Thoughts on NBA Summer League

July is such a boring time for sports fans. The NBA playoffs are over, no football, college baseball has ended, and major league baseball is still yet to get exciting. There is really only one good sporting event in July - the NBA Summer League. I have been watching it in the background at some family gatherings and events, and I have been shocked at how few people know what it is. I have given the same general description over and over again... "it's a league where players early in their career can showcase some talent that they might not get to show off when placed alongside other stars in the regular season blah blah blah." This is a time for second-year guys like Keegan Murray and Jabari Smith to experiment with their game a little bit. It's a time for rookies like Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller to get a taste of what it's like to play basketball at the highest level. More than anything, it's a time to keep people like myself entertained before football season starts.

So who has showed out so far this summer? The first guy that comes to mind for me is obviously former Auburn Tiger, Jabari Smith. He was shut down after back to back thirty point performances along with a game winner against the Trail Blazers. He looked very comfortable, and I enjoyed watching him experiment a little off the dribble. He pushed the ball in transition and scored off the bounce on many occasions, and if he can continue to develop these parts of his game, he will be much more of a threat this upcoming season. Another Rocket that impressed me was Amen Thompson. Both him and his brother, Ausar Thompson, come with many questions about whether or not they can compete at this level. They both were drafted out of the Overtime Elite (OTE) league, a new league with questionable talent/effort. However, Amen looked really solid in his debut prior to his injury, which will sideline him for the remainder of the league. Thompson looked explosive off the dribble and had some tough finishes at the rim. Another top performer has been Baylor prospect, Keyontae George. He has been very poised, and is averaging close to 30 points per game, scoring at all three levels. Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller both struggled initially, but both have bounced back and put together some solid performances. People are often far too quick to call early draft picks a bust after one or two tough performances. These kids are anywhere between 18-23 years old with incredible amounts of pressure on them. They are being asked to step into a brand new environment and put together a solid performance after just a few weeks of being with their new team. It is simply unreasonable to expect rookies to immediately perform to their full potential.

Who will be special out of this draft class? I think that each of the top three picks (Wembanyama, Miller, Scoot Henderson) have the tools to be superstars in the league. We didn't get to see much of Henderson since he was also sidelined with an injury, but he looked electric during the little time he was on the court. I am very interested to see how the Thompson twins pan out. In my opinion, the future and credibility of the OTE league depends on how they perform. If they are successful, expect more kids to take that route. If not, I expect the league to begin fading away. Keyontae George has me convinced that he could provide some very solid minutes for the Jazz this year. Emoni Bates has some really good potential, but his shot selection is still a bit questionable. One "off-the-radar" guy that stands out to me personally is Erik Stevenson. He is a very scrappy shot maker that is absolutely lethal when he heats up. He has also taken multiple charges in the minutes that he has gotten. I think he has potential to be one of those undrafted guys that makes a name for himself in the league.

These are just a few of my initial thoughts. I could sit here and talk all day about other prospects and their performances, but this is all I will say for now. I will more than likely write again once the league ends, due to the fact that I will be incredibly bored from a lack of sports.