2023 NBA Las Vegas Summer League wrap up.

The Hoop Obsession NBA Summer League wrap up - By Bobby Gerould

July 22, 2023. The annual trip to Las Vegas for NBA Summer League was much like many of the past excursions. It was a great reminder that there is no substitute for observing and evaluating prospects LIVE, in-person. Usually the difference between seeing guys on video vs. watching them live is that the obvious NBA athletes “pop” in the the LIVE setting, and the marginal athletes with decent skill can look more pedestrian.

As we do, following each Summer League, we look back at who stood out, and what we learned from a nine-day stay in Las Vegas.

It is important to keep in mind that Summer League represents a small sample size of minutes played. At the most, some guys logged 160 minutes. The majority of players were somewhere between 60 to 100 minutes. In general, we believe numbers don’t really stabilize until 300 minutes have been established (and even that amount is small). So take all Summer League statistics with a grain of salt. We provide a large amount of numbers in the wrap up for the sake of being data-informed, but as always we think the ideal scout combines what he sees and feels in close observation with what the numbers suggest.

Officially, the NBA releases an All-Summer League Team. We do too. Ours might look different.

The Hoop Obsession All-Summer League Team:

MVP: Isaiah Mobley - Cleveland. He averaged 18 points, and 8 rebounds for the Championship winning team. He continued to look like a “Hall of Solid” prospect. While Mobley was not the most efficient player, he was the most productive overall. The 6’10”, 23 year-old Center was used primarily at the hi-post, and the Cavs ran their action through him. Mobley wound up with a 1.92-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio through six games.

First Team: Xavier Moon - L.A. Clippers, Javon Freeman Liberty - Chicago, Hunter Tyson - Denver, Isaiah Mobley - Cleveland, Orlando Robinson - Miami.

Second Team: Craig Porter Jr. - Cleveland, Sam Merrill - Cleveland, Jalen Wilson - Brooklyn, Cam Whitmore - Houston, Colin Castleton - Los Angeles Lakers.

LOTTERY Observations

The top 14 picks in the NBA Draft are known as “lottery picks.” Following Summer League, we really believe half of those picks have the potential to be highly questionable in a short amount of time. While the top-five picks all seem like locks to be good or even great, the rest of the lottery (except for Taylor Hendricks who did not play) is sketchy at best. Let’s examine how they performed.

Victor Wembanyama - San Antonio. “Wemby” played a total of 54 minutes in two games. He showed, again, that he will be a force on defense. We have been one of the only outlets to even dare to bring up his weaknesses, and they were on display in Las Vegas. Wembanyama is a career 27% 3-pt. shooter. In Vegas, he made three of his ten attempts (30%) from long range. His overall field goal percentage was weak too (40.7% FG). He also continued his trend of turning the ball over more than he assists it. In the tiny sample size, he had six turnovers and three assists. …Now, let’s not get this twisted. Despite my nitpicks of his deep shooting and ball security, Wembanyama would still be our first pick. He blocked eight shots in 54 minutes and he carried himself like a pro’s pro. His potential on offense may just take a bit longer than I believe most people realize.

Brandon Miller - Charlotte. Miller (photo below) did not perform consistently well playing alongside “me-first” guards on the Hornets Summer squad. Miller appeared in three Las Vegas games and he shot just 35% FG. He jacked 23 three-point attempts but made just six of them (26%). Miller did take care of the rock. He had only three turnovers in 91 minutes. We are not worried about Miller either. We saw enough of his considerable skill in NCAA play. He has a nice feel for team basketball and he will look better playing with NBA caliber veterans.

Scoot Henderson - Portland. Scoot only played in one game. He looked good in that 21 minutes on the Thomas & Mack Center floor. He scored 15 points, grabbed five boards, and dished six assists. A shoulder injury derailed his chance to play again. Instead, Scoot went shopping at the Prada store. We know that because we saw him holding the bag at the Wynn the day after his debut. Henderson is another player we have very little concerns about going forward. He will have to prove he can make long-range shots with consistency. His blinding speed and explosive power should make him special in the NBA for years to come.

Amen Thompson - Houston. Amen Thompson gave Summer League fans a brief glimpse of his multi-faceted game. He logged 28 minutes in one game before suffering an ankle sprain that kept him out of the rest of the run. Amen’s stat line in that 28 minutes? 16 points (6-13 FG, 1-1 3-pt. FG, 3-4 FT), 4 rebs., 5 assists, 3 steals, 4 blocked shots!

