Las Vegas Summer League Notes

[Smitty731]

As most of you know, I was in Las Vegas for Summer League this week. Unlike Orlando where it is more of a closed environment and teams, players, and media were all willing to talk a lot, Vegas is a lot more controlled. I was able to pick some stuff up, but not enough for a thread on each team's board. So here is everything all condensed in one place.

It might not always be the most newsworthy stuff, but all things I thought interesting enough to share. It is alphabetical by city, so you can find your team. Enjoy!

Atlanta

1. They love DeAndre' Bembry. They think he has a chance to be a rotation guy this year. Among the things talked about were his basketball IQ, passing and willingness to defend.

2. Kevin Pangos has been really impressive. He has a real shot to make an NBA roster as a 2nd or 3rd PG.

3. Taurean Prince has a ton of potential, but will need a lot of seasoning. Expect a lot of D-League time.

4. I asked about the roster crunch and was told they feel they can make a minor deal to solve it.

5. They are super excited to have Malcolm Delaney. He might be the backup PG until Jarrett Jack (who they are also excited to have) is ready to play.

Boston

1. They are very happy with Jaylen Brown. The thought is that he'll be a long term starter at SF eventually, with the ability to possible defend 1-smaller 4s.

2. Terry Rozier has been the best player for Boston all summer. They think he still needs some PG skill work, but the team is happy to have him.

3. They are disappointed in the lack of progression from Jordan Mickey and James Young. Mickey has gained some bad weight and it has really hurt his quickness. And Young is just baffling everyone. There is a good chance Young doesn't make the roster.

4. Abdel Nader now may not be willing to be stashed in the D-League after his strong summer performance. Demetrius Jackson is in the same boat, but a little less so.

5. Guerschon Yabusele is more thick than fat. The team likes his ability to be a mini-Draymond Green, but he's not nearly the defender. They want to stash him overseas for the year, but he may not be willing to play.

6. Ben Bentil has a really good shot to make the roster. He's a mess defensively, but has a really nice feel offensively.

7. There is a good likelihood that Marcus Thornton has no real NBA shot. Not the best use of a draft pick.

Brooklyn

1. Chris McCullough is coming along from the torn ACL he suffered. They think he has a chance to be a part of the rotation this year.

2. Isaiah Whitehead should be the backup SG at least and they think he has Jamal Crawford-lite potential as a bench scorer.

3. They are really happy to have Caris LeVert and will let him take his time to get ready to play.

4. After missing out on the RFAs, they pivoted to Phase 2, which was vets on short term deals. They think they'll be competitive and might surprise a lot of people. I won't name the name, but I was told "We'll be better than the Knicks. You can put that in pen."

Chicago

It is almost impossible to get anything from the Bulls, that isn't just stock stuff so...

1. Really happy with Bobby Portis' development. Would like to see his jumper come along a bit more. Not exactly sure where he fits in the big rotation.

2. Cristiano Felicio is going to be a very good player for them and they think he can learn a lot from Robin Lopez.

3. They are happy to have Jerian Grant and may play him with Isaiah Canaan at times. They also like Spencer Dinwiddie's potential too.

4. They did own that they could use a little more wing depth, but stopped short of saying they would trade a big to get it.

Cleveland

1. They are still on the title high and deservedly so. Not that they aren't working hard, but the pressure isn't quite the same as before.

2. Key Felder has Isaiah Thomas-like potential. He's got the ability to create space. He needs a little work on his PG skills, but they like him a lot. He'll either be signed and spend the year in the D-League or he'll just go straight to the D-League.

3. Jordan McRae may be a part of the rotation. They love his athletic ability on the wing.

4. They admit to being nervous about the backup PG spot. Mo Williams is old and Felder isn't ready, so that is a concern.

5. They'll get J.R. Smith signed, but feel there is no rush. The Tax is a concern, but they'll happily pay it.

6. They repeatedly said some version of "Sure the Warriors look unbeatable. But they looked unbeatable last year too and who has the belt?"

