OPINION: NBA Summer League Isn’t What It Used To Be

After 67 games over 11 days, the NBA summer league will end in Las Vegas and we will have to wait three months for basketball to officially start again. It’s exciting to have basketball games right after the NBA draft to see what the new prospects can do, but the excitement of the games is over-hyped. Individual performances are entertaining, but the team play leaves something to be desired.

According to ESPN on the night of UFC 200 there were 16,000 basketball fans in Thomas and Mack Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to watch the No. 1 pick Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers play the No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram and the Los Angeles Lakers. A lackluster game with a wild finish, both players had less than ten points each, but Simmons had an impressive eight assist and ten rebounds.

There were glimpses of Simmons looking like a young Magic Johnson handling the ball and taking it strong and finishing an aerial, acrobatic shot. Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, who had a slow start but ended up being the game’s leading scorer with 22 points, hit the game winner to give the Lakers a 70-69 win. There were many Laker fans in attendance who cheered like it was the NBA Finals. 

NBA summer league showcases rookies just drafted, other players from the team, and undrafted players and free agents that might be looking to get picked up by teams. The first few games look like an awkward middle school dance. Low scoring games, and not a lot of team chemistry, and less than impressive level of talent than the days when LeBron James entered the league. Pump fakes look less polished and dunks are less authoritative.

It’s not awful, it just isn’t what it used to be.

There have been some impressive performances. For example, rookie Kris Dunn from Minnesota had a great opening weekend and Chicago Bulls power forward Bobby Portis, had a great closing weekend.

Yes the games have been close, but short of insane blocks in the 2016 NBA Summer League, past NBA Summer leagues looked more impressive and intense, with fewer fans in the stands. Remember when Blake Griffin, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and Derrick Rose were just babies? They came with it.

Minnesota guard Tyus Jones won the NBA Summer League MVP for 2016. The Timberwolves were given a 24 seed and will meet the No. 2 seeded Chicago Bulls in the NBA Summer League Finals. Jones led the Timberwolves to four straight wins to bring the team to the championship game. He averaged 19.4 points, 6.3 assists over seven games during the Summer League.

The top three players with the highest scoring averages are two second year players and one third year player. Trey Lyles, who will be going into his second year with the Utah Jazz, is at the top of the points chart averaging 29 points per game, followed by Phoenix Suns second year guard Devin Booker, with 26 points per game and Cleveland’s Jordan McRae with 24.3 points per game. Dunn follows closely behind in fourth place with 24 points per game.

Another NBA Summer League is almost over and even though the basketball isn’t what it used to be we will still miss it until October.