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Biggest Takeaways and Surprises from the 2024 Summer League

Jul 22, 2024

11 min read

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The 2024 Summer League has come and gone, giving us 2.5 weeks of content watching many of the league's top picks and your favorite college stars make some of their final cases towards reaching an NBA roster. In a Summer League following up one of the lowest-rated draft classes in recent memory, this one was always going to be extra interesting with all the questions that were already surrounding some of the draft's biggest names. Let's take a look at some of the biggest takeaways and the biggest surprises from this month's action.


The Lakers got a steal, and it's not the guy you keep hearing about

The Lakers' 2024 draft made all sorts of headlines as the day finally came where Bronny James' name was called to join his father in Los Angeles, and most eyes were understandably on him as he put a Lakers jersey on for the first time. But while all that was going on it was Los Angeles' other draft pick, 17th overall pick Dalton Knecht, that really caught my eye with his play over three games. Knecht enters the league already 23 years, so the expectation is he'll be more NBA-ready than a typical prospect. For a Lakers team whose window of competing in any form is obviously limited, that's what they need. Knecht was one of the best offensive players in the country last season at Tennessee, and he carried that right into his Summer League play averaging 21.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 1.7 SPG while shooting 39.9% from three. He thrives on catch and shoot but is also not afraid to put his head down and drive, and he's already recognized for his impressive off-ball movement that can get him a ton of open looks with the right group around hm. He rarely produces off nights, and can add the type of balance to the offense that the Lakers really lacked down the stretch of last season. He should get plenty of open looks playing with LeBron and doesn't project as a guy that will take too much time adjusting, so this could be a really good fit in LA right away and quickly earn him a lot of time on the floor. The defense is still a work in progress for sure, but this is a guy who transferred to Tennessee to learn how to play defense from Rick Barnes and won't lack the motivation to keep figuring it out. The athleticism and build is there and he's a good vertical athlete, and the Vols still ranked near the top of the nation defensively with Knecht logging heavy minutes. I expect him to contribute right away for the Lakers, giving their stars a reliable offensive weapon that looks as NBA-ready as any prospect in the draft.


The red flags are flying already for the top two picks

You'd be hard pressed to find an NBA Draft in history with less buzz, or even general acknowledgement of its top two picks than here in 2024. The two Frenchmen Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr made their Summer League debuts in expectedly quiet fashion, and the only time I would've expected a typical fan to know was after Alex Sarr's 0/15 game against Portland. Let's take a look at the No. 1 pick, Zaccharie Risacher. For him, the question is going to be if he can develop into anything past your average 3-and-D player. He was an excellent shooter in the EuroCup last season, and he's got the athleticism and length that first the modern NBA wing as well as you'd expect. But Risacher played most of his basketball in the LNB last season and shot a pedestrian 35.2%, and that's with a three-point line 39 whole inches shorter than what he'll see in the NBA. He shot 3/9 from three and 7/16 overall in his first Summer League game, finishing with 18 PTS plus 5 REBs, but he took a step back in that second game shooting just 1/7 from deep and 4/12 from the field. Risacher has been a streaky shooter all throughout his career and adjusting to the NBA line probably isn't going to change that anytime soon, and his offensive game aside from the shooting is very limited. He's not a playmaker and will struggle to create his own shot at the next level, and while he possesses the physical tools to make a really positive impact defensively, it still hasn't quite come together and is certainly going to take some time to get to an above-average NBA level. On an off shooting night it'll be tough to find much reason to have Risacher on the floor, such an unusual statement to be made about the No. 1 overall pick, but Risacher's still got a lot of work to go to prove he was worth the selection. There are very real questions surrounding No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr as well, the Wizards' highest draft pick in 14 years that had been long rumored to be the first guy off the board. For starters, we need to see a lot more from a physicality and athleticism standpoint. Being a 7-footer with impressive versatility is what's gotten Sarr this far, but him shying away from contact became a theme this summer, falling away from the basket whenever he could rather than going in strong and maximizing his size. This is a problem Sarr has had his entire career that continued into the Summer League, and it's going to make his life harder than ever in the NBA if it isn't addressed. The offense as a whole was rather disastrous for the No. 2 pick, as not only was the lack of aggressiveness a red flag, all it takes is one look at the shooting numbers to sum up how it's gone. He finished averaging 5.5 PPG on 19.1% shooting from the field and 11.7% from three, highlighted by an 0/15 night against the Trail Blazers in 30 minutes of action. We knew it was going to take time for Sarr's scoring to get where they'd like it to be, but this has been a far more uninspiring start than expected. It hasn't been all bad though, as defense has been a plus and he's utilized his length at that end, averaging 2.5 blocks to go with 7.7 RPG. His passing has also been a strength, an added bonus for any player his height that could help him gel into the offense sooner than expected. It's all about potential for Sarr, with a ton of room to grow offensively and the size to do it, but he's going to need to get a lot more comfortable bumping bodies underneath and allow his perimeter game to work off of that, and vice versa. At the end of the day, a sample size this small isn't going to tell the whole story for Risacher or Sarr, but we probably would've liked to see a bit more out of the top two picks already facing a stacked deck with the narratives surrounding the class.