Dallas

1. A.J. Hammons has some potential, but they are glad they don't have to play him early.

2. Justin Anderson has really packed on some muscle. They are excited about his improvement. They think he'll be in the rotation for sure.

3. Jonathan Gibson has really stood out and will probably make the team out of camp as a 3rd PG.

4. Keep an eye on Nicolas Brussino. He wasn't in Las Vegas, but they love him. They think they have an absolute steal.

Denver

1. Thrilled with Juancho Hernangomez. They think he'll be ready to play right out of the gate with his energy and rebounding. Some feel he is better than Kenneth Faried right now.

2. They own that they have a ton of crowding at SG/SF, but won't just give guys away.

3. They also admit that they are looking for a true star, but won't mess up the team to do it.

4. They think Mudiay would have been well served by a veteran backcourt partner, but are happy with the way his game is coming along.

Golden State

1. They think they'll be even better than last year. Not news, but cool to hear it openly admitted.

2. Patrick McCaw may be a draft steal. They think he could play this year as a shooter/scorer if necessary.

3. No worry about depth - "We'll get guys the rest of the summer and in buyout season."

Houston

1. They think Sam Dekker is back from his injuries last year and ready to contribute. He has guys in front of him, but they think he could play anyway. They view Ryan Anderson as a good mentor for him, despite being different players.

2. Asked who would start out of Nene and Clint Capela and they said it will be decided in camp/pre-season.

3. They think they might have the best offense in the league. Yes, better than Golden State.

4. Thrilled to have locked up James Harden long term.

LA Lakers

1. They are in love with Brandon Ingram and said he was the guy they wanted all along. They view his scoring as a great complement to D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle.

2. They have big plans for Larry Nance Jr. and Anthony Brown to be a part of the rotation.

3. Signing Luol Deng allows them to bring Ingram and Randle along a little slowly and to not have to push them. They think Deng will be an ideal mentor over the next couple of years and/or a tradeable piece down the line.

4. They laughed when asked about Timofey Mozgov being a questionable signing - "A year ago everyone loved the guy. Now he stinks? Man are people wrong."

5. They also think Mozgov will make a great pairing with Ivaca Zubac, who they viewed as a surefire first round pick.

Memphis

1. They love Wade Baldwin IV (apparently the IV is very important as the media was reminded repeatedly!). They think he's an ideal backup for Mike Conley Jr. and could be a starter eventually, but probably not for them because...

2. They never thought Conley would leave and are excited to have him locked up long term.

3. They think Chandler Parsons will give them everything they were missing last year. And they think the offense will be much improved because of it.

4. People are saying they are getting away from "Grit n Grind", but they said they will still be a defense-first team - "Marc Gasol won't allow us not to be good defensively."

5. Cautiously optimistic on Gasol getting back to 100%. There was some concern about him adding weight, but they said he's been working hard and looks good. He's very upset to be missing the Olympics.

6. Watch out for Jonathan Holmes. They like his game in the vein of JaMychal Green and Jarell Martin. He may have a camp spot.

Miami

1. The only new thing from Miami was that they are excited to have Tyler Johnson back. They view him as a big part of the team. And they love the depth they added after Wade left.

Milwaukee

1. Thon Maker looks like the real deal, but don't go crazy over his numbers. Summer League is ideal for guys who hustle and get junk points. But he looks smooth and his jumper is better than advertised. And he is looooooooooooong.

2. They are really happy with Rashad Vaughn's development. He could be in the rotation this year because of the need for more shooting.

3. They feel like the defense should be better because of the length.

4. Although sad for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they aren't all that upset Greece didn't make the Olympics - "He's had a lot thrown at him for a young guy and he can use the rest. He won't stay out of the gym though, so it might not matter."

Minnesota

1. They love Kris Dunn. LOVE him. Couldn't be happier to have him. The only problem is that they think he'll need to start sooner rather than later. But that is a good problem to have.

