In addition to providing high draft picks with their first glimpse of the NBA, the Summer League is also a place for the young players with something to prove to show they deserve an opportunity to play at the highest level. That was the case again this summer with an overlooked young talent earning a roster spot with his impressive play while a threesome of former first-round picks also made a major impact. Here is a look at the four breakthrough stars of the NBA summer league.
Seth Curry, New Orleans Pelicans
The NBA MVP’s younger brother Seth was one of the underrated stars of the NBA Summer League that earned an invite to his team’s camp with a strong performance. The 24-year-old combo guard led all scorers with 24.3 points per game with 4.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.2 steals. That includes an outstanding 30-point performance against the Milwaukee Bucks. The fact that Curry has put up better scoring numbers than every single player taken in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft is telling enough and it’s worth noting that he led the D-League in three-point shots made last season and ranked second in three-point shooting percentage.
Curry will never emerge from his brother’s massive shadow but a breakthrough Summer League performance has given him an opportunity. It didn’t take long for a team to notice as the Sacramento Kings snapped him up with a two-year, $2 million deal. Fantasy general managers shouldn’t get too excited, though, as Curry is behind Rajon Rondo, Darren Collison, Ben McLemore, Marco Belinelli and maybe even James Anderson.
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Justin Anderson, Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks’ first-round pick turned heads in the Las Vegas Summer League where he averaged 17.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. Perhaps most impressive was his ability to stretch the floor with his three-point shooting as he hit 38.5-percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. Anderson has decent size and strength for a rookie and if he can consistently stretch the floor, it will be a major asset for Dallas.
The versatile swingman can provide them with immediate minutes off the bench in his first NBA season – especially now that Richard Jefferson is no longer with the team. Anderson could still plenty of action behind Chandler Parsons, who is still recovering from a knee injury.
T.J. Warren, Phoenix Suns
The 14th-overall pick from the 2014 NBA Draft has been absolutely dominant for the Suns in Summer League play – including a 31-point performance that helped Phoenix beat the Chicago Bulls in the Las Vegas Summer League semi-finals. That 31-point performance matched a scoring high for Summer League play and his development at both ends of the floor was very noticeable throughout the tournament.
The Suns are high on Warren as a future starter on the wing and after an impressive summer, it’s clear he is ready to step in and provide them with some valuable minutes off the bench. He should see plenty of them – especially with Gerald Green and Marcus Morris now plying their trade elsewhere.
Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
Gordon’s dominance in Summer League play was slightly overshadowed by the fact that he suffered a broken jaw while visiting family and “horsing around with his older brother” but the Magic expect him to be ready for the start of the season. The 6’9’’ forward was a monster this summer as he averaged 21.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 blocks while hitting 50% of his 12 three-point shot attempts. Gordon played in just 47 games last season before breaking a bone in his foot and mostly looked like a bust.
However, this gave his career a shot in the arm as he know looks to be on the right trajectory. The Magic envision him as a star big man that can stretch the floor with his three-point shooting and it looks like he is finally ready to do that for them. Although he had minimal impact as a rookie last season, some people forget that he’s still just 19 years old. He’s still very much in play in terms of fantasy and reality.
