The Las Vegas Summer League has come and gone, ending what has been a long month of basketball for many scouts, general managers, and especially players looking for the chance to prove their NBA worth.
So who proved the most? Who disappointed the most? A lot of players stood out -- for better or worse -- in Vegas, and below is my list of the ones who really caught my eye.
MOST IMPRESSIVE PLAYER
PG, Denver Nuggets
Stats: 12 points, 5.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds
Mudiay didn't win the Most Valuable Player award for the event, and wasn't even named to the All-Summer League first team. But what Mudiay did do in Las Vegas was rather remarkable given the fact that he needed to transition from playing less than 400 competitive minutes in China last season to the NBA game. Mudiay's performance made you remember that just a year ago he was named the consensus No. 2 overall high school player in the country behind Jahlil Okafor.
He basically lived in the paint, showing off the immaculate instincts in the pick-and-roll that he's been known for throughout his career. His first step and court vision, both of which you love to see in lead guards, were also impressive. Yeah, the shooting still isn't great and the turnovers were a problem as he increasingly tried to do too much throughout the course of the week. But overall, the package of skills that we saw this week looked more translatable to the NBA than many of the other players in town this week. And with Ty Lawson being moved to the Rockets in a deal that opened up the starting point guard spot in Denver, Mudiay couldn't have picked a better time to cause a stir with a sublime week.
BEST SECOND-YEAR PLAYER
Stats: 22 points, 5.8 rebounds
Anderson was the official Summer League MVP this year as he led the Spurs to the title under Becky Hammon. His shooting stroke is a lot smoother than it was at UCLA, even if it's still a bit slow developing. He's also added a nice one-footed fadeaway to his repertoire, and his ball-handling has improved to a point where he's a legitimate threat to take more athletic players off the dribble.
With the current makeup of San Antonio's team, it's hard to see Anderson getting many minutes at the 4, where he saw the bulk of his time in Vegas. However, he could be an option at the 3 if he can show the ability to defend at a decent level.
BEST SECOND-ROUNDER
Stats: 18.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks
Powell was an exciting player in Las Vegas, showcasing a frankly pretty rare brand of athletic power and grace -- particularly for a second-rounder. He was a physical presence on defense, a terror in transition, and he has a motor that won't quit. But the most encouraging development was his shooting. His jump shot looks less hitchy than it did at UCLA this past year, and that could really pay dividends for the Raptors this season, who could use his defense and athleticism on the perimeter.
BEST UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT
F/C, Houston Rockets
Stats: 20.5 points, 11.8 rebounds
Williams was the leading rookie scorer and the leading rebounder period in Vegas, an impressive accomplishment for anyone let alone a guy went undrafted. I've written extensively about Williams, and it's a surprise to me that no one has picked him up yet. He's the kind of guy that could get a pretty solid guarantee in Europe early on in his career, so a team might have to pony up on their partial guarantee to get him to commit to them. It might be worth it though to get this big-bodied rebounding machine.
MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER
Stats: 11.5 points, four rebounds, 39.5 percent shooting
Randle is coming off of a pretty horrific broken leg, but starting in April the reports about his progress had been pretty positive. His showing in Vegas was probably a bit of a step back, as many of the questions some had about him came to fruition. He struggled to finish around the rim, trying to go through everyone as opposed to trying different strategies. He also didn't rebound well, and just generally didn't look as impressive athletically as he did at Kentucky.
Overall, I'm not worried about Randle. I like him as a prospect and think he'll continue to develop. As you'll see in the next section, the Lakers were kind of a mess as a whole in Vegas which makes it hard for anyone to find a groove. Still, this wasn't the kind of performance that many were expecting to see from last season's No. 7 pick.
MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAM
Record: 1-4
With Randle, D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson, along with Robert Upshaw, Italian League MVP Tony Mitchell and a few other NBA players, this had the potential to be the best team in Las Vegas. Instead, no one was put in position to succeed outside of Clarkson, who looked so good in Vegas that even he couldn't be brought down by the rest of the group. Russell struggled some this week, rarely getting a chance to showcase his terrific instincts in the pick-and-roll.
A lot of this can be laid at the feet of Mark Madsen and the coaching staff, which really didn't put this team in good positions at all. Instead of playing to the team's strengths on offense, the Lakers ran a ton of Princeton sets and didn't allow their creative guards, namely Russell, to free wheel enough. On defense, they spent a lot of time playing zone (why?), and rotationally, they didn't get interesting guys like Mitchell and Upshaw a ton of minutes to get a strong look at them. So basically, they lost, didn't run anything resembling a useful scheme, and didn't get a look at the interesting guys they needed to get a look at. Not exactly what you're hoping for if you're an organization trying to rebuild.
VETERAN FREE AGENT MOST LIKELY TO GET MINUTES NEXT SEASON
Stats: 14.4 points, 2.0 assists, 1.6 steals
This one is all about opportunity. Wilbekin has secured a four-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers as a reward for his terrific performance both here and in Orlando. He's improved tremendously as a shooter since going undrafted last season, plus he's a steady hand who can be trusted to defend and not turn the ball over. Given those skills, it wouldn't be crazy to see him make the 76ers and get legitimate minutes on their team. He'll be battling for a roster spot with T.J. McConnell, Pierre Jackson and Isaiah Canaan.
MOST EXCITING PLAYER
Jonathon Simmons
G/F, San Antonio Spurs
Stats: 16 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Simmons was the resident dunker in Las Vegas, seemingly throwing down slams from every angle for the Spurs. He earned himself a contract with the team with a terrific Orlando Summer League, then solidified himself in the Vegas event by forcing turnovers, knocking down his share of shots, and showing off his athleticism at every chance. His deal is fully guaranteed for this season, per Shams Charania of RealGM.com, so he should be on the Spurs' 15-man roster this season.
