6 Takeaways from Saturday's NBA Summer League Action

Saturday featured a number of summer league games in Las Vegas—seven to be exact—and while not every moment provided a valuable NBA lesson, a handful of players and themes stuck out among the rest.

Despite losing by nearly 20 points, the Portland Trail Blazers got a solid showing from C.J. McCollum. John Henson, meanwhile, put on a show for the Milwaukee Bucks, and his was in a winning effort. 

The Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards even combined efforts to make summer league history—although they probably wish they hadn’t.

The official Las Vegas tournament doesn’t begin until Wednesday, July 17, but each preliminary game leading up to the event should provide entertainment.

Summer league competition may not compete with the regular season, but for fans who have been craving basketball, this is a must-watch time of year.

Summer League Play Isn’t Always Pretty

It goes without saying that exhibition games lack the top-tier talent we’re used to seeing as NBA fans. If you watched Saturday’s contests, that notion was on full display, especially as the Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards combined for the fewest points ever in a Las Vegas Summer League game.

Entering the game, the not-so-proud owners of that record were the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers. The two teams scored a grand total of 112 points in 2006, but even that mark was too high for the Wizards and Warriors.

On Saturday, the Warriors and Wizards combined for 108, as Golden State took down Washington 56-52. Washington had more turnovers (20) than field goals (19), which is not a good sign for any group of professional athletes.

Sloppy play can be tough to watch, but if there’s any silver lining, it’s that an uptempo game with a furious pace can result in unexpected highlights. Saturday saw a lot of turnovers and missed shots across the board, but the putback jams and alley-oop finishes made up the difference, as all 14 teams provided highlights.

Otto Porter Should Play Better Alongside Bradley Beal and John Wall

The Washington Wizards addressed their need at the small forward position by selecting Otto Porter with the third overall pick. His NBA debut took place on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors, but it was clear that he struggled as the team’s No. 1 option.

On the afternoon, Porter finished just 3-of-13 with seven points. He was rarely out of control, but he settled for jumpers more than you’d like, as he had the unfortunate task of trying to beat Kent Bazemore off the dribble.

When Porter has other true scorers on the floor—a la John Wall and Bradley Beal—he should be an effective presence. Opposing teams will lock onto the guards with their best defenders in the regular season, which will open up Porter.

Porter has been guilty of being passive in the past, but alongside Wall and Beal in the regular season, he’ll have time to grow into that third-scorer role.

Ben McLemore Is Not Shy

The summer league is all about young players putting their talents on display. Ben McLemore has something to prove after falling to the Sacramento Kings at No. 7, and he wasn’t afraid to put up shots in his first game against the Dallas Mavericks.

In the first half alone, the rookie launched 13 shots, including four from behind the arc. That was eight more than anyone else on his roster, and he only had three makes and zero assists to show for it.

By the end of the contest, McLemore had shot 4-of-23 from the field, 1-of-11 from deep and had 11 points to show for it. But while the prospect may not have been as hot as his fans would’ve liked, there’s one thing everyone can hang their hats on: He’s a smooth player who looks like an NBA guard.

The 20-year-old has a fluidity about his game that is unmatched by many rookies. He’s not reserved when it comes to putting up attempts, but that’s the kind of confidence that will separate him from the rest of his class once his shot begins to fall.

 

Thomas Robinson Has Something to Prove

Like Ben McLemore, Thomas Robinson is approaching summer league with a chip on his shoulder. After being the fifth pick in 2012, the 22-year-old is now on his third team.

As a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, he came out aggressive on Saturday, and he was living in the paint, collecting rebounds and finding easy dunks.

On the night, his effort is what most fans like to see at this stage in the preseason, and that is a good sign. He still has work to do, as evidenced by his disappearing act in the second half, but his mindset was right early. 

So long as Robinson doesn’t try to do too much on offense, he’s going to find a place for himself in the NBA. The Blazers lack a true backup power forward behind LaMarcus Aldridge, giving him the perfect opportunity to officially make a name for himself.

Is C.J. McCollum This Year’s Damian Lillard?

The Portland Trail Blazers drafted a small-school player who was a score-first point guard in the 2012 lottery. Despite the questions surrounding his game, he went on to earn co-MVP honors in last season’s Las Vegas summer league.

That player was Damian Lillard, but the same story is holding true for Lehigh product C.J. McCollum.

McCollum began Saturday’s contest against the Phoenix Suns by scoring 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the first half. He went on to struggle a bit in the second half, but that was more a testament to the double-teams he received in pick-and-roll situations.

The rookie showed at separate times throughout the contest that he can score at the rim, behind the three-point line or in the mid-range with an impressive floater. It’s a bit early to call him the next Lillard, but it’s never too early to wonder what his ceiling might be at the NBA level.

John Henson Shows His Upside

During his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks, John Henson averaged six points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game. Those numbers were modest considering he was the 14th overall selection the summer before, but the fact that he played just 13.1 minutes per contest makes his numbers jump out at you. 

On Saturday night, the Bucks took down the Denver Nuggets 88-74, and Henson was a major reason why. He established himself as a presence down low early, as he swallowed up anything that came his way off the glass.

On the night, the 22-year-old recorded 19 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in just about 20 minutes.

The question with Henson, as it is with every great summer league performer, is whether or not that production will translate to the regular season. The Bucks big man lacks the strength and shooting ability that is possessed by today’s players at the 4-spot, but he has enough natural talent. 

The first step is going to be getting this guy minutes. If the minutes are there, it’s going to be up to him to put on the muscle to compete down low with the bigs of the regular season.