National Basketball Association

NBA Summer League Tracker: Checking in on the lottery picks

Updated Jul. 13, 2022 11:13 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

The NBA's Summer League is upon us, and the time is now for the next generation to show its stuff. 

The league wastes little time getting its newest members into game action, and though Summer League rosters are vastly different from regular-season ones, each game represents a meaningful opportunity for rookies to perform against professional peers.

Here's how this year's lottery picks have performed through Wednesday's action.

No. 1 Pick — Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic

Stats (2 games): 20.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.0 APG, 2.5 SPG, 40.7 FG%, 50.0 3PT%, 80.0 FT% 

Update: It's early, but thus far, no player has made an impact on the Summer League quite like Banchero. He showed off an easy scoring touch in his first outing, posting 17 points, while converting from a number of areas on the floor. 

His playmaking flair showed in Game 2, and though he was stellar in the points department again with 23, his late-game block, followed by a rocket assist, helped power Orlando over Sacramento in sudden death overtime.

No. 2 Pick — Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

Stats (5 games): 14 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 3.2 BPG, 1.6 SPG, 47.9 FG%, 42.1 3PT%, 94.1 FT%

Update: Holmgren has picked up where he left off from his college days in his initial Summer League offerings, breaking down defenses with easy baskets both inside and from deep range, and flashing a rare skill for his size. A Holmgren appearance is almost always a block party, and he's been the life of said soirée, destroying several opponent attempts in each of his showings.

No. 3 Pick — Jabari Smith Jr., Houston Rockets

Stats (2 games): 13.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.3 SPG, 36.6 FG%, 33.3 3PT%, 71.4 FT% 

Update: Smith Jr.'s gotten off to a slow start, but he remains an astonishing prospect with a smooth shooting stroke, and exceptional length that gives him the tools to morph into a plus defender. Offensive efficiency has avoided Smith in his pair of games, but he's found plenty of ways to be effective nonetheless, including crashing the boards hard and jumping passing lanes.

No. 4 Pick — Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings 

Stats (6 games): 21.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 49.4 FG%, 39.5 3PT%, 83.8 FT%

Update: Scoring has been Murray's bread-and-butter, and he's showing how efficiently he can do it. Murray's first showcase was superb. He torched Golden State for 26 points and eight boards, shooting an impressive 10-for-14 from the field and 4-for-5 from deep. Murray kept his scorching start going with 24 points and seven boards days later, and showed a collected disposition under pressure against Orlando, hitting a game-tying trey to force OT.

No. 5 Pick — Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons

Stats (2 games): 15.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 50.0 FG%, 50.0 3PT%, 100.0 FT%

Update: Notre Dame women's basketball head coach Niele Ivey beamed proudly as she watched her son put the finishing touches on his 20-point Summer League debut, while adding six rebounds and six assists in the process. Ivey's probably the most athletic guard this rookie class has to offer, and that natural spring was on full display, as he jetted past defenders, and soared to the cup with ease in Game 1.

Ivey exited his second tilt with an ankle injury, but tweeted Sunday that the ailment was just a minor one.

No. 6 Pick — Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers

Stats (3 games): 19.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 48.8 FG%, 38.5 3PT%, 76.5 FT%

Update: Mathurin oozes confidence, as evidenced by his recent comments regarding LeBron James. And though he's not close to the King's level, he wholly believes he can get there. Mathurin's self-belief was evident in his first outing as a pro. He was all over the floor, hustling for loose balls, showing an energetic commitment on defense, and knocking down shots from the floor, including half of his attempts from 3-point territory. 

No. 7 Pick — Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers

Stats (1 game): Injured

Update: Sharpe didn't get much of a chance to impress his Summer League coaching staff, after going down with a small labrum tear in his shoulder in the first quarter. He scored just two points in 5:33 of playing time, and the injury will sideline him for the rest of Summer League.

No. 8 Pick — Dyson Daniels, New Orleans Pelicans 

Stats (1 game): Injured

Update: Like Sharpe, Daniels had to exit his first outing early, leaving N.O.'s opener with a sprained ankle after 8:10 of playing time. His status is uncertain for the rest of Summer League. In those minutes, he was 0-for-5 from the field, finishing with a point, a rebound, two assists and one steal.

No. 9 Pick — Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio Spurs

Update: Out

Sochan will not play in Summer League after a positive COVID test, plus a hamstring injury.

No. 10 Pick — Johnny Davis, Washington Wizards

Stats (3 games): 8.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 27.6 FG%, 33.3 3PT%, 100.0 FT%

Update: Davis struggled mightily in his first game vs. Detroit, knocking down just one FG, while hitting four free throws to finish with six points in total. He was a bit better from the field Sunday against Phoenix, but he hasn't shown the scoring prowess that he displayed at Wisconsin yet — not nearly.

No. 11 Pick — Ousmane Dieng, Oklahoma City Thunder

Stats (5 games): 8.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 34.0 FG%, 20.0 3PT%, 55.5 FT%

Update: Dieng was one of the more unheralded prospects heading into this year's draft, but he's putting himself on OKC fans' radars. Dieng hasn't been brilliant from a percentage perspective, but he hasn't shied away from the spotlight in the slightest, continuing to hoist shots with regularity. Dieng will need to improve his metrics to sneak into the team's rotation, but as far as his own conviction is concerned, that cup appears full.

No. 12 Pick — Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

Stats (6 games): 12.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 52.8 FG%, 41.6 3PT%, 57.8 FT%

Update: Santa Clara's Williams (not to be confused with Arkansas' Jaylin Williams) is proving critics who believed Oklahoma City reached to snag him at No. 12 dead wrong so far. Williams is providing a ton for the young and active squad, including a dependable scoring presence, rim-running and a deft catch-and-shoot ability. 

No. 13 Pick — Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

Stats (3 games): 11.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.3 BPG, 65.0 FG%, 72.7 FT%

Update: There were a plethora of Jalens in this year's draft, and each has made an impression on the NBA landscape. The 6-foot-11, 250-pound Duren has been a beast in the painted area, getting off the ground with ease and erupting for a few thunderous slams that have Detroit salivating over his pick-and-roll potential with Ivey and Cade Cunningham. Shockingly, he hasn't rebounded the ball well at all through two contests, including grabbing just one board in his debut.

No. 14 — Ochai Agbaji, Cleveland Cavaliers 

Stats (3 games): 16.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 42.9 FG%, 43.5 3PT%, 88.9 FT%

Update: Ogbaji is known for his winning leadership, rangy athleticism, and dependable 3-ball. And in his debut for the Cavs, he showed all three, hitting four of his nine tries from beyond the arc, and collecting three rebounds to go with two assists. Ogbaji's touch wasn't quite there in Game 2, however, as he shot 3-for-11 from the field and connected on just two of his six 3-point attempts.

share

Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Orlando Magic

Paolo Banchero

Bennedict Mathurin

Indiana Pacers

Shaedon Sharpe

Portland Trail Blazers

Dyson Daniels

New Orleans Pelicans

Johnny Davis

Washington Wizards

Jeremy Sochan

San Antonio Spurs

Ousmane Dieng

Oklahoma City Thunder

Jalen Williams

Ochai Agbaji

Cleveland Cavaliers

Jalen Duren

Detroit Pistons

National Basketball Association

Jaden Ivey

Keegan Murray

Sacramento Kings

Jabari Smith Jr.

Houston Rockets

Chet Holmgren