minutes in the regular season, but a few more games wouldn’t hurt. With Sarr, George, Carrington, and Johnson all likely out again tonight, this won’t be much of a contest. The group without those four couldn’t even score 60 points. This should be an easy win for the Jazz to finish their Summer League on a high note.