One of the most exciting and intriguing parts of the NBA off-season is here. The NBA Summer League kicked off in Orlando this week and is now in Las Vegas. The Summer League give rookies their first taste of the NBA and gives young players a chance to prove themselves worthy of a roster spot. Many scouts and coaches will be in attendance, including coaches from overseas. This is the place where dreams begin. As always, this years rookie class attracts a majority of the attention as it is the first time coaches and fans alike can see them live in NBA action. And while the competition is not nearly the level of the NBA, the Summer League provides teams a great opportunity to see what each player can offer. It seems that every year stars emerge from the Summer League. But just as often there are players who disappoint. With The Summer League ending the 21st, let's take a look at who some of the most impressive, and least impressive players so far.
Stud – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Detroit Pistons
After a rather disappointing season with the Pistons last year, KCP started off the season in a great way. The eighth overall pick in last years draft, KCP came out firing in the Orlando Summer League. In five games he averaged 24 points and seven rebounds per game. While he did shoot a miserable 40 percent from the field and 33 percent from behind the arc, it's good to see a young player come out aggressive and looking to score. The Pistons will need KCP to step up this season if they hope to rebound from a disappointing season a year ago.
Dud – Tyler Ennis, Phoenix Suns
Leading up to the draft, many people believed Ennis was a lottery caliber player and had him ranked as one of the top point guards in the NBA. Ennis experienced a draft day slide and was finally selected with the 18th overall pick by the Phoenix Suns. Ennis, who is known as a pass first point guard has struggled in Summer League to this point. In four games he holds averages of five points, four rebounds, and four assists per game in 24 minutes per contest. Ennis is also shooting an ungodly 26 percent from the field. While the rebound and assist numbers are impressive, his struggles to score the ball are a major concern. While he has not known as a scorer in college, Ennis will struggle to earn playing time if he remains so inefficient.
Stud – Casper Ware, Philadelphia 76ers
After going undrafted in last years draft and appearing in only nine games for the 76ers, Ware is making a big statement in Summer League. In eight games Ware has averaged 15 points, four assists, and three rebounds per game. He has also shot the ball effectively and has averaged over three free throw attempts per game. While Ware might otherwise be a fringe player to make a roster, his play in summer league could definitely earn him a roster spot with the 76ers.
Dud – Dante Exum, Utah Jazz
Regarded as one of the top point guards in the draft class, the Australian phenom seemed like a lock as a top five pick in this years draft. This belief became confirmed when the Utah Jazz selected him fifth overall. Given the fact that he had played overseas no one was quite sure what to expect out of the young man. Through three games Exum has struggled. He has averaged seven points, three rebounds and three assists per game. He has also shot 40 percent from the field, 22 percent from behind the arc and averaged almost three turnovers per game. While it is expected for a rookie to have trouble adjusting to the speed of the NBA game, it is troubling to see a top five pick struggle the way Exum has.
Stud – Glen Rice Jr., Washington Wizards
After being selected in the second round of last years draft, Rice has limited action as a rookie and appeared in only 11 games. Fortunately, Rice has thrived in the Las Vegas Summer League and through three games has averaged 23 points, 6 rebounds, and three assists while shooting 50 percent from the field and a scorching 42 percent from behind the arc. Rice's increase in production is a great sign for Rice and the Wizards as they have to account for the loss of small forward Trevor Ariza.
Dud – P.J. Hairston, Charlotte Hornets
After a up and down career at North Carolina, and an impressive display in the NBA D-League, it appeared as it Hairston was one of the most pro ready prospects available. Touted for his physical stature, aggressiveness, and perimeter shooting; Hairston appeared as a steal for the Hornets at 26th overall. However, Hairston's pro career took a downwards turn before he even stepped foot on the court. He reported punched a high schooler while playing a pickup game at the YMCA. While Hairston is innocent until proven guilty, it is concerning to know his behavioral troubles aren’t behind him. Once Hairston stepped onto the court things didn't get much better. Through four games he has averaged 16 points, 3 rebounds, and just under one assist per game. He has also shot 26 perfect from the field and averaged over two turnovers per game. He has also averaged five fouls per game. While Hairston's aggression can be beneficial, it is harmful when it leads to fouls, turnovers, and assaults on minors.