Ausar Thompson - Detroit. Ausar Thompson (photo below) played defense like a future All-Defensive performer. His size and quickness was a problem for opponents. We were very impressed by Ausar’s overall game even though he didn’t shoot the ball that well (3-11 3-pt. FG, 27%). He averaged 13 points, ten rebounds, three and a half assists, and two steals in his four games played. His athletic gifts really pop in person.

Anthony Black - Orlando. Although he passes the eye-test, Black's shooting was poor in Las Vegas. He made just one of six three-point tries (16.7%) and he converted just six of his eleven free throws (54.5%). He had an equal number of assists and turnovers which is nowhere near acceptable for a guy some think will be a point-guard in the NBA. (We do not). Black did rebound the ball well, averaging nearly nine per game. He made instinctive plays that lead us to believe he WILL ultimately succeed in the NBA. It just might take longer than expected.

Bilal Coulibaly - Washington. We understood going in that Coulibaly needed some seasoning before he could impact an NBA contest. That feeling was re-affirmed with his lackluster offensive play. He appeared in four Wizards games (122 mins), and he struggled (40% FG, 18% 3-pt. FG, 68% FT). He had more turnovers than assists. He averaged 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists. The one thing Coulibaly did well was shot blocking. He swatted nine shots.

Jarace Walker - Indiana. Following Summer League, Walker had “minor” surgery on his elbow to remove “loose bodies”. Perhaps that is why he shot so horrendously. Walker was dared to shoot deep-balls in Vegas and he failed to earn any respect, making only five of his 28 attempts (17.9%). Yikes! We enjoyed every other part of his game. He averaged a shade under eight rebounds per game and he had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio. He is a great teammate and his soul emits good vibes throughout his team.

Taylor Hendricks - Utah. Hendricks did not play due to a hamstring injury. He is expected to be healed and ready for training camp.

Cason Wallace - Oklahoma City. Wallace was as advertised on defense. However, as a late addition to the Thunder team (due to trade), Wallace suffered on offense. His overall field goal percentage was just 34.6%. He had one more turnover than assist. Among players who played at least four games, he had the worst boxscore plus/minus (-12). Wallace did shoot the three-ball well (12-31 3-pt FG, 38.7%).

Jett Howard - Orlando. Howard made 40% of his three-point attempts in Las Vegas. That reaffirmed our good feelings about his deep stroke. He had a 1.25-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He was not efficient however. Howard averaged 29 minutes of playing time but put up just 13 points, three rebounds, and three assists in his three games. He only went to the free-throw line three times in 88 minutes. Deep shooting specialists (Caleb Houstan was an eerily similar pick in 2022) seem to be a thing in Orlando's master plan.

Dereck Lively II - Dallas. Lively (photo below) averaged eight points and eight rebounds over five games for the Mavs. He showed that he can score in an efficient manner as a dunker. The rest of his current limitations were evident as well. He had more than double the amount of turnovers (9) to assists (4). Lively attempted just three 3-pt. field goals, and he missed them all. He shot 8-15 at the foul line (53%). Known as a shot-blocker, Lively blocked only three shots in 117 minutes. The point is, Lively is a young player with potential. He is not there yet, and it may take a considerable amount of time before he contributes to winning NBA basketball.

Gradey Dick - Toronto. Dick played reasonably well despite not shooting it from deep at the level he is expected to (8-27 3-pt. FG, 29.6%). He averaged 16 points, six rebounds, and two assists per game. He appeared in four Raptors contests. He had two more turnovers than assists.

Jordan Hawkins - New Orleans. Known as a shooter, Hawkins really struggled in Las Vegas. His shooting splits were 31% FG, 25% 3-pt. FG, and 55% FT. He had eleven assists but 17 turnovers. Despite heavy minutes (140 in 5 games), he averaged just 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists.

Reaffirmations

Everyone loves to be right. As someone who ranks players annually for NBA Drafts it is a good feeling when you watch a player excel that you were high on. It validates your belief in your eyes and which data points you believe are important to winning basketball games. Players that fit this description for us this Summer included:

Trayce Jackson-Davis. Golden St. He only played in two games but “TJD” showed his elite ability to quick-jump, and play with force. In 45 minutes he scored 32 points (66.7% FG), grabbed 17 rebounds, and blocked three shots.

Isaiah Jackson - Indiana. Jackson is still just 21 years-old. He’s already played two season in the NBA. He looked “too good for Summer League”, averaging 17 points, and 12.5 rebounds while shooting 69.6% FG in two games before being shut down.

