NBA Summer League continued from it’s Orlando stop onto sin city Las Vegas where the NBA set up camp for ten days. Now I’ve already quantified my take on summer league ball; however, like the Orlando camp, there is some value to these days.
The NBA’s Orlando and Vegas games are of marginal importance as they bear little resemblance to actual NBA action and the players stat lines for the two weeks are grossly inflated. At least these games do provide some insight into up and coming players and rookies ability to fit into the overall style of play and physicality of the professional ranks. While the games here are not as entertaining to watch as same the Drew League over in Los Angeles, at least these games don’t have a Nick Young going off for 43 points.
I don’t mean to slag the 40-year old Drew League or it’s rich history of basketball in Los Angeles, but it is pure entertainment as opposed to coached basketball. The Drew League offers razzle-dazzle plays, one-on-one mano-a-mano type action and is really the equivalent of an All-Star game crossed with an And 1 mix tape. The results are entertaining but there is little substance to the play.
Despite the slower pace and structured offenses of the NBA Summer League, a few players still shone bright. With that in mind, here are my top-performers from the Las Vegas Summer League which ran from July 12 through to July 22.
John Henson - Milwaukee Bucks - 14.7 ppg, 13.7 rpg & 3.0 blpg
Henson finished up the 2012-13 campaign on a high note as he received more minutes and he made the most of the opportunity. Henson continued his strong play into his stop over in Las Vegas. Henson figures to get a significant opportunity come next season and based on the strong play of last and the solid showing in Vegas, Henson could be in for a good year. The Milwaukee Bucks figure to be bad next year and this second-year player could be a bright spot. He averaged 13 minutes a game last year and still produced 6.0 ppg and 4.7 rpg. If Henson sees 25-plus minutes a night his averages could double.
Jonas Valanciunas - Toronto Raptors - 18.8 ppg, 10.0 rpg
The Raptors big man from Lithuania seems poised for a breakout year. His rookie season was unspectacular as he averaged a lowly 8.9 ppg and 6.0 rpg. The season was marred by ups and downs as Valanciunas looked brilliant one night and practically invisible the next. It would seem that this offseason Valanciunas instilled a workout regime that bulked his upper body and added some much needed weight. Valanciunas came to Vegas and asserted himself as the best player over the ten day period. The summer league success is reason for optimism in Toronto as his post presence will open the Raptor’s offense up considerably.
Cody Zeller - Charlotte Bobcats - 16.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg
The fourth overall pick in this year’s NBA draft has yet to play a meaningful game in the NBA, but that hasn’t stopped him from turning some heads in Summer League. Zeller posted a decent stat-line in Vegas; however, what is more impressive was his ability to run the floor and score in transition. Zeller showed off his great hands and solid footwork as he converted buckets with grace and finesse. Zeller won’t be able to score with such ease in real game action, but he showed the promise that earned him such a high draft slot.
Thomas Robinson - Portland Trailblazers - 10.4 ppg, 12.8 rpg & 1.2 blpg
Robinson is set to start his second season in the NBA with his third team. The Trailblazers picked up the power forward on the cheap from Houston in their effort to unload salary. Robinson has yet to be given a real shake in the Association and it seems unlikely that the he will see much court time next season either. Not to be deterred, Robinson put forth a solid effort in Vegas as he was one of a handful who averaged a double-double through the five games. We already knew that Robinson could score, but where he impressed was with his tenacious rebounding. In a mere fifteen minutes of action a night last season Robinson averaged 4.8 ppg and 4.5 rpg. Extrapolate those numbers over 48 minutes and his averages are an impressive 15.1 ppg and 14.3 rpg.
Dwight Buycks - Toronto Raptors - 23.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 7.0 apg
This young man was the Vegas success story. Buycks parlayed his Summer League play into a two year contract with the Toronto Raptors as he figures to back up Kyle Lowry at the point. Buycks looked impressive in the loose run-and-gun Vegas League, but it remains to be seen how that skill set will translate into the more structured style of the NBA. He will nonetheless get his chance and since the Raptors figure to be quite awful, Buycks might just see some court time.