NBA Summer League action is akin to playground pickup games with referees, the games are fast, loose and physical. There is very little about Summer League ball that resembles true NBA action, but what it does allow is for NBA coaches to run some guys and get some off season conditioning in.
To put this in perspective, last season there were co-winners of the Summer League MVP; a fellow by the name of Damian Lillard and Josh Selby from the Memphis Grizzlies. While Lillard’s success in the Association was immediate, Selby managed to get into a whopping ten games during the whole season. In Summer League action Selby averaged 24.2 points per game or a whole 22.2 points per game higher than his NBA point per game average. The success and numbers seen in Summer ball do not always translate to the next level, so be weary of gaudy stat lines from guys you’ve never heard of because chances are you won’t hear from them ever again.
With that in mind, here are my top-performers from the Orlando Summer League which ran from July 7 through to July 12. There were guys who scored more, grabbed more rebounds and passed for more assists; however, unlike the Selby’s of the world, these five players will make an impact on their respective clubs come regular season action.
Reggie Jackson - Oklahoma City Thunder - 19.5 ppg, 2.5 apg & 2.5 rpg
Jackson served notice last season that he could definitely play at the NBA level. He was a very serviceable fill in for the injured Russell Westbrook and he showed flashes of promise as he was given a considerable increase in his playing time. Jackson only played two games of Summer League ball; however, he shot the ball well, made sound decisions at the point and steadied the otherwise junior Thunder squad. While the hopes are that Westbrook returns to form and to the lineup for the start of next season, Jackson should still see a significant increase in playing time and he could find himself coming off the bench earlier in games to give the Thunder’s second-unit a boast.
Victor Oladipo - Orlando Magic - 19 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.0 apg & 3.0 spg
Oladipo was not only thrust into Summer League action as the prized new draft choice and potential new-face of the Magic franchise; he was tasked with playing an entirely new position and learning it on the fly. By all accounts Oladipo performed admirably as the point guard, facilitator and on-the-ball scorer. The only cause for concern out of Oladipo’s summer stint was the atrociously low field goal percentage. Oladipo’s .375 from the field will need to be improved upon; however, the shot selection was decent and what was even better was his decision making ability. The glimpse we got of Oladipo’s game here in early July was very promising and by all accounts we should expect a solid first NBA season out of him.
Maurice Harkless - Orlando Magic - 13 ppg, 5.5 rpg & 2.3 apg
The Magic believe that they have a special talent in Harkless and if last season was any indication they just might be right. Harkless will be looking to build off his success as he now enters his second full year in the pros. The summer run for Harkless was a good showing, he got his work in to the tune of 32 minutes per game and he asserted himself when the flow allowed. I would have preferred to see him be a bit more aggressive as he only averaged 8.8 shots per game; however, his field goal percentage of .486 shows that he was taking and hitting high percentage shots. Harkless and Oladipo paired nicely for the four games and it offered a very positive preview for the Magic.
Michael Carter-Williams - Philadelphia 76ers - 13.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg & 6.8 apg
The 11th overall selection by Philadelphia in the NBA Entry Draft showed off some of his skills during summer ball. MCW ran the point for the 76ers team and he showed flashes of brilliance followed by moments of indecision. The curve will be a bit steep to start; however, this kid is an amazing athlete who can overcome his inexperience. Troubling stat for MCW and the 76ers was the horrific field goal percentage, this didn’t seem to deter MCW from launching shots but in five games he went 5-16, 3-10, 3-16, 4-20 and 8-23. This lack of shyness will obviously be corralled-in once the regular season starts, but still the early reviews are positive for this young man.
Terrence Jones - Houston Rockets - 15.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg & 2.5 apg
Jones figures to be once again fighting for court time in Houston come the start of the season. The Rockets made some huge acquisitions and they shored up their bench in the process. Still, this 21-year old will benefit from some solid veteran influences and he will be afforded time to mature his game. Jones performed well in his Orlando Summer League stop as he averaged a solid 15.8 ppg over four games, the rebounding was aggressive and he ran the floor with tenacity during play. The Rockets should have seen exactly what they hoped for as his development is continuing nicely. Jones might not be ready or able to see much court time with the deep roster; however, he remains a diamond in the rough for the Rockets organization.
Kelly Olynyk - Boston Celtics - 18 ppg & 7.8 rpg
My 2013 Summer League version of Josh Selby is the Celtic’s Olynyk. While the stat line is impressive, the highlights are woeful and the scoring mundane and uncreative. From what I saw out of Olynyk his game is going to be limited to touches near the hoop and defenders will be going at him a lot harder once the games have meaning. Olynyk will get his time with the Celtics as the organization is in rebuild mode; however, I don’t envision much pro-rank success for Olynyk and I certainly don’t imagine anything close to resembling his gaudy Summer League stat-line.