Who impressed the most in Summer League?

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All of the NBA Summer Leagues have officially come to an end. There were many players that impressed in Orlando, Utah, and Las Vegas.

Seth Curry, Myles Turner, and Norman Powell are just a few of the young players that impressed during the Summer League, but I didn’t include when taking a look at some of the best Summer League performers.

NBA Summer League is definitely a time to overreact for many players, but for these few, it might not be. These players have a real shot at making a significant impact for their respective teams this upcoming season.

Joseph Young, G Indiana Pacers

Joseph Young was incredible for the Pacers in Orlando. He averaged the most points per game out of all players in Orlando with an average of 22.5 points per game. The most impressive part? He shot over 50% from the field.

Young did a fantastic job of taking his man off the dribble and finishing at the rack once he got in the lane. Joseph Young was drafted in the 2nd Round for the Indiana Pacers and proved early on that he should earn solid minutes in that rotation.

Aaron Gordon, F Orlando Magic

It was hard not to be impressed by Gordon’s game in Orlando. He was fantastic in limited action and showcased some of that potential that is all boggled up in the young man.

Now, I’ve heard comparisons of him to Blake Griffin. That’s extremely far fetched at this stage but, down the road, is it that unrealistic to think that Gordon could have that type of career with the talent he possesses? If he commits himself to his craft, I don’t think it’s that unfair to assume such a thing.

Still, at this stage the furthest we can go with his evaluation is to say that he has had a very impressive Summer League and should look to get solid bench minutes on the Magic this season while he continues to develop his game.

Kyle Anderson, F San Antonio Spurs

Kyle Anderson was quite good throughout the entirety of the Summer League while leading his team to a Summer League championship.

He didn’t flash the impressive field goal percentage that you would hope to see from him, but he was a great leader for the team. He rarely made any glaring mistakes with the ball and was a very mature player on the court.

Anderson consistently got himself to the line and continued to knock them down in the clutch for his team. That consistency is what is needed to be apart of this Spurs team. At this point, Anderson has a chance to slot into that small forward spot off the bench. His production here will only further convince the coaching staff that he is ready for the NBA.

T.J. Warren, F Phoenix Suns

I have been adamant about getting Warren some playing time for the Suns since I saw the Suns select him in last year’s draft. This kid can flat out play.

He is one of the best finishers I have ever seen at a player of his age. The one thing that was extremely lacking in his game was the willingness from him to dish the ball. While he only averaged 1.3 APG during Summer League, you could tell from Warren’s game that he was more willing to get others involved.

The most impressive statistic from Warren was his FG%. There were only 3 players who shot 100 or more shots in the Vegas Summer League: Seth Curry, Kyle Anderson, and T.J. Warren. Warren was the only one to shoot over 50% with a mark of 54%. That’s absolutely incredible to see from a young scorer. Warren is a smart player who knows his strengths and doesn’t take shots he doesn’t have a high likelihood of hitting. T.J. should earn himself some solid minutes in that Phoenix rotation because of his continued production.

Jordan Mickey, F Boston Celtics

Jordan Mickey isn’t a player that the casual NBA fan knows much about….yet. It was a fantastic Vegas showing for Mickey who showed all of the characteristics of a future starting PF in the NBA.

The one knock on Mickey is his lack of size. If he can put on some muscle, there shouldn’t be any questioning his potential to succeed. Aside from that, though, Mickey was exceptional on both sides of the ball. He was a great rim protector and used his length well to cause problems for the opposing big men.

Offensively, Mickey was fantastic in the high pick and roll with Smart or whoever was handling the ball. He continuously got open off of a solid pick and either a solid roll to the cup or a roll to the elbow to be able to hit a solid 16-foot jumper. He did a terrific job of positioning himself in the post to be able to more easily get to the basket and get up a good shot. Jordan Mickey is in an unfortunate situation in Boston where they have Sullinger, Amir Johnson, and David Lee at the power forward position, so this might be a time for Mickey to either play overseas or in the D-League to continue to develop his exceptional skills.

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