NBA Summer League Top Performers
NBA Summer League Top Performers
Summer basketball standouts don’t always translate to the NBA. Let’s face it, there are a lot of G-League, two-way type of players and some players who will never make the NBA getting time on the floor. But for the top picks, this is their chance to get a little bit of a taste of the NBA and playing in some pressurized situations with some on their roster who will be their teammates. Let’s take a look at some of the standouts from NBA Summer League play.
*Keon Ellis is a 6-3 guard out of Alabama who was not drafted three years ago and is a current member of Sacramento.. Ellis was one of the best players in the California Classic. He averaged 20.3 points, 40.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists, while shooting 52.4% from the field and 38.9% from the three-point line.
*Zaccharie Risacher was the top pick in the NBA Draft out of France. He played in just two games and averaged 14.5 points and 5.0 rebounds. He played well defensively, but shot just 4-of-16 from beyond the arc.
*The biggest disappointment in the Summer League was the play of second pick Alex Sarr from France. The 7-footer for the Wizards played in four games and averaged 3.0 blocks per game. But he also had a game where he shot 0-for-15 from the field and 0-7 from three-point range. Saar averaged just 5.5 points on 19.1% shooting. He was once a favorite for Rookie of the Year, but Draft Kings now has him at +850, which places him at fourth, behind Reed Sheppard (+800), Risacher (+700) and Zach Edey (+600).
*Edey was a mixed bag for Memphis after being selected as the ninth pick overall. He did have 14 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks in his debut. But after that, he averaged just 4.9 minutes per game in his next five games, but still scored 8.6 points and 3.0 rebounds due to foot and ankle injuries. That’s the major concern though he’s still the ROY favorite.
*Reed Sheppard, the 6-2 points guard from Kentucky, averaged 20 points, 3.0 steals and 4.7 assists with 1.3 blocks for Houston. Nobody doubts his ability to shoot, but he showed that he might not be a bad defender and playmakers. Not bad for a guy who came off the bench for the Wildcats.
*Ron Holland is +2000 to win the Rookie of the Year. The 6-8 forward averaged 18.8 points and 6.5 rebounds with 1.8 blocks for Detroit in four SL games. The Pistons could use some help as they continue to try and get out of the bottom of the NBA.
*Bub Carrington was drafted 14th by Washington as a 6-4 point guard from Pittsburgh. He certainly wasn’t expected to outshine the No. 2 pick (Saar), but he did. The 18-year-old, who just turned 19 on Sunday, averaged 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists. He did shoot just 32.9% from the field and is listed as a +1500 favorite to win ROY.
