LAS VEGAS — As is the case every single year, basketball fans from around the world travel to NBA Summer League in order to watch the top incoming talents, especially the first overall pick in the NBA Draft. Victor Wembanyama was the headliner everyone flocked to see during the first weekend of Summer League. After a shaky first game with the San Antonio Spurs, the French phenom came back and proved why he is the next best thing in the league with his second performance.
After two games, the Spurs decided to shut Wembanyama down for the remainder of Summer League, which has cast the focus on others. Plenty of players have been making a name for themselves at this summer's showcase, including both rookies and more experience players. In previous years, we have seen numerous second-year and third-year players make a sizable jump in their careers, and this has once again been the case at this year's event.
Tyrese Maxey and Desmond Bane both played in Summer League after their rookie seasons, directly resulting in their roles with the Philadelphia 76ers and Memphis Grizzlies increasing, respectively.
Of course, everything we see on the basketball court in Paradise should be taken with a grain of salt, just like the feeling of hitting Blackjack when you are already down a few hands. Sure, it feels good, but there is still work to do.
That is the case with many of the standout talents at this year's Summer League, as the few games they are playing in Vegas are just the start of a long journey ahead with the 2023-24 NBA season months away.
Five days of Las Vegas Summer League have come and gone, making quite a few players the biggest winners so far.
Keyonte George – Utah Jazz
With three first-round picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz had a ton of options. Many anticipated them moving on from at least one of these picks, but they kept them all and focused on three areas of need. Taylor Hendricks was their first selection with the ninth overall pick, but it has been their 16th overall selection in Keyonte George who has completely dominated headlines through the first handful of days at Summer League.
George was a player on Utah's radar leading up to the draft. Well, the Jazz may have their next best thing after trading Donovan Mitchell last offseason, as George has been nothing short of spectacular through his first two games.
In his first game, the former Baylor Bear recorded 33 points on 12-24 shooting and 10 assists. Six of his 12 made shots in this game came from three-point range. He then followed up this 33-point performance with 26 points on 9-15 shooting in his second game, also recording seven assists and two steals. Of these nine made shots, five of them came from beyond the arc.
Utah's rookie has gone 11-25 from three-point range through two Summer League games in Las Vegas and has recorded a total of 17 assists while only turning the ball over six times. The only thing holding the Jazz back this season was their lack of production outside of Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson. This void may very well be filled by George from his very first regular season game in Salt Lake City. The Jazz got a steal with the 16th overall pick this year.
The Houston Rockets
Everything about the Houston Rockets has stood out to me during my time at Summer League. One of the worst teams in the league the last couple of seasons after trading former league MVP James Harden, the Rockets have been searching for answers on how to build a sustainable, versatile young core to usher in a new era.
In Summer League, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason really stepped up to prove their value. Both heading into their second seasons in the league, Smith and Eason have a chance to fill two different needs this organization has: secondary scoring and impact at the forward positions.
Starting with Smith, he proved he was too good for these games by recording 71 total points and 14 total rebounds in two days of action. Aside from hitting a game-winning three with less than a second left to take down Scoot Henderson's Portland Trail Blazers, Smith just looks much more comfortable than he was to end the 2022-23 season with Houston. Not to mention, his voice in terms of leadership is louder and he physically looks stronger.
Not only was Smith shut down after just two games, but the Rockets did the same with Eason after he nearly recorded back-to-back double-doubles. Eason was all over the place in the two games he played in for Houston. He also looked a lot more comfortable playing out on the perimeter and shooting the ball. A threat to attack the basket on any given possession, as well as being able to crash the glass hard, Eason has a chance to be a very special do-it-all kind of player moving forward in Houston.
The Rockets had one of the best offseasons out of any team in the league and they continue to find success in Summer League.
Leonard Miller – Minnesota Timberwolves
Through the years, the Minnesota Timberwolves have looked to bring in versatile, lengthy forwards who can make an impact either on the wing or in the paint. Jaden McDaniels has turned into a high-impact player for them, and now Leonard Miller is already beginning to look like one of the steals of this year's draft with his recent play.
Making seven shots in each of his first two games, Miller has scored a total of 36 points while shooting 4-8 from three-point range. Miller is long, he can guard multiple positions and perhaps the biggest thing that stands out about his play is how physical he is. Whether it is on offense or defense, the rookie is always looking to crash the glass and has found a lot of success doing so in Summer League.
