With the NBA Summer League officially underway, we are going to take a look at the best performers of the early games. Starting off with the first overall selection in the recent draft, Paolo Banchero.
Paolo Banchero
Banchero just participated in his first game against the Houston Rockets, and he was incredibly impressive. The six-foot, 10-inch forward displayed his scoring and playmaking ability throughout the night. He had 17 points and six assists in a Magic victory, 91-77. He had actually scored eight points in the first quarter and 13 by the end of the first half. Even though he slowed down a bit towards the end, it was clear that when he gets going, he’s hard to stop. He’s going to match up with the Sacramento Kings in his next game out.
Caleb Houstan
Another player to perform well so far was Caleb Houstan. Houstan was on the Rockets while they lost to the Magic. Even though the team lost by double digits, Houstan was a notable performer. He had made five out of his nine three-point attempts to finish with 20 points on the day. There was no doubt that he was the best shooter on the floor throughout the game.
Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton deserves some respect after the masterclass he put together on the number two overall pick, Chet Holmgren. Lofton was undrafted and recently signed onto a two-way contract five days before his game. Suddenly, he could end up pushing his way onto the final roster. He finished with a game-high 19 points along with six rebounds and three assists. The entire game saw him attack Holmgren in the paint and use his physical strengths to create loads of separation. There wasn’t anybody pushing him around on the floor.
Chet Holmgren
And finally, Chet Holmgren himself deserves a mention. While yes, he didn’t do great against Lofton in his second Summer League game, he still was phenomenal in the first. He dropped 23 points during his first Summer League matchup. Along with that, he had three blocks and three three-pointers in just the first quarter alone. He later on poured on seven rebounds and four assists. Oh, and he wound up ending with six blocks on the night.
These are just a handful of the players that have showed out in the Summer League throughout the first couple of days. Who else is going to be taking that next step in their development?
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