The Kentucky stars have arrived

Two of the most exciting players in college basketball a season ago were the pair of freshman stars playing for Big Blue, both rewarded for their big seasons with selections in the top-10. Reed Sheppard went 3rd overall to the Rockets, making him the first player off the board out of college, while Rob Dillingham went five spots later at No. 8, a pick traded on draft night from the Spurs to the Timberwolves. I was a big fan of what I saw out of these two this Summer League team with their ability to score the basketball, leading me to believe that both could be ready right away to contribute to a pair of respectable Western Conference clubs. Sheppard averaged 20 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 4.8 RPG over four Summer League games, shooting 50% from the field though struggling from deep. He was largely a three-point shooter in college, but it was actually the mid-range where he did a lot of his damage in the Summer League, hitting shots in tight spaces while additionally showing nice flashes driving to the hole and finishing. Of all the top picks, Sheppard was as good a three-level scorer as any, kick-starting the expansion of his game that can make him a quality rotational player right away at the next level. For a guy that has always struggled with creating his own shot, there were some pleasant flashes Sheppard displayed that should make Rockets fans quite excited for his development. The defense was a bit of concern, as expected, as while he was effective getting his hands in passing lanes and generating chaos there, he was blown by with relative frequency, something he can't afford to let continue with his size already working against him. Nevertheless, Sheppard gave Houston a ton on the offensive end, enough to leave me confident he'll carve out a real spot in their rotation on a roster that already looked capable of competing. He's not quite where he wants to be creating looked on his own, but on a strong enough roster in Houston they should be able to find him a rotation he can thrive with. The Rockets struggled mightily from three a year ago, largely the biggest issue in the offense, and having Sheppard come off the bench and provide that scoring boost, particularly from three, could be instrumental in helping complete them as a team. Rob Dillingham also showed a lot of promise offensively in his brief action this Summer League, closing it out especially strong with a 25-point outburst in his final game. Dillingham wasn't quite shooting the ball the way he would've liked earlier in the summer, but he was still making his impact felt as an overall playmaker, creating opportunities for those around him with the offense always looking a step ahead of the defense with him on the floor. And we know the emphasis the Timberwolves place on defense - that couldn't be overstated last postseason - and Dillingham was giving it all on that end of the floor this summer, a welcomed sign for the rookie even if it will never quite be his strength. It all came together in the finale against Orlando, totaling 25 PTS and 12 ASTs in the win, keeping the defense guessing all day hitting shots from all over the floor and making it look easy for the big men with some terrific passes leading to easy baskets. Hitting the bigs in optimal areas was a strength for Dillingham, which may have been hidden on a guard-dominant roster at Kentucky, and that could be beneficial right away with the duo of big men the Timberwolves possess. Dillingham wasn't quite able to put his full playmaking abilities on display in college, but he looks like he'd embrace the opportunity leading the way for the second unit in Minnesota, a nice change of pace from the veteran Mike Conley and a potential answer to the occasional scoring droughts the Timberwolves endured down the stretch. Both Sheppard and Dillingham looked the part of top-10 picks this summer, showing us an offensive skillset effective enough to break into any rotation. I'd expect both to help lead bench units on playoff-caliber teams as soon as their rookie year, with an arsenal that can translate to the NBA level quickly as immediate positives on the offensive end.


