Who have been the best players in the NBA Summer League 2022 so far?
Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren may have been the headliners of the Summer League, but there are some second year players that are outperforming both.
The NBA Summer League give us our first glimpse and the recent draft class rising to the league in the upcoming season, while giving some second year guys some steady playing time they didn’t have last season.
Banchero and Holmgren show up in debuts
While all eyes are on the top draft picks of the 2022 NBA Draft, there are plenty of second year players that are making the most of their opportunity this summer.
Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero have been making headlines with their Summer League stats, but some of the second year guys are the ones in the running for MVP from Las Vegas.
Moses Moody, Golden State Warriors
Moody waited until Vegas to go wild. In the California Classic he averaged just 11 ppg, but he blew up for 34 points against the Knicks in the first game of the Summer League from Las Vegas. He sat against San Antonio, but put up 21 and 4 assists. It’s not like the Warriors need much more help on the offensive end, but if Moody can provide some minutes for Golden State this season, it would make them even more dangerous.
Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets have Thomas back in the Summer League after winning Co-MVP last year, and he looks to be on a similar path this year. He put up 31 points in the Nets debut against the Milwaukee Bucks. He followed that up with a 26 and 7 assist performance against Philadelphia after being advised by his coaches to move the ball around more. In his final game, Thomas dropped 29 against the Grizzlies, to finish his Summer League averaging 29 ppg.
Quentin Grimes, New York Knicks
It’s like Grimes is dedicating his performance to Kobe Bryant. In all three of the Knicks Summer League games he has dropped 24 points. He should be credited not just for his scoring, but or his consistency as well. Last year’s 25th pick in the draft had 24 and eight in the win over the Warriors, and put up another 24 against the Bulls before playing Portland and posting another 24.
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Chet Holmgren stunned in his Summer League debut against the Utah Jazz. He showed everything the Thunder were hoping to see in their number two overall draft pick. He was money with his jumper, banged on the boards and used that lengthy body frame to block six shots. He had 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a performance that drew praise from Kevin Durant. He sat next game against Philadelphia, then put up a double double with 16 points and 10 rebounds against Paolo Banchero and Orlando. His numbers dipped against Jabari Smith Jr. and the Rockets scoring 12 and 8. The Thunder have one more game, against Sacramento tonight, we will have to see if they want to showcase Holmgren one last time.
Keegan Murray
The Kings number four overall pick in this year’s draft has played five games between the California Classic and the Summer League in Las Vegas. He had 26 in his Cali Classic debut, and ended that tournament scoring 19.7 ppg. He had 20 points and 9 rebounds against Orlando and then 23 against Indiana. Murray will have one last chance to impress against Oklahoma City tonight, but he is looking like not only the best Summer Leaguer in the rookie class but maybe the best player altogether.