Photo Courtesy of Lucas Peltier/USA Today Sports/Reuters
The NBA Summer League is still going on, and so many young players are making names for themselves. The Summer League is a great opportunity for rookies to showcase their skills. It also gives second year players, players who are in the G-League and fighting for an NBA spot and undrafted players to show what they can do. The Summer League is an exciting time, and this year, there have been some great performances. Here are three standouts in this year’s Summer League.
1.) Victor Wembanyama
When it comes to the 2023 No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama, there is a lot of hype. Wembanyama is a skilled player who everyone has heard of by now. He is arguably the most hyped player since LeBron James back in 2003. And it is rightfully so. That hype carried into the Summer League. Fans wanted to see the young player in action, and he made his debut against the No. 2 pick of this year’s draft, Brandon Miller, and the Charlotte Hornets. The arena was packed and everyone wanted to see him play. However, he did not have the best showing.
Wembanyama finished his first game with nine points, eight rebounds and five blocks. He showed flashes of what he is capable of, but ultimately it was not what people expected. However, the game had 1,386,000 viewers and is the second most-watched Summer League game ever. The first was Zion Williamson’s debut.
Wembanyama bounced back in his second game with 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. He also shot well from the field as he shot 9-of-14. He also made two 3-pointers. The second game was what fans expected and is what Wembanyama may do throughout the season. He showed what he can do on both ends of the floor and how skilled he truly is. And while the San Antonio Spurs decided to shut him down for the rest of the Summer League, his second game showed everyone all they need to know: Wembanyama is an exceptional player, and will be a force in this league.
2.) Jabari Smith Jr.
Jabari Smith Jr. was the third pick of the 2022 draft. As a second-year player, he is participating in Summer League, and he is playing well in it. Smith is currently the leading scorer in Summer League, as he averages 35.5 points. He also averages seven rebounds and four assists. He started Summer League off with a bang as he finished his first game with 33 points. He scored 29 of those points in the second half of that game. He also made a game-winning 3-pointer which led to the Houston Rockets’ 100-99 win. Then, he followed up with 38 points in his next game.
Smith has had some impressive showings, and he could carry that over to the regular season.
3.) Chet Holmgren
After missing last season with a foot injury, Chet Holmgren is back in action. Holmgren recently put up 25 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks in a win over the Indiana Pacers. Before that, Holmgren had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Holmgren is putting up solid numbers, and after an unfortunate injury last year, he looks like he is ready to make some noise in the NBA. He has also bulked up a bit, which makes him even tougher.
Holmgren is playing well, and while the attention will be on Wembanyama, Holmgren could be a Rookie of the Year candidate by the end of the season (as like Blake Griffin and Ben Simmons, his injury prevented him from playing in his draft year).
The Summer League will come to an end on Monday, and by that time, there will be even more standout performances.