2023 NBA Summer League winners and losers: Victor Wembanyama gets redemption; Brandon Miller struggles

Ah, NBA Summer season League. Nothing like flocking to a metropolis with a median temperature of 148 levels to cram right into a packed fitness center and watch gamers you have by no means heard of compete for a group’s remaining roster spot. I child, I child — nicely, form of.

This 12 months’s Summer season Leagues (Sacramento, Salt Lake Metropolis and Las Vegas) have been significantly thrilling as a consequence of a contemporary crop of rookies, led by probably generational expertise Victor Wembanyama. His time in Vegas began with a surreal encounter with Britney Spears and ended with one of the crucial spectacular video games of the summer time.

In the meantime different rookies did not fare as nicely, whether or not as a consequence of harm or poor on-court efficiency. As at all times, it is essential to understand that a participant’s first summer time is hardly a surefire predictor of his profession trajectory, so take all the things with a really massive flake of Himalayan sea salt.

That being stated, here is a have a look at a couple of of the winners and losers from 2023 NBA Summer season League with issues set to wrap up on Monday evening.

Winner: Victor Wembanyama

Let’s simply get this one out of the way in which early. Not solely did Wembanyama trigger extra hype than any Summer season League participant in historical past, however he additionally had his personal mini-redemption story within the two video games that he performed in Las Vegas.

The haters have been out in full power after a disappointing 2-for-13 debut during which Wembanyama regarded bodily outmatched. However the 7-foot-4 alien responded with a superb efficiency two nights later, placing up 27 factors, 12 rebounds and three blocks on 9-for-14 taking pictures, together with 2-of-4 from 3-point vary.

Maybe most impressively, Wembanyama clearly elevated his recreation because the san antonio spurs clawed their method again into the sport towards the Blazers within the fourth quarter, when he scored 10 factors on 4-for-5 taking pictures. He regarded more and more energetic and enthusiastic as the sport received nearer, pumping his fists and screaming after key defensive stops.

General, Wembanyama confirmed us all the things that makes him top-of-the-line prospects in NBA historical past — the shot-blocking, shot-making and talent to impression video games in seemingly each method. Secure to say the Spurs did not make a mistake with this one.

Accidents at all times suck, however they significantly suck for rookies making an attempt to point out out of their first NBA motion. Henderson and Thompson, the No. 3 and No. 4 picks, respectively, in June’s draft, have been nicely on their method to doing so earlier than being pressured out of Summer season League with illnesses.

The way forward for the Blazers, who will change into their current as quickly as Damian Lillard lastly heads elsewhere, Henderson impressed with 15 factors and 6 assists in 21 minutes earlier than struggling a proper shoulder harm that knocked him out for the remainder of Summer season League. The midrange regarded good, and he confirmed off nice imaginative and prescient within the half-court.

“I believe I performed fairly clean,” Henderson stated after the sport. “I do know there’s areas I undoubtedly want to enhance on, simply little issues in my recreation the place I believe I can actually excellent and grasp. However, you recognize, first recreation.”

In the meantime, in the identical recreation, Thompson stuffed up the stat sheet with 16 factors, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 blocks and 4 steals earlier than struggling an ankle harm that is anticipated to sideline him for two-to-three weeks. He confirmed off the ability, velocity and talent that makes him such an thrilling prospect as a 6-7 level guard.

Each will presumably be prepared for an unhindered coaching camp, however each Henderson and Thompson need to be dissatisfied that they could not get a bit extra run of their first (and presumably solely) Summer season League competitors.

Should you forgot about Chet Holmgren, do not feel dangerous. We principally hadn’t seen him in a 12 months, since he suffered a foot harm throughout a Seattle Professional-Am recreation final summer time that triggered him to overlook the whole thing of what would have been his rookie season with the Oklahoma City Thunder. As a substitute Holmgren will push his first NBA season to 2023-24, and he reminded all of us throughout Summer season League why he was such a ballyhooed prospect out of Gonzaga.

