Breaking down Vegas Summer League debuts for top rookies

The MGM Resorts Summer League tipped off in Las Vegas Friday. Featuring games at both the Thomas & Mack Center and T-Mobile Arena, 10 games were played and 19 teams got their first exposure to summer basketball in 2018.

Deandre Ayton’s debut was the main draw, but he had a relatively quiet night in his first game as a Suns. One of the biggest storylines of the opening night in Vegas was more so about the players that weren’t on the court. Luka Doncic (third overall pick), Michael Porter Jr. (14th overall pick), and Donte DiVincenzo (17th overall pick) all sat out. Combined with Robert Williams (left knee contusion), Landry Shamet (right ankle sprain), and Frank Jackson (left ankle sprain) not being able to finish their debuts there were many young talents that ended the night M.I.A.

The other big storyline was the play of two undrafted players. Trevon Duval was the lone member of Duke’s one-and-done class not to get selected in the 2018 NBA Draft, but his 20-point explosion off the bench for the Houston Rockets was the best performance of any Blue Devil this summer. The Rockets high pick-and-roll, spread offense allows Duval to do what he does best, penetrate. Mike D’Antoni pointed out how in the short time he’s seen Duval play nobody has been able to stay in front of the point guard.

Another Trevon also erupted, as Trevon Bluiett scorched the nets for the New Orleans Pelicans en route to 24 points in a win over the Toronto Raptors. Bluiett can score from all over the floor, but most of his damage came from behind the arc (6-of-8 on 3-pointers). Finally, in that same game, undrafted guard Rawle Alkins led the Raptors in scoring with 12 points.

Meanwhile, there were two first-round picks that stood out in their opening performances and there’s also been an overall theme that has stuck with members of this class so far.

Poor shooting continues

Summer League is the first chance we get to see rookies in action against NBA competition. For most of the players selected, that means we’ve seen them dominate against college competition and have heard pundits and analysts gush about how good these players are. This summer we’ve gotten our first look at the members of the 2018 NBA Draft class.

While there are certainly well-known names in this crop of rookies, not many of them have had the most memorable starts to their NBA careers. It began in Utah and Sacramento where the likes of Trae Young, Grayson Allen, Lonnie Walker, and Marvin Bagley III had bad shooting performances in at least one of their games.

In Las Vegas that continued as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (5-of-19), Jalen Brunson (3-of-14), Miles Bridges (2-of-14), Jacob Evans (3-of-15), and Collin Sexton (4-of-12) all had duds in their first night at the MGM Resorts Summer League. It is easy to see those numbers and overreact to what they could mean, but as the astute Derek Fisher pointed out during the NBATV broadcast, “[the transition from the NCAA to the NBA] is like lifting a 60-pound weight for a year, or two, or three…then having to lift 120 pounds for the same reps.” There will be ups and downs over the duration of these player’s careers, and while the shooting struggles have seemingly impacted a majority of the rookie class so far let’s not write any one off as a bust just yet.

Ball in the family

The third Holiday brother made his debut with the Indiana Pacers — who also happened to be making their MGM Resorts Summer League debut as a franchise. Following in the footsteps of Jrue and Justin, Aaron is looking to make a name for himself early in his NBA career. His Summer League debut was a step in the right direction as the 23rd overall pick notched 23 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the opener. Holiday started out hot as he scored the first eight points of the game for Indiana.

Holiday looked like the part of the three-year college veteran as he was able to control the pace and tempo of the game at all times. He knifed his way into the lane and made the right reads to find teammates for open looks. Paired with another playmaker in Edmund Sumner, Holiday was back in a role that he played masterfully aside Lonzo Ball two years ago.

Holiday’s ability to operate as a facilitator and a scorer help to make him a versatile offensive option capable of playing on or off the ball. This skill will be exemplified when he shares the floor with Victor Oladipo next season.

Mo Bamba, mo’ problems

Texas center, Mo Bamba, was one of the most intriguing prospects of the 2018 NBA Draft. He possesses the longest wingspan in NBA history (7-foot-10) and has shown the ability to guard all five positions on the floor. He ended up being taken sixth overall by the Orlando Magic. With Rudy Gobert taking home this year’s Defensive Player of the Year, Bamba has some similar traits to Utah’s towering defensive giant. This weekend, we got our first look at Bamba in an NBA game as the Magic made their MGM Resorts Summer League debut against the Brooklyn Nets.

Bamba’s length made an immediate impact on the court and combined with last year’s lottery selection, Jonathan Isaac, the two were defensive stalwarts for Orlando together. While he only recorded one block on the day, his size altered several attempts around the rim. He also managed to pull down seven rebounds (six on the defensive end). On the other end, Bamba chipped in 11 points — on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, including hitting one of his two 3-point attempts — and two assists.

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The potential of Isaac and Bamba as a tandem for the future should have the Magic excited for what’s in store. The two ran several pick-and-roll, pick-and-pop, and other two-man-game scenarios over the course of the game. However, with another center on Orlando’s summer league roster, Khem Birch, Bamba only played 19 minutes in his debut. Hopefully in future games we’ll get more than half a game’s worth of exposure out of the Texas product.