NBA Summer League 2016: Top Takeaways from July 4 in Orlando
As Kevin Durant's free-agency bombshell elicited a deafening response from the hoops world, the 2016 NBA Orlando Summer League quietly continued.
Rather fittingly, Monday's action in Disney's home belonged to unheralded players.
The three-game slate was light on name recognition. Only one 2016 first-rounder took the floor (Henry Ellenson) and several familiar faces had the day off (Cameron Payne, Mitch McGary). But with each contest decided by single digits, there was enough drama to hold everyone's attention and elevate these overlooked players onto the center stage.
Semaj Christon Can Stuff a Stat Sheet
Semaj Christon looks extremely comfortable driving the bus for the Oklahoma City Thunder. That's probably because this is now his third year on the job, but the former Xavier standout is impressing nonetheless.
With Payne getting a well-deserved breather Monday, Christon had the controls to himself and used them to leave imprints on every inch of the box score. OKC suffered a 78-74 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, but Christon may have emerged as the real winner. The 23-year-old floor general notched game highs in points (23), assists (six) and steals (four) while just missing the team high on the glass (six boards).
His shaky jumper—which may well be the reason he's yet to log an NBA minute—sapped his scoring efficiency, as he went just 4-of-15 from the field. He did, however, go 14-of-18 at the free-throw line and buried one of his three long-range looks:
Even for summer league, those are jarring numbers. They also seem to be the standard for Christon. He averaged 15.6 points, 6.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds on the Orlando circuit last summer, then posted 14.3 points, 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds in Italy, per RealGM. His 2014-15 per-game marks in the NBA Development League were 18.6 points, 5.7 assists, 3.7 boards and 1.6 steals.
Granted, none of that production has come against actual NBA competition. But that doesn't diminish his talent, and it shouldn't keep him out of roster contention. His long, athletic 6'3", 190-pound frame looks the part, and there's plenty to like about his defensive tenacity and offensive command.
It's hard to run point in this league without a reliable three-point shot, but it's not impossible. The key is compensating for that weakness with a variety of strengths, which Christon does on a regular basis at this level.
Lorenzo Brown Is Shifty
Lorenzo Brown has as much at stake as anyone on the Detroit Pistons summer squad. His NBA future is very much in the balance with only a non-guaranteed contract to his name and a pair of floor generals above him on the big league depth chart (Reggie Jackson and Ish Smith).
But Brown isn't the player most fans are watching. Rather, they're checking the progress of Stanley Johnson's off-hand dribbling and outside jumper (spotty), plus seeing what they have in No. 18 pick Henry Ellenson (stretch potential, but raw skills).
Yet Brown continues bringing attention to himself with eye-opening play. He kicked off his Orlando run with 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting and a pair of steals Saturday, then upped the ante during Monday's 73-68 win over the Orlando Magic Blue. He paced the Pistons in points (19), steals (six) and assists (two), and he provided both a game-sealing block and its most vicious crossover:
Brown continually broke down defenders off the dribble, leading to several interior scores and game highs in free-throw makes (nine) and attempts (11). His steady hand helped the Pistons survive shaky shooting nights from both Johnson (2-of-14) and Ellenson (2-of-11).
"He's a hell of a player," Johnson said, per Pistons.com's Keith Langlois. "You see what he's doing. He can score from outside, inside, run the team. If you're talking about fit on our team, I think he would be good."
Brown looks like a capable NBA reserve. He's tall (6'5"), long (6'7" wingspan) and rarely out of control. He's also been on a big league roster in each of the three seasons since he left NC State. His ceiling sits low due to a career 15.2 three-point percentage, but his handles, defense and decision-making (142 career assists against 55 turnovers) should grab him a roster spot in Detroit or elsewhere.
Aaron Harrison Is Finding His Way
Aaron Harrison was just a 41.0 percent shooter over two seasons in college. He missed 14 of his 19 NBA shots last season and posted a 36.3 percent success rate on D-League field goals.