Adama Sanogo - Chicago. Sanogo showed his good hands and just how massive he is from shoulder to shoulder. Frozen out by his own coaches, he played just 18.4 minutes per game. When he was on the floor, he made the Bulls better. He averaged ten points (65% FG), eight rebounds, and one blocked shot per game.

Jared Butler - Oklahoma City. Butler is 22 years-old. We ranked him very highly in the 2021 NBA Draft. The former Baylor guard was getting a fresh start with the Thunder Summer team in Las Vegas. He spent his rookie season in Utah with the Jazz. Butler shot the ball well in Vegas, making 14 of 29 of his deep shots (48.3%). He scored 20 points per game.

Hunter Tyson - Denver. Probably because he is already 23 years-old, too many teams passed on Tyson (photo below). He went 37th in the 2023 NBA DRAFT. In Vegas, he was arguably the best forward. Tyson hit an amazing 18 of 36 (50%) of his three-point shots. He averaged 20.8 points per game while adding six rebounds per outing. He made 20 of his 23 free throws (87%).

Kobe Brown - L.A. Clippers. Brown is a BIG dude. His bounce for his size is fun to see in-person. Some folks did not believe his jump in shooting accuracy at Missouri was “real”. However, in Vegas, Brown showed his good looking stroke was no fluke. He made 43.3% 3-pt. FG while averaging 15.2 points and seven rebounds per game.

Revelations

Each Summer League there are players that enter our orbit as NBA prospects. Perhaps we were previously unimpressed or had never seen them play “live”. This July was no exception. Here are six prospects that were not prominent on our radar prior to Summer League 2023. We now think these players need to be monitored:

D.J. Steward - Philadelphia. Steward played in 88 G-League games right under our nose for the Stockton Kings in the last two seasons. We knew of his lofty status as a big time recruit that chose Duke. He ended up being a “one-and-done” for the Blue Devils but he went undrafted in 2021. We were aware of his presence on Sacramento’s Summer League Team last year but somehow he never shined enough for us to care much. Fast-forward to July 2023 and Steward was the most efficient Point Guard in Las Vegas. He scored at a crazy clip. In only 18 minutes per game, Steward scored 16.2 points per game (53.7% FG, 47.6% 3-pt. FG, 72.2% FT). He had a 3.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He still just 21 years-old. It often takes Point Guards longer to crack the NBA. Steward seems to be on the verge of a breakthrough.

Duop Reath - Portland. Reath is a 27 year-old Center that played at LSU back in 2016 through 2018. I had forgotten all about him. In the last couple of years, he’s played overseas in China and Australia. In Las Vegas, Reath looked like a player. He made some threes, showed some feel, and provided a visible energy boost when he was on the floor. You don’t see very many 6’11”, 245 lb. players that can make 20 of 24 free throw attempts (83%) and have a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.

Kevon Harris - Orlando. Harris played in one game and looked “too good for Summer League.” We watched him score 21 points on 8 of 13 FG shooting in loss to Detroit. As an NBA player on a two-way contract, he was on our radar but we didn’t realize how good he was and how much his no-nonsense approach to the game might be appreciated. Harris is 26 years-old.

Xavier Moon - L.A. Clippers. While D.J. Steward was the most efficient Point Guard, Moon (photo below) was the most PRODUCTIVE. Moon averaged 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals per game. He made 15 of his 26 three-point attempts! That’s 57.7%! At the line, he shot 91.1%. And he did all of that while maintaining a better than two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio. Moon is 28 years old.

Hunter Hale - Phoenix. Hale can really shoot it. The 26 year-old from Winthrop played in the Adriatic League last season. At 6’3”, and an estimated 170 lbs., Hale had a slightly better defensive rating than his Adriatic team did. You do not often see that from smaller guards. Hale showed he didn’t require much room to get off his accurate three-ball. In Vegas, he made 12 of 23 (52%) from beyond the arc. He didn’t drive it much at all but he also didn’t turn it over. He had ONE turnover in 58 minutes, countered with eight assists.

Javon Freeman Liberty - Chicago. The 6’4”, 185 lb. guard went undrafted in 2022. In Las Vegas, he was excellent for the Bulls, averaging 21.2 points (49% FG, 46.2% 3-pt. FG, 77.4% FT), plus four rebounds and four assists per game. Freeman-Liberty is 23 years-old and he is currently an unrestricted free agent that is certainly better than many on two-way contracts presently.

