Who are the most interesting players to watch in the Las Vegas NBA Summer League 2023?

You may think that all the hype surrounding this year’s Summer League is centered around Victor Wembanyama, and you’re right for the most part. But when you take a look at this year’s rookie class, there is a lot to get excited about.

Wemby, Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller are just some of the players that will be looking to make a big splash with their first impression in the NBA. In the end, the Summer League will give us a little preview of what’s to come and as hard as it seems, we shouldn’t get too high on a rookie who puts up big numbers nor should we get too low on the youngsters that underperform over the next two weeks.

Here is our list of 10 players to keep an eye on during this years Summer League:

Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

After years and years of hype, it’s time to get our first look at Wemby. The 7′5″ anomaly that can put the ball on the deck and shoot the rock from outside is making his debut, and people are saying he is going to change the game forever. It’s unlikely he’ll do that in just a handful of games during the NBA 2K24 Summer League, but it’s about time we find out what all this hype is about. His debut against the Hornets is already sold out in Vegas, and millions of eyes around the world will be tuning for an otherwise meaningless tournament.

Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets knew exactly what they wanted with their No. 2 pick. They had a choice between Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller and they went with the crafty guard who is a sharp shooter from the outside. He had a disappointing NCAA Tournament, but made up for it with some great workouts before the Draft. He has already played two games in Sacramento in a preview to the Vegas Summer League, scoring 18 in the first game, but just 6 points in the second but he did dish seven assists to close out the California circuit.

Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers

It may be a lot to expect Scoot Henderson to be the new face of the franchise now that it seems Damian Lillard is on his way out of Portland, but with a name like Scoot, and a game like Henderson’s he looks just about as NBA ready as anyone in this rookie class. He’s got the body and the speed, he’s got the smarts and the hops and now he’s got a bone to pick after not being taken with the second pick in the Draft.

Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets

Amen was selected above his brother, and perhaps there’s a reason for that. They both have serious game, but Amen is the more athletic one who is going to be in charge of setting the pace and the tone to this Rockets squad. Run and gun will be the philosophy for this young team, and Amen is going to come into Houston trying to make them relevant for the first time in a long time.

Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons

Ausar was the fifth pick in the Draft, putting him and his brother in the history books as the only twins to be taken Top 5 in the same Draft. It’s hard to tell them apart on the court and off the court. They both play an up and down pace thanks to their incredible athleticism and high basketball IQ, and after getting selected after his brother, Ausar may have just a bit more to prove.

Bilial Coulibaly, Washington Wizards

Being the other Frenchman in the Top 10, Coulibaly may have been and still might be overlooked after going to the Washington Wizards with the 7th pick in the draft. He took advantage of all the attention that was turned on his teammate Victory Wembanyama at Metropolitans 92 and had a terrific surge at the second half of the season. He’s young, relatively unknown and looking to prove himself.

Chet Homlgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

It’s been a long road to recovery for the No. 2 overall draft pick from last year. Before there was a Victor Wembanyama, there was Chet Holmgren. He’s long, lengthy 7-footer who can handle the rock and pull up off the dribble while affecting shots on the defensive end. We saw glimpses of him in last year’s Summer League, but he sat out the entire season with a Lisfranc injury in his foot. He returned to the Thunder in Salt Lake City’s Summer League circuit and had 15 points and 4 blocks in his comeback.

Cam Whitmore, Houston Rockets

No one has a bigger chip on their shoulder than Cam Whitmore. The former Villanova Wildcat and almost certain lottery pick dropped out of the Top 5, and then out of the Top 10 before being taken 20th in by Houston. Some scouts said it was his workouts, others said it was his attitude in his workouts but what ever happened was enough to keep him hanging around for hours during the selection show. Now it’s time for him to show all the teams that passed on him that they made a mistake.

Jordan Hawkins, New Orleans Pelicans

There may not have been a bigger or more important piece to UCONN’s title run then Jordan Hawkins. He turned it on in the NCAA Tournament and led his team to the Final Four, scoring 20+ in the Sweet 16 and the Elite 8 and had 16 in the title game against SDSU. He’s joins a Pelican’s team that is on the cusp of being a real contender in the West, and he will be able to come in and help from the start.

Kobe Bufkin, Atlanta Hawks

The speedster from Michigan has an unlimited repetoir of highlight reel plays and is going to bring some real excitement to the ATL. He’s not the biggest of fastest guard coming out this year’s draft class, but the kid is fearless and is coming off of a sensational end to the season that will give him all the confidence in the world to come into Atlanta and be ready to make an impact early.