NBA Summer League 2016: Top Takeaways from July 9 in Las Vegas

It took a while, but an honest-to-goodness basketball game broke out between the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers at the 2016 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas on Saturday.

And no, it wasn’t Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram, the top two picks in this year’s draft, who had the final words at the Thomas & Mack Center. Instead, a 70-69 Lakers win came down to a stirring comeback capped off by a back-and-forth between two sophomores.

With eight seconds left, D’Angelo Russell gave L.A. its first tie since the opening tip on a jumper that put the score at 67-all. While Russell celebrated his clutch bucket, TJ McConnell, Philly’s second-year point guard out of Arizona, rushed down the other way to give the Sixers the lead again at 69-67.

Then, on a play drawn up by Lakers summer league coach Jesse Mermuys, Russell stepped back for a deep three to give his squad its first, last and only lead of the night.

“I played like s--t,” Russell told ESPN’s J.A. Adande on air, Larry Nance Jr. interrupting to proclaim “he has ice in his veins.”

Russell’s night, like his choice of words, wasn’t entirely fit for national consumption. He scored a game-high 22 points, sure, but wound up with more turnovers (six) than assists (five).

The star rookies weren’t entirely stellar, either. Ingram followed up Friday's eye-popping pro debut with a bit of a dud (seven points on 3-of-12 shooting). Simmons turned it over seven times but fell two points and two assists short of a triple-double, dishing out some dazzling dimes along the way.

The Sixers built up a double-digit lead in the third quarter, with Jerami Grant’s emphatic dunk over Lakers rookie Ivica Zubac extending Philly’s gap to a game-wide 16 points.

L.A. responded with a 24-9 run, bolstered by back-to-back buckets from Zubac, some heart and hustle from undrafted rookie Zach Auguste and a couple of thunderous dunks from Nance Jr., who racked up stats (13 points, eight rebounds, four assists, seven steals, four blocks) like a fantasy basketball sleeper.

Down the line, these young Lakers and Sixers will be battling on bigger stages, (hopefully) with some higher-quality hoops. For now, expect plenty of slow burns from two franchises that might soon emerge from their respective three-year doldrums.

Booker, Suns Show Value of Experience

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Devin Booker remembers what it’s like to struggle in summer league. It was only a year ago that he, then the youngest player in Las Vegas, missed the first eight threes of his pro career. So when he saw a frustrated Dragan Bender, the Phoenix Suns’ newest 18-year-old, misfire on his first six shots from deep, he knew exactly what to say.

“It’s going to come,” Booker told Bender, as he recounted to NBA TV’s Kristen Ledlow after Phoenix’s 86-73 win. “It’s going to come. You’re going to get the pace of the game. It’s just going to come with experience.”

Bender, the No. 4 pick in the 2016 draft, finally made a three during the fourth quarter—as part of a 12-point, seven-rebound night—and generally ran the floor fluidly for the run-and-gun Suns.

Marquese Chriss, the No. 8 pick, had his moments too. He put Portland’s Jake Layman in the spin cycle during the first quarter.

Layman, though, got his revenge in the second, putting Chriss on a poster.

Chriss finished 2-of-10 from the floor, missing all of his threes (0-3) and free throws (0-2). But he looked like the live body for which Phoenix traded on draft day, with six boards to show for his energy. Between Chriss and Bender, the Suns should find at least one option at power forward for their future.

Their present rests in the hands of a host of Kentucky Wildcats. When the 2016-17 season starts, Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight will likely retake control of Earl Watson’s offense.

For the summer league team, that task falls to two former Lexington teammates: Booker and Tyler Ulis, a 2016 second-rounder. The latter hit 3-of-4 from the field, 5-of-6 from the line and logged seven assists with just one turnover.

Booker, meanwhile, blew up. He scored a game-high 28 points, including 18 to match all Blazers combined in the third quarter. He showed off his all-around scoring game—draining three threes, driving to the hoop and even doing work down low.

Most of that work came after a scuffle between Booker and Blazers big Noah Vonleh. Among the first to Booker’s defense: Chriss and Bender.

“Things got a little chippy out there,” Booker told Ledlow. “That’s what you expect in summer league. A lot of people are trying to earn their spots. When that happened, my young guys got involved. I tried to take over and that’s what I did.”

That’s what he’ll hope to do in the fall: to build on an eye-opening rookie campaign. And that’s what he and the Suns will groom their rookies to do...eventually.

