Who to watch in Summer League after San Antonio Spurs sit Wembanyama
There is still a week left in the NBA Summer League, and Victor Wembanyama has been sidelined, but there are plenty of players to keep an eye on in Vegas.
NBA fans might be disappointed with the news that Victor Wembanyama is going to be sitting on the sidelines for the rest of the NBA’s Summer League in Las Vegas, but there is still plenty of star power left in Sin City. With a week remaining until a Summer League champion is crowned, these are the players you should be watching.
Jabari Smith Jr., Houston Rockets
Last year’s No. 3 overall pick has been on a tear through his first two games of the Summer League. He had decent rookie season on a terrible team last year, and is not just showing improvement, but is showing his desire to get better and make his team better by participating in the offseason tournament for a second straight year. In two games he has posted games of 33 and 38 including hitting the game winner against the Portland Trail Blazers on the opening day of the Summer League.
Stats: 35.5 ppg, 7 rpg, 4 apg
Keyonte George, Utah Jazz
George has been without a question the best looking rookie in the Summer League so far. The 16th pick in the draft dropped 33 and 10 assists in his debut the win over the Clippers on Friday night. He had 26 and 7 assists in Utah’s second game, hitting five of 10 threes and leading the Jazz to a win over the Timberwolves.
Stats: 29.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 8.5 apg
Orlando Robinson, Miami Heat
Robinson and the Heat had an on-again, off-again relationship last season, agreeing two way and then waiving him, but he spent most of the the season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Once the season was done the Heat signed him to a standard contract after they liked what they saw from the big man with their affiliate team, and he has done nothing but strengthen his case after his first two Summer League games. Robinson exploded for 36 points and 11 rebounds in the opener against the Heat, and then had 15 and 9 in a loss to the Suns.
Stats: 25.5 ppg, 10 rpg, 2.5 apg
Jaden Hardy, Dallas Mavericks
Hardy had flashes of brilliance on a Mavericks team that desperately underperformed last season. After spending a year in the G League Ignite, he went to Big D and averaged 8.8 ppg while averaging less than 15 minutes a game on a team that had Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic. Needless to say there weren’t many shots to go around for the rest of the squad, but in Summer League he has been taking advantage, scoring 24 and grabbing 6 boards in his first two Summer League games.
Stats: 24 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg
Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
Both of Houston´s first round draft picks from last year have been having stellar Summer Leagues. After being named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in a rookie season in which he played all 82 games, averaging 9.3 ppg and 6 rpg, the former LSU Tiger is back in the Summer League. He is playing Robin to Jabari Smith Jr.´s Batman. He put up a 20 point double-double to start the tournament and followed that up with a 26 point performance in a win over Detroit.
Stats: 23 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 4 apg