Last week at the Las Vegas summer league, a 19-year-old, seven-foot rim protector averaged 17.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. It was not Kristaps Porzingis, but Noah Vonleh, who has somehow become Portland’s summer afterthought in spite of his overwhelming potential. After excelling in Vegas, all Vonleh has to do is try and fill LaMarcus Aldridge’s shoes as the Blazers— who acquired Vonleh and Gerald Henderson from Charlotte in exchange for Nicolas Batum on the night before June’s draft— begin
Mitnick: Guys Who Caught My Eye At Las Vegas Summer League
The Las Vegas Summer League not only gives fans their first impressions of this season’s top rookies but also provides a stage for young players on the cusp of NBA opportunity to showcase their development. Approaching it from the outside in as I did, as an assistant coach for an overseas team, the Summer League is a great place to get impressions on the top American talent, all in one setting. With the talent pool spread across the D-League, Europe, Asia,
NBA Las Vegas Summer League Roundup for July 19
The semifinal round is set at the Las Vegas Summer League and seeding was apparently unimportant. The 4th, 7th, 8th and 14th seeds will do battle at the final four on Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center. The top three scorers in Vegas are in the semifinals. Let’s see how the semifinalists got there: Spurs 95 Celtics 93 It sure doesn’t seem like San Antonio is distracted or impeded by being coached by a woman. Becky Hammon’s Spurs got 21 points from Kyle
NBA Las Vegas Summer League Roundup for July 16
After five days of fun-filled competition, Day Six at the Las Vegas NBA Summer League finally eliminated eight of the 24 teams and whittled the field down to 16. Here’s a quick recap of Wednesday’s eight games and a look forward to the Round of 16. Bucks 97 Rockets 93 Milwaukee, the 24th and final seed in the tournament, advanced despite going 0-3 in the three-game regular season. Sean Kilpatrick continued as the breakout star of this Summer League with a game high 26
Flashes of Bucks’ bright future with Antetokounmpo, Parker emerge
LAS VEGAS- Here at the Hard Rock Hotel, the Milwaukee Bucks are 250-1 to win next year’s NBA title, the longest odds in the league. They even surpass the tank-to-the-bank Philadelphia 76ers, whose top draft pick may sit out the entire regular season for the second consecutive year. But for people not named Jason Kidd, the Bucks aren’t playing for next season. With a pair of 19-year-old kids oozing with potential, showing their natural abilities on the UNLV campus, it’s easy to
With the pressure off, Anthony Bennett shines for Cavs in Vegas
LAS VEGAS – In his first Summer League, it seems like the weight of the world has been lifted off Anthony Bennett’s shoulders. In the city he once called home and the arena he once shined so brightly that the Cleveland Cavaliers made him the unexpected top pick of the 2013 NBA draft, Bennett is playing loose, having fun and suddenly showing the athleticism and versatility that made him such an intriguing prospect in the first place. After scoring 15 points and
Shabazz Napier grows into important role for post-LeBron Heat
LAS VEGAS- Shabazz Napier has a set of skills you all know about; the slick handle, the pick-your-pocket defense and the winning pedigree with UConn’s national championship in April as Napier’s collegiate capstone. The other skills he needs to pick up as his rookie season approaches will help determine how well the Miami Heat can fare in South Florida’s post-LeBron James era. With James gone, Napier is now a much more important part of the team than Miami management imagined. [Read
Tweet of the Day: NBA All-Rookie Team Announced, Player Reaction
Thursday afternoon the NBA unveiled the 2013-14 NBA All-Rookie Team, celebrating this past season’s top young athletes. One name you will not see on the the team is the Cleveland Cavaliers’ No.1 overall draft pick Anthony Bennett, who only played in 52 games, averaging 4.2 points and three rebounds in just 12.8 minutes per game. He is just the fifth top overall draft pick to miss the All-Rookie team in 26 years. There were quite a few young rookies deserving of the