NBA Summer League 2012: Best and Worst Performances So Far
Portland Trail Blazers first-round pick Damian Lillard looks like a stud so far in the 2012 NBA Summer League, while New Orleans Hornets first-round pick Austin Rivers looks like a bust.
Obviously, you can't take too much away from these games. They are practically pickup games due to the simple fact that the teams haven't had any time to prepare for them. That said, we're starting to get a flavor for what these young athletes are capable of against NBA-caliber competition.
Here are the best and worst performances by some of the big names in Vegas this summer.
Best: Damian Lillard, Guard, Portland Trail Blazers
Lillard has played in three games so far, producing an average of 27.7 points, four rebounds, 4.7 assists and just under one steal per game, according to NBA.com.
He's balling, and Lillard has gotten better each time he's gone out onto the court. His last performance against the Atlanta Hawks was a masterpiece: He scored 31 points on 11-of-22 shooting and dropped seven dimes.
In the process, Lillard threw down a thunderous dunk that wowed the crowd.
While these summer league games don't count towards much, Lillard is certainly showing why the Trail Blazers thought highly enough of him to draft him sixth overall in the 2012 NBA draft.
Worst: Austin Rivers, Guard, New Orleans Hornets
I wasn't a fan of the Hornets reaching so high to take Rivers with the No. 10 overall pick, and I wrote an article before the draft saying he was one of the most over-hyped players in the 2012 NBA draft.
So far, he's done nothing to change my mind.
Rivers has only played in two summer league games so far, but his performances in those games stunk to high heaven. He made only four out of 19 shots in those two games and only one of eight three-pointers.
I see Rivers being a Bobby Jackson-type player in the future for the New Orleans Hornets. He'll be better suited coming off the bench than starting, as his shooting touch can be hit-or-miss. There's nothing wrong with that, except when you consider where he was drafted.
Best: Markieff Morris, Power Forward, Phoenix Suns
Morris was a first-round pick by the Suns in 2011, and he played a minor role for the team last season. If he keeps playing like he's been playing in the summer league so far, he'll find his way onto the court with more regularity next season.
Through three games, Morris is averaging 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game. He's playing like a big man should, and the biggest thing he needs to work on at this point is shot selection.
The thing that stands out to me is the rebounding and blocked shots. The Suns need a big guy in the middle who can become an enforcer, and Morris could prove to be that guy long-term.
Worst: Draymond Green, Forward/Guard, Golden State Warriors
Green was a college stud, but I wondered how he'd fare against NBA-level talent—especially considering that he's a legit tweener.
So far, the results haven't been pretty for Green, who has averaged five points, seven rebounds, two assists and 1.7 steals a game through three games for the Warriors.
His scrappiness has been on display, as the rebounds and steals clearly show, but Green's shooting woes have been hard to watch. So far, he's only made five of 22 shots, including just 2-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc.
Green is going to have a tough time adjusting to the NBA game on offense, though he'll always be valuable as a pesky defender. The question is, will that be enough to get him minutes going forward for the Warriors?