If you're looking for an efficient marksman, he's not your answer. But the Hornets knew that last summer and still gave him a non-guaranteed contract, thinking the quick-twitch 6'6" guard could bring enough to the table to make up for his erratic shooting.
Performances like Monday's are what they probably had in mind. Harrison was all over the place in a good way, dishing four assists, collecting three boards and blocking a couple of shots. He led Charlotte in both scoring (19) and assists for the first time in Orlando, evening out a 5-of-13 shooting line by going a perfect 8-of-8 at the stripe. He even hit a few tantalizing, off-the-dribble jumpers:
It wasn't a perfect outing by any stretch, but this was still what the Hornets needed to see.
Harrison, the only player here from Charlotte's 2015-16 roster, put the team on his shoulders. Brandon Paul might have stolen the stat sheet (17 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks), but it was Harrison closing the contest with the Hornets' final seven points.
He's a long way from securing a big league roster spot, but he's trending in the right direction. Each time out, he has improved both his point total and field-goal percentage from the game before.
Stephen Zimmerman Needs Time (and Muscle)
Stephen Zimmerman's early summer league run has been a microcosm of his college career. Both started on the right note, with the 7-footer emerging as a possible lottery pick at UNLV and dazzling at both ends during his initial stint.
But as his limitations became clearer in college, the 19-year-old eventually slipped to the 41st selection. And as he's put more summer-league minutes under his belt, he's started looking more like a long-term project.
He tallied seven points on 3-of-5 shooting, two blocks, two rebounds and one assist in his first period of professional action. In the seven quarters he's played since, he has just six points on 2-of-15 shooting, two blocks, 11 rebounds and one assist. His lack of strength and underdeveloped skills have become more noticeable the longer he's on the floor.
But this shouldn't be a shock, nor particularly disheartening for Orlando Magic fans. It was clear before summer league opened that Zimmerman's game and body both needed work. These outings have simply reinforced that fact.
And make no mistake, this is a very promising project for the Magic to undertake. If Zimmerman reaches his potential as a mobile 7-footer with shot-blocking prowess and three-point range, Orlando will have paid a second-round price for lottery talent.
"A guy with his athleticism and length, at the very least he'll be an NBA player," one scout told Sports Illustrated. "He has those tools and is figuring out how to put it together."
Arinze Onuaku Is Coming To a Training Camp Near You
Arinze Onuaku is the perfect face of the Orlando Magic White team. The roster is devoid of marquee names, featuring a slew of undrafted players or old second-round picks who most recently made their hoops homes in the NBA D-League or overseas.
Onuaku is, relatively speaking, a recognizable face. He spent five seasons at Syracuse and has inked contracts with four different NBA teams, logging a little floor time for the New Orleans Pelicans, Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves. The 28-year-old has all but extinguished his potential at this point, but he's utilizing the summer-league stage to showcase his value.
Through two games, he's tallied 29 points and 17 rebounds over 43 minutes. During Monday's 92-85 win over the Dallas Mavericks, he paced the club in both offensive and total rebounds (seven and nine, respectively) and finished a point shy of the scoring lead (13).
"This is a great opportunity for me," Onuaku told NBA TV after his 16-point, eight-rebound debut Saturday. "We got a team with no first-round picks, so everybody's out here hungry, trying to get a spot."
Someone should keep a training-camp seat warm for Onuaku. No, he won't be the league's next hidden gem. But he'll test the bigs around him by using his 6'9", 255-pound frame and relentless motor to make things happen underneath. Teams may ultimately deem him unworthy of an actual roster spot, but they'll be glad they had him on board.
Statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com, unless otherwise noted.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Allen Wanted to Keep Bone 😅")
.jpg?w=600 "Coach Questions Beck's Personality 🤔")
.jpg?w=600 "WWE NXT Results & Grades 🔠")
.jpg?w=600 "Steelers Owner Gives Rodgers Update")
