There’s plenty of talented players in this year’s NBA Summer League but there’s been a few that have shown to have skills that’ll translate into this upcoming season. It was hard to narrow down the list but we’ve selected 5 players that are standing out from the Las Vegas Summer League.
Dwight Powell – No Jordan, no problem? Powell is proving to be a good big man so far in the Vegas Summer League. He’s 6’11” can run the court and shows an aggression in rebounding. While he is still very raw offensively, he scored 25 & 19 pts respectively in his 2 games and he can hit free throws (12-15); imagine that.
Jahlil Okafor – There was a long period of time that Okafor was thought of as the most skilled player in college basketball but the long draft process seemed to raise doubts with his work ethic and toughness. So far this Summer League he’s shown no signs of softness or laziness. He put up 19 pts and 11 rebs in his first game and he showed more of the same versus the Knicks. His confidence and footwork down low is what jumps out at you when seeing him in person. No matter what spots the guards deliver him the ball at he is able to use a move to get off a quality shot.
Zach LaVine – We all saw Zach LaVine take over the NBA Dunk Contest last year but we heard very little of him during the regular season. That’s because the lanky wing player spent most of the season figuring out his role with the young TWolves. This summer we see LaVine in a more comfortable role, leader & ball handler. LaVine has been showing his ability as a slasher so far and his ability to run the court with long strides has led to easy buckets. His 22 pts & 7 rebs per game is what teams dream of from the SG position. If he carries this confidence into the regular season we could be hearing his name called for 6th man of the year.
Seth Curry – Watching older brother Steph capture a league MVP and NBA title must’ve lit a fire under young Seth. Thru 3 games he’s leading the Las Vegas Summer League in scoring with 25 ppg. The Pelicans have often injured guards and could surely use a reserve shooter to step up during the season. Seth is working his way into that role with his confident shot & slightly improved defense, averaging 3 steals per game.
Alex Len – It may only be 1 game but Alex Len showed why the Phoenix Suns found some of their big men to be expendable in trades a few weeks ago. The early 1st round pick has had injury troubles, which big man hasn’t, but he has the ability to be a skilled big man on the block. 17 pts, 8 rebs, 3 blocks & 50% shooting in his first game were enough to land him on this list. Even with those stats it seemed as though he was just figuring out his role. Watch Len continue to grow as the games continue.