5 Most Impressive Under-the-Radar Players from 2015 NBA Summer League

There's only a finite amount of spotlight time available at the NBA Summer League, and most of it is already reserved for the new batch of draft picks.

Those who don't fall into that category can have a hard time standing out amid the sea of hopeful hoopers.

The 2015 edition did provide a prominent platform for a few unexpected stars to shine, such as Seth Curry (who scored a two-year contract from the Sacramento Kings), Jonathon Simmons (who latched on with the San Antonio Spurs, per a team press release) and Willie Reed (now a member of the Brooklyn Nets). But, as is often the case in this setting, a handful of productive players still slipped through the cracks.

We're here to bring some overdue attention to the five players whose impressive summer-league efforts should have created a bigger buzz.

None of the five followed the same path to the summer circuit, but all of them arrived—and unfortunately left—to little fanfare. A few would qualify as failed former prospects. Some never even wore that label.

But their strong showings at basketball's biggest job fair could prove to be a needed step in the right direction.

Justin Dentmon, PG, D-League Select Team

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If Justin Dentmon fails to secure a permanent NBA gig, it won't be for a lack of trying.

The 29-year-old (he'll be 30 in September) has been on a six-year search for that job since going undrafted out of Washington in 2009. He has suited up in several different international leagues and has spent parts of four seasons in the NBA Developmental League, where he earned MVP honors after averaging 22.9 points and 5.5 assists in 2011-12.

But his NBA resume features just eight total appearances for three different teams during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 campaigns. Despite being away from this stage for so long, he hasn't given up on his big league dreams.

"The door might be halfway closed. But it's not closed yet," Dentmon said, per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press. "When it closes, I'll stop."

His five-game run with the D-League Select Team should keep it at least partially open. He poured in 17.0 points per outing and compiled an impeccable .565/.545/.938 slash line. He also snatched 2.8 steals in only 24.8 minutes per game.

He's a little undersized (6'0", 185 lbs), and he's more of a scorer than a setup man (2.6 assists per game). But he's been a point-producing machine when given the opportunity, and his reliable three-point stroke (40.4 percent in 145 D-League games) could be a potent weapon in today's pace-and-space league.

Josh Harrellson, PF/C, Phoenix Suns

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Josh Harrellson isn't an entirely new name to NBA fans but one that most probably haven't heard in awhile.

Drafted 45th overall in 2011, he made 75 appearances between 2011-12 and 2013-14. He donned three different jerseys during that stretch—New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons—but struggled to secure a permanent rotation spot at all three stops.

His career averages are forgettable (3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 11.8 minutes), but there's a hint of promise beneath those numbers. Stretched out to a per-36-minute scale, his scoring and rebounding marks jump to 10.7 and 9.2, respectively. And his career 34.7 three-point percentage carries quite a bit of intrigue when paired with his imposing size (6'10", 275 lbs).

His NBA run was ultimately derailed by surgery on two bulging discs in his back, and he spent the parts of the past two seasons playing in Puerto Rico and China. But he made the most of his opportunity on the Phoenix Suns' summer-league squad, averaging 8.4 points (on 57.1 percent shooting, 42.3 percent from three), 5.1 boards and 2.0 assists in 17.1 minutes a night.

"I'm just trying to get more confident in myself," Harrellson said, per Bright Side of the Sun's Keith M. Scheessele. "It feels good to be playing again. I haven't played at this level in a year and a half, it just feels good to show teams I'm back and that I haven't lost nothing."

Harrellson isn't much of a leaper, and that limits what he can do defensively. But he plays hard, possesses a high basketball IQ and can lure bigs away from the basket with his perimeter shot.

Malcolm Thomas, PF, Portland Trail Blazers

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Malcolm Thomas is far more familiar with the summer-league experience than he'd like. 

This marked his fourth appearance at the July auditions, and the first three obviously failed to produce a permanent NBA home. Even though he had some impressive moments in Sin City, his past experience there tempered his expectations about where this might lead.