Not solely did final 12 months’s No. 2 general decide look wholesome and spry (he stated that his foot “feels nice,” and that if he did not have the scar, he would not even keep in mind that he had surgical procedure), however he additionally showcased his intriguing, multi-faceted talent set. In his first motion of the summer time, Holmgren put up 12.5 factors, 10 rebounds and three.5 blocks over two video games in Utah. He continued to progress in his two video games in Las Vegas, averaging 20.5 factors, 9.5 rebounds and three.5 blocks.

Holmgren’s rim safety was his standout talent, as he rejected photographs from the weak aspect with reckless abandon — together with a number of dunk makes an attempt.

He additionally confirmed off some fancy, basic footwork within the put up.

Although he did not shoot the ball nicely from 3-point vary over the summer time, that can presumably be part of Holmgren’s recreation as nicely. What is evident, nevertheless, is that he’ll instantly be a borderline-elite rim protector who can end on the rim and facilitate from the highest of the important thing. This was an awesome begin to what is going to hopefully be a wholesome and productive rookie season.

“He is enjoying like he by no means received injured, which is dope,” Thunder ahead Jalen Williams stated of Holmgren. “I believe plenty of guys in all probability have that wall the place they’re kinda afraid to do plenty of issues. You’ll be able to kinda see him go on the market and belief his work.”

With all of the requisite caveats that that is Summer season League and isn’t an correct predictor of future success … No. 2 general decide Brandon Miller did not have an awesome July. He had almost as many fouls as area aim makes an attempt in two passive video games in Sacramento, and he clearly wasn’t going to let that occur once more in Vegas, the place he averaged 16 photographs per recreation. The issue was that he solely made 35 % of them, together with 26 % from 3-point vary.

Miller did end the summer time on a excessive be aware, nevertheless, placing up 26 factors and 6 rebounds on 8-for-15 taking pictures towards the Blazers earlier than the Hornets shut him down.

There’s completely nothing improper with a rookie averaging 17 factors and eight rebounds on low effectivity in Summer season League, however Miller has the additional weight of being chosen one spot forward of Scoot Henderson, who many specialists ranked because the second-best participant within the draft. They’ll be linked, not less than early of their careers, so the microscope will probably be on Miller to show his price. It is not remotely honest, however that is simply the truth of how this stuff work, and Miller’s profession did not get off to the very best begin in Summer season League.

Winner: Jabari Smith Jr.

Yearly there’s not less than one second-year participant who reveals why he has completely no enterprise being at Summer season League. This time round, that participant was Jabari Smith Jr. The 2022-23 All-Rookie Rockets ahead wasn’t messing round, averaging 35.5 factors, seven rebounds and 4 assists earlier than being shut down after simply two video games.

He took benefit of a captive viewers awaiting Victor Wembanyama’s debut, drilling a buzzer-beating, game-winning 3-pointer from 28 toes away towards the Trail Blazers.

Smith then abused the Pistons to the tune of 38 factors, seven rebounds and 6 assists, laughing and crowing to his Rockets teammates watching courtside. At one level, Detroit middle James Wiseman tried to protect Smith, who took exception to such audacity and drilled a step-back 3-pointer in his face.

Smith is not essentially assured main minutes as a consequence of Houston’s offseason additions, in order that they need to be happy to see him take Summer season League significantly and dominate the way in which he did. Maybe most spectacular have been his playmaking — his four-assist common dwarfs his rookie mark of 1.3 per recreation — and the truth that he took 27 free throws in two video games after averaging fewer than three final season.

Loser: Sanity

Summer season League is at all times stuffed with missteps, foibles and fouls — oh, the fouls! However this summer time gave us a bad-basketball particular: A participant scoring on the improper basket. Sure, Dallas Mavericks ahead Marcus Bingham Jr. was the topic of common ridicule when he coasted in for a dunk on what seemed to be the opposite group’s basket.

However wait!

It seems that Bingham was the one sane one within the constructing, because the referees screwed up royally by not solely organising the play on the improper aspect of the courtroom, but in addition by giving the ball to the improper group. The Mavericks had made a 3-pointer on the earlier play, however the officers awarded them the ball as soon as once more — going the improper method — following a timeout.

Yup, that is when you recognize your time in Las Vegas must be coming to an finish.