Зуны лигийн шилдэг 10 шинэ тоглогчийн үнэлгээ

With Summer League officially in the rearview mirror, it’s a good time to build a list of what we just witnessed. The context of Summer League can lead to varied results. Bucket-getting tends to stand out, but it’s also a chance to see the little things. Was there consistency throughout? Was there improvement?

The fun of this exercise is the timing. In July, there is a chance for players to be highlighted in ways they may not be come the regular season. There are also highs and lows they have to work through in Summer League that may be made easier with a full roster in October.

The one thing that’s crystal clear right now: Rookie of the Year is going to be a tight, fun (and likely discourse-filled) race. The top-4 picks — AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson — all showcased why their teams should be excited. (Take a second to realize that one of them will not be in the top 3 for the award.) Throw in the depth and potential of the class overall and the ceiling feels like the roof.

Here are my top 10 rookies so far:

1. Cameron Boozer, Grizzlies

It’s the consistency from Boozer that stood out over both the Salt Lake City and Vegas Summer Leagues. Boozer’s versatility was constantly on display. There was a confidence and comfort he showed handling the ball. There was little hesitation to let it fly from 3 whether off the bounce or catch-and-shoot. He read defenses and created opportunities for others, and his passes were on time and on target. The Grizzlies moved him around the board, and mixed in post-ups as time went on. The amount of games (eight) Boozer ended up playing deserves a tip of the cap, but we knew exactly what we were going to get. The bonus is we saw growth.

2. AJ Dybantsa, Wizards

It was impactful for me that even after Boozer (and Darryn Peterson) had already played in Salt Lake City, Dybantsa made sure to make his presence felt in Vegas from the jump: 27 points in his first game, which tied for the most points by a No. 1 pick in their summer league debut. There was a confidence and force that Dybantsa played with that was impressive. The drives stood out as he saw any space as an invitation to get a paint touch. He set up his drives or jumper, working to change directions but always with the mindset of getting to his spot. He may have had the ball more than he will in the regular season, but that comfort in the open court isn’t going away.

3. Caleb Wilson, Bulls

If nothing else Wilson used Summer League as an opportunity to display the full package of what he can bring to the table. The size speaks for itself, and the athleticism was present on both ends. He also showed a comfort in creating space to get to his jump shot, and his early 3-point shooting felt like an exclamation point. Even if it was not a perfect world, the effort rarely waned. He wanted to play, and he worked to erase mistakes. The highlight dunks may have brought the vocals, the shot-making may have been the drums, but the will to compete brought the bass. That’s the type of mindset that ends up paying off down the line.

4. Darryn Peterson, Jazz

The Vegas shooting splits (30.8% from the field, 23.1% from 3) may dim the light for some, but Peterson put his skill set on display playing in both summer leagues. His best moments came when he was decisive and giving the effort to make the defense pay. Rejects were aplenty if you were not paying attention. He found ways to counter defenses if they worked to cut him off. If you went under on a pick-and-roll, he had moments where he turned the corner and finished. The drives felt smooth and rarely sped up. His work off pindowns or pass-and-catch actions also gave a glimpse to how he may fit in with the Jazz offense. The combination of shot-making and playmaking showed us enough.

5. Yaxel Lendeborg, Warriors

A lot of Summer League can tilt toward pure scoring or highlight plays; Lendeborg gets a tip of the cap for his steady and consistent play on both ends. It’s not a surprise how he contributed, but it’s clear there are elements that can be replicated when he starts his rookie season. He did a little bit of everything. What may not have been there speed-wise on the drive, he made up for with physicality. It wasn’t just knocking down shots, he also worked to drive closeouts when spaced, made the right reads and kept the ball moving when needed.

6. Mikel Brown Jr., Nets

To be honest, the defensive effort is what stood out the most. I understand how it can be easy to wave that end of the floor off in the Summer League context. For me, it’s about the little things: Brown working to be active off-ball, communicating with others, and trying to be in the right position to disrupt passing lanes. It’s the flashes where we saw closeouts lead to containing a drive and pressuring the ball. That’s on top of the offensive ability he showed with confident ball-handling, strong drives and passing. Throw in the comfort with getting to his shot via stepback or pull-up and there is a good base to build on.

7. Brayden Burries, Bucks

The consistent scoring stood out, but Burries’ ability to add layers beyond shooting was fun to watch. He leveraged his shot-making with an ability to get past a closeout and go right into a pull-up. He displayed the footwork to always gather and smoothly get into his shot. And his willingness to drive is something I didn’t anticipate; he looked to get in the paint and was not shy about initiating contact. His off-ball movement will likely grow during the regular season, but having a mix of both is a good starting point.

8. Allen Graves, Raptors

The key with Graves is not only did it feel like he consistently did the little things, he consistently did the little things well. You just felt Graves impact the game on both ends when he was on the floor. If the ball was put in his hands, he didn’t force the issue and read the defense. If he was spaced, there wasn’t much hesitation to try and knock it down. The cutting was put on display and the drives opened up his ability to pass. On defense, the weakside rotations were well-timed and strong. Throw in his ball pressure and active hands and it feels like he fits the mold for the Raptors.

9. Cameron Carr, Lakers

Carr had a strong Summer League for the Lakers, but I liked how he operated within their context and what that could mean going forward. The work off-ball when he was in movement sets was strong. Working to set up to fly off screens, reading the defense with little hesitation. If you were too far back, it’s a catch-and-shoot 3. If there was room to turn the corner, he would. If the defense recovered, he showed an ability to drive the ball. Shooting will help if you’re on a Luka Dončić-led team, but his potential could help balance out the Lakers lineups and offense down the line.

10. Kingston Flemings, Hawks

This was a hard spot to fill with a deep class, but I give the nod to Flemings. He just did his job on both ends of the floor. Defensively, there were many possessions where he was on the perimeter switching onto everyone. The activity and ball pressure felt consistent. Offensively, for a quick guard, he showed a high level of patience, working to make plays, seeing how the defense would react and getting off of it.

Honorable mentions

Keaton Wagler, Clippers; Darius Acuff Jr., Kings

Probably the two toughest names to leave off this Summer Edition of Rookie Rankings. I’m still very high on their overall talent level and what they can be as prospects. I liked how they battled through different levels of adversity to find ways to get back to scoring. Acuff found comfort and patience, Wagler continued to try to figure out physicality. This summer won’t define them and gives them a clear path for what to work on before the real games begin.

Meleek Thomas, Cavaliers

The leading scorer of Summer League deserves a tip of the cap for showing a consistent level of offense. You average 27.3 points on 50% shooting over four games, you get a salute from me.

Morez Johnson Jr., Mavericks; Labaron Philon, 76ers

Johnson’s defensive activity and upside were on display with some nice work in the paint to boot. Philon, meanwhile, just has a presence offensively that jumps off the screen.