Stud – Tim Hardaway Jr., New York Knicks
As the 24th pick in the 2013 draft, Hardaway was pleasantly surprising in his rookie season. He appeared in 81 games and showed flashes of true potential. He has obviously carried that momentum into this years Summer League. Through three games he has averaged 20 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while shooting 42 percent from the field and 39 percent from behind the arc. It should be comforting for Knicks fans and the Knicks front office alike to see the progression of Hardaway. The Knicks, who are lacking in young players, will look to Hardaway to continue to improve into the season.
Dud – Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
With the fourth overall pick in this year's draft the Magic selected the extremely athletic forward in Gordon. While this pick may have been a reach given the fact that Gordon is a bit of a tweener and raw offensively, his sky high potential certainly justifies the selection. Unfortunately, Gordon struggled in the Orlando Summer League as he often times appeared overwhelmed. The athletic freak's weaknesses were on full display as he struggled to score the ball effectively. In five games he averaged eight points and shot a miserable 35 percent. He also shot 47 percent from the charity stripe, another one of his major weaknesses. He did average five rebounds per game, and was impressive passing the ball as he averaged over one assist per game. Gordon also struggled defensively as he recorded only two blocks and no steals over a period of five games. While Gordon has all-star potential, it is clear that he is a long way from reaching it.
Stud – Doug McDermott, Chicago Bulls
After an illustrious career at Creighton, McDermott, also known as McBuckets, took the next step of his journey when he was selected 11th overall by the Chicago Bulls. Regarded as one of the best shooters in the draft, McDermott has certainly lived up to expectations thus far in Summer League. Through three games he has averaged 20 points, four rebounds, and four assists per game. The most impressive part of his game though has been his efficiency, as he has shot 48 percent from the field and a sweltering 52 percent from the three point line. If McDermott can carry his sweet shooting int the regular season he should have a long and successful career in the NBA.
Dud – Andrew Wiggins, Cleveland Cavaliers
While Wiggins hasn't been awful in Summer League play, he hasn't exactly preformed how you'd want the number one overall pick to play. His weaknesses have become very clear in Summer League and should continue to plague him into the regular season. He has averaged 14 points but has done so inefficiently as he has only shot 38 percent from the field and 16 percent from behind the arc. He has struggled in other areas as well as he has averaged only three rebounds and recorded only one assist in three games. His defensive abilities have been on show and so has his insane athleticism. While Wiggins certainly has a bright future, his struggles in Summer League could hint at a longer development period.
Stud – TJ Warren, Phoenix Suns
After dominating the NCAA world as a sophomore, TJ Warren decided to take his talents to the NBA. Warren was an elite scorer in his sophomore year as he averaged 25 points per game. His ability to score at will led to him being drafted 14th overall in this years draft. So far Warren has continued to score in bunches in the Summer League. Warren is averaging 20 points per game in four games and if it weren't for a four point outing in which he only played seven minutes his averages would be much higher. He has also averaged five rebounds per game. The most impressive part of Warren's production is his efficiency as he is shooting 59 percent from the filed. He is also only averaging less than one assist per game, something extremely impressive for his usage.
Dud – Noah Vonleh, Charlotte Hornets
Vonleh, like his fellow rookie teammate, has struggled thus far in Summer League. After slipping in the draft, the big man out of Indiana appeared to be a steal for the Hornets at ninth overall in this years draft. The big man has been compared to Chris Bosh for his length and ability to stretch the floor. However, he is still a very young and raw player and that has been obvious up to this point. Through four games Vonleh has averaged 9 points and 10 rebounds per game. While at a quick glance his box score looks very impressive for a rookie, a deeper look will reveal many red flags. He has shot only 27 percent from the field, an especially horrendous percentage considering he is a post player. Vonleh has also averaged over five fouls per game. The number of fouls is especially concerning as it shows Vonleh is often playing out of position and getting bullied physically by the other bigs. Like his fellow rookies, Vonleh still has a lot of growing to do and while his future looks bright, his first NBA action has been relatively bleak.