Bulls Bigs Bully Boston's Punchless Youngsters

When Fred Hoiberg joined the NBA TV broadcast booth at Cox Pavilion, the Chicago Bulls head coach couldn’t so much as mention Dwyane Wade’s name. The Windy City native’s deal with his hometown team hadn’t yet been made official.

As it turned out, Hoiberg saw plenty worth praising right in front of him during the Bulls’ 71-62 win against the Boston Celtics. In a meeting marked by misfires—the two teams combined to shoot 35.8 percent—Chicago did much more to turn those bricks into scoring opportunities. Bobby Portis tipped off his second tour of duty in Sin City with game-highs in points (17) and rebounds (13).

Cristiano Felicio was physical in every way, racking up more fouls (six) than boards (five). Fortunately, players are afforded 10 fouls before they’re disqualified. Felicio took advantage of his floor time—not to mention the time he made running the floor, turning himself into a freight-train-of-a-fast-break target.

Jack Cooley added eight rebounds off the bench, five on the offensive end. Even Denzel Valentine, who was spotty on the ball (one assist, four turnovers), added six caroms to the cause.

Someone had to do something with all the misses from Jaylen Brown (3-of-13 from the field), who blew layup after layup—just as he did at Cal and in Salt Lake City. Such struggles aren’t unusual for any rookie. The same could be said for Valentine’s issues. Jerian Grant’s troubles (one assist and four turnovers to go with 13 points) weren't out of step with his rookie-year results.

Those two can take their time finding their games. Yes, Wade is coming home, so cue up the Skylar Gray at the United Center. He’ll be on the wing. Jimmy Butler will be on the other. Rajon Rondo will be on the ball. The Bulls aren’t bereft of bigs either, even after losing a pair of All-Stars in Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah. Robin Lopez and Taj Gibson are both solid, if unspectacular, replacements.

Even if Portis and Felicio were ready to start, they’d have to wait their turns at stardom behind Wade, Butler and Rondo. If they can bring some noise to the Bulls’ interior this coming season, Chicago’s crowded guard corps should have plenty of leeway to bring the funk.

Sophs Take Center Stage for Wizards, Jazz

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Neither the Washington Wizards nor the Utah Jazz wound up with first-round picks in this year’s draft—the Wizards dealt theirs to Phoenix for Markieff Morris. The Jazz sent theirs to Atlanta before the draft in a trade that brought George Hill over from the Indiana Pacers.

All the better for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trey Lyles, who had themselves a duel during Washington’s 88-73 win over Utah at the Thomas and Mack Center.

Oubre showed off a more fluid jump shot, if not yet a more accurate one. He was a willing launcher, trying 10 threes (making two) but still getting to the line seven times (making six) during a 20-point night.

Lyles was similarly aggressive for the Jazz. He totaled 28 points: eight on twos, nine on threes, 11 on free throws...with two on this drive and dunk.

Both have uphill climbs toward starting spots with their respective clubs. Otto Porter probably has the inside track at small forward, though Oubre’s teammates told management they thought the Kansas product should’ve played more as a rookie.

For Lyles, it’s a matter of mathematics. He’s probably not nudging Derrick Favors aside at power forward. Nor is he about to displace Gordon Hayward and Rodney Hood on the wings.

Still, each will have a role to play on a team that finished just outside the playoffs last season.

Chris McCullough Cans One from Deep 

Just because the Brooklyn Nets are without Caris LeVert—the the 2016 draft's No. 20 pick—doesn’t mean they’re bereft of players worth tracking into next season.

Among that group, which includes Sean Kilpatrick and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, is Chris McCullough, who had the highlight of the night from Brooklyn’s 79-73 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. With time running down in the first half, the 6’11” McCullough, who shot 38.2 percent (13-of-34) from three as a rookie, dribbled into the frontcourt, pulled up from well behind the three-point line and drained his only three-point make of the game.

McCullough finished with nine points, eight rebounds and a pair of steals. Kilpatrick led all Nets with 19 points. Hollis-Jefferson stuffed the stat sheet, tallying eight rebounds, four assists and seven steals to go with his three points.

All three showed promise down the stretch of Brooklyn’s previous bottom-feeding campaign. New head coach Kenny Atkinson will need them each to step up in different ways if the Nets are going to fashion a competitive team around Brook Lopez and Jeremy Lin next season and beyond.

Jimmer Jams

As far as pro experience is concerned, Jimmer Fredette is right near the top at summer league. He was drafted 10th overall five years ago, ahead of three All-Stars (Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler) and two other max-contract recipients (Reggie Jackson, Chandler Parsons).