Other noteworthy standouts

Often times it's not the top picks playing at the highest levels in the Summer League, with some names you hadn't heard since college or the occasional international standpoint breaking out for these coupe of weeks. The Knicks have to be pleased with what they saw out of 34th pick Tyler Kolek, a star traditional point guard at Marquette that brought that same terrific skillset to a Knicks uniform this summer. Kolek's stellar passing translated directly, as he averaged 7.0 APG over his five games and became the first player in Summer League history to total 35+ assists with less than eight turnovers. Aside from the highest assist to turnover ratio in Summer League history, Kolek added 9.6 PPG and was terrific down the stretch late in games, and it was his game-winning and-one that led the Knicks to their first win of the summer. Playing the point guard position the way Kolek does is a bit of a lost art, but he was more effective than the Knicks could've asked for in his first taste of the next level. Backup point guard was a weakness for New York last season, and Kolek might have just earned the right to help fix that. The Miami Heat may have landed a steal of their own in Ke'lel Ware, who has helped lead them to a 5-0 start to this Summer League and a spot in the final. At 7 feet tall, Ke'lel Ware's strengths lie where Alex Sarr struggles. He has no issue charging the rim full speed and going pound-for-pound with whoever's on the other side, also protecting the rim at a very high level. He has averaged 17.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 1.6 BPG, shooting 58.6% from the field in a fantastic start for the 20-year old 15th overall pick. Any problems with his motor, which was perhaps his biggest pre-draft knock, have been put to bed with how much he's been running the floor and kept the intensity up on both ends of the floor. If Ware is able to work his way into Miami's rotation down the line, it could give them the luxury of moving Bam Adebayo to power forward, a potentially scary development for opposing offenses with Adebayo already a perennial DPOY candidate as an undersized center. The Heat might have struck gold with this one, and Ware will have one more chance to show it in tonight's championship. Matas Buzelis was another guy that has showed plenty of promise thus far, the 19-year-old No. 11 overall pick by the Chicago Bulls straight out of G League Ignite. Bezelis is 6'10" but plays like a wing, able to shoot the three, put it on the floor, and feast in transition. Some of the things he does don't see one bit fair for a guy his size, blowing by defenders and dunking in traffic, also able to guard at a high level on the perimeter and then go and get a block on the inside. While he's admittedly one of the draft's skinniest players, he's had no issues getting to the basket and no issues holding his own on the defensive end. We knew there was serious potential with Buzelis coming into the draft, but it's been a lot of fun to watch it on display so far this summer. For a Bulls team that finally looks serious about rebuilding and would embrace having some young talent to get out there for serious minutes, Buzelis should be one of the more productive rookies right from the get-go next season.


A brief word on Bronny James

We talked about Dalton Knecht and how impressive he was for the Lakers this Summer League, but it's only right we discuss Bronny James just a bit after getting our first taste of him as a Laker. The bottom line is this - the offensive game isn't close to where it needs to be to play NBA basketball. He struggled to make an impact offensively at USC, and that predictably didn't change very much over four summer league games. Bronny's most hopeful fans will argue he's already got enough a jumper to survive at the highest level, but an 0/15 start to the Summer League from deep made such a take pretty difficult to justify. He'd eventually get it going a bit shooting the ball, but the rhythm was never found past hitting the occasional jumper with visible difficulties creating his own shot. The defense was, as expected, a strength. There's no denying the athleticism, quick hands, and overall strong defensive instincts, with nice lateral quickness and a long wingspan that helps make up for his height. We generally got what we expected out of James' five Summer League games - really solid defense and inconsistent offense - and I'd expect that to be the story of Bronny's first few years as a professional. It'll take some real time for Bronny to develop into the offensive player capable of logging real NBA minutes, and it'll be intriguing to see that grow as he works through the G-League.


It's a dangerous game putting too much stock in the Summer League, but that doesn't mean you can't take some important notes seeing many of these rookies hit the hardwood for the first time for the their new teams. This draft especially has created a lot of questions among many of its higher picks, with some answering the bell early on and others struggling to shake some of their biggest weaknesses. Either way, it's been another exciting Summer League filled with great finishes and impressive performances, and the Grizzlies and Heat will do battle for the title in an intriguing showdown later tonight.

Jul 22, 2024

11 min read

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