2. Asked about Cole Aldrich followed by Jordan Hill as the two FA signings - "It is important to get depth at the big spots when you can. KG won't go all 82 (but he'll want to!) and we want to get KAT plenty of time at PF this year."

3. Asked about shooting - "Still looking around. But Andrew (Wiggins) should improve and Zach (Lavine) is better than people think."

New Orleans

1. They are really happy with Cheick Diallo. They think he can be a really good player in time.

2. They think Buddy Hield will help a lot with his shooting and that and defense are all they want him to focus on this year.

3. They believe they've had a really good summer - "We have quality NBA level depth this year which we really lacked last year. We can't possibly get hurt again as much, but if we do we have real guys backup up now."

Philadelphia

1. Ben Simmons has been the whole story. They love everything he brings to the game and - "He's a mother f'er. He'll get on your case. He just does it quietly. He's already gonna be our leader."

2. They were upset to lose Wood, but understood him going to Charlotte.

3. They love their depth up and down the roster. They think Jerryd Bayless and Gerald Henderson will help a lot by being "grownups" in the locker room.

4. Lots of questions about Okafor/Noel/Embiid - "Something does need to get done there. If Saric does come (he did), we can't have all those guys. That would mean Richaun (Holmes) doesn't play at all and that dude can play."

Phoenix

1. They love their draft class. They think Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss will be a great long term pairing up front and with Alex Len, they are covered in the frontcourt for years to come.

2. They love Tyler Ulis - "He'll kick your ass. He's small, but they don't come any tougher. We had IT (Isaiah Thomas) and he has the same mentality, but as a playmaker vs scorer."

3. On Devin Booker - "He's going to be an All-Star and soon. He's like Allan Houston in that he'll do it kind of quietly, but he'll get 20 on you and you won't even know. He's the best shooter in the league. Yes better than the Warriors guys."

4. They think having Jared Dudley and Leandro Barbosa back will help the entire team grow up.

5. They believe they'll be in the mix for the playoffs - "Talk to me in April. You'll see how good we are if we're healthy."

Portland

1. Yes they paid a lot for Evan Turner but - "He gives us everything we didn't have. We really needed a secondary ball handler and playmaker. He's going to be worth it."

2. On getting Shabazz Napier - "We probably should have just kept (Tim) Frazier last year. He was a good one. But Bazz should be good for us. But he's a 3rd guy. He just needs to not f*ck up when he does play." and "You do guys favors sometimes. The Magic will pay us back someday."

3. They think they'll win the division - "OKC is worse. We were pretty close already and we got better. We'll be there in the end."

Sacramento

1. They feel like they are a playoff team this year - "We addressed every need we had. We're much better now than at the end of last year."

2. On Darren Collison - "That is still playing out, but man he messed things up for us. And there aren't any good PGs left. Could end up a problem."

3. On all the bigs - "Vlade (Divac) believes you can't ever have enough size and it gives us trade chips. The league won't stay small forever!"

4. They really like Duje Dukan and feel he's improved a lot. He may be brought back.

5. On Rudy Gay - "If he doesn't want to be here, that is on him. But we think he'll come around. He likes the guys and he's ok with coach (Dave Joerger). If not, then he needs to go. We don't need locker room lawyers."

San Antonio

1. They had to bring Manu Ginobili back, but Philadelphia, and maybe Brooklyn, did force them to overpay.

2. They are in love with Ryan Arcidiacono and Bryn Forbes. They think both guys can be NBA players because of their skills. - Note: They signed both yesterday.

3. They think Jonathon Simmons can play a big role this year because of his energy and ability to get to the hoop.

4. They are a little worried about their defense without Tim Duncan, but have big plans for DeWayne Dedmon. Expect Dedmon to start with Pau Gasol as the primary big off the bench.

Toronto

1. On Eastern Conference improvements - "We're still the best team in the East. Yes you heard that right. The best. We should have beaten Cleveland."

2. They think Jared Sullinger will help a lot with his rebounding and ability to stretch the floor a little bit. He's the likely starter at PF because they love Patrick Patterson off the bench.

