After covering the main rookies that played in the Orlando Summer League, its now time to cover the more expansive Vegas Summer League. Today we will look at the performances of John Wall, Derrick Caracter, Patrick Patterson, Al-Farouq Aminu, Eric Bledsoe, Hassan Whiteside, Greg Monroe, Gani Lawal, Luke Babbitt, and Landry Fields. Friday we will conclude with DeMarcus Cousins, Ed Davis, Larry Sanders, Quincy Pondexter, Trevor Booker, Dominique Jones, Jordan Crawford, Andy Rautins, Devin Ebanks, and Willie Warren and introduce our very first Rookie Power Rankings, our top 10 list of the best Rookies in the league.
After the jump, our impressions.
"Never Gonna Give You Up":
John Wall, Washington Wizards, Drafted 1st23.5 PPG, .377 FG%, .125 3P%, 4.0 RPG, 7.8 APG, 2.5 SPG, 5.2 TO
My love affair with John Wall's talent is well documented, and outside of some turnover issues in the first two games he did nothing to dispel that obsession. Wall showed his otherworldly court vision routinely with seemingly impossible passes to teammates and easy alley-oops to Javale McGee, and displayed his athleticism with some fancy finishes and one monster off-the-backboard slam. In his final game, Wall helped the Wizards roar back from a 16-point deficit with an 18-point third quarter (14 of those during an 18-0 run), and threw the inbounds pass that led to the game-winning shot. His shooting percentage was a little low by way of offensive experimentation (which is likely to happen during the year as well), and if there is anything to critique in his game it's the 1-8 shooting from beyond the arc. That doesn't exactly silence his critics who question his range, but that's really nitpicking at this point when it comes to a guy with Wall's talent. There's no doubt that Wall will be a force in the fall. -- D.K.
Derrick Caracter, Los Angeles Lakers, Drafted 58th15.4 PPG, .593 FG%, 8.6 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.4 BPG, 5.4 TO, 7.2 PF
Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons, Drafted 7th14.6 PPG, .521 FG%, 8.0 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 3.8 TO, 5.4 PF
Monroe had a slow start to Summer League, often looking tentative and unfamiliar with his teammates, but he grew more comfortable as he tried to do less and focused simply on scoring the ball. His much vaunted passing wasn't as great as advertised (possibly due to a lack of chemistry with his teammates), but he did answer some questions of his toughness, especially with how he went for boards, and in the last two games, when he looked to score, how often he was able to get to the line (26 times in last 2 games, compared to only 13 times in the first 3). Monroe definitely showed a very developed offensive repertoire, and he could be very good for Detroit. Here's a pretty cool video of his Summer League highlights put together by a fan from the SBNation Pistons Blog, Detroit Bad Boys. -- A.Y.
Landry Fields, New York Knicks, Drafted 39th15.6 PPG, .527 FG%, .231 3P%, 4.8 RPG, 1.2 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.8 TO
When Landry Fields was selected at 39, the pick was panned by most "experts" as a waste on a player that should have gone undrafted. Now those same experts are raving about this unheralded rookie from Stanford, who used his athleticism and hustle to win the hearts of New York fans and critics alike. Fields showed off his versatility, able to handle the ball like a guard, but having enough quickness left to guard them, and being physical enough to guard forwards as well. He's a man of many talents, and a good bet to make New York's roster and become a contributor, sooner rather than later. -- A.Y.
Gani Lawal, Phoenix Suns, Drafted 46th15.4 PPG, .492 FG%, 7.4 RPG, 1.0 BPG, 3.0 TO
Lawal somehow slipped to the mid-2nd round despite playing with (and out-performing) the #3 pick Derrick Favors. He had been considered a first round talent in years past, but the extra year of seasoning worked to the detriment of his draft position and the benefit of the Phoenix Suns, who might have found the next Paul Millsap. Lawal is undersized, but he loves contact, and it shows in his Free Throw Attempts. He amassed 41 FTA in just 5 games, but unfortunately he only hit on 46.3% of them. He's a good rebounder, and decent defender too. If he can work on his shot (he's strictly a low-post guy right now), he can be something special, instead of just a role player. -- A.Y.