"This is my fourth summer league and the summer leagues before I've felt like I played really well and nothing happened," Thomas said, per Mike Richman of the Oregonian. "So I kind of didn't put any pressure on myself this time and was just going out and playing as hard as possible."

Playing with a high motor is key because Thomas' 6'9", 225-pound frame means he'd likely face larger players on a nightly basis if he wound up in the NBA.

But his 7' ½" wingspan allows him to play bigger than his size. Add good mobility and explosiveness to the mix, and his physical tools are stronger than they sound.

He put all of his talents on display in six games with the Portland Trail Blazers. While some players have a tendency to want to prove scouts wrong on this stage, Thomas played to his strengths. He was an active presence on the glass (5.8 rebounds in 24.8 minutes) and an efficient complementary scorer (11.8 points on 62.8 percent shooting).

The only thing teams didn't get to see was his outside shot. He's rarely utilized it during his 40 career NBA games (1-of-11), but he featured it often during his strong 2013-14 campaign in the D-League (20-46, 43.5 percent).

Thomas plays with intensity, rebounds well and can defend multiple positions in spurts. Teams have liked him enough to give him a cup of tea before, but maybe this will help him stay for a three-course meal next time around.

Jeremy Tyler, PF/C, Dallas Mavericks

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Jeremy Tyler has tantalized basketball minds since his controversial decision to skip his senior year of high school and play professionally in Israel. Before he began his overseas journey in 2009, 15-year veteran Olden Polynice said Tyler "has more upside than any player I've seen since LeBron," per Pete Thamel of the New York Times.

Six years later, those words seem more absurd than a Seth MacFarlane horror flick. Tyler only lasted 10 forgettable games in Israel then underwhelmed in Japan the following season.

By 2011, his stock had fallen far enough that he lasted until the 39th pick of the draft. He played for three NBA teams over the ensuing three seasons, totaling 104 games for the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks. The former can't-miss prospect owns woeful career averages of 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 9.9 minutes per game.

He spent the 2014-15 campaign in China then joined the Dallas Mavericks in Las Vegas. There, the athletic 6'10", 260-pound big man showed some of the same skills that had scouts drooling years before. After two quiet outings, he reeled off three consecutive double-doubles, including a 25-point, 11-rebound performance that featured a game-winning putback in the closing seconds.

"On and off the court I'm just continuing to work hard and be a good teammate, being effective and having fun," Tyler said, per Mavs.com's Earl K. Sneed. "I'm excited if I get an invite. I'll try to make the roster, and I'll continue to build on that."

Tyler has an NBA body, a 7'5" wingspan, per Draft Express, and unfair springs for a player his size. He's a good scorer and solid rebounder, but his defensive focus and energy must improve for him to finally stick in the big show.

Alan Williams, C, Houston Rockets

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It's impossible to say Alan Williams' performance went completely unnoticed when he snagged a spot on the All-NBA Summer League Second Team.

But the 22-year-old didn't exactly demand attention out of the gate. Undrafted out of UC Santa Barbara, Williams opened his summer session with three nearly silent outings for the Charlotte Hornets in Orlando (three points, seven rebounds and 10 fouls in 25 total minutes).

However, his experience changed dramatically once he hooked up with the Houston Rockets in Vegas. He erupted for 27 points and 10 rebounds during his first outing then exploded again for 22 points and 21 boards three games later.

He had the highest rebounding average in Vegas (11.8 per game) and the fifth-best scoring rate (20.5 points per game). Based on what he did in college—18.6 points and 11.3 rebounds over his final three seasons—perhaps we should have seen his summer-league outbursts coming.

As CBSSports.com's Sam Vecenie explained, Williams was an analytical stud at the collegiate level:

"

His energy level on the boards has always been great, even going back to when he was one of the advanced metric darlings of college basketball over the course of the last three seasons. He's been in the top-10 nationally in both offensive and defensive rebounding rate over each of the last three seasons, and led the entire country in PER in 2014 at 35.7.

"

Williams is undersized as a center (6'8"), and he's not a great athlete. But he's relentless on the glass, skilled in the low post and surprisingly light on his feet for tipping the scales at 261 pounds.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com.

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