Narratives on new players are starting to take shape now that every team has had a turn on a Las Vegas NBA Summer League court. Lottery picks have largely looked the part in Sin City. Unfortunately, the hopes of some undrafted prospects have evaporated into DNP-CDs on the stat sheet. Thankfully, there are still over a week's worth of games to play before everyone departs for pre-training camp vacations.
Perceptions can change within a few chaotic plays during the summer sessions. The Bronny James binge-watching seems to be out of everyone's system following a subpar performance in front of a packed house. All of the top picks played decently enough to inspire more hope from their respective organizations. Now fans can start spreading their attention on some lesser-known commodities.
There are eight games on the NBA2k25 Summer League in Las Vegas schedule. Three stand above the others as being worth a few weekend hours to watch.
Chicago Bulls vs. Golden State Warriors (ESPN2 10:00 PM EST)
Matas Buzelis vs. Brandin Podziemski: This should be an offensive delight if the rookie settles in early. Buzelis had 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in the opener. He had 10 points, three rebounds, and both blocks in the first 15 minutes of play. It took 15 shots to get to 15 points, however. The shooting form looks disjointed but at least the ballhandling and defensive effort were encouraging.
Shooting form is the least of Golden State's worries. Podziemski put on a show last summer and looked ready for the bright lights next to Steph Curry last season. He averaged 9.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 38.5% from 3-point range over 74 regular season games last season. Podziemski is already aiming for NBA MIP honors next summer. They'll close out the action on Friday night.
Houston Rockets vs. Washington Wizards (ESPN2 6:00 PM EST)
Alex Sarr/Bub Carrington vs. Reed Sheppard/Cam Whitmore: Sure, the seven-foot Alex Sarr and six-foot-two Sheppard play different positions. Franchises expect top-three picks to be able to tilt the court regardless of opponent. Sheppard did so from every level offensively during his debut. Logo three-pointers, hesitation floaters, and patient Chris Paul-caliber prodding with a defender on the back were all utilized with a hair-trigger release. Those moves should free up Whitmore for more wide-open looks.
Sarr is going to have a tough time stopping Sheppard when the point-of-attack defense falls apart. Washington's newest rookie had 12 points on 12 shots, seven rebounds, four assists, and four blocks to start NBA Summer League action. Three of those four blocks came in the span of about 20 seconds though. Sarr did well but Bub Carrington stole plenty of scenes from the main attraction.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Atlanta Hawks (ESPN2 8:00 PM EST)
Stephon Castle vs. Zaccharie Riscacher: Riscacher was the first overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. Castle was the last point guard standing in the NCAA Final Four. He has also been arguably the most polished, refined rookie to play so far this summer. Castle can afford to be a bit selfish while making mistakes as the best player on the roster now. Things will get far easier once Gregg Popovich, Chris Paul, and Victor Wembanyama are helping to call the shots.
Riscasher led the Hawks with 18 points, five rebounds, two assists, and one block in an all-around great debut all things considered. Atlanta has little in the way of high-level help to support Riscasher but is making the most of the situation. The Hawks are hoping their next franchise star can secure the first professional win against the Spurs.
Streaming NBA Summer League on the second screen
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Milwaukee Bucks (NBA TV 3:30 PM EST): Jalen Lewis went professional early, spending three years with the Overtime Elite program before signing with the Bucks. Jaylin Tyson is the first player drafted out of Cal's program since Jaylen Brown. He played for Texas, Texas Tech, and Cal as a college journeyman.
Tyson averaged 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 46.5% percent shooting from the field last season. The Cavaliers are pushing the 21-year-old to the wing instead of his preferred point guard position. Cleveland already has Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell to handle those duties.
The undrafted Lewis was projected as a lottery pick just 18 months ago. He averaged averaged 6.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 39% shooting from the field in three seasons with Overtime Elite. Lewis stood out at the G-League Combine before the NBA Draft. This game is the biggest stage to date to show off some skills that were overshadowed in the Overtime Elite program.
Brooklyn Nets vs. LA Clippers (ESPN+ 4:00 PM EST): NBA Summer League sessions get the most sizzle off the steak when two NBA-experienced wings take over the action. Dariq Whitehead and Kobe Brown have the size to shrug off bigs and can see over every guard. This is a streaming-only game, but plenty of scouts will stop by to see who controls the court.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Indiana Pacers (NBAT TV 5:30 PM EST): Rob Dillingham will get the pregame hype. Expect the postgame shows to focus on the winner of the Terrence Shannon Jr. versus Johnny Furphy scrap.
Orlando Magic vs. New Orleans Pelicans (NBA TV 7:30 PM EST): This might be best broadcast as a three-on-three battle. Anthony Black, Jett Howard, and rookie Tristan da Silva going against Jordan Hawkins, Karlo Matkovic, and fellow rookie big man Yves Missi might be the best game of the day.
Denver Nuggets vs. Toronto Raptors (NBA TV 9:30 EST): Unfortunately, Denver's DaRon Holmes II (Dayton), the 22nd pick in 2024, is out for the season. PJ Hall (Clemson), the ACC's fourth-highest scorer last season, will handle the bulk of those abandoned minutes on a newly signed two-way contract. Jonathan Mogbo, drafted 31st by the Raptors, has undeniable first-round potential. Watch for those two to tie up in switching actions on both ends of the court. There could still be fireworks even if Gradey Dick does not suit up.
Follow Us
Subscribe