Kevin Pelton, ESPN Senior WriterJul 23, 2024, 08:25 AM ET
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- Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series
- Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers
- Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE system
NBA summer league came to an end in thrilling fashion Monday night, as the Miami Heat beat the Memphis Grizzlies in overtime to claim the title.
From a long-term standpoint, the most important action over the past 11 days in Las Vegas came early, as some of this year's top draft picks squared off. No. 3 pick Reed Sheppard of the Houston Rockets impressed with back-to-back 20-point performances, while Washington Wizards No. 2 pick Alex Sarr struggled with his shot after scoring 12 points in his debut against Atlanta Hawks No. 1 pick and fellow France native Zaccharie Risacher.
Let's recap the action during NBA summer league -- excluding performances in the California Classic and Salt Lake City summer leagues, which preceded all 30 teams arriving in Vegas -- by taking a look at some of the standouts in several different categories, including strong performances by Grizzlies veteran guard Scotty Pippen Jr. and Heat rookie Kel'el Ware in leading their teams to the title game.
Best rookies:
Kel'el Ware, Miami Heat
Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic
Jaylon Tyson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Playing every game for the Heat en route to the title, Ware averaged 18.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in a well-rounded performance that suggests he might be able to battle for minutes in Miami as a rookie. Ware, the No. 15 pick out of Indiana, recorded four double-doubles -- including one in the title game -- and had 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks in his best performance against the Dallas Mavericks.
Kel'el Ware elevates for the big-time stuff
Kel'el Ware elevates for the big-time stuff
Having played just three games, da Silva made a strong statement, particularly with his 3-point shooting. A 40% 3-point shooter from the college line at Colorado, da Silva went 10-of-17 (59%) beyond the arc while averaging 17.7 points per game. Perhaps more sustainable was da Silva's playmaking, as he handed out nine assists in three games.
Another experienced college player from the Pac-12 (Ware also started his career at Oregon before he transferred to Indiana), Tyson bounced back from a four-point outing midweek to put up 44 points in his last two games in Vegas and came within an assist of a triple-double against the Los Angeles Lakers. Tyson achieved 50/40/90 shooting splits and also averaged 7.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists from the wing.
Most promising rookies:
Reed Sheppard, Houston Rockets
Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers
Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards
Although he couldn't maintain the pace of averaging 22.5 points and 6.0 assists in his first two games, Sheppard remained the most impressive of the high lottery picks during his summer debut. Sheppard looked poised running the point, despite committing nine turnovers during his final game, and his active hands generated 11 steals and five blocks in four games. Sheppard's biggest weakness was shooting just 5-of-18 on 3s (28%) -- hardly a concern for someone who shot 52% from the college line.
Reed Sheppard shines in debut with 23 points
No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard impresses in his summer league debut with 23 points in a Rockets win over the Lakers.
Doubts about Clingan's ability to finish offensively held up, as he shot just 41% on 2-point attempts. And while I appreciate Clingan's accuracy in workout situations, he can probably save the 3-point attempts for summer league after shooting 3-of-13 with multiple air balls. Yet Clingan looked the part of a dominant defender, setting an NBA summer league record with 4.3 blocks per game and led all players with 12.3 rebounds per game.
Carrington was the most impressive of Washington's three first-round picks, he averaged 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. He'll have to improve his finishing after shooting just 29% inside the arc, but the threat Carrington poses pulling up off the dribble (36%) on 3s in combination with his quickness allowed him to get wherever he wanted on the court. In time, that could allow Carrington to grow into a dangerous lead ballhandler.
Best undrafted rookie: Jalen Bridges, Phoenix Suns
Despite ranking 25th in my pre-draft projections, Bridges did not hear his name called last month. Signed to a two-way contract by the Suns after the draft, Bridges showed how he can contribute in a 3-and-D role, shooting 14-of-35 (40%) beyond the arc while averaging 1.2 steals in just 17.9 minutes.
Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins was also impressive as he averaged 9.6 points and 3.8 assists. Denver Nuggets guard Trey Alexander, also signed to a two-way deal, lived up to his first name, shooting 11-of-23 (48%) beyond the arc.
