California Classic + Salt Lake City Summer League Recap
Rising Stars Unleashed: California Classic and Salt Lake City Summer League Ignite NBA's Youthful Energy
Basketball is back!!!
Starting on July 3rd, NBA Summer League action returned in the form of the annual California Classic and the Salt Lake City Summer League. With a lot to play for, many players stood out in their own ways respectively. Check them out below!
California Classic Standouts
For the California Classic in the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, the Kings, Hornets, Heat, Lakers, Spurs, and Warriors competed against one another. Although there were many positives from each team, it was a recurring theme of 2nd-year standouts looking to make a jump who took over. Here are some of the standouts from the California Classic:
Keegan Murray - Kings forward Keegan Murray took great strides during the offseason adding various moves to his bag, looking poised to take a leap in the Kings' offense this year. In his first matchup vs. the Warriors, Murray took it to them, dropping 29 points on solid efficiency, followed up by a performance of eerily similar dominance against Nikola Jović's Heat, dropping 41 points in the process. Look for Murray to fast-track his trajectory this year, headed to be more of an offensive threat.
Julian Champagnie -Â Fresh off a new 4-year contract, Champagnie backed up his new money by displaying his ability to knock down threes at a high clip while maintaining the San Antonia Spurs way. Averaging 29.0 ppg over 2 games in Sacramento, Champagnie put the rest of the league on notice. It'll be interesting to track Champagnie's gametime this year as his breakout could be on the horizon, as shown in flashes last spring.
Lester Quinones - The 2nd-year undrafted man out of Memphis spent the majority of last year in the G-League developing his game with the Santa Cruz Warriors but is ready to unleash his game now. Against Keegan Murray and the Kings, Quinones was deep in his bag, showing off moves that looked similar to a former teammate, Jordan Poole. Whether it was the sidesteps and flair or the ability to knock down the three-ball, it seems like Quinones may have an opportunity to crack the Warriors' 15-man roster this year for good.
Salt Lake City Summer League Standouts
Out in Salt Lake City, the highly anticipated return of 2022 #2 Overall pick Chet Holmgren had lots of people tuning in, but there's more than just Chet to it. The Thunder were definitely in a league of their own in Salt Lake at points, but there were lots of flashes from other teams that showed lots of signs of encouragement. Here are my Salt Lake City Summer League standouts:
Jalen Williams - All it took was one game for Jalen Williams to establish himself as one of the top players in this year's Summer League. The Santa Clara product selected 12th Overall in 2022 showed lots of promise for a breakout year on the national scene after dropping a silky smooth 21 points on elite efficiency. Another thing to note about JDub's performance Monday night was his willingness to take and make the pull-up jumper. Unlocking a pull-up jumper could allow JDub to take a leap that not many may see coming. No matter how the rest of Jalen Williams' Summer League plays out, know his impact will be felt in the day, weeks, months, and years to come.
Keyontae George - Despite a rocky start to Summer League, the Utah Jazz have bright spots to point to in the form of their 16th Overall pick, Keyontae George. George started all three games over the past four days displaying his commanding presence in the process. Before I get ahead of myself, I want to acknowledge that George is far from perfect. Still, it was encouraging to see signs of his old self over the past couple of days, signifying he's fully healed from his ankle injury. Hopefully, George can regain some of the burst that made him so dynamic in high school. Despite not having 2/3 of their picks, the Jazz can walk away from this SLC Summer League feeling good about their selection of George, who carries lots of promise to look forward to.
Tre Mann - The third-year man out of Florida sped up and never looked back. Mann posted averages of 23.7 PPG, 6.3 RBD, and 3.0 AST on excellent efficiency. Tre Mann has always held promise as a shot-creator, but for him to get to the next level, he needed to show the signs of efficiency he's now showing. All this leaves you wondering, could Tre Mann take a leap next year? Time will tell, as it does for most things. There is no doubt about how dynamic Mann is, but many wonder if there's a role for him. With former EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micić and 10th Overall pick Cason Wallace joining the team, it's hard to see a direct path to impactful minutes for Mann. With that being said, we'll have to wait to see how the cards play out in OKC regarding the Guard dynamic and who gets minutes, but if given minutes, look out for Tre Mann to start to become an impactful guard in this league.
Wrap-Up
The NBA Summer League brought back the thrill of basketball with young players hungry to prove themselves on the court. From the California Classic to the Salt Lake City Summer League, we witnessed some standout performances that got fans buzzing. Second-year players like Keegan Murray and Julian Champagnie showed off their skills, leaving no doubt they're ready to make an offensive impact. And let's not forget about Lester Quinones, who wowed us with his moves and shooting prowess, making a solid case for a spot on the Warriors' roster.
Over in Salt Lake City, all eyes were on Chet Holmgren, the highly anticipated #2 Overall pick from 2022. But the excitement didn't stop there. Jalen Williams made a splash with his silky smooth scoring ability, leaving us eager to see what he'll bring to the table in the coming year. Keyontae George showed signs of his old self, reminding us why the Jazz made him their 16th Overall pick. And Tre Mann, with his dynamic playmaking and improved efficiency, left us wondering if he's ready to take a leap in his third year. With these players and more, the Summer League gave us a taste of the bright future ahead in the NBA. So buckle up because these rising stars are ready to shine on the biggest stage.