3. They are happy for Biyombo that he got paid, but admitted they will miss him both on the floor and in the locker room.

4. They think Norman Powell will be a big time player once he settles down a little bit.

Utah

1. They quietly believe they won the summer after Golden State. Adding George Hill, Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw fleshes out the roster and gives them great depth.

2. They think they are legitimately 13 deep. They'd like to make a consolidation trade, so that playing time isn't an issue, but won't rush anything.

3. They believe Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Rudy Gobert could all be All-Stars this year. And they think Gobert could win DPOY.

4. Like Portland, they believe they will win the division as well.

Washington

1. They love both Danuel House and Daniel Ochefu and think both have a legit chance of making the team out of camp.

2. They think their depth is much improved and will help if they have injuries.

3. They'll miss Jared Dudley a lot, but feel like Markieff Morris is ready to get back to the guy he was before the issues in Phoenix.

4. Wouldn't go in to specifics, but they have a plan to keep Bradley Beal healthy all year.

5. They like getting Andrew Nicholson and Jason Smith, especially for the price they paid.

6. They admit Marcin Gortat and Ian Mahinmi can't play together, but they should see roughly an even split of minutes most night. Gortat when they need offense and Mahinmi when they need defense.

[Texas Chuck]

Thanks Smitty. Awesome stuff!

[BullyKing]

Thanks Smitty. Although the not surprising takeaway is that everyone absolutely loves everyone they drafted.

[eagles nut]

On the Lakers' stuff, my biggest beef is with Anthony Brown being part of the rotation. He played a little better last night but he's a supposed "3 and D guy" who can't make 3s and looks lost on D.

[Smitty731]

Thanks Smitty. Although the not surprising takeaway is that everyone absolutely loves everyone they drafted.

Always!

[M-C-G]

Milwaukee

1. Thon Maker looks like the real deal, but don't go crazy over his numbers. Summer League is ideal for guys who hustle and get junk points. But he looks smooth and his jumper is better than advertised. And he is looooooooooooong.

2. They are really happy with Rashad Vaughn's development. He could be in the rotation this year because of the need for more shooting.

3. They feel like the defense should be better because of the length.

4. Although sad for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they aren't all that upset Greece didn't make the Olympics - "He's had a lot thrown at him for a young guy and he can use the rest. He won't stay out of the gym though, so it might not matter."

Just curious, I am assuming they meant Vaughn's offseason or you talked to the bucks earlier in the SL. Obviously he didn't have a very great SL, personally I think the stitches or whatever was going on with his the finger on his shooting hand impacted him more than people think.

[Smitty731]

Milwaukee

1. Thon Maker looks like the real deal, but don't go crazy over his numbers. Summer League is ideal for guys who hustle and get junk points. But he looks smooth and his jumper is better than advertised. And he is looooooooooooong.

2. They are really happy with Rashad Vaughn's development. He could be in the rotation this year because of the need for more shooting.

3. They feel like the defense should be better because of the length.

4. Although sad for Giannis Antetokounmpo, they aren't all that upset Greece didn't make the Olympics - "He's had a lot thrown at him for a young guy and he can use the rest. He won't stay out of the gym though, so it might not matter."

Just curious, I am assuming they meant Vaughn's offseason or you talked to the bucks earlier in the SL. Obviously he didn't have a very great SL, personally I think the stitches or whatever was going on with his the finger on his shooting hand impacted him more than people think.

Yes it was more about overall development.

[Smitty731]

On the Lakers' stuff, my biggest beef is with Anthony Brown being part of the rotation. He played a little better last night but he's a supposed "3 and D guy" who can't make 3s and looks lost on D.

On the D part, I think more often than not, he's actually the only one who knows what he's supposed to be doing and ends up looking bad because of his teammates.

One example from a game I watched up close they were supposed to switch every screen and guy stuck with their guys. To the untrained eye, it looked like Brown was getting beat, but in reality it was the other guy not switching.

