NBA Summer League: Day 10By:

Player of the Day:

Devin Booker, Phoenix: With TJ Warren not being overly aggressive, the Suns were desperate for a scoring punch. Booker provided one of the more solid individual games of this year’s Summer League, as he finished with 31 points on 10-17 FG (5-9 3PT) and 6-7 FT. Adding 9 boards and a couple assists, his baskets were timely and he really went on the attack, even doing some damage in creating his own opportunities. It was a clutch performance and while he did not make either of the All-Summer League teams, he has still been one of the most impressive players here.

Biggest Surprise:

Bryce Dejean-Jones, New Orleans: Dejean-Jones already had a big 26-point performance earlier against Brooklyn, though he had been only playing spot minutes for the two contests following. He really stepped up in this one, as he scored 25 points on 12 FG attempts, with some catch-and-shoot three-pointers that kept the Pelicans in striking distance. Booker was still able to take advantage of him, but Dejean-Jones at least made his job quite difficult on the other end of the court. He showed he can get hot in a hurry and help spread the floor.

Biggest Disappointment:

Terran Petteway, Atlanta: It was a really solid Summer League for Petteway, just with an unfortunate end in the Hawks 75-68 loss to the Spurs. Petteway seemed to be forcing a lot of tough looks, finishing with only 7 points on 2-12 FG (1-7 3PT). He has a really nice looking stroke and was great in the Hawks quarterfinal win. In the semi-finals, he was stifled by some long, athletic perimeter defenders. He displayed some good things, though his shot selection and decision making look like they will both require work before he claims a roster spot.

Top Performers:

Kyle Anderson, San Antonio: Anderson was recently named Las Vegas Summer League MVP, which was well deserved, as he was incredibly consistent and the leader of a Spurs team that will play for the SL title. He guarded multiple positions, with length that made it difficult for guards to get past him and the strength to challenge Atlanta’s forwards. He also had some beautiful drives, along with using his handle to create space for jump shots. He has not exactly been a traditional point guard here, yet has managed to be incredibly impactful with his size and diverse skill set. He was right at his scoring average for Vegas, with 22 points with 8 rebounds, contributing heavily to a Spurs defense that held the Hawks to 32.4% FG.

Josh Harrelson, Phoenix: Harrelson was going up against a couple of big time athletes in Victor Rudd and Khem Birch, taking both players to school. His 19 points came inside and outside, as he was a big factor in the Suns advancing to the title. This was not the first game in which Harrelson made opponents pay for leaving him open from long range, as you can definitely see his veteran savvy. It still seems like he is more suited to play overseas, though he has shown he was able to use his basketball IQ to get the better of younger, more athletic players.

Notes:

A panel of media members selected the All-NBA Summer League team prior to the semifinals. As mentioned previously, Kyle Anderson was named MVP, as he averaged 22 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.5 apg and 1.3 spg during his time in Las Vegas. Here were the other selections to the team comprised of the best Las Vegas had to offer this summer:

1st Team

F Kyle Anderson, San Antonio
F Doug McDermott, Chicago
F TJ Warren, Phoenix
G Norman Powell, Toronto
G Seth Curry, New Orleans

2nd Team

C Alan Williams, Houston
F Dwight Powell, Dallas
F Noah Vonleh, Portland
G Emmanuel Mudiay, Denver
G Larry Drew II, New Orleans