While most of us were focused on Lebron James’ egomaniacal self promoting “Decision” to play for the Miami Heat for the next few seasons, there have been some good hardcourt action going on in the 2010 NBA Orlando and Las Vegas Summer Leagues. With GM’s and head coaches on hand from the NBA, D-League, and International basketball, everyone got to catch a glimpse of some of the game’s rising young superstars like John Wall, Evan Turner, and DeMarcus Cousins. The festivities were even graced with the presences of NBA greats like Vince Carter, Kevin Durant, and Amare Stoudemire in a cheerleading capacity. With dozens of members of basketball royalty on hand to possibly pluck the next hidden gem among undrafted players and invitees, those who watched all of the action on NBA TV were witnesses to some pretty stellar outstanding individual performances as well as some bad ones like Kentucky rookie Daniel Orton being ejected for fighting in his first game as a pro.
John Wall, Washington Wizards
23.5 ppg, 7.8 ast, 2.5 stl
This year’s #1 overall pick has some lofty expectations to live up to. So far, the Wizards must be jumping for joy after seeing that nearly every ounce of John Wall’s explosiveness and star power that was on display in his one season at Kentucky translates very well against NBA caliber opponents. Wall led all Summer league players, combining both leagues, in scoring and assists, and was named the Most Outstanding Player in Las Vegas. He showcased much better form than advertised on his jumper, despite a less than stellar .377 FG%. Wall also was a tad prone to turnovers by averaging nearly 5.2 per game, but improved dramatically by totaling only 5 in his final two contests. With that being said, he appears to be a superstar in the making as the compliments keep flowing. Many announcers and coaches declared he is Derrick Rose with a better jump-shot, a bigger Chris Paul, and better defender than Rondo. I don’t know about all that but one thing is for sure, John Wall is for real and will be fun to watch in ’10-’11.
DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
14.5 ppg, 9.8 rebs, 1.2 blk
The best big man in college last season undoubtedly proved to be the best big man in both leagues this Summer. “Boogie” displayed a ferocious demeanor on the glass by leading all players in rebounds while showcasing an excellent all-around offensive game to match. True to form, Cousins was everything that was advertised right down to the fiery demeanor and a bit of the immaturity that some GM’s were worried about. He mixed it up with opposing Centers and frowned at his coaches’ instruction but was a one man wrecking crew when on the court by passing with fervor, grabbing impressive rebounding numbers, and scored powerful baskets against inferior defenders. Despite a horrendous finale which featured a 6 point, 6 rebound performance on 1 for 12 shooting, Cousins earned the NBA’s first official Rookie of the Month Award for July. Watch out Western Conference, since DeMarcus could be a threat to snag Amare Stoudemire’s spot on the All-Star roster.
Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers
19.3 ppg, 6 ast, 1.7 stls
The 2nd year point guard out of UCLA appeared to be playing on another level this Summer by leading all players in Orlando in points and assists, and finishing 2nd in steals. After coming on strong as the Sixers starting point man the final 20 games of last season, Holiday seems poised to make the jump to being a top tier floor general next season. In Orlando he showed excellent handles, an astute accuracy on his jumpers(.474% FG), and a knack for playing the passing lanes on defense. Although it’s only Summer league, but if Holiday continues to show these skills that once made him a Top 5 prospect coming out of HS in ‘07, the Sixers will have quite a player at the helm of their offense for years to come. Now they just have to get Evan Turner(9.4 ppg, 5.6 rebs, 2.8 ast) going.
Paul George, Indiana Pacers
15.2 ppg, 7.8 rebs, 2.4 stl, 2 ast
Some people said that Larry Bird and the Pacers organization’s taking Fresno State’s Paul George was a bit of a reach as the #10 overall selection in the draft. George is doing his best to make the team that drafted him look like geniuses after being the most consistently good player in Orlando. He ranked in the Top 10 in scoring, rebounding, and led everyone in steals per game by grabbing 2.4 per contest. Although he started this Summer a bit slow, he came on strong by finishing his last game in grand fashion by tallying 22 points and 12 rebounds against the Thunder. Despite shooting a paltry 20% from behind the arc( a supposed strong point), George showed glimpsed of some amazing potential. Now the Pacers must decide when and where to play the 6‘9 small forward with Danny Granger on the roster in front of him.
Javale McGee, Washington Wizards
19.5 ppg, 9.3 rebs, 1 blk
Even though McGee is no longer a rookie, he benefitted greatly by playing in the Vegas Summer League……..or he just wanted to be the first player already on the Wizards roster to play alongside the exciting John Wall. The pairing seemed at times magical as Wall constantly dished out dimes to the 7 foot plus McGee in stride at the rim, which resulted in some of the most youtube worthy dunks of the Summer. JaVale also appeared to have added a good 10-15 pounds to his usually thin frame and showed improvement in his low post game to the tune of nearly 20 ppg(4th in Vegas), to go along with 9+ boards and more than a block per game. JaVale has one of the more unique packages, combining size and athleticism, among all NBA bigs. The Wizards could have quite a player on their hands if McGee has started to put things together.
