The Las Vegas Summer League has always been a major event in the NBA, giving everyone a chance to see how players who once enjoyed great glory in college or are now working overseas compete with NBA veterans and marginal talents.
The 2024 Summer League has made the world familiar with several lucky winners in the 2024 draft, such as the Hawks' relatively unknown No. 1 pick, Richard Sacher, and the Wizards' star Alex · Sarr.
Now that the summer league has come to an end, the Miami Heat have won the championship and Josh · Christopher has taken the Finals MVP trophy. After seeing the debut of what can be a very long and successful career for these young people, everyone has a rod scale in their hearts.
There is still some time to go before the preseason of the 2024-2025 season, but the evaluation of these players, whether fair or unfair, is already out.
5. Risacher only flashes occasionally
The Eagles decided to let Risaccher play two games in the Summer League, but his performance was inconsistent.
In the opening game against Sarr and the Wizards, he scored 18 points and shot 3-of-9 from three-point range. Risacher carved out a path to the basket for herself and showed some playmaking. Whether it's catching or dribbling, he can shoot three-pointers, which is quite impressive for Risacher, who just celebrated his 19th birthday on April 9 and is 6'10" tall.
In addition to his skillful under-the-basket breakaways, it looks like Risacher needs some more grinding in his rookie season. He has a high ceiling, but his shot appears a little shaky against some talented opponents, and his shot selection may need to be adjusted to have a bigger impact.
Although Rissacher only played two games, his 25 percent three-point shooting and 43.9 percent free throw shooting didn't make a good impression on the basketball media community, including Jonathan · Wasserman of The Bleachers, who believes the Hawks should give Ristcher a chance to grow by making mistakes this season.
Risscher's first season at Atalanta may not bring amazing stats and incredibly exciting performances, but it should set him up better for his second season.
4. GG Jackson: The X-factor for the Grizzlies
If there's one thing GG Jackson has on the court, it's putting the ball in the basket in a variety of ways. As a 19-year-old who is about to enter his second season of his career, GG Jackson has once again proven his worth.
In eight Summer League games, GG Jackson averaged 20.8 points per game while shooting 43.2 percent from the field.
A scorer who could explode at any moment, Jackson scored at least 20 points in four games, including a game-high 28 points against the Heat in the Summer League Championship. In that final, he hit a tie-breaking three-pointer with 10.5 seconds left in regulation time, adding suspense to the game.
For a player who didn't turn 20 until December, Jackson's attacking skills were fairly well-rounded, and his confidence in the game's most crucial moments was on full display.
Although the Grizzlies lost the championship game in overtime, Jackson proved that he could be a reliable scoring point on the Memphis bench during the regular season.
GG Jackson scored a career-high 44 points against the Denver Nuggets in April, and he is also the youngest player in the league to score 40+ points.
The physical confrontation in playoff basketball is intense, and players who are good at hard shots always come in handy. Jackson has the potential to be a player who hits a playoff shot in a crucial moment to help his team rush to the 2025 NBA Finals.
3. Branding · Podzemski: The most improved candidate for the most advanced player
Golden State Warriors guard Brandin · Podzemski missed a large part of Summer League, but he was quite impressive in the three games he was scheduled to play. Pojams dominated the court with fellow sophomore Tress · Davis, leading the Warriors to three victories over the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls.
As a member of the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year team, Podzemski showed significant improvement after the Warriors were knocked out early by the Kings in the playoffs. And he shone in the final game against the Bulls, scoring 21 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and diching out seven assists to help the Golden State Warriors win again.
Podzemski was very active in the game, he was able to aggressively scramble for the floor ball and fly up for rebounds. Last season, he committed a league-high 38 offensive fouls.
In Summer League, though, Podzemski's style of play changed a bit and he looked more on offense. He showed some of the skills of a scorer, made some difficult layups, and made a barrage of catch-and-shoot three-pointers in the final game of the Summer League against Chicago.
Podzemski has shown tremendous potential to grow in terms of creating chances and scoring with the ball, while maintaining his status as a scramble and glue player on both ends of the floor.
It is worth mentioning that Podemski is likely to replace Klay · Thompson as the team's starting point guard next season. If Podemski can improve his scoring next season, he could well win the Most Improved Player award.
2. Saar's parallel trade potential has soared
The matchup between Sarr and Risaccher is the first meeting between the champion and the top eye in 2024. Risacher lost but also scored 18 points; Sarr, 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks, helped the Wizards win. Sarr had a good debut, making two three-point shots on five occasions and showing his versatility on the offensive end.
It's a pity that after his debut, Saar went all the way down.
In the next three games, Sarr made just 5 of 25 shots, including 12 three-pointers. In the game with the Trail Blazers, Sarr shot 0 of 15 and scored zero, which was really miserable. Throughout the game, Sarr did not play to his 7-foot length and physical strength, but frequently used the style of play as a defender. As soon as he encountered a physical confrontation, he either made a mistake or was forced to make a forced shot, not only in an awkward posture, but also interfered with by others.
Sarr's only bright spot is the basket protection, and his physical condition and athleticism allow him to average 2.5 blocks per game. There were a few times when the blocks were particularly explosive, giving a glimpse of his future deterrent power under the basket.
However, his struggles on the offensive end are something the Wizards will have to ponder.
1. Reed · Shepard is the strongest newcomer in the class of 2024
Shepard's performance in Summer League has caught a lot of eyebrows.
Many people were shocked by Shepard's amazing performance. No one expected that this 6-foot-3 guard would be able to attack from anywhere on the field.
During that season at the University of Kentucky, Splash shot 69.9 percent from the field, including a staggering 52.1 percent from three-point range, the most in the country.
By the time of Summer League, Shepard's scoring ability and offensive IQ had been successfully transferred to a new arena, as was his playmaking and defense.
In his first career game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Shepard scored 23 points against fellow rookies Dalton· Knecht and Bronny · James, showing great skill on both ends of the floor. He hit back-to-back long-range three-pointers and also showcased his mid-range pull-up skills to help the Rockets win an easy 99-80 victory.
In four Las Vegas games, Shepard averaged 20.0 points, 5.8 assists and 2.8 steals per game, giving his all for the Rockets, who had a 2-3 record. Shepard's composure is like a veteran who has played for ten years, and he definitely looks like the most adaptable defender to the rhythm of the league among the rookies in his class.
However, Shepard currently has two minor flaws: one is to average 4.8 turnovers per game, and the other is to shoot only 27.8% from three-point range. But with 82 games in the NBA regular season, he has time to show the world a more authentic version of himself in his rookie season.
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