NBA Summer League 2012: Winners and Losers from Day 3 Action in Orlando

Believe it or not, the Orlando Summer League is already more than halfway done. It seems like only yesterday that rookies, sophomores, overseas hopefuls and D-League stars first gathered in central Florida to strut their stuff in front of NBA coaches and scouts alike.

Well, that's because it was only a few yesterdays since they all came together.

But before anyone gets all weepy and teary-eyed just thinking about the swaying hugs and choked-up goodbyes that come with the end of a fun summer camp, let's look back at Day 3 of the Summer League.

And, as usual, laud the winners and deride the losers before we turn our attention west to Las Vegas.

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Winner: Jared Sullinger

Not to embarrass anyone or anything, but I could've sworn there were some folks out there who were crowing about Jared Sullinger's shortcomings a couple of weeks ago. Something about being too short, too pudgy, too grounded to the floor, etc.

Yeah...I can't seem to find those folks anymore, not after the way Sully's been playing in Orlando. He came up big again in an 85-77 win for the Boston Celtics over the Indiana Pacers, putting up 16 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and an assist while showing off some slick moves in the post.

Granted, Sully wasn't exactly perfect—he turned the ball over five times, picked up four fouls and had one of his shots blocked—and, as we mentioned after Day 1, anything that happens in the Summer League, good or bad, is best served with a grain of salt.

But, for a guy who tumbled from a surefire lottery prospect to the No. 21, the Ohio State product has done plenty to show that there's no shame in being a poor man's Kevin Love.

Loser: Sean Williams

On the opposite end of the spectrum from Sullinger, as far as skill (low) and athleticism (high) are concerned, is Sean Williams, who just so happens to share the Celtics' frontcourt with the two-time All-American.

Williams, whom Boston took with the 17th pick in the 2007 draft, is a long, tall kid who can out-jump the gym and has something of a reputation for swatting shots.

Even if that reputation was groomed more overseas and in the D-League than it was in the NBA, during stints with the New Jersey Nets and the Dallas Mavericks.

Williams was on the floor for 13:17 against the Pacers and came up with bagels across the stat sheet, except in the fouls column, in which he registered one.

Not that Williams didn't leave an imprint on the defensive end, though there's no denying the big fella's rather peculiar line on the day.

Winner: Miles Plumlee

Sullinger wasn't the only draftee on the court during the Pacers-C's game who's done plenty to prove critics wrong so far.

Miles Plumlee had himself a peach of a game, posting 18 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Often derided as Jeff Foster 2.0, Plumlee's shown off a surprising comfort in working with his back to the basket, with an array of jump hooks and other post moves that make him a threat to score down low.

Of course, there's no ignoring the size (6'11", 255 pounds) and top-flight athleticism that caught the attention of scouts around the league in the first place. For all the flak he (and the Pacers, for selecting him) caught on account of his unimpressive numbers at Duke, it's easy to forget how restrictive Mike Krzyzewski's system can be, and, in turn, how it's possible that Plumlee's role was limited to that of a rebounder and defender on purpose.

Not that three days in Orlando necessarily flips all of that on its ear entirely, though it would seem as though there may be more to Plumlee's game than critics originally thought.

Loser: Lance Stephenson

How is it that Lance Stephenson winds up on the list of losers after scoring a game-high 19 points?

In a word, context. The Pacers have been trying to groom the former New York playground legend to play the point, though his performance against the Celtics suggested one of two things:

A) There's still a long way to go, or

B) They're trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, so to speak.

Either way, Stephenson's six fouls and seven turnovers (against three assists) were an eyesore for Indy's coaching staff, to say the least. One partially poor performance won't break Stephenson's NBA future, though it's clear that the kid remains a work in progress heading into the third year of his pro career.

Winner: Reggie Jackson

It's been an interesting summer for folks named Reggie Jackson. On the one hand, Reggie Jackson the baseball Hall of Famer has gotten himself in some hot water with the New York Yankees of late over comments regarding superstar slugger Alex Rodriguez.

On the other hand, Reggie Jackson the basketball player has acquitted himself rather well with the Oklahoma City Thunder's Summer League squad.

The second-year guard out of Boston College contributed 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists to OKC's 83-62 win over the Detroit Pistons, bringing his Orlando averages to 15.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

Of course, his seven fouls were problematic, to say the least, as he'd never be able to rack up so many in a real NBA game.

But, all in all, Jackson's attacking mentality and athleticism have to register in the mind of OKC coach Scott Brooks, who may want to employ Reggie's talents a bit more liberally next season.

Loser: Hasheem Thabeet

As for Hasheem Thabeet...well, let's just say the Thunder can only hope they won't be so desperate for size as to put the mammoth Tanzanian on the floor.

OKC signed Thabeet, the No. 2 pick in the 2009 draft, as a free agent this week. He's been on hand for all of the Thunder's Summer League games, but has yet to participate and isn't expected to before the week is out.

Which is to say, he won't so much as set foot on the court until training camp.

That's all well and good if that's what OKC would prefer, though for a guy who's spent three seasons riding the pine in the NBA, you'd think he might still be within reasonable range of participating in scrimmages such as these.

Winner: Austin Daye

If you thought Austin Daye was efficient on Tuesday (24 points on 10 shots), just wait 'til you see what he did on Wednesday. The soon-to-be fourth-year man out of Gonzaga notched 18 points on seven shots, albeit in a loss for the Pistons.

Then again, as solid as Daye has been in Orlando so far, his performance won't matter one bit unless he puts his talents—as a 6'11" jack-of-all-trades swingman—to better use in Detroit. After all, a player of his pro experience should be able to dominate scrubs in the Summer League, shouldn't he?

Loser: Adam Morrison

It should come as no surprise that the Brooklyn Nets—the only team to go 0-3 through the first three days of the Orlando Summer League—should have an entrant or two among the losers.

The first for Wednesday goes to Adam Morrison. The oft-addled Gonzaga-star-gone-bust didn't score a single point in 7:47 on the floor during the Nets' 79-71 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

To his credit, Morrison had shown signs of life on Days 1 and 2 of the Summer League, though far from enough to suggest that a 27-year-old former No. 3 pick (who Bill Simmons loved, by the way) is ready to return to the NBA as anything more than a water boy.

Loser: Garrett Stutz

Today's obligatory spot on the losers' list for "Biggest 0-fer of the Day" goes to another Nets player—Garrett Stutz.

The seven-foot rookie out of Wichita State missed all seven shots he took (two of which were blocked) in his first taste of Summer League action on Wednesday. He did manage to score two points, rip down eight rebounds and drop a dime for good measure.

Here's hoping, though, that Stutz has better luck putting the ball in the basket next time.

For the kid's own sake, of course. 

Winner: Justin Holiday

Am I lacking creativity for listing Justin Holiday as a winner for each of the first three days of the Orlando Summer League? Perhaps.

Am I "wrong" for doing so? Absolutely not.

Jrue Holiday's older brother continued his tear through the Summer League on Wednesday, piling up 18 points, six rebounds and a block in his first start of the week-long season. That performance helped to up Holiday's averages to 14.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in central Florida.

Given Philly's fascination with swingmen, it wouldn't exactly be a surprise if Holiday were able to play his way into a spot in Sixers' training camp and, perhaps, play alongside his brother in the City of Brotherly Love.