Impact Basketball League: 8 NBA Players with Most to Prove in Las Vegas

The Impact Basketball Competitive Training Series in Las Vegas is providing NBA players a chance to showcase what they have been working on all summer.

With the cancellation of the NBA's summer league due to the lockout, infamous trainer Joe Abunassar has organized a series of scrimmages and workouts for those players looking to showcase their talents while the league continues its work stoppage.

There are a plethora of players competing, and with some looking to revitalize their image and others looking to impress and get a second chance, almost every athlete participating has a distinct reason for taking the hardwood.

Let's take a look at those with something to prove.

Sebastian Telfair, Point Guard, Free Agent

Telfair, the Brooklyn, NY native entering his eighth season, has bounced around since being drafted in the first round back in 2004; playing for five different clubs in his professional tenure.

Now an unrestricted free agent and just 26-years-old, Telfair will be looking to latch on with a team where he can actually compete for playing time and look to reinvent his stock around the NBA.

He's not going to land a lucrative contract, and he certainly won't be relied on by any club to be its starter, but he does represent a bargain bin option for a team that's shopping in the point guard aisle.

Marreese Speights, Power Forward/Center, Philadelphia

Speights found himself deep in head coach Doug Collins' doghouse last season, and as a big man that values offense over defense, that should've been expected.

However, just because Speights has an offensive mindset doesn't mean that he's not serviceable for an NBA roster. He's got serious skill on that end of the floor, and it's tough to find someone of his size that can do the things he can around the rim.

It wouldn't be surprising to see the Sixers shop him when transactions resume, but if he can show a renewed sense of commitment to defense in Las Vegas, Collins might want to think twice about how he deplores the former first-round pick.

Derrick Caracter, Power Forward, Los Angeles Lakers

Caracter was a second-round selection of the Lakers in 2010, and despite being the No. 58 overall pick, the team has some legitimate hopes that he can contribute to an extremely thin frontcourt.

After the big man had clauses inserted into his rookie deal in an effort to keep his weight in a reasonable range, Caracter is going to have to prove that he's capable of solid play if the Lakers are going to make him a part of the rotation moving forward.

There was also an alleged battery against an IHOP waitress in New Orleans that Caracter dealt with this offseason, so the Lakers will be looking to see increased signs of maturity both on and off the court from the forward.

T.J. Ford, Point Guard, Free Agent

It sure seems like Ford has been in the league for a longer time than he has, but he's just 28-years-old and looking for a fresh start after rotting on the Indiana bench for the last two seasons.

An unrestricted free agent, Ford has shown that he can still play when inserted in spot duty. However, he'll be looking to land with a team that's willing to give him more than just a spot at the end of the bench.

Similarly to Telfair, he'd be a nice fit on a competitive team looking to land a point guard, and teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat would both be wise to kick the tires on him.

Al Harrington, Power Forward, Denver

Prior to the 2010-11 season, Harrington signed a surprising five-year, $34 million contract that brought him to Denver for the foreseeable future.

While the Nuggets needed to solidify the front court depth, inking an aging veteran like Harrington, who had been playing in an up-tempo New York system that allowed him to shoot at will, left several scratching their head and questioning whether or not Denver was the right fit.

After failing to make a sizable impact in his first season with the Nuggets and averaging just shy of 23 minutes per game, Harrington is going to be looking to make a serious splash in Vegas and prove that he's anything but washed up.

Iman Shumpert, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, New York

Shumpert was one of the most rapid risers in the 2011 draft, and the Knicks pulled the trigger on the Georgia Tech product at No. 17 overall.

New York has an obvious need for depth in its backcourt, but some aren't ready to believe in Shumpert's potential to play either guard spot for the team just yet.

He's blessed with freakish athleticism and considerable size at 6'6", and at the time he was selected, Chris Sheridan wrote how Donnie Walsh was enamored with his shooting and defensive abilities, both elements that the team lacked last season.

Shumpert will be looking to live up to his first-round billing in front of the New York faithful.

Austin Daye, Small Forward, Detroit

Tayshaun Prince is ticketed for unrestricted free agency, and Austin Daye is a major reason as to why the Pistons are thought to be uninterested in re-signing the small forward.

A first-round pick by the team in 2009, Daye has been playing second fiddle behind Prince since coming aboard. Nevertheless, he's one player that is primed to post a monstrous breakout season in 2011-12 if given the opportunity.

He's got tremendous talent, and despite his extremely thin frame (just 205 lbs despite standing 6'11"), he should be a major part of the Pistons plans moving forward as long as he shows he can handle the increased role.

Jamaal Tinsley, Point Guard, Free Agent

Tinsley is looking to make a comeback after falling out of the league during the 2009-10 season, and he's using the opportunity to play at Las Vegas in order to make a favorable impression.

A. Sherrod Blakely, who covers the Boston Celtics for CSNNE.com, tweeted that Tinsley is in extraordinary shape, but that doesn't necessarily dictate that his talent has returned in order to provide value to an NBA roster.

Tinsley does have the advantage of attempting to return to the league when the point guard market is extremely thin, but that won't secure a roster spot alone for him.

He's going to have to be a head above the current NBA players he's going up against, and with how badly he struggled doing exactly that before he fell out of the league in Memphis, it's going to be an uphill battle for the veteran.