Slowest-starting rookie: Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards
There were flashes of how the No. 2 pick can become an impactful two-way contributor. Sarr switched out defensively on a regular basis and also protected the rim with 10 blocks in four games. He showed his ability to knock down 3s off the dribble, making a pair in his debut. That early success was fleeting, as he went 0-for-12 from 3 over the next two games, part of 5-of-35 shooting in his final three appearances in Vegas. Sarr will have to up his strength to be able to finish and recognize that he's better as a play finisher than a shot creator at this stage of his career.
No. 2 pick Alex Sarr held scoreless on 0-of-15 shooting
Alex Sarr struggles against the Trail Blazers, failing to connect on all 15 of his attempts from the field in the Wizards' loss.
Best veterans
Scotty Pippen Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
Jordan Miller, LA Clippers
Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors
I'm shocked Pippen didn't win summer league MVP after he averaged 20.0 points, 8.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds heading into the title game. (The vote was conducted before Pippen had 29 points and 11 assists in a losing effort in the championship.) Instead, voters rewarded Jalen Wilson of the Brooklyn Nets, who shot well from 3 (22-of-40, 55%) but did little else to fill out the box score. Given shooting tends to be the least sustainable element of the short summer league schedule, I wasn't as sold on Wilson's performance. Pippen, who joined the injured Grizzlies on a two-way contract last season and averaged 12.9 points and 4.7 assists while starting 16 of the 21 games he played, continues to prove he belongs in an NBA rotation.
Scotty Pippen Jr. registers a triple-double in Grizzlies' win
Scotty Pippen Jr. tallies 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the Grizzlies' NBA summer league semifinal win over the Clippers.
Miller, a second-round pick who played just 28 minutes for the Clippers as a rookie, outshined 2023 first-round pick Kobe Brown during LA's run to the semifinals. He shot 12-of-20 (60%) on 3s and averaged 9.2 free throw attempts en route to 25.4 points per game, most of any player who appeared in more than two games.
Along with No. 2 pick Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., Podziemski was one of several overqualified sophom*ores who suited up in Las Vegas who participated on the USA Basketball Select Team. Podziemski didn't average as many points (18.5) as Jaquez (26.0) or Miller (23.0), but he shot 50% on 3s and contributed 19 rebounds and 13 assists (along with 10 turnovers) in two games.
Denver Nuggets sophom*ore Julian Strawther also merits mention after he put up 57 points in two games and made nine 3-pointers as he bids for a rotation role after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's departure. And All-Summer League first-team pick GG Jackson II averaged 22.0 points and 8.5 rebounds for the Grizzlies, albeit on less accurate shooting than the other top scorers in Vegas.
Best free agent: Josh Christopher, Miami Heat
Christopher, who spent last season in the G League after two campaigns with the Houston Rockets, was on a weeklong heater in Vegas. He shot 21-of-40 (52.5%) from 3 and led Miami to the championship. Given Christopher shot just 34.5% on 3s in the G League last season, his numbers from this summer are probably not sustainable but impressive nonetheless.
Among other standouts, DJ Steward earned a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls after he averaged 17.4 points and 6.0 assists. Center Dmytro Skapintsev put up 13.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in just 17.4 minutes per game for the New York Knicks and shot 70% from the field. And Orlando Robinson, recently waived by the Miami Heat, put up 14.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game with the Rockets.
Josh Christopher's clutch and-1 helps Heat reach summer league title game
Josh Christopher sinks a wild go-ahead shot through contact to give the Heat the lead in the final minute.
Most disappointing injury: DaRon Holmes II, Denver Nuggets
There's no greater bummer than an injury during summer league, particularly for a rookie just beginning his career. Holmes, the No. 22 pick out of Dayton, had 11 points (nine of them on 3s) and seven rebounds in his debut for the Nuggets when he suffered an Achilles rupture that will likely sideline him the entire 2024-25 campaign. Holmes' return to the court is something to hope for during the 2025 summer league.