Maybe he will not make that big of an impact early on in his rookie season, but there are minutes to be had in Minnesota. If he continues to grow his understanding for their system, it will be hard for head coach Chris Finch to keep Miller off the court. This kid has a chance to be a special player in Minnesota and will put on a show if given the opportunity.
Max Christie – Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers and GM Rob Pelinka have made it very clear that they intend on winning and competing for a championship right now. Capitalizing on LeBron James' last few seasons is all that matters, which is why they have been aggressive in terms of retaining and adding talent in free agency.
Outside of LeBron and Anthony Davis, minutes across the board are up for grabs in Los Angeles. Second-year guard Max Christie is definitely a candidate to see his role expand. The Lakers were very happy with Christie's development during his rookie year, as he jumped back and forth between the NBA team and their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.
Being a sponge most of his time in the NBA and soaking in the wealth of knowledge bestowed upon him, Christie has shown up to Summer League looking stronger, especially from a mental side of things. He has a high understanding for the game and has had no problem becoming the leader of the Lakers' summer squad.
Christie's shooting stroke looks smooth, he's orchestrating his team's offense and, surprisingly, the 2022 second-round pick has made a jump on the defensive end of the floor, blocking a total of six shots through two games. If Christie can brings this type of intensity every single night, he could become the next fan-favorite behind Austin Reaves.
Orlando Robinson – Miami Heat
No player had a better first game in Summer League this year than Orlando Robinson, as the Miami Heat big man exploded for 36 points on 13-22 shooting, as well as 11 rebounds and two blocks against the Boston Celtics. He came back down to earth a little bit in his second game, but he still managed to record 15 points and nine rebounds.
For years, the Heat have had a problem in their frontcourt given their lack of depth and size behind Bam Adebayo. Dewayne Dedmon, Cody Zeller, Omer Yurtseven and Precious Achiuwa have seen time at the center position, yet nobody has been able to make that big of an impact.
Could Orlando Robinson finally be the answer for the Heat behind Adebayo?
Robinson has made a very strong case for himself in Las Vegas. He recently signed a new two-year deal to remain with the Heat, and he would not have signed this deal if his role wasn't going to expand. We know the success Erik Spoelstra has found with undrafted guys through the years, so perhaps he will be the next undrafted gem to success in Miami.
Jaden Hardy – Dallas Mavericks
If there is one thing the Dallas Mavericks lacked a season ago, it was secondary scoring alongside stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. They had some players step up over the course of the season, but nobody could ever provide secondary scoring on a consistent basis.
Jaden Hardy is a gifted scorer who always seems to know what to do with the ball in his hands. In Summer League, Hardy has been one of the best overall offensive players. Hardy is bringing the ball up the floor in rhythm and recorded back-to-back games with 24 points. While he still needs to improve as a perimeter shooting threat, there is no denying that Hardy has what it takes to become a starting shooting guard in this league.
One of those second-year players who could be prepared to take a massive leap forward, Hardy is definitely a player to keep an eye on in Dallas.
Lester Quinones – Golden State Warriors
After a disappointing end to their season in the Western Conference Semifinals, the Golden State Warriors underwent some drastic changes. Mike Dunleavy Jr. is now the general manager of the team after longtime executive Bob Myers stepped down. In his first big act leading the front office, Dunleavy traded Jordan Poole and other assets to the Washington Wizards for future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul.
Along with Poole's departure, 2022 second-round pick Ryan Rollins went to the Wizards while the Warriors also lost Donte DiVincenzo to the New York Knicks. There are minutes to be had on the bench in the backcourt, and Lester Quinones may be ready to step into a bigger role with this franchise after spending part of last season on a two-way contract in Golden State.
Quinones just has an understanding for how to score on the offensive end of the floor that you cannot teach, similar to how Poole was able to break down defenses for the Warriors. Now, Quinones is not as gifted of a scorer or athlete as Poole, but he's a proven three-point shooting threat who does not hesitate with the ball in his hands. He also takes care of the basketball and makes good decisions, which is definitely the type of backup guard the Warriors need.
Scoring 15 points in his first Summer League game, followed by 26 points on 4-10 shooting from three-point range in his second game, Quinones has shown that he has improved over the last year. Golden State is always looking for confident shooters and players who do not overthink things on the offensive end of the floor. This describes Quinones' game perfectly, which is why he may very well earn himself a roster spot with the Warriors this upcoming season.
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