View Changers

Players can improve. On the flip-side, players who stood-out in a game or two that you witnessed, can also look like different guys in a negative way. The hard workers with an eye toward making their weaknesses strengths are what makes basketball scouting such a moving target. Each Summer there are a handful of prospects that we adjusted our thinking on. This time around, it was the following:

Jabari Smith Jr. - Houston. Although he was heralded and he was the third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, we were slightly skeptical about Smith. He floated on the perimeter too much for our taste. In Las Vegas in 2023, Smith looked like a much more determined scorer. He lived at the foul line in his two games (27 attempts). If THAT Jabari Smith Jr. is the guy Houston is getting for the upcoming season, he will take a massive leap.

Keyonte George - Utah. George had more turnovers than assists in his one season at Baylor, yet there he was in Las Vegas, posting a 2.71-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The 16th pick in the 2023 NBA DRAFT would certainly be a lottery pick if the Draft was held today.

Max Christie - Los Angeles Lakers. Christie was fantastic in the California Classic before heading to Vegas and doing more of the same. The 20 year-old showed me more self-creation ability than I previously believed he was capable of.

Craig Porter Jr. - Cleveland. I liked Porter jr. (photo below) at Wichita St. but I underrated him in the 2023 NBA Draft. I ranked him 75th. After watching him multiple times LIVE, I think he could have been a top 40 guy. He averaged 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game in Vegas for the Championship winning team. He didn’t shoot the three-ball well, but he showed an ability to create and run a team. He made all eleven of his free throw attempts.

Yuri Collins - Golden St. When I left Sacramento, and the California Classic, I had good thoughts about Collins and his ability to run a team. In Vegas, however, Collins scored just 5 points in 69 minutes and he had more turnovers than assists. The down-tick was noted.

Kobe Bufkin - Atlanta. We ranked Bufkin 22nd in the 2023 NBA Draft. He was selected 15th. In Vegas, he looked like a player that is going to need much more time to develop than we previously thought. He shot 33% FG, 13.8% 3-pt. FG, and 76.2% FT. He had 18 assists but also 23 turnovers.

Statistical standouts.
80 mins. Minimum

Rebounds per minute: Adama Sanogo - CHI .457, Udoka Azubuike - BOS .403, James Nnaji - CHA. .385, Dmytro Skapintsev - NYK. .382, Duop Reath - POR. .380.

Assist-to-turnover ratio: Javonte Smart - PHI. 6-to-1, Bryce McGowens - CHA 5-to-1, Kendric Davis - GSW. 4.4-to-1, Trevor Hudgins - HOU. 4.33-to-1, Jason Preston - LAC 3.75-to-1.

Points per minute: D.J. Steward - PHI .907, Jared Butler - OKC .893, Orlando Robinson - MIA .830, Michael DeVoe - POR .784, Johnny Juzang - UTA .746

Blocked shots per minute: Greg Brown III - PHI .136, DJ Wilson - ORL .133, James Nnaji - CHA .135, Moses Brown - TOR .113, Karlo Matkovic - NO .111

Three-point percentage (15 attempts minimum): Michael DeVoe - POR 11-17 .647, Xavier Moon - LAC 15-26 .577, Alex O’Connell - SAC 8-15 .533, Hunter Hale - PHX 12-23 .522, Johnny Juzang - UTA 12-23 .522.

Free throw attempts per minute: Jaden Hardy - DAL .326, Sharife Cooper - CLE .314, Jaden Springer - PHI .317, Dereon Seabron - NO .269, Isaiah Mobley - CLE .259.

Mixed bag thoughts

One feel-good moment was seeing E.J. Liddell score 23 points in 24 minutes one year and five days after seeing him tear his ACL in Cox Pavilion. …Emoni Bates is another player I should have rated more highly. His shooting accuracy combined with his size and ball-handling ability stood out. …Cam Whitmore had an eight-steals game. …DJ Carton had the best dunk I saw during the nine-days of watching games (video below). He rose up for a traffic jam that was contested to no avail by Kessler Edwards. It was so nasty, I had to get up from my seat and walk it off.

The Charlotte Hornets team went eight minutes and 15 seconds without scoring to start a game. They were down 18-0 before their first bucket. …Julian Phillips has much more to his game and ceiling than I believed prior to the Draft. His physical profile is impressive. …I had never seen Tevian Jones (Southern Utah) LIVE. He looked good as a jump shooter and he is certainly athletic enough at 6’7”, 200 lbs. …RaiQuan Gray deserves some kudos for getting himself into NBA shape. He looked better than I've ever seen him. The work he put in was very noticeable. …Paolo Banchero, the NBA Rookie of the Year, was in the arena watching the Magic play. He looked taller to me. Nothing official but I think he is still growing. …Jaden Ivey again wowed me with his speed with the ball. …Armoni Brooks can REALLY shoot it! Among players who played in five games, Brooks led the Vegas Summer League in boxscore plus/minus (+19). …Zion Williamson was in Vegas supporting his Pelicans teammates.