BEST PLAY
Stats: 17.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, one massive block
When Tarik Black went up for a massive dunk in the lane, he likely thought he would finish relatively easily. Then, Justin Anderson happened.
Anderson had a pretty terrific Summer League on the whole, knocking down some shots and showing an ability to defend 2-4. He's as physical a rookie wing/forward as you'll find, and if he shows the ability to create off the dribble at any point he'll have a chance to be a really special player in the NBA.
MOST "SUMMER LEAGUE" PERFORMANCE IN VEGAS
C, Denver Nuggets
Stats: 21 points, 8 rebounds, 6-11 shooting, 3-6 from 3, zero turnovers
Listen, I was sitting courtside for this entire performance, and I'm still not sure this game actually happened. Every time the 31-year-old former first-round pick knocked down shots, the entire Nuggets bench just went wild for him. They were enjoying it as much as anyone else. Pecherov knocked down shots from every spot on the floor, including three 3s, another midrange jumper, and some lay-ups off cuts. The entire environment was pretty awesome, and if it was the last time we see Pecherov on this side of the Atlantic, it was one hell of a way to go out.
PLAYERS WHO EARNED CONTRACTS AT SUMMER LEAGUE
- Jordan Mickey: We'll start with Mickey, who earned basically a first-round pick's contract with his incredible Summer League both in Las Vegas and in Utah. He got four years, $5 million from the Celtics after being a second-round pick in the draft. Boston's roster is loaded with players at his position, but it'll be interesting to see if he earns a spot.
- Duje Dukan: Dukan was signed by the Sacramento Kings after performing well for their Summer League team. He's a forward that likely will spend a lot of time with D-League Reno if he decides not to go overseas.
- Jarrid Famous: Famous earned a partially guaranteed contract with the Dallas Mavericks. He's a great rebounder that is also mobile enough to play on the perimeter. He'll have a legitimate chance to make that team.
- Keith Appling: Appling will be on a two-year deal with the Orlando Magic with a partially guaranteed first year. He was great for them in Orlando, and will have a chance to stick as their third point guard.
- Michale Kyser: Kyser is an athletic forward out of Louisiana Tech who didn't really do a ton in Vegas. He'll probably be with Toronto's new D-League team to start the year after getting a partial guarantee.
- Axel Toupane: Toupane is a long wing who can shoot a bit from the outside. He's also likely going to be on the Raptors new D-League team after agreeing to a partial guarantee.
- Ronald Roberts: A third Raptors signing, Roberts is a pretty pure athlete who would look solid for the Raptors' D-League team and might be able to get a roster spot. He's on a partial guarantee.
- Pierre Jackson: Jackson got a four-year deal with the 76ers with the first year guaranteed. Jackson's a terrific athlete that the organization showed faith in last season despite him missing the season due to injury. This was somewhat expected though, as he repaid the favor by signing with them after a solid performance.
- Cristiano Felicio: Felicio is a big man from Brazil who the Bulls signed to a two-year, non-guaranteed deal. Given their roster, he looks more like camp fodder right now.
- Seth Curry: It would be impossible to write about the 2015 Summer League without mentioning Curry, who was terrific for the Pelicans. The team is unsure about whether they will offer him a deal, but if they don't someone else likely will.
- Maurice Ndour: Ndour was on the Knicks, and he showed a high level of activity to go with his athleticism and potential to become a really strong shooter. But the Knicks seem to have cooled on inviting him to training camp. He should garner an invite from someone if he doesn't go overseas first.
- Sean Kilpatrick: Kilpatrick is very old for a second-year player, but he also showed enough here to make you wonder if he's talented enough to make it as his game stands right now. He's long, athletic, cares defensively, and really shot well in Vegas. He might be worth a flier.
- Larry Drew II: He was the best passing vet in town this week. His problem is that he's only an average shooter and can't finish at the rim. But man, does he make plays for others. I think he'll get another NBA shot at some point.
- Mike James: The Suns' point guard is a little ball of kinetic energy and athleticism, constantly a threat to score off the dribble or in transition with an incredible dunk. He might be a little too small to guard anyone, but his offensive skill is NBA-caliber, and sometimes that's enough of a reason to take a shot on someone.
- Justin Dentmon: Another small scorer, Dentmon is a tremendous shooter. He might be best off over in Europe, but a team could do worse than bringing him to camp.
- Jonathan Holmes: Holmes looked really good throughout the event for the Celtics, who are in kind of a tough situation as far as keeping him around due to their overloaded roster. He looked like a potential NBA stretch-4 all summer, as he knocked down 45 percent of his 3s for the Cs. A smart team would do well to steal him away from them before the Celtics get their chance.
- Jarell Eddie: Eddie was with the Hawks briefly last year, never appearing in a game. He was with the Spurs in Summer League this year, showing off his ridiculous 3-point stroke by knocking down 50 percent from outside. His shooting alone is worth a flier given his solid size for a wing.
- Malcolm Thomas: He was his typical bundle of energy for Portland, grabbing boards and defending well as a skinny 6-9 athlete. He's probably a bit too stuck in-between positions, but he played well here and might be worth an invite.
- Brandon Ashley: Whether you think Ashley is an NBA player or not depends on how you feel about his shot. If you think it's still too slow-developing, then he's probably not. But if you think you can continue to work with it in the D-League, he's worth a shot as a potentially active stretch-4.
- Aaron Craft: I'd imagine he'll be in camp with the Warriors, but if you need a defensive-minded third point guard who might not kill you offensively anymore, Craft is the guy to take a chance on.
- Khem Birch: Active big man that rebounds and blocks shots. There are basically never enough of those in the league, so Birch should get a deal from someone to come in and compete for a roster spot.