Lance Stephenson, Indiana Pacers
14.8 ppg, .733 FG%, 2.5 ast, 1.5 stl
The man-child know as “Born Ready” literally scared NBA GM’s so much that he didn’t even rank in the Top 100 players on their draft boards despite being named the Big East Freshman of the Year. But obviously Pacers GM Larry Bird knew something that everyone else didn’t since Lance was one of the most exciting and impressive players in Orlando. While not the typical Larry Bird type player, he tallied nearly 15 ppg in only 23 minutes per contest and shot a Summer league best .733 % from the field. Stephenson was so impressive that the Pacers are even considering playing the 6‘5 and 220lb swing-man at point guard next season. While their no doubting that he has the skills to succeed offensively, ultimately how he defends will decide how many minutes we see “Born Ready” on the floor in the regular season. Stephenson, Paul George, and even Magnum Rolle(13.4 ppg, 7 rebs, 2 blk) all stand a good chance of making an immediate impact next season.
Larry Sanders, Milwaukee Bucks
14 ppg, 8.4 rebs, 3.2 blk
When the Milwaukee Bucks selected Sanders with the #15 pick in this year’s draft, they thought they were getting a defensive replacement for the oft injured Andrew Bogut, who could play sparingly when needed. What they discovered is that they may have gotten one of the steals of the draft since Larry was one of the bigger surprises this Summer by showcasing a surprisingly good offensive game to match his above average defensive play. He may have just earned himself some valuable playing time in coach Scott Skiles rotation off the bench as a possible elite level defender on opposing bigs. Surely a hard-nosed former player like Skiles will take an immediate liking to a hard working player like Sanders as team leader and superstar Brandon Jennings has already voiced his approval of the newest Bucks big man. What’s not to like about a player averaging a Las Vegas best 3.2 blocks per game?
Luke Harangody, Boston Celtics
16.6 ppg, 6.8 rebs, 1.6 ast
After having a stellar 4 year career at Notre Dame as one of the Big East Conference best all-time players, Harangody slipped all the way to the 52nd overall selection in the draft. GM’s were scared away by Luke’s overall lack of overwhelming athleticism and not possessing a prototypical PF physique despite playing the 4 or 5 in college. Harangody undoubtedly has to be the biggest surprise among rookies this Summer by showing an amazingly good all around offensive game, including an above average mid range jumper and decent 3 point range, despite a rather unorthadox release. He showed impressive resolve and determination on the glass despite being under-sized and even surprised many with his above average passing skills from the forward position. Also on display was a inner fire fueled by a motor that doesn’t quit, which cannot be taught. He should fit perfectly on the Celtics roster filled with hard-nosed, blue collar teammates like Garnett, Perkins, and Pierce.
Derrick Caracter, LA Lakers
15.4 ppg, 8.6 rebs, 1.4 blk
Similar to Sanders with Milwaukee, the LA Lakers appear to have gotten an absolute steal in the draft by selecting UTEP’s Derrick Caracter. In LA’s disappointing 0-5 Summer tilt, Cartacter proved to be one of the few bright spots, along with Devin Ebanks, with his impressive physical play against opposing bigs. He showed off his impressive array of low post moves and deftness on the glass by finishing ranked in the Top 5 in rebounding as well as swatting 1.4 blocks per contest. The knock on Derrick coming out of college was his weight and lack of competition against big time opposing players since he played in the mid-major Conference USA. Caracter passed on both accounts by being both in excellent shape and at times being a dominating low post presence, who was a double-double machine, tallying 3 in 5 games. With his dominating performance this Summer, Derrick probably earned himself a spot on the Lakers bench alongside DJ Mbenga and Luke Walton.
Damion James, NJ Nets
18.8 ppg, 5.3 rebs
Despite being one of the nations best seniors, a number of higher profile underclassmen were drafted ahead of James. After his impressive performance for the NJ Nets this Summer, I’ll bet a lot of GM’s are second guessing themselves for passing on James since he finished 2nd in Orlando in scoring at an 18.8 ppg clip. He showed the impressive workman-like effort we all came to know and enjoy watching during Longhorn games the past 4 seasons. While some may argue that James is a player without a position in the NBA because of lack of size for the 4, and may be a little slow to guard 3‘s, all of that didn’t matter to opponents who couldn’t figure out how to contain him in Orlando. Look for James to be more than just a bench player in New Jersey next season.
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.
