The 10 Most Interesting Players in NBA’s Summer League You Might Have Missed
It’s a 20 point game with four minutes left and the Clippers are up and defending a inbounds play. Wes Washpun’s (Clipper player) man has to get the ball to run the play. Normal people let their opponent get the ball when they’re up by this much, but Washpun is inside his man’s jersey 30 feet from the basket because he will not let him get the ball. The pass comes anyways and Washpun lays out and knocks the ball back out of bounds forcing his opponent to run another play and give up on getting his man the ball.
Why the fervor in a game that’s essentially over? This is a normal occurrence in NBA Summer League games.
While older players get payed buckets of cash, younger guys slug it out in practice facilities hoping to gain experience, make a roster or show an executive they are deserving of a 10-day contract later in the season.
Summer league games are strange because guys, mostly in their early 20s, play as hard as they possibly can to make money in a gym that’s smaller than some high schools. It can be incredibly sad for kids that will never be closer to their NBA dreams while others are taking the first step into the league.
While plenty of heartbreak is in store for most of these players, plenty have a reason to be excited because they have a guaranteed spot on a roster. This is a good way to beat up on lesser competition (Justise Winslow and Devin Booker), to ease into NBA speed (Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram) or get used to America (Dragan Bender).
Why should you watch?
There are a lot of reasons like watching young superstars play basketball before the season starts. Summer League players are more driven for those few games to perform than ever before because the stakes are high. Also some of the players have interesting narratives or unique styles of play that we won’t be able to see in the NBA this regular season.
This list is about the 10 most interesting or entertaining players in the summer league this year. It will not include anyone who was a lottery pick or already played substantial minutes in the NBA because those guys get plenty of press already. This is about underdogs and weirdos.
Honorable Mentions
Dakari Johnson- Thunder and Aaron Harrison- Hornets
These guys were a part of one of the greatest college basketball teams ever in the 2014–2015 UK Wildcats and linked together after Johnson raved about Harrisons’ guts and “testicular fortitude” during March Madness. Besides that both have a shot to make their team’s rosters and will play lots of minutes throughout summer league, allowing us to watch a lot of them as they perform pretty well against the lesser competition
Damion Lee- Heat
He’s probably already peaked in summer league after hitting a long buzzer beater. His release from that distance still looks as effortless as a corner three. That shot made my roommate, a Louisville fan, text me this fan fiction about Lee:
“Ten days ago, LeBron James further solidified his position in the argument of who is the greatest basketball player of all-time. After exercising total physical dominance in a seven-game slugfest against the defending champion Warriors. He returned to Cleveland with his third championship in hand. It was a historic performance that will be talked about for generations to come; however, it was seemingly struck from out minds because a new contender for NBA GOAT has steeped into the ring. Damion Lee, undrafted guard out of Louisville, wrote his name into the history books by banking in an 88 foot jumper as the first quarter of the Miami Heat’s opening summer league game expired.
LeBron who? Thats what I thought.
Lee then walked off the court, glowing, brimming with the swagger of a man who knows he belongs in the conversation with the likes of Jordan, Bird, Scalabrine, Russel and Magic. As quickly as he stormed into our hearts he was gone. Lee did not return to the floor for the second quarter. He announced his retirement at the peak of his professional career, looking down upon us, his inferiors, from his proverbial Kilimanjaro. Forty-seven minutes ago I had no idea the world was about to change forever. Thank you Damion Lee. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
Those three paragraphs, and the fact that Lee is a solid player that knows how to score and distribute, makes him exciting to watch.
10. Mitch McGary- Thunder
McGary is one of the most interesting and goofy guys in the NBA. He’s an avid skateboarder and drove for Uber to make money. Can you imagine getting picked up by a massive human like McGary? I would walk away immediately and tell him he has the wrong guy out of fear. McGary is also talented and knows how to use his size well. He struggles finishing around the rim at times, but he should beat up on some of the lesser competition as he fights for minutes with Sabonis and others now that Ibaka and Durant are gone.
9. Stephen Sir- Bucks
Sir is 33 years old, and appears to be the oldest guy playing in summer league by 4–5 years. He has a highlight video of midrange highlights and — despite how weird that sounds — looks like he might be pretty good. The idea of a 33 year old playing with a 19(or maybe 22) year-old, raw prospect like Thon Maker is one of the most interesting things about this year’s summer games. Sir is the embodiment of never giving up on your dreams this year and watching him push against the grain of a system that values youth and “potential” is interesting. Also, his name is Sir, meaning that coaches and his teammates have to call him “sir” which is perfect for the wily, old vet.
8. James Young and RJ Hunter- Celtics
These two are considered the same because they are, basically, the same exact player. They have almost the same exact measurables and the same strengths and weaknesses. Their goal is to outdo the other by scoring a ton. As 6’6’’, skinny wings that shoot the ball well from deep expect a shootout every game, but instead of it being the Celtics trying to jack more threes than their opponents it will be Young and Hunter both calling for the ball almost every possession leading to some interesting moments on and off the court.
