NBA: Summer League Update Pt. 2
Best Teams: Portland Trail Blazers (7-0): The Portland Trail Blazers were 49-33 last season and earned the third seed in the Western Conference. Unfortunately for them, they were bounced in the First Round, getting swept by the New Orleans Pelicans. It was clear that Portland needed better talent at the forward positions. Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and Jusuf Nurkic are established starters, but the other two spots are wide open. The Summer League team was filled with talented wings who might be able to help out during the regular season. Archie Goodwin, Jake Layman, and Gary Trent Jr. combined for 32 points and 12 rebounds in the 91-73 victory in the championship over the Los Angeles Lakers. It was a perfect summer for the undefeated Blazers.
Best Teams: Los Angeles Lakers (6-1): The Los Angeles Lakers were looking for their second straight Summer League title, which would have been the first time in history, but they weren't able to get past the Blazers in the championship game. Besides the final game, though, this was a successful summer for Magic Johnson and the Lakers. Off the court, the signed the likes of LeBron James, Rajon Rondo, and Lance Stephenson. On the court, Josh Hart, Moritz Wagner, and Svi Mykhailiuk looked really good together. Hart averaged 22.4 points (third in the league) and 4.7 rebounds en route to the MVP. Wagner put up a solid 10.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. And Mykhailiuk, out of Kansas, went for an impressive 16.6 points on 48 percent shooting.
Best Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (5-2): The Cleveland Cavaliers went 50-32 last season before reaching the NBA Finals for the fourth straight year. But you guys know the story. They lost to the Golden State Warriors in four games and then a few weeks later, LeBron decided to leave and sign with the Lakers. Hey, at least he got you one ring, right? Now, of course we don't expect the Cavs to win 50 games next year, but they could realistically compete for a playoff spot. Collin Sexton looked really good in his seven games, putting up 19.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 43 percent. Cedi Osman only played two games, but totaled 40 points and 16 boards. Those two will see a lot of minutes next season alongside Kevin Love.
Top Players: Josh Hart (Lakers): I already touched on the former Villanova guard, who has done nothing but get better since entering the NBA last summer. Obviously his 7.9 points and 4.2 rebounds during his rookie year aren't going to blow you away, but Hart has certainly gotten better just in the last couple of months. He will compete with Kyle Kuzma and Stephenson for minutes at the two spot. Hart was named the Summer League MVP, which has gone to a Lakers guard for two years in a row now after Lonzo Ball won it last season. He was by far the best player in the league and really proved how much you can improve during one full year in the NBA. He averaged 22.4 points, which included an explosion of 37 points in the semifinals.
Top Players: Colin Sexton (Cavaliers): In that same semifinals matchup, Sexton did his best to keep the Cavs within striking distance. It ended up not being enough in the end as the Lakers came out on top in a 112-109 double overtime victory, but Sexton looked great in the loss. He dropped 27 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals. His 40.9 percent shooting from the field will need to improve as the regular season approaches, but the talent is clearly there for him. He also shot 8/10 from the free throw line in this game. Sexton averaged 19.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in his lone season at Alabama, and did about the same in the Summer League, increasing his average by 0.4 points. Sexton looks like he has what it takes to be a solid point guard.
Top Players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Clippers): It seems like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been flying under the radar for his entire career to this point. He was undervalued at the high school level. Then he wasn't even the projected starter for Kentucky, and began the season as the back up point guard. However, by the time SEC play started, Gilgeous-Alexander was competing for the best player on the team with Kevin Knox. It may be time for people to really start taking notice of Gilgeous-Alexander because he has high level basketball IQ and a lot of length. With those assets, he could be a difference maker in the Western Conference when he hits his prime. I really enjoyed watching him this summer, as he put up 19.0 points and 4.0 assists per game.
Photo Credit: Clutch Points.
