Who have been the best players in the NBA Summer League 2023 so far?
Time is running out for NBA Summer Leaguers to impress, but there are a few names that have jumped out over the first week of the tournament.
The NBA Summer is a chance for those who are either coming into to their rookie year to get a first taste of basketball at the highest level, or for young guys to continue to improve in hopes to secure more of a role on a roster next year.
The headlines were dominated by Victor Wembanyama coming into the tournament, but now that he has been given the rest of the Summer League off we should be reverting our attention to some of the stars of the tournament so far.
Many of the names on this list are guys who have either played some minutes in the league, or spent time the G-League. That should show you how hard it is for rookies to just come in and shine from the start. There is one rookie who has made our list of top performers, while the other ones were drafted in years previous.
Without further ado, here are our top performers of the Summer League so far:
Jabari Smith Jr., Houston Rockets
The No. 3 overall pick from last year’s draft has been in sensational form. The Houston Rockets were a lousy team last year, but they are building a foundation of young players led by Smith Jr. and this year’s pick Amen Thompson. Smith has put up 30+ point games in both of the Rockets first two games, and this will only sky rocket his confidence after a rookie campaign in which he posted 13 and 7 a game. He sat out the Rockets third game, but I think it’s safe to say his job in done in Sin City.
Stats: 35.5 ppg, 7 rpg and 4 apg
Orlando Robinson, Miami Heat
Robinson has been the most effective big man in the tournament so far. After the Eastern Conference champions put him on a two way contract last year that saw him play most of the time with the Sioux Falls Skyforce they signed him to a regular contract after the season was done, and it looks like they made the right choice. He has been unstoppable down low for Miami scoring 36 and grabbing 11 rebound in the opener. He is almost averaging a double double and is the third leading scorer in the league after three games.
Stats: 25.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg and 2.5 apg
Lester Quiñones, Golden State Warriors
Could it be that the Golden State Warriors have had another hidden gem waiting to make the jump from the Santa Cruz G-League team? We have already seen Jordan Poole do so, and no it seems Quiñones is on the verge of getting regular time with Golden State. He has not shied away from this opportunity, jacking up 18.3 FG attempts a game, including nine three point attempts per contest. His shooting percentage could be a little better, but he has the biggest sample size of any of the top three players on this list with three games under his belt.
Stats: 24 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 4 apg
Jaden Hardy, Dallas Mavericks
We have already seen teasers of just how good of scorer Jaden Hardy can be. After getting more and more playing time towards the end of the year, he made a name for himself while ensuring a spot on the roster in the upcoming year. That didn’t stop him from participating in the Summer League, and his numbers are only going to help him. He’s another guy, like Quiñones, who is taking advantage of his time on the court by getting up shots, and a lot of them. He’s getting 18 FGs up a game and almost 10 threes. This kid is going to be the third scoring option to Luka and Kyrie very soon if he continues to play like he’s been playing.
Stats: 23 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.7 apg
Keyontae George, Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz’s first round pick in this years draft has been the best looking rookie in the Summer League so far. He had 33 and 10 in his debut over the Clippers on Friday night, and followed that up with 26 and 7 dishes to prove his first game was no fluke. He had a bit of a drop off scoring just 6 points, but in fairness to him he only played 10 minutes. It looks like the Jazz have a gem with their 16th overall pick from this spring’s NBA Draft, with many of the league experts comparing him to Jamal Murray. He’s got a long way to go before he reaches that level, but so far so good from the former Baylor Bear.
Stats: 21.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 6.3 apg