With most hoop heads impatiently waiting for the NBA season to start, the next best thing is to fly out to Las Vegas to catch the top rookie draft picks and hungry players looking to get an invite to training camp and battle it out. Luckily for me, I was in town this weekend and bought a ticket to see all the Saturday quarter final games at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus for only $30.
The NBA has been hosting its summer league in Las Vegas since 2004, and it is a great showcase for young, up-and-coming players and provides a cheap, family-friendly experience for people of all ages. As I walked into the stadium, I was able to find a seat about 10 rows back from the floor, which you would never be able to do at a regular NBA game.
The atmosphere at Summer League is unique because it is a lot quieter so you can hear fans yell at players and say some crazy things which can be both good and bad. I can definitely see the potential for an NBA team to come to Las Vegas, as the stadium was decently full considering it was just a Summer League game… but that is a discussion for another day. Here are my observations from two Saturday games and what you might be able to expect from some rookies once the ball is tipped off for real.
Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets (3:00 PM PST) 82-81
This game was by far the most exciting of the day with arguably the most star power. The Suns featured first round draft pick (4th overall) Dragan Bender and second round pick Tyler Ulis, while the Nuggets threw out the lethal scoring backcourt duo of Jimmer Fredette and first round pick Jamal Murray (7th overall).
For those wondering if Bender will turn out to be the next Kristaps Porzingis, I would say that he is a long way off from making that type of impact. Bender was very hesitant on his jump shots, and would pump fake or pass up the shot even when wide open at the top of the key. He shot a terrible 3-12 and 2-9 from beyond the arc, ending up with 9 points on the day. He will need to bulk up considerably and become more aggressive to reach his full potential as the next Porzingis or Dirk.
Jamal Murray, the Nuggets top pick showed his potential to be an elite combo guard in the league. He was able to beat his defender all game long with a mix of dribble penetration moves and pull-up jumpers on his way to a 29-point game on 13-26 shooting. He almost had the game winning layup with 1.8 seconds to go but I will get to that later.
For those looking to see a glimpse of Jimmer-mania at UNLV once more, it was a disappointing day. Jimmer played 34 minutes but struggled to find his shot and had a hard time staying in front of his man on defense. He was aggressive going to the rim and got fouled on many of his drives but was unable to get calls, still finishing with a respectable 16 points. This may be his last shot at making an NBA team, and I hope that despite this poor performance he will still have another opportunity.
The game was decided in the last possession thanks to an unbelievable performance by Tyler Ulis, who should have been a first round pick as I predicted in my Mock Draft. Standing only 5’9″, Ulis looked like a boy amongst men out there, but his game was by far the most mature. Playing with poise beyond his years, Ulis uses his hesitation dribble and crossover effectively like CP3 or a young Allen Iverson.
He is able to create space with his quickness and rise up against his defender to get his shot off which usually hits the bottom of the net. Ulis finished the game with 19 points but none of them were more memorable than on the last play of the game in OT when he inbounded the ball and got it back for the game-winning 3-point buzzer beater that was at least five feet behind the line. He should see playing time this season paired with his college backcourt mate Devin Booker. With these two former Kentucky teammates reunited, the future of the Suns looks very bright.
Chicago Bulls vs. Washington Wizards (5:00 PM PST) 88-85
This game was less exciting as it lacked a high-profile rookie and the most highly touted player was Kelly Oubre Jr. on the Wizards. Even though it lacked the hype, there was still a lot of substance to go around as the Bulls had some impressive performances from second year forward Bobby Portis and rookie Denzel Valentine (14th overall).
Let’s start with Valentine, who I can guarantee will be a fan favorite in Chicago once he breaks into the rotation. Valentine has a very high basketball IQ which is not surprising since he played for legendary coach Tom Izzo at Michigan State. He always seems to make the right play and will knock down the open 3-point shot more often than not. He finished 4-6 from 3-point range and surprised me by setting up his teammates with crisp bounce passes while adding a team high 10 rebounds.
For those Bulls fans who wanted to see what Bobby Portis could do, you were not disappointed. Portis showed early that he can spread the floor and he’s very comfortable launching 3-pointers from the top of the key as he was 3-4 from deep. Portis also displayed a nice array of post up moves and could easily get by his defender for high percentage shots around the rim. He should receive an uptick in minutes this season with the departure of Joakim Noah to the Knicks.
If you are looking for a young point guard to step up for the Bulls this year with the absence of Derrick Rose, I would advise to keep searching. Newly acquired Knicks point guard Jerian Grant played terribly and was a ball hog for much of the game. He was an abysmal 0-7 from 3-point range and struggled to find teammates with his passes. If he does not improve, the Bulls likely will need to find another veteran point guard to back up Rajon Rondo.
Last but not least was the performance of Kelly Oubre Jr., last season’s top draft pick (15th overall) of the Washington Wizards out of Kansas. Oubre is extremely athletic and can disrupt passing lanes with the best of them, but he is very limited as a scorer. He finished with a respectable 17 points on 4-15 shooting but was only 1-7 from 3-point range. For a second year player he has not improved much since last season and excels only at finishing at the rim if given an open lane. On the plus side, Oubre signed autographs for fans after the game which made a lot of kids happy.
Overall, my first experience at the 2016 NBA Summer League was great and I will definitely come back next year to see the league’s top rookies make a name for themselves. Until next time Vegas!
