NBA Summer League 2015: Top Takeaways from Wednesday

Five days into NBA Summer League action, we're starting to see trends develop that could have real impacts on the still-distant regular season.

Two lottery picks who came into Orlando carrying question marks have replaced them with exclamation points, a dialed-in Detroit Pistons rookie continued his statistical assault, and a long-shot Miami Heat big man may have secured himself a position on an NBA roster.

Plus, we had a little late-game excitement.

What's not to like from Wednesday's summer-league action?

Frank Kaminsky Is Undeterred

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Charlotte Hornets rookie Frank Kaminsky missed all four of his shots in the first half of Wednesday's summer-league tilt against the Orlando Magic's white squad, providing fodder for those who questioned the Wisconsin product's ability to compete with NBA-level athletes.

Orlando Magic Daily highlighted a particularly worrisome play:

A rough half and a lapse on the boards didn't erase the 19 points and 12 rebounds from his debut on July 4, or his 14-point, eight-rebound effort the very next day. But the ugly start was cause for concern.

Frank the Tank found his form, though, hitting four of his final seven shots to finish with 13 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

It's never wise to draw sweeping conclusions from exhibition games, but Kaminsky handled his first bout of NBA adversity well. On balance, he's been one of the steadiest performers in Orlando.

Aaron Harrison Needs Another Brother

It's well accepted that the best part of having a twin brother is blaming him for any of your own misdeeds.

So when Aaron Harrison got a potential dunk attempt powerfully rejected by Keith Benson, the natural move would have been to tell everyone his twin brother Andrew had stolen his jersey and suited up in secret for the Hornets.

It would have been a face-saving move straight out of the basic twin playbook.

Unfortunately, brother Andrew is currently playing for the Memphis Grizzlies' summer-league outfit, so his whereabouts during Aaron's unfortunate lowlight were probably known. That means Aaron has to own this one, which isn't all bad; he had a team-high 15 points in the Hornets' 81-68 loss to the Magic.

Stanley Johnson Has Opponents' Respect, Our Attention

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A trio of highly productive, occasionally chippy games from hard-charging rookie Stanley Johnson provided a clear picture of what the Detroit Pistons can expect from their lottery selection this season.

And Johnson's fourth game may have been his best yet.

With 20 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks in a dominant 90-65 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, Johnson completely controlled the contest. He barreled into the lane, worked doggedly on the boards and put forth serious effort defensively, as this highlight rejection indicates:

On July 6, Johnson addressed his intense demeanor with Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders:

"

I don’t think Stan [Van Gundy] would draft somebody that’s soft. I’m not going to let anybody punk me on the court just because I’m 19 years old and new to this. You’re not going to disrespect me. I have no tolerance for that type of stuff. I’ve had some stupid fouls, and I’ve got to get better at that. But I’m going to get my respect, especially in the Summer League.

"

Johnson has been a monster, and it's safe to assume he's earned the respect he wanted.

Next up: huge minutes as a do-it-all wing in Detroit's regular-season rotation.

Myles Turner Won't Stop

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Myles Turner is an imperfect big man. The No. 11 overall pick in this year's draft came into the league with lingering health concerns and without the bulk of a traditional center. 

And now, nobody cares about any of that because Turner has turned in repeated eye-opening games in Orlando. Besides, who wants a traditional center these days anyway?

Though Johnson's Pistons stomped Turner's Pacers, the big man stood out as a fearsome two-way threat. Turner scored 23 points, hauled down eight boards and turned away four shots. In just three games, he's now stuffed 13 attempts.

And as this still from Sam Vecenie of CBSSports.com shows, these aren't ordinary blocks:

NBA TV captured a sequence in which Turner denied the Pistons twice in one trip:

With Roy Hibbert and David West likely headed out of town, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Pacers appear to have an intriguing replacement up front—one that replaces bulk with quickness and plodding post play with deep range.

Turner doesn't have much else to prove in summer league. We'll see if he keeps up his stellar play in games that count this fall.

Somebody's Going to Give Willie Reed a Job

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While the Miami Heat kick the tires on the likes of Amar'e Stoudemire, according to B/R's Jared Zwerling, and wonder whether 37-year-old Chris Andersen has another season left in him, unheralded Willie Reed has been tearing up summer-league competition.

Miami lucked out with Hassan Whiteside last season; maybe Reed is its next journeyman bulls-eye.

Thanks to 17 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, Reed stayed on the radar as a legitimately rosterable talent. That's a big deal for him after a nomadic early career, described here by Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel: "After going undrafted in 2011 following his time under Rick Majerus at Saint Louis, Reed has mostly bided his time in the D-League. He bypassed a non-guaranteed contract from the Clippers at one point and picked up $30,000 in April for playing in the short season in the Dominican Republic."

Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post is confident Reed has done enough to stick:

The only question now: Where?

The Heat don't have any real control over Reed, and another team without many frontcourt commitments could snatch him up at any time with a camp invite.

Summertime Drama!

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Shabazz Napier had to hit a pair of free throws with 3.8 seconds left to stem the tide of a furious comeback and secure the Heat's 87-85 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Diante Garrett led the Clips' summer squad on a 28-17 fourth-quarter surge that made things interesting late.

But then Napier shut the door with a pair of clutch freebies.

Actually, does it count as clutch if nobody really cares who wins or loses?

For Napier's sake, let's say it does.