Impressions from Utah Summer League
The NBA summer leagues provide young players with opportunities to showcase their talent, physical growth and potential leadership abilities. These events also provide fans with the unique opportunity to watch NBA hopefuls and draftees perform in a close, intimate setting.
The 2017 Utah Summer League featured a four-team round-robin tournament played over the course of three days. Each team played each team, with the hometown Utah Jazz finishing with a perfect 3-0 record.
The 2017 Utah Summer League lineup boasted the likes of number one overall pick, Markelle Fultz, number three pick, Jayson Tatum, as well as other exciting young players such as Dante Exum, Donovan Mitchell and Davis Bertans.
As the 2017 Utah Summer League wraps up and the rookies now have their first tastes of NBA basketball, fans and league executives alike have a better idea of what to expect out of these young prospects. Keep in mind, evaluating summer league play can be difficult as NBA all-stars and vets are entirely absent from these competitions.
Biggest Winners
Jayson Tatum (BOS)- Overall, Tatum looked like the best player in the tournament. Finishing with averages of 18.7 ppg and 9.7 rpg, Tatum was effective on both sides of the ball and scored in a variety of ways. He also seemed to take the reigns as the leader of Boston’s summer league squad, which was a bit surprising with the presence of Jaylen Brown on the roster.
Dante Exum (UTH)- While Tatum may have been a bit more impressive, Exum looked by far the most comfortable. Drafted number five overall in 2014, it’s easy to forget that Exum is still only 21 years old. Exum used his experience to his advantage, dominating most of the guards he faced with relative ease. It will be interesting to see if his summer league success and offseason training translates into a bounce-back season for the Aussie guard as he enters his fourth season in the NBA.
Markelle Fultz (PHI)- Fultz looked great early in each game, but would get benched for long stretches as the Philadelphia staff was clearly focused on identifying supporting players for their roster, rather than showcasing their franchise point guard. And despite being outscored by Dante Exum in their head-to-head matchup, Fultz appeared neither intimidated nor discouraged during what would be the most exciting matchup of the tournament.
Donovan Mitchell (UTA)- Active, athletic, muscular. Despite having the tendency to disappear at times, Mitchell had fans on their feet throughout the tournament with his exciting play and physical defense. Perhaps the most promising aspect of his game was his killer instinct and desire to matchup against some of the tournament’s bigger stars (just ask Jayson Tatum). With the impending exit of former team-leader Gordon Hayward, Mitchell could end up playing heavy minutes in Utah and be one of the 2017 draft’s biggest steals.
Looked Good/Pleasant Surprises
Jaylen Brown (BOS)- While he didn’t display a great shooting touch, Jaylen Brown wowed spectators with his athleticism and dominance on the boards. His athleticism and feel put him on a different level than the majority of the competition he faced off against. Brown is clearly ready for a larger role for Boston, especially as Danny Ainge explores potential trades of defensive stoppers Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder.
Jonah Bolden (PHI)- Perhaps one of the most polarizing prospects of the 2017 NBA Draft, Jonah Bolden was active on both ends of the floor. He displayed a strong offensive game, both posting up and demonstrating his legitimate three-point range. He also led the tournament in blocks per game, with 3.5. The one knock on his game is his pedestrian rebounding numbers, only averaging four a game despite playing 24 mpg.
Bryn Forbes (SA)- For the second year in a row, Bryn Forbes was a scoring machine for the Spurs’ summer league squad. Forbes led the summer league in scoring with 21.3 ppg while shooting a respectable 43 percent from the field. With the Spurs exploring trades for three-point specialist Danny Green, Forbes may be ready for a larger role in San Antonio.
Alex Poythress (PHI)- A fringe-NBA guy who always seems to be on a roster by the end of the season, Alex Poythress showed a lot of grit and determination throughout the Utah Summer League. He always has a lot to offer in terms of hustle and rebounding, but what really stood out during this tournament was his relentless defense. He had more success guarding Jayson Tatum than any other player did throughout the tournament, and looked physically superior to most of his competition.
Honorable Mention:
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (PHI)- Solid defender. He seemed to cherish the moments he had when matched up against the likes of Tatum, Brown and Mitchell.
Ante Zizic (BO)S- Displayed a soft touch around the rim and never shied away from contact, with Olynyk gone, Zizic could be a rebounding specialist for Brad Stevens.
Cory Jefferson (SA)- A hard-nosed player who was active on the boards and tough on defense. His NBA experience showed early on in the tournament.
Landen Lucas (BOS)- Not much was expected from the undrafted rookie out of Kansas, but he made the most of his first summer league experience. He displayed a desire to post up and get physical with each of the bigs he faced.
Underwhelming Performers
Demetrius Jackson (BOS)- The clock is ticking for Demetrius Jackson. With Boston’s deep guard rotation and Jackson’s forgettable performance in Utah, it is hard to imagine him earning much playing time this coming season. Despite starting for Boston and playing 27 minutes, Jackson was only able to register six points and three assists. To further complicate matters, he was held out of Boston’s final two games as Danny Ainge and co. explore ways to clear cap space for the signing of Gordon Hayward.
Shayne Whittington (SA)- A quick Google search will likely bring up videos of his on-court bloopers during the tournament. A two-year NBA vet with the Indiana Pacers, plus an additional year playing in Spain’s Liga ACB, San Antonio was probably expecting a calming, leadership presence from Whittington. Unfortunately, what they got was a player who, at times, looked lost and athletically outmatched.
Aaron Harrison (PHI)- One issue that has dogged Aaron Harrison his entire career is his poor body language. Unfortunately for this Harrison twin, that seems to still be an issue. Arguing and complaining after nearly every call, Aaron Harrison again allowed his on-court antics to distract from his on-court play.
Semi Ojeleye (BOS)- The 2017 second-round pick out of SMU was thought by many to be a huge steal for the Boston Celtics. Lauded for his supreme athleticism and physique, Ojeleye did not look ready for the speed of the NBA. A bounce-back performance in Vegas may be necessary if he wishes to stick around on Boston’s regular season roster.
Dishonorable Mention:
Jaron Blossomgame (SA)- Didn’t stand out and despite playing over 22 mpg, he was never able to find a way to consistently score.
Joel Bolomboy (UTA)- Averaging only six rebounds and failing to record a single block, more was expected from the second-year post.
Dejounte Murray (SA)- Another player that failed to stand out despite knowing what to expect out of the summer league experience. With the aging Tony Parker and San Antonio’s failure to sign Chris Paul, any available guard minutes will likely be scooped up by Derrick White.
Livio Jean-Charles (SA)- The 2013 draft pick has improved since his first summer league experience, but not enough to make an opening night NBA roster. He’ll likely head back to France for another season.
Davis Bertans (SA)- Didn’t play poorly, per se, but did not shoot the ball consistently in his showcase opportunity.
Hayden Coombs 