Fredette, now 27, has thus far fallen short of draft-day expectations, but he hasn’t stopped firing yet. With Emmanuel Mudiay and Gary Harris getting the night off, he delivered 26 points on 9-of-18 shooting (4-of-8 from three) as a starter during the Denver Nuggets’ 106-62 shellacking of the Memphis Grizzlies.

In the bigger picture, the Nuggets were probably more interested in the performance of their younger guards. Jamal Murray, this year's No. 7 pick, was ice cold from three (0-3) but chipped in four assists. Juancho Hernangomez, the 15th choice, went for six rebounds and six points. The star among Denver’s rookies turned out to be Petr Cornelie, the 53rd pick, who poured in 19 points and seven boards.

But Fredette, with 235 NBA games under his belt, showed the youngsters how it’s done.

Gibson Goes Global

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Jonathan Gibson is about as accomplished an American basketball player you’ll find who’s never appeared in a regular-season NBA game. The New Mexico State product has been an MVP at L.A.’s Drew League, played professionally in three different countries and averaged almost 42 points per game during the 2015-16 season in China.

On Saturday, the West Covina native got to strut his stuff closer to home during the Dallas Mavericks’ 83-64 win over the Miami Heat. Gibson led all scorers in Las Vegas with 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the field (6-of-10 from three), boosted by 13 in the fourth quarter alone.

The Mavericks might be more pleased with what they saw from Justin Anderson. The former first-round pick, who started Dallas’ final game of the playoffs, poured in 19 points.

But if Gibson is going to take another crucial step toward playing in the NBA, this game—the first of his third stint in Las Vegas—could be just the glimpse teams need to take a chance on him.

Simmons Lifts Spurs in Saturday Finale

The San Antonio Spurs began their summer league title defense—and ended Night 2 in Las Vegas—with a high-bouncing buzzer-beater against the Golden State Warriors.

With 1.3 seconds left and the score tied at 61, Kyle Anderson, the reigning summer league MVP, lofted the ball over the 8’1” wingspan of Warriors center Mamadou Ndiaye and into the hands of Jonathon Simmons, who tossed the ball up and in for the 63-61 win.

The Spurs will need plenty from those two, along with first-round pick Dejounte Murray (eight points, 10 rebounds, three steals, three blocks), to not only deliver head coach Becky Hammon a second summer crown, but also marginally improve San Antonio’s prospects against Golden State’s star-studded senior squad this coming season.

Dunk of the Night

An encore for Sixers forward Jerami Grant, who rewrote Ivica Zubac's Wikipedia page with this thunderous pro introduction for the Lakers' Croatian rookie.

Statistical Leaders from July 9

Here's a look at who racked up the most in each major statistical category on Saturday.

Points

1. Jonathan Gibson, Dallas Mavericks: 30
2. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns: 28
3. Trey Lyles, Utah Jazz: 28
4. Jordan McRae, Cleveland Cavaliers: 27
5. Jimmer Fredette, Denver Nuggets: 26
6. D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers: 22
7. Kelly Oubre Jr., Washington Wizards: 20
8. Petr Cornelie, Denver Nuggets: 19
9. Sean Kilpatrick, Brooklyn Nets: 19

Rebounds

1. Bobby Portis, Chicago Bulls: 13
2. Dragan Bender, Phoenix Suns: 12
3. Noah Vonleh, Portland Trail Blazers: 11
4. Mateusz Ponitka, Denver Nuggets: 10
5. Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers: 10
6. Nine tied at eight

Assists

1. Aaron Craft, Utah Jazz: 8
2. Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers: 8
3. Tyler Ulis, Phoenix Suns: 7
4. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns: 6
5. D.J. Cooper, Washington Wizards: 5
6. D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers: 5
7. Briante Weber, Miami Heat: 5

Steals

1. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Brooklyn Nets: 7
2. Larry Nance Jr., Los Angeles Lakers: 7
3. Kay Felder, Cleveland Cavaliers: 6
4. TJ McConnell, Philadelphia 76ers: 4
5. Daniel Ochefu, Washington Wizards: 4
6. Kelly Oubre Jr., Washington Wizards: 4
7. Five tied at three

Blocks

1. Chris Johnson, Portland Trail Blazers: 4
2. Richaun Holmes, Philadelphia 76ers: 4
3. Larry Nance Jr., Los Angeles Lakers: 4
4. Kyle Anderson, San Antonio Spurs: 3
5. Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs: 3
6. Kevin Tumba, Miami Heat: 3
7. Jameel Warney, Dallas Mavericks: 3
8. Isaiah Whitehead, Brooklyn Nets: 3

Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.