"We Know the Game and We're Gonna Play it":
Patrick Patterson, Houston Rockets, Drafted 14th9.2 PPG, .444 FG%, .182 3P%, 7.2 RPG, 1.0 APG, .8 BPG, 2.8 PF
I've always stood by the notion that Patrick Patterson has the chance to be a solid contributor on a great team, and while his play was uneven he certainly had solid moments in Summer League. He was inconsistent throughout Summer League - besides his shot attempts varying widely each game, he made his first two threes and missed his remaining nine. He played extremely well in his best two games (a combined 32 points on 14-22 from the field) and awful in the other 3 (14 points on 6-23). Still, even in his final uneven performance, Patterson was able to pull down ten defensive rebounds, dish out four assists, and block two shots. -- D.K.
Hassan Whiteside, Sacramento Kings, Drafted 33rd6.8 PPG, .439 FG%, 5.0 RPG, .7 SPG, 2.3 BPG
Whiteside had garnered attention as a possible lottery pick in the months preceding the draft, based on his ridiculous potential and uncanny ability to block shots (leading the NCAA in blocks with more than 5 a game last year as a Freshman). But Whiteside slipped to the 2nd round and into the Kings waiting laps. He shows some promise as a Shotblocker as mentioned (averaging more than 2 a game in Summer League), and his offense isn't as raw as once thought, as he displayed some post moves and a Tim Duncan-esque banking jumper. But he's completely lost on defense when not trying to block shots, and he has very poor hands. The potential is there, but the learning curve will be rough. -- A.Y.
Luke Babbitt, Portland Trail Blazers, Drafted 16th14.2 PPG, .453 FG%, .316 3P%, 3.8 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 2.6 TO
Babbitt was a high-riser in the drafts because of his deadly accuracy in college, and better than expected athletic results from the Chicago Draft Combine. He was a bit of a mixed bag in Vegas, very streaky with his shot (he shot 5-17 in his worst game, didn't shoot more than 10 shots in any other). He was pretty decent on the boards for a SF though, and he was able to get to the line (where he's deadly), while playing better defense than expected. He's not very good at handling the ball though, and if he wants to crack Portland's deep rotation, he'll have his work cut out for him. -- A.Y.
"Don't Tell Me You're Too Blind to See":
Al-Farouq Aminu, Los Angeles Clippers, Drafted 8th14.8 PPG, .293 FG%, .296 3P%, 5.4 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 3.0 TO, 4.4 PF
Before the draft, I speculated that Aminu was the guy most likely to be a bust in the top-8, and his poor showing in Summer League didn't dispel my thoughts. Aminu never seemed to get into a groove on either end, and although he averaged almost 15 points a game they didn't come efficiently. Unlike DeMarcus Cousins (who had three great performances followed by three bad ones), Aminu never had a good game from the field, although he was able to knock down some threes and get to the line effectively. Still, a field goal percentage consistently under 30% for a big man is alarming, and he'll need to work on his ability to finish to succeed at the real NBA level. -- D.K.
Eric Bledsoe, Los Angeles Clippers, Drafted 18th10.0 PPG, .386 FG%, .250 3P%, 4.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 6.2 TO
Like former teammate Patrick Patterson, Eric Bledsoe's first taste of NBA basketball was marked by unevenness. He didn't shoot particularly well from the floor and in his highest scoring game still managed to turn the ball over ten(10!) times. Despite being the best three-point shooting guard on Kentucky's team, Bledsoe didn't attempt a shot from behind the arc in three of the five games. His last game was his most promising (13-5-5, shooting 6-10 from the floor), which is certainly a positive, but it doesn't erase the mistakes that preceded it. -- D.K.
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