7. Skal Labissiere- Kings
The Kentucky big man fell from a top two pick all the way to the bottom of the first round due to his soft play and struggles in college. He was, at one time, heralded as a part of the evolution of the NBA with 7 footers who can shoot threes and block shots on defense. He has a smooth stroke and is a good shooter for his size while totaling a crazy amount of blocks for his minutes he played at the end of the season (He also fouls out super fast because he’s weak and lacks defensive skills besides blocking shots by lesser competition). He has top-10 talent and length and these summer games are the best way to get a feel for how long it will be until we see “The Big Haitian” play actual NBA minutes.(It may be a long time since they already have a ton of bigs).
6. Russ Smith- Trail Blazers
Smith is really good at one thing — scoring lots of points. He broke the D-League record for points in a game with 65 points while going 1–5 from three. That takes true creativity from a man that stands at 6 feet tall. Smith’s problem is that he has to play defense or all those points don’t matter. His style is the opposite of what the “modern NBA” looks for, but that won’t stop him from trying to score every point for his team and driving himself into the lane and the hearts of the kind of people who watch NBA summer games. Smith’s goal should be to catch on as a Jamal Crawford-esque player off the bench somewhere and be an exciting, fun scorer off the bench.
5. Chinanu Onuaku and Montrezl Harrell- Rockets
The Rockets seem to have a thing for raw bigs from Louisville with weird names, drafting both around the same spot two years in a row. Harrell is undersized, can’t pretend he has any offensive game besides dunking, a high motor and can jump out of the gym. Onuaku has some offensive game and improved a lot last year in college which bodes well for improving more in the pros. He also shoots his free throws underhanded(granny style) so that he wouldn’t be a horrific free throw shooter. Onuaku’s free throw stroke will be the topic of conversation often this year when he gets in, but it will also be an experiment for the rest of the league to see whether it would actually help someone. He provides a potential solution to the Hack-A-Shaq problem and he’ll be fighting with Harrell for playing time with their different styles of play.
4. Tyler Ulis- Suns
Ulis stands at a mere 5’9” and is one of many interesting pieces the Suns will trot out this summer. Ulis was one of the best players in college last year and kept the Kentucky offense moving by consistently setting his teammates up with good looks and hitting shots all around the court. Defensively his size is a concern, but what makes him interesting is the way he moves like the Tasmanian Devil when on-ball to disrupt his opponent by being right on top of them. Getting picked in the second round this year instead of in the middle of the first like he was slated to be is sure to give him a chip on his shoulder and cause him to play out of his mind for a couple of games. Playing with Devin Booker and Dragan Bender will help too as he’ll be at the controls of a team that the rest of the summer league with a lot of young talent.
3. LA Clippers
The whole team is on here because there are several guys that are entertaining players or intriguing prospects. Wes Washpun embodies a young man desperate for a spot on an NBA team so much so that he’s laying out to knock away passes that don’t matter. Brice Johnson has a chance to contribute right away and will dominate guys in summer league with his tenacity on the boards and already has a good but not great offensive game. He’ll be entertaining as a guy who is clearly a cut above most younger players because of his strength and college experience. Diamond Stone has one of the greatest athlete names of all-time and is an incredibly talented big man that never quite put it all together at Maryland leading to his second round selection. And the Clippers have already given us one of the best highlights of the summer too as three of their players blocked the same shot.
2. Jameel Warney- Mavericks and Thomas Walkup- Warriors
Warney and Walkup were both tournament heroes from small schools that led their teams to victory. Walkup did basically everything for his team by bringing the ball up, scoring a lot of the points, rebounding well and playing solid defense. He’s an average NBA athlete at best, but has a 6’8” wingspan for his 6’4’’ frame which makes up for his lack of elite athleticism and translates well to a league that wants long guys on the wing that can be like a swiss army knife, contributing in multiple ways. His abilities to do everything will make him interesting as he may have 8 assists in one game and then 20 points and four steals in the next playing a totally different style of ball each time until he figures it out.
Warney is undersized, standing at 6’7” at best, but is also long with a 7’1” wingspan. He is an average athlete at best, but he makes up for it with great feel for the game and the desire to bang down low with the bigs. Watching a small college guy that beat up on almost every team he played will be interesting at this next level. Warney could be a train wreck on both sides, but he will immediately inject energy and grit into the game every time he comes in.
1. Kyle Kuric- Suns
Kuric’s place at the top is for two reasons. He had brain surgery to remove two tumors in November of 2015 and 8 months later he has a shot at a spot on an NBA team. That alone is incredible even if he wasn’t very exciting, cool or nice. I can’t even imagine exercising within a year after something like that, let alone playing a high level of basketball. He’s more than just a boring, run-of-the mill guy though; he loves dunking, despite standing at 6’4”. He won dunk of the year in 2011 and will be an exciting and dynamic player because he can shoot well from deep and will most likely show the same grit as Washpun.