I can't argue with the shooting part.

[NewWolvesOrder]

Sacramento

1. They feel like they are a playoff team this year - "We addressed every need we had. We're much better now than at the end of last year."

2. On Darren Collison - "That is still playing out, but man he messed things up for us. And there aren't any good PGs left. Could end up a problem."

3. On all the bigs - "Vlade (Divac) believes you can't ever have enough size and it gives us trade chips. The league won't stay small forever!"

4. They really like Duje Dukan and feel he's improved a lot. He may be brought back.

5. On Rudy Gay - "If he doesn't want to be here, that is on him. But we think he'll come around. He likes the guys and he's ok with coach (Dave Joerger). If not, then he needs to go. We don't need locker room lawyers."

Sounds like a mess.

[Chapelchilla]

great write up, thanks

[Marcus]

Tremendous post sir. Thank you for that.

[Smitty731]

Sacramento

1. They feel like they are a playoff team this year - "We addressed every need we had. We're much better now than at the end of last year."

2. On Darren Collison - "That is still playing out, but man he messed things up for us. And there aren't any good PGs left. Could end up a problem."

3. On all the bigs - "Vlade (Divac) believes you can't ever have enough size and it gives us trade chips. The league won't stay small forever!"

4. They really like Duje Dukan and feel he's improved a lot. He may be brought back.

5. On Rudy Gay - "If he doesn't want to be here, that is on him. But we think he'll come around. He likes the guys and he's ok with coach (Dave Joerger). If not, then he needs to go. We don't need locker room lawyers."

Sounds like a mess.

I think they feel much better than recent years. That was the sense I got from all their local media people that I chatted with. I think things are actually stabilizing some for the Kings. And that is probably just as important as anything else.

[freewhitemoon]

2. Patrick McCaw may be a draft steal. They think he could play this year as a shooter/scorer if necessary.

4. They think Norman Powell will be a big time player once he settles down a little bit.

sigh

[The Beam King]

Thanks Smitty. Although the not surprising takeaway is that everyone absolutely loves everyone they drafted.

Well sure its the honeymoon phase currently. But this is so insightful to see why teams feel the way they do about what they did.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[NuggetsWY]

Describe the Nuggets position better than almost any write-up I've seen.
Read all the rest and found them interesting as well.
Outstanding work - thank you!

[AllanH20]

Portland

2. On getting Shabazz Napier - "We probably should have just kept (Tim) Frazier last year. He was a good one. But Bazz should be good for us. But he's a 3rd guy. He just needs to not f*ck up when he does play." and "You do guys favors sometimes. The Magic will pay us back someday."

[Jkam31]

Can't talk Sacramento without talking bout my man man SKAL. This kid has talent his jump shot will be automatic and he had range as well 3-4 from 3 in SL. Also has a great hook shot and turnaround jumper in the post but won't use at as much without gaining weight. In defense the guy is athletic he plays the pick and roll very well and is a shot blocker. He will be able to guard all the stretch 4s and good thing for him is the bruising pfs are a dying breed. What really surprised me is he was playing with fire and intensity in the SL which was a weakness for him


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[Volcano]

Toronto

1. On Eastern Conference improvements - "We're still the best team in the East. Yes you heard that right. The best. We should have beaten Cleveland."

ugh..hate how delusional our team can be

[Mr.Raptorsingh]

Feels like the entire league has gotten better to some degree. And it helps to not have teams outright tanking like a few did last year. I didn't see a note for the Knicks, though.

[Hawk Eye]

Wonderful post Smitty! On Atlanta's end..

Was there any talk on our big signing of Dwight Howard at all? Did you hear anything about how the coaching staff plans to adjust to his style of play?

Anything on how our staff feels about Schröder being ready for the lead role now?

Also, I would be suprised to see Bembry or Prince get meaningful minutes this season. I expect Korver, THJ, Baze, and Thabo to take up the majority of PT on the wings. That's just kinda how Bud operates.

EDIT: Anything on Tavares?