NBA Summer League takeaways: Green shined brightly in Vegas

NBA Summer League is officially over. And while fans should be cautious not to make too much of what happened, the changing nature of Summer League means it is equally foolish to think there’s nothing to be learned.

Here are the five biggest takeaways from this year’s tournament.

THE TOP FIVE PICKS ARE LEGIT

After what feels like years of hearing that this draft was going to be exceptional, it was delightful to see the top five picks (Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, and Jalen Suggs) all quickly demonstrate why. Green had arguably the best Summer League of them all, showcasing not only his elite athleticism but an improved jumper that has many fans immediately likening him to Bradley Beal. Cunningham started slow, but demonstrated that his 3-point shot is already reminiscent of Paul George.

Evan Mobley was a two-way force and should be a critical passing hub for a playmaking starved Cavaliers team. Scottie Barnes showed all his flaws on the offensive end, but also the defense, athleticism, and intangibles that could lead him to stardom. And Jalen Suggs showed every bit of the "it" factor that made him a star at Gonzaga.

The top five picks in this draft all look ready to step into leadership roles on their teams right away, and that in itself is remarkable.

THERE WERE VALUE PICKS THROUGHOUT THE DRAFT

As much as getting into the top five of the draft is the goal of every tanking front office (better luck next year OKC), there were standout performances by rookies taken all throughout the draft. Atlanta’s Sharife Cooper, taken 48th, was second in Summer League in assists, and had an absurd assist percentage of 42.6%. His teammate, Jalen Johnson, taken outside of the lottery, seems to have the talent of a top 10 pick.

Miles McBride of the New York Knicks demonstrated that he could be a lockdown defender and impressive off-the-dribble shot creator, and showed some real athleticism as well.

Quentin Grimes, also of the Knicks, looks like the archetypal "3-and-D" wing and possible long-term Reggie Bullock replacement.

Kings Summer League champion Davion Mitchell looks like he will be a defensive terror even as a rookie. And Cam Thomas, taken 27th by the Brooklyn Nets, was routinely torching opposing teams in Vegas, leading all rookies in scoring with 27.0 points per game.

There was great talent to be found everywhere in this draft, and a lot of team's young cores just got a nice boost.

THE (SOPHOMORE) KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

The world has moved on so quickly, we often forget how strange an introduction to the NBA was for last season’s rookies. This was Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley’s first Summer League, despite having played real minutes for a playoff team in year one. That class had no Summer League, no training camp, and a reduced preseason, and then were thrown into one of the more hellish schedules in recent memory. That any of them managed to crack rotations during the season is to their immense credit.

Quickley showed off his offseason skill development, leading all Summer League players in assists. Payton Pritchard, the second-year player from Boston, had a dominant Summer League as well. I expect that within a month of the regular season starting, people will come around to realizing that last year’s draft was better than we thought at the time.

SUMMER LEAGUE IS FOR EXPERIMENTATION

In years past, Summer League has been the time of year when young players who typically have a limited role in the regular season, can spread their wings and fly a bit. That trend continued, with players like Desmond Bane, an off-ball sniper for the Grizzlies, getting opportunities to run the offense at point. 

Teams seem to be leaning into this idea more than ever before, with coaching staff’s being the next area of development. Far from treating these games as being of zero consequence, staffs clearly put thought into rotations, sets, and defensive coverages more than in past years. Just as zone defense has become a staple of the NBA game, it showed itself in Summer League action as well.

Las Vegas remains the NBA’s laboratory, and the quality of play in this year’s Summer League was higher than any I can remember.

G LEAGUE IGNITE WAS A SUCCESS

If we’re going off purely on the early returns, then Summer League demonstrated that the NBA’s fledgling G League Ignite program was a smashing success. Far from missing out on the professionalism and team-development culture afforded by going the NCAA route, Jalen Green appeared to most eyes as the most NBA-ready of any of the prospects in the draft.

Pick and roll reads that were a point of criticism during the pre-draft process came easily to him, and his jumper off the dribble and off the catch looked clean and repeatable. He also got to the basket at will. And it makes sense when you realize that in many ways Summer League competition is actually a notch down from what the G League Ignite players went up against in their Bubble season.

While Jonathan Kuminga and Isaiah Todd showed flashes themselves, it’s Green’s immediate success that could inspire future top picks to go the Ignite route.