NBA Summer League in Las Vegas has turned into the league's best showcase through the years, as the event welcomes in a new generation of talent who recently heard their names called during the NBA Draft.
While the rookie dominate the attention, as this will certainly be the case this year with the likes of Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson, many teams around the league utilize Vegas Summer League to get a better glimpse at some of their other young talents. This is an opportunity for players to prove that they have what it takes to play in the NBA and there have been various second-year players who made a big jump in their development out in Las Vegas through the years.
Cam Thomas, Trey Murphy III and Quentin Grimes stole the show last year, as Tyrese Maxey and Desmond Bane proved their worth in 2021. This summer, there are quite a few second-year players who could very much steal the spotlight and end up winning the Summer League MVP award.
Keep an eye on the following three players over the next week and a half, as all of them may wind up breaking into their team's main rotation during the 2023-24 season as a result of their play at Summer League.
Jaden Hardy – Dallas Mavericks
Falling to the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft, Jaden Hardy ended up having his draft rights traded to the Dallas Mavericks. An athletic scorer from the G League Ignite, Hardy did not see much time on the floor with the Mavs until the second-half of his rookie season. He really put himself on everyone's radar with a 25-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers in the middle of January and from there through the end of the season, Hardy saw constant minutes in Dallas' rotations.
From February through the end of the season, Hardy scored at least 20 points in eight different games, including a career-high 28 points and 8 rebounds against the Memphis Grizzlies in March. In his rookie year, Hardy stepped up into the starting rotation when the Mavs were dealing with injuries to Luka Doncic and others. Showing that he could hold his own on both ends of the floor, Dallas is really high on the 21-year-old guard heading into the new season.
Playing in all five Summer League games the Mavericks had in Las Vegas last summer, Hardy averaged 15.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Hardy is set to be the focal point for them this year and he could wind up finishing inside the Top-5 scorers at Summer League as a result, drawing consideration for the event's MVP award. Watch out for Jaden Hardy heading into his “sophomore season,” as he could very much prove to be a sixth-man-like scorer for the Mavericks.
Bennedict Mathurin – Indiana Pacers
Most of the top players from the 2022 NBA Draft class are participating in Summer League this year and Bennedict Mathurin is one of those players. Having a tremendous rookie season for the Indiana Pacers, Mathurin proved to be one of the best bench scorers in the NBA this past season.
In a total of 61 games off the bench, Mathurin scored 1,028 total points, finishing second in the league behind only Malik Monk for the most bench points scored. The Pacers rookie also received some consideration for the Sixth Man of the Year award as a result.
As he prepares for his second season in the NBA, Mathurin will have a strong chance to win a starting spot with the Pacers in training camp due to his athleticism and two-way play. There really are no limits to Mathurin's game on the offensive-end of the floor and he proved that during his rookie year, finishing second out of all rookies in scoring behind only Paolo Banchero, the top overall pick.
There are a ton of talented players on the Pacers' Summer League roster this year and Indiana will not want to push their second-year swingman too much, so Mathurin's minutes may wind up being limited. Even if he is to play in only a game or two, Mathurin will surely prove that he has what it takes to be a starter in the NBA for many years to come.
David Roddy – Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies have been known for growing their talented through the draft. They did so with Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, which is why David Roddy is next in line to be a breakout player in Memphis.
Drafted 23rd overall by the Grizzlies last offseason, Roddy put together a very respectable rookie season, averaging 6.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 42.9 percent from the floor in 70 total games. He may have only shot 30.7 percent from three-point range, but Roddy is a much better perimeter shooter than this number suggests. Heading into his second season and Summer League, his shooting will be a key point of emphasis the Grizzlies are expecting changes in.
Knowing how to use his size to his advantage and being able to attack the paint against weaker defenders, there is a lot to like about Roddy's game. An unselfish wing who is always looking to make the extra pass, Roddy will be one of the leaders of the Grizzlies' Summer League team, along with second-year big man Kenneth Lofton Jr.
In Las Vegas a year ago, the 22-year-old forward averaged 15.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. These numbers will definitely increase this summer and Roddy definitely has a chance to be one of the breakout stars of the league's showcase given their lack of overall scoring talent. Memphis is in need of players to step up and play more minutes this upcoming year, which is why they are counting on Roddy to deliver in Summer League.
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