🏀 Can He Still Be a Star?

Powered By

Welcome back, everyone! As the top picks and second-year studs find their Summer League journey coming to an end, we’re getting into the real heart of what makes this time of year so special.

From the undrafted players looking to make a name for themselves to snag a roster spot, from the overseas hoopers hoping for one more shot at the NBA, to the second-round guys who want to prove everyone wrong for passing them up.

Speaking of Summer League, it was awesome to see all of the Enjoyers in Vegas repping the brand! None of this would be possible without your support.

HUGE thank you to Andrew, Chris, and all the Enjoyers who showed us love 🙏 

Today’s Lineup

Not Done Yet: This former high school star is still making waves 🌊

What’s Cooking in Minny? The Wolves’ young core could be special 🐺

Slow and Steady: 3 players who became stars after Summer League flops 🐢

Summer League Standouts

Buckets for Bates

From the cover of Sports Illustrated at 15 to fighting to make an NBA roster spot four years later, Emoni Bates hasn’t had the career trajectory any of us expected. However, it's far too late to write off the 19-year-old who absolutely dominated 2K20 custom draft classes.

It took him a couple of games to get his feet under him, but Bates really shined against Memphis on Monday. With 21 points on just 11 shots, he showcased the nearly flawless shooting form that has had scouts raving about him for years on end. We believe in you, Emoni!

The Wolves Slept-On Young Core

Minnesota’s summer league squad probably wasn't very high on anyone’s watch list heading into July, but a trio made up of two second-round picks and one undrafted G-Leaguer has put the league on notice.

Let’s start off with Leonard Miller. After a year of seasoning his game with the G-League Ignite, this year’s 33rd overall pick looks exactly as advertised. There aren’t many 19-year-olds that have the Dirk fadeaway in their bag. Right alongside him is last year’s second-round pick, Josh Minott, who’s seen his raw offensive game blossom this summer after a full season of NBA training. 

And the biggest surprise of all, Brandon Williams! Remember him from Portland? Williams looks a lot more comfortable with the ball in his hands after spending last season dominating the G-League. Excited to see more plays like this moving forward.

Miller & Smith: Attorneys at Scoring

You know what gets people to stop talking? Throwing down the nastiest slam of the summer.

Brandon Miller was always going to catch some flack this summer simply for the fact that he was picked above Scoot Henderson, and a rough start only added fuel to the fire, so it’s nice to see the young phenom put together the first of what we’re sure will be many big games as a pro hooper.

And don’t forget about Nick Smith Jr! Miller’s first-round draft partner showed off every (and we mean every) move in his scoring arsenal during a masterful 33-point display. The future is bright in Buzz City.

Keyonte (Paul) George

Has any rookie come out of the gate in Vegas this season looking better than Keyonte George? The Baylor product is supremely confident in his shot, and quickly showing the type of damage he can do with NBA spacing (44% 3PT, 12.5 3PA).

And that’s not even talking about the playmaking! George was more of a two-guard in college, but he’s proven himself more than capable of running a pro offense so far, averaging nearly nine assists per game while taking care of the ball. Could we be looking at the next face of Jazz basketball?

The Poster Boy

Listen, we’ll take any chance we can get to rave about Shaedon Sharpe, and you’re just gonna have to accept it.

We can talk about how Shaedon took over the 4th quarter versus Charlotte to carry Portland to the W, but let’s be real; we’re all here for the dunks. On the menu for today: a ferocious breakaway rim-rattler, capped off with a nice slice-and-dice jam around Kai Jones.

Boardroom: HeadlineToGo

Co-founded by NBA star Kevin Durant and entrepreneur Rich Kleiman, Boardroom is a media network that covers the business of sports, music, and entertainment.

From emerging leagues (pickleball, anyone?) to new tech, they’re committed to offering a unique perspective on the ways that athletes, musicians, creators, and executives are moving the business world forward.

Sign up for their morning newsletter, HeadlineToGo, to get an inside look at the Boardroom universe. Plus, sometimes they have game-worn sneakers and signed jerseys to give away—just saying.

Join the 130K+ people who start their day with HeadlineToGo.

From Flops to Famous

For all the hype that Summer League can build, it’s important to remember not to tear down young hoopers who struggle to succeed out of the gate because you never know what they might become. Today, let’s talk about some NBA stars who didn’t look like it right away at the pro level.

Trae Young

Starting off with a recent example, remember when Trae Young wasn’t dropping 30 and 10 every night? After an explosive freshman season at Oklahoma and a draft night trade for Luka Doncic, Young was perhaps the most polarizing prospect in the 2018 draft, and he certainly didn’t do himself any favors at that year’s Utah Summer League.

During a three-game slate before the big festivities in Vegas, Young couldn’t buy a shot. The future star shot 12/52 (23%) from the field and 3/24 (12%) from deep to go along with just 13 assists compared to 11 turnovers.

Tim Duncan

Guess what? Wemby isn't the only amazing Spurs prospect who had a tough time in their first summer game. Tim Duncan, who was hailed as the next big thing after David Robinson, didn't exactly shine in his first two Summer League games.

In his debut, he did manage to score 12 points and grab seven rebounds while shooting an impressive 55% from the field. But when it came to defending Portland's Jermaine O'Neal, Duncan struggled big time. O'Neal dropped a whopping 23 points on him!

And it didn't get any better in the second game. The Jazz's backup center, Greg Ostertag, completely dominated Duncan on both ends of the court. He scored 21 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked Duncan multiple times! That’s gotta hurt.

Kevin Durant and Greg Oden

Yep, there’s more than one top twenty player all-time who had a summer debut to forget. The smooth-as-silk, 6’10” forward out of Texas, Kevin Durant was correctly pinned as a future generational scoring talent from an early age, but you couldn’t tell from his first game, a showdown against #1 overall pick Greg Oden.

KD just couldn’t find his rhythm during his first dip into pro hoops, shooting just 5-for-17 from the field and grabbing only a single rebound. Oden didn’t fare much better, somehow fouling out despite the Summer League's incredibly lenient ten-foul limit. Luckily for us, Durant quickly turned it around and gave us a beautiful year of pure buckets in Seattle.

Frozen Moments

• Someone needs to mic up Anthony Edwards ASAP.

• Andre Drummond offers some real advice for young hoopers.

• Hey Tacko Fall: if it works, it works. 🤷‍♂️

What We’re Enjoying

Sunburn by Dominic Fike: Florida native Dominic Fike dropped an album full of infectious summer jams at the perfect time. Sunburn is Fike’s second studio album, and it offers a chaotic and introspective look at his life growing up in the sweltering South Florida heat, backed by some stellar alt-rock guitars and beachy synths. Our favorite has to be “Mona Lisa,” which you might have caught in Across the Spider-Verse.

Signing Off

Thanks for reading, everyone! We appreciate all the support during the offseason. Remember to keep things positive during Summer League. Let’s continue to build up the next generation of hoopers, not tear them down.

Until next time,

-Spencer Poole

Trivia Answer: The answer to today’s trivia is the Hawks and Pistons! Atlanta and Detroit have traded with each other 18 times, most recently the Saddiq Bey trade at this year’s deadline.