2018 NBA Summer League: 7 biggest standouts
The Las Vegas Summer League has officially come to an end, with the Portland Trailblazers beating the Los Angeles Lakers, who reached a second consecutive final with the former lifting the trophy 91-73.
We are going to talk about the 7 standout players. This list is not all-inclusive by any means — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Grayson Allen, and Trae Young would get an honorable mention here — nor is it just a list of the best players I have seen.
Instead, this is a list of players that turned my head.
7. Jonathan Issac (Orlando Magic):
Orlando Magic had taken a risk by drafting Issac at #6 in the 2017 draft. A guy with a lot of potential but a project, then he missed most of his rookie season with injuries. Nobody seemed exactly sure what Orlando had. In the Las Vegas Summer League though, he turned a lot of heads, averaging 14.3 points and 7 boards a game.
He also looks a lot stronger and his shooting stroke is smooth. He has banged inside and held his own with Memphis’ Jackson, and has just been a better athlete than everyone he’s gone up against. Alongside the frontcourt duo of Bamba and the recently re-signed Aaron Gordon, the Magic might be an interesting team to watch out for, provided they can hopefully sort out their point guard.
6. Harry Giles (Sacramento Kings):
Harry Giles was considered to be one of the top prospects coming out of high school, a 5-star recruit. He had the build to bang it in the post and was also able to go to the perimeter and launch the occasional 3. But then the injuries started to pile up, an ACL, an MCL, a meniscus tear in his left knee and surgery on his right knee. He went #20 in the 2017 draft, picked up by the Kings.
In Vegas, he has been impressive and solid 12 points and 7 rebounds a game in Sin City. He looks like he could be a rotation NBA big man at least, the Kings think he can be more than that, someone Sacramento can count on, besides Marvin Bagley III.