NBA Summer League: Day 1By: Aran_Smith

Player of the Day:

Zach LaVine LA Lakers — LaVine was on his game, showing great aggressiveness attacking the rim and also looking for his 3 point shot. He hit 4-8 from deep and finished with a game high 24 points in the win over the Lakers. He had 3 assists and 3 turnovers and also tallied 6 boards. He got into a nice back and forth with Jordan Clarkson early in the game and in the end got the upper hand both statistically and with Minnesota getting the win. Clarkson was tremendous as well, but LaVine gets player of the day in the event’s opening showcase match up.

Biggest Surprise:

James McAdoo Golden State — Warriors 19 year old rookie Kevon Looney appeared a little overwhelmed in his first SL game, 2-6 fg and 5 pts. But second year forward out of UNC, McAdoo picked up the slack as the game’s top performer with 20 points in the Champ’s 83-75 win. McAdoo was 8-13 from the floor and also had 7 boards. He was able to use his great length and athleticism around the rim. Despite going undrafted last year, McAdoo was considered a possible lottery pick coming out of high school and still possesses nice upside. He seems to be gaining confidence and a high intensity level on the floor and could develop into a contributor in the next few seasons.

Biggest Disappointment:

Julius Randle LA Lakers — Randle wasn’t awful stat wise as he did put up 11 points, but his body is in need of toning, his energy wasn’t great and somebody has to be the day’s disappointment. He shot just 3-9 from the floor and the biggest issue was just one board in 20 minutes, being outplayed by undrafted Tarik Black (9 and 13). The good news is he has plenty of time, with 4 more games to turn things around.

Top Performers:

Jordan Clarkson LA Lakers — Clarkson continued the same sensational play that he ended off the last few months of his rookie season. He led the team with 23 points on 8-17 shooting. The Lakers seem to be in great shape with their backcourt with Clarkson and Russell moving into the post Kobe era in future seasons.

Seth Curry New Orleans — Steph’s younger brother went for 30 points knocking down 10-11 from the line. He hit just 2-7 from three but went 7-10 from inside the line, showing that he’s not just a 3 point shooting specialist. He added 4 ast with 4 turnovers for the Pelicans.

Bruno Caboclo Toronto — had a solid showing with 15 and 5. He’s added strength to his frame and appears to have become more accurate with his outside shooting. He drained 3-of-5 from 3 point land, and was 5-10 overall from the floor. He still appears raw with his spacing and overall feel for the game, but seems more comfortable than a year ago. He could use some improvement from the line where he went 2-of-7. Was active defensively registering 3 steals, but also had 3 turnovers. Overall a positive start for his second summer league.

Norman Powell Toronto — His first ever summer league, the second rounder showed a more advanced offensive game than expected. Powell is a player that we had pegged as a late first round value going into the draft, but fell to the 46th pick on draft night. He was the game’s high scorer with 20 points showing a better than advertised outside shot. His defensive intensity was good. He also had a very nice drive through the lane and finish in traffic.

Draft Watch

Karl-Anthony Towns Minnesota — Had a solid if unspectacular start to summer league. His outside shot looked as good as advertised, and he also knocked down a couple pretty hook shots. He finished 4-10 from the floor for 12 points, but added just 3 boards in 31 minutes. Most concerning was his 9 fouls. Obviously with 10 fouls allowing in SL, the pressure is off to stay out of foul trouble. But one would hope to treat it like a normal game and stay under 6.

D'Angelo Russell LA Lakers — Brought in the largest crowd even in the Thomas and Mack Center for the Summer League, packing a large LA Lakers contingent into the rafters. Russell showed flashes of why the Lakers took him with the 2nd overall pick with both creative passing and advanced great ball skills. He even made a block and also dropped in a pretty 3 pointer early. While his stats don’t jump off the page, they do display his versatility, 8 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. The efficiency and scoring should come as he gets more comfortable.

Emmanuel Mudiay Denver — While the top two picks were squaring off in the Tomas and Mack Center, Mudiay’s Nuggets faced off against the Atlanta Hawks in Cox Pavilion. Mudiay struggled shooting it missing all four of his 3 point attempts and finishing with 11 points on 5-15 shooting. He did have 4 assists to just 2 turnovers and the Nuggets pulled out the win with second year pro Gary Harris finishing with 15 points.

Willie Cauley-Stein Sacramento — Put up 11 and 5 in his debut. Had a highlight rundown block to end the the first half showing his great full court speed and hustle. Scored most of his points with put backs and points in the paint. He’s not likely ever going to be much of a scorer, but his defense and athleticism will be his calling card.

Rashad Vaughn Milwaukee — The 17th overall pick struggled in the Bucks loss to the Pelicans. He shot just 5-14 from the floor (0-4 from 3) for 14 points. He had one very nice drive to the hoop, but struggled overall.

Veteran Standouts

Scotty Hopson D-League Select — 25-year old Scotty Hopson has been in the D-League for a few seasons now. His 27 points in a loss to the Rockets came on an efficient 8-16 shooting and 10-12 from the line.

Sean Kilpatrick Milwaukee — Shot just 2-8 from 3, but finished with 24 points going 10-11 from the line.

Notes:

For Houston, undrafted free agent rookie Alan Williams led the team in scoring with 27 (10-18 fg) and 10 rebs, and 3rd year Glen Rice Jr. had 20 and 6, while neither of their top picks Sam Dekker or Montrezl Harrell played.