They played well in limited limits.

There are many reasons why a player may or may not have played significant minutes during Summer League. Some players simply were not high on a depth chart. Others were injured during play and had their Summer League come to an unexpected premature end. And, unfortunately, there are players who were “shut down” by their team. Whatever the reason, there were players that played less than 80 minutes total that deserve some love for how well they played when given the opportunity.

The top 15 in Hoop Obsession Calculation (HOC) among players that played at least 40 minutes but less than 80 minutes: Jabari Smith Jr. - HOU .905, Trayce Jackson-Davis - GSW .878, Xavier Cooks - WA. .862, Reggie Perry - GSW .850, Keyonte George - UTA .825, Isaiah Jackson - IND .820, Chet Holmgren - OKC .783. Oscar Tshiebwe - IND .762, Hunter Hale - PHX .761, Miles Norris - ATL .731, Tari Eason - HOU .707, Fletcher McGee - HOU .701, Tacko Fall - MIL .681, Jalen Duren - DET .670, Luka Samanic - UTA .663.

Sacramento Kings Summer Observations

Keegan Murray played only in Sacramento at the California Classic. Without Murray, a NBA First-Team All-Rookie selection, the Kings had to look elsewhere for scoring and leadership. While it may not have jumped out to everyone watching the Kings, we felt like Keon Ellis was their best player in Las Vegas. Defensively, every opponent felt Ellis’ pesky presence. He also anticipates what is coming next at a high level. You can’t float a pass around Keon Ellis. Offensively, Ellis shot 50% FG, 38.1% 3-pt. FG, and he didn’t miss in his ten free throw attempts. He had 3.25 steals per game to go with 14 points per contest.

Chance Comanche also played well in somewhat limited minutes. The 27 year-old BIG was never spectacular but his workman-like approach produced 7.6 points on 60.9% FG shooting. He continues to be among the small group of BIG’s that can make free throws at over 80%.

Neemias Queta only played in two Vegas games (due to right foot soreness). Nothing new was learned from a scouting standpoint. Queta continues to be a good rebounder with a limited feel for team basketball. He has done a good job of keeping himself in NBA condition. …Jordan Ford had more good moments than bad moments even though he only made six of his 19 three-point attempts (31%) in Vegas. Ford scored 16.2 points per game while adding a shade over five assists per contest. …Mike Daum saw his usage increase as Summer games rolled on Vegas. Daum made 10 three-point shots in 29 attempts (34.5%).

Alex O’Connell and his quick-release three-point shot made it into three Kings games in Las Vegas. He made eight of his 15 three-balls (53%). …Kessler Edwards struggled with efficiency in Las Vegas. He shot the three-ball reasonably well (38%), but he never looked the way an NBA rotation player should look playing in Summer League. He played 27 minutes per game and averaged 12.5 points, and 4.2 rebounds. Edwards really needs to find a way to tighten up his ball-handling which might open up some opportunities for him to score off of simple two-dribble drives. Edwards dished eight assists in Vegas but had eleven turnovers. …Jalen Slawson, the Kings late second round pick that I was previously very high on, lacked aggression and was largely forgettable. Perhaps spending time in the G-League will unlock his potential.

While Colby Jones played well in Sacramento at the California Classic, he was exactly the opposite in Las Vegas. Jones’ shooting splits in Vegas were downright putrid (39% FG, 23.8% 3-pt. FG, 42.9% FT). The 34th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft played four games but exited the fourth game after a hard fall following a dunk attempt. We’ve watched enough of Jones to not be concerned with the small sample size of yuck in Las Vegas. The only truth about his Vegas play is the poor free-throw shooting which has been on the decline since his freshman season at Xavier.

In conclusion

The overall annual run in Las Vegas is an absolute must for any hardcore basketball fan. It is an event I will probably always look forward to attending. LIVE action is the best way to educate yourself about players and the NBA Las Vegas Summer League gives you the chance to see parts of up to eight games in one day.

Pay attention to the airfare sales and book early for 2024. The first Friday after the 4th of July is traditionally the start date.

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