NBA Summer League: Day 3 Takeaways

I am not going to lie, after a year-long absence, it was truly a spectacle to once again walk into the Thomas and Mack Center and see the thousands of Las Vegas NBA fans pour in. Going into the Cox Pavilion and being right in front of the action is an experience that never gets old. And of course, going to see the newly appointed NBA prospects that could turn into stars in the future is always something that you can brag to your friends about. So who has been shining (or not) in this year’s NBA Summer League? Here are our takeaways.

Jalen Green is NBA ready

It wasn’t hard to tell that the Rockets had their eyes set on the NBA G-League Ignite prospect. The heavily recruited 6’5 shooting guard from Fresno, California has truly shown his insane skillset after a year in the G-League, and it looks like he’s gotten better.

In the two games he’s played, Green has posted an average of 24 PPG, 5 RPG, and 2.5 APG, with shooting splits of 51.7 FG% and 50 3PT%. The rookie also held his own against number one pick Cade Cunningham Tuesday night. It’s clear the Rockets have a win-now mentality and wanted a player with pro experience. While the Rockets might not make the playoffs this year, it won’t be long before they have themselves a winning season with this young player.

Bol Bol needs a bigger role on the Nuggets

Two years ago, Bol Bol was considered to be a lottery pick right before the NBA Draft, it came as a shock when he fell so low to the Miami Heat in the 2nd round and then was traded to the Denver Nuggets. We never saw much of him, except for garbage time minutes in his rookie year. In the minutes he did play though, he would ball out, and is one of the few one-of-a-kind players that can play all five positions.

Seeing this kid in person is truly a spectacle to behold. Bol handles the ball like a guard, but stands at 7’2. Then he’ll run down the other end of the court and block a shot like it’s absolutely nothing. Bol can shoot threes and dunk like nothing. I truly think he can do every single thing on the court with ease. Averaging 23.5 PPG and 7 RPG in his first two shows is enough in my book to earn at least a backup position. With Murray out for the foreseeable future, you could always run Bol Bol the way he runs the fast break and shoots the three ball at his size.

The Pistons have a lot to work on

It’s worrying when your summer league team drops its first two games with three sophomore players and the reigning number one pick, with the latter playing questionably. It’s even more troubling when you realize three of the five players might be starters for the actual NBA Season.

There is no question that the Detroit Pistons have been in this state of limbo since Chauncey Billups first took the lead of this Pistons team. The Pistons traded away all their assets last trade deadline, and fully committed to the rebuild process. There will be growing pains, and it will be difficult for Pistons fans, but a unit led by Killian Hayes, Cade Cunningham, and Saddiq Bey is sure to be promising.