NBA PM: Summer League Can Be Valuable Experience

Summer League Can Be Valuable Experience

Now that the 2015 NBA draft has concluded, it’s time for teams to focus their attention on their Summer League teams. Orlando, Utah and Las Vegas each combine to host a Summer League event, beginning on Saturday in Orlando. The Utah Summer League runs July 6-9, while the Vegas Summer League takes place July 10-20.

The Summer League gives a team their first look at rookies in NBA action and provides a chance for younger bench players to play increased minutes in an effort to solidify their place on the roster. It also gives unsigned free agents an opportunity to prove why they belong on a team. The unsigned players include rookies that went undrafted and players from the D-League and from overseas.

As teams prepare to head to Central Florida for their first action of the summer, they’ll begin to set the rosters in place for all of the games. Some teams have already announced their official rosters, while others are still finalizing their squads. The Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic have already announced their teams for the Orlando Summer League while the Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami HEAT and Oklahoma City Thunder are still in the process of filling in their rosters. The Orlando Summer League will consist of nine teams, with the Magic fielding two teams – the White team and the Blue team. Four teams will compete in the Utah Summer League and 24 teams will participate in Las Vegas.

The summer games will give drafted and undrafted rookies a chance to begin the process of getting acclimated to the speed of an NBA game. Players will often say after the first couple of games that the speed of the action is one of the biggest things to adjust to from the college level. Others have mentioned the difference in shot clocks and the longer three-point line as adjustments they have to make.

While the rookies will be trying to get their feet wet in the NBA, others are trying to prove they belong. The Summer League has proven to be one of the first steps in the process for unsigned players to get their chance at the NBA level. They’ll get their foot in the door with a team during the summer and based on how that goes they can earn an invite to training camp. Players could even play well enough to catch the eye of an opposing team and be on their watch list should they get cut from their original team.

One of the biggest success stories of last summer’s games happened with HEAT guard Tyler Johnson. Johnson went undrafted out of Fresno State after averaging 15.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 43 percent from three-point range during his senior year. Johnson began to turn heads with the HEAT with his play in Orlando and Las Vegas. In four games in Orlando, Johnson averaged 12.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and one steal per game, and in six appearances in Vegas, he averaged 12 points per game.

Based off of his play during Summer League, Johnson earned a training camp invite with the HEAT and would eventually sign with their D-League team before getting called up to the HEAT in January. After earning two 10-day contracts, the HEAT opted to sign Johnson for the remainder of the season. He played in 32 games with the HEAT and averaged 5.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 37 percent from three-point range. Unsigned free agents likely won’t earn a contract based on their play during the Summer League, but Johnson’s road to the NBA has further proved to young players that they can make it with hard work and determination.

Players have also decided to go all-in during Summer League and maximize their chances by playing with two different teams. Former Florida Gators center Patric Young is reportedly planning on playing for the Clippers in Orlando and with the Phoenix Suns in Las Vegas. Young went undrafted in last year’s draft and played for the New Orleans Pelicans last summer before eventually being waived in November. He finished off last season in Turkey and earned a place on the Turkish League First Team after averaging 8.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He was said to be considering staying overseas but ultimately decided on giving the NBA another chance.

Former D-League sensation Pierre Jackson should also make for an interesting name to monitor this summer. Jackson was the leading scorer in the D-League two seasons ago after averaging 29.1 points, 6.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game while also setting the single-game record for most points in a game with 58 on February 4, 2014. He earned an invitation to play with the Philadelphia 76ers last summer, but played in just six minutes before suffering a ruptured Achilles. He’s healthy again after rehabbing during all of last season and is expected to join the 76ers again this summer.

Summer League has proved to be extremely valuable for players looking to showcase their talents. Last summer, we also saw Kentavious Caldwell-Pope perform extremely well after leading the Orlando Summer League with an average of 24 points per game. Caldwell-Pope impressed so much that he earned a spot in the starting lineup with new head coach Stan Van Gundy. Prior to dominating last summer, he averaged 5.9 points per game in just under 20 minutes per contest with the Pistons. His expanded role in Van Gundy’s system led to an increase in production and in minutes played.

Each year it seems as though there are new players that step up and become another success story. With more and more players reaping the benefits of a strong summer, it’ll continue to grow the Summer League program and give hope to up-and-coming players looking for their shot at the NBA.

Matthews Ahead of Recovery Schedule

Less than four months after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury, Wesley Matthews is said to be ahead of schedule in his recovery.

Marc Stein from ESPN tweeted that the free agent shooting guard is drawing interest from the Toronto Raptors and the Dallas Mavericks as he continues to rehab his Achilles. Stein then tweeted out an Instagram video that showed Matthews doing some light drills on the court, including shooting mid-range jump shots.

“I felt the initial pop, and I think you guys could tell on the replay, I looked back, and it feels like someone kicked you,” Matthews said of his injury back in March. “I was praying that someone was back there. No one was back there, and I heard Ron [Garretson], the ref, he actually says, ‘Oh no’ like he knew.”

The six-year veteran is set to enter unrestricted free agency starting tomorrow and was said to have been one of the most coveted guards on the market prior to his injury. It’s been reported that Matthews is still seeking a contract starting at around $15 million per season, even as he still has yet to fully recover from his injury. He averaged 15.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season with the Trail Blazers and shot 39 percent from three-point range.

While teams are reportedly interested in him, it’s still unknown how his injury will impact what kind of contract offer he’ll receive. When healthy, Matthews was one of the best two-guards in the league as he’s shown the ability to knock down shots and lock down defenders. His camp insists that he’ll be 100 percent by the start of the season, and if that holds true, he could be a steal in free agency.