Subscribe
Follow Us
The 82-game regular season is great and the playoffs are fantastic, but NBA Summer League in Las Vegas has suddenly become the best event held by the league every single offseason. With thousands of NBA fans, scouts, agents, executives and more heading west, Summer League has become more than just a spectacle to welcome the stars of tomorrow to the NBA.
This summer's showcase presented opportunity to so many youthful talents not only beginning their respective careers but those looking for more opportunity in the league. Several second and third-year players have made a name for themselves at Summer League through the years and now some of these players like Desmond Bane find themselves on max-level contracts heading into the new year.
Highlighted by first overall pick Victor Wembanyama, this year's Summer League was mainly about the incoming rookie class that is full of athletes and high-potential scorers. Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson were also in action, yet these three top picks were not the standouts from their draft class in Las Vegas.
Value can be found at any point in the draft and teams begin to learn this based on what they see in Summer League. Regarding the draft, you don't even need to be selected to make an impact in this league and we have seen this time and time again.
From first-round picks to second-round picks to players who went undrafted recently, here are the biggest winners coming out of Las Vegas Summer League.
Keyonte George – Utah Jazz
While he only played in three games due to right ankle sprain, Keyonte George was by far the most spectacular rookie in Summer League this year. On Utah's radar throughout the pre-draft process, the Jazz identified George as a young player that could potentially lead their backcourt one day. He may very well be ready to do so right away during his rookie season after what he showed them in Las Vegas!
In the three games he played in, George averaged 21.7 points and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 52.3 percent from the floor and 44.4 percent from three-point range. This is why the Jazz rookie was named to the 2K24 All-Summer League First Team.
Whether it was pulling up from deep in rhythm or attacking his opponent all the way to the hoop, George exerted confidence every single time he was on the floor. At just 19 years old, the former Baylor Bear looked like a multi-year veteran who had been to Summer League before.
After trading away Donovan Mitchell last season and Mike Conley Jr. this past year, the Jazz have left themselves thin in their backcourt. Finding a new, young guard who could play alongside Jordan Clarkson was a must for this team in the offseason, which is one of the reasons why they wanted to select George in this year's draft. The 16th overall pick had himself some terrific showings in Summer League and his averages would be much higher if he didn't get hurt ten minutes into his third game.
The Jazz have a very bright future ahead of them and their rookie guard may very well be in the running for more than All-Rookie honors this season. Keep an eye on George regarding the upcoming Rookie of the Year race.
Cam Whitmore – Houston Rockets
Once thought to be a Top-10 pick, possibly a Top-5 pick in this year's draft, Cam Whitmore slid all the way out of the lottery and was taken with the 20th overall pick by the Houston Rockets. Similar to the Jazz with George, the Rockets were eyeing Whitmore during the pre-draft process and they believed that getting him as late as they did in the first-round was a steal.
Well, Whitmore certainly looked like the steal of this year's draft at Summer League, as he was one of the top rookie performers and was recently named the 2023 Summer League MVP.
Although you never want to see injuries, Amen Thompson going down with a leg injury ultimately proved very beneficial for Whitmore, as he became Houston's top option with Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason being shut down as well after just two games. From scoring to defending to rebounding, Whitmore has done it all for the Rockets in Las Vegas and he has led them to the Summer League championship game, which will be played on Monday night.
Through five games, Whitmore has averaged 20.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor. He may only be shooting 29.3 percent from deep, but Whitmore's defensive instincts have stood out and he set a Summer League record with eight total steals in one game.
How he will fit into the Rockets' rotations this upcoming season is unknown, but Whitmore certainly proved that he can play and make an impact out on the wing.
Orlando Robinson – Miami Heat
Going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, Orlando Robinson ended up signing a contract with the Miami Heat. Originally joining the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat's G League affiliates, Robinson was waived and then re-joined the organization on a two-way contract. After being waived a second time, Robinson again re-joined the Heat on a two-way contract about a month later and spent the rest of the season with both Sioux Falls and Miami.
This offseason, the Heat signed the undrafted center to a standard contract and he was arguably the most outstanding player in Las Vegas. Robinson showcased his all-around game while leading the Heat to a 3-1 record in the games that he played in and he scored below 20 points just once.
His best game was came in Miami's first of Summer League against the Boston Celtics, as Robinson recorded 36 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. In total, Robinson averaged 25.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 57.8 percent from the floor and 35.3 percent from three-point range.
The Heat just seem to have a knack for finding potential in undrafted talents and Robinson seems to be next up to break into Erik Spoelstra's rotations with Miami. Behind Bam Adebayo, the Heat do not have much depth, which is why Robinson's Summer League performances were special.
Jaden Springer – Philadelphia 76ers
At this point, there are a lot of unknowns surrounding James Harden and whether or not he will be traded. The Philadelphia 76ers will be entering the 2023-24 season with high championship aspirations once again, regardless if Harden is on their roster, yet they have some holes to fill in their backcourt.
Ever since they drafted him in the first round of the 2021 NBA Draft, Jaden Springer has been a prospect the Sixers have spent a lot of time fine tuning in the G League. Possessing a ton of two-way potential as a combo guard, Springer has a chance to really take a step forward into Philadelphia's rotations this upcoming season, especially since Nick Nurse is now their defensive-minded head coach.
Leading the G League in steals this past season and named the 2023 G League Finals MVP after winning a title with the Delaware Blue Coats, Springer continued to find success in Summer League. In three games out in Las Vegas, Springer averaged 22.3 points, 3.7 rebound and 2.7 steals per game while shooting 48.8 percent from the floor.
He still needs to work on his perimeter game offensively, but Springer has proven to be a real impact defender and his length stands out at either guard position. The Sixers' bench has been weak for quite some time and they will need someone to step up if they are to finally end the curse that has held them out of the Eastern Conference Finals over the years.
Springer had some terrific showings in the G League and he was one of the standout performers in Las Vegas over the last two weeks. If the 76ers are looking for new production in their backcourt, they should look no further than their 2021 first-round pick, as he is finally ready to make an impact at the NBA level.
Hunter Tyson – Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have always been a organization that prides themselves on their draft evaluations and finding diamonds in the rough that everyone else overlooks. Things turned out pretty good with Nikola Jokic, a second-round pick in 2014, and now Denver is looking to find value in yet another second-round pick.
Obviously he won't be anything like Jokic, but the Nuggets may have found one of the steals of this year's draft in the second round with Hunter Tyson out of Clemson. A late riser during the pre-draft process, Tyson raised eyebrows with his play at the NBA Combine and his offensive game on the perimeter is what made him a threat entering Summer League.
Tyson stood out in all five games he played in for Denver in Las Vegas, averaging 20.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 54.1 percent from the floor and 18-36 from three-point range, exactly 50.0 percent. He earned 2K24 All-Summer League First Team honors as a result.
Three-point shooting was one of the main reasons why the Nuggets won their first title in team history this past season and in order to find more success moving forward, they will need impactful bench talents on the perimeter. Tyson proved that he could hold his own in Summer League and heading into his rookie season, the Nuggets can now be confident in his abilities when his number is called.
