After 25 games spread out over seven days, the 2016 NBA Orlando Summer League came to an end with lots to talk about from the week. Only two first-round picks from this year’s NBA Draft and three first-round picks from the 2015 NBA Draft played in the tournament, which gave us a glimpse of what a number of players that were passed on could provide if they get their chance to compete on an NBA roster.
Here is a look at five things we have learned from the NBA Orlando Summer League action.
Justise Winslow Is Primed To Succeed Eventually
Winslow’s versatility and defensive play in his rookie year with the Miami Heat created plenty of talk about his potential to become a star at the NBA level if he can find a way to develop his jumper. That hasn’t changed after a strong showing at the NBA Orlando Summer League where the outlook for his game remained the same. Winslow struggled with his shooting in Orlando but he did appear a little bit more fluid and confident going through the motions at both ends of the floor. Winslow has almost all of the tools to become a star in the NBA and if he can improve his jump shot then there is no doubt he will reach that level with the Heat. With Dwyane Wade out of the picture, the Heat will look to him to be the next face of their franchise.
Josh Richardson Is Bound To Shine For Miami
The Miami Heat had to be impressed with the play of their other 2015 first round pick Richardson, who looks bound to shine for the Heat over the next few seasons. The 6’6’’ combo guard showed off his ability to consistently shoot the three-ball a year ago when he hit 46.1-percent of his shots from the field and he was also one of the Heat’s most tenacious defenders. With Dwyane Wade moving on this offseason, Miami will move forward with a backcourt that features Richardson, Goran Dragic and Tyler Johnson and fortunately for the Heat it appears as though Richardson is ready for a bigger role. Even though Wade is gone, it might be a blessing in disguise as it will allow a number of young guns to step up and succeed.
Mitch McGary Is Ready For The NBA
The fact that the 2014 first-round pick was suspended five games on Friday for violating the NBA’s drug policy late last week put somewhat of a damper on his production in Orlando. The 6’10’’, 255-pound forward put on a show with his hustle, strength, size and soft shooting ability and there was a lot of talk about how he is clearly ready for the NBA. The suspension combined with the fact that Oklahoma City picked up Ersan Ilyasova and Domantas Sabonis this summer could hurt his chances of playing this year but there is no doubt at this point that McGary is ready for the NBA.
Stephen Zimmerman Jr. Was A Steal
An inconsistent one-and-done season at UNLV really hurt Zimmerman’s NBA Draft stock but that only resulted in him becoming a steal for the Orlando Magic when they took him 41st overall in this year’s draft. The 7’0’’, 240-pound big man put on an absolute clinic at the NBA Orlando Summer League where he showed off his ability to consistently block shots and hit jumpers and it left some scouts scratching their heads for how he fell so far. Zimmerman still must mature in almost every area but he has the raw talent to be a star in the NBA and he showed it in Orlando.
Brice Johnson Should Play In NBA
Johnson showed off his soft shooting touch while averaging 15.4 points per game on 50-percent shooting and 6.8 rebounds per game over his five Orlando Summer League outings. While the 22-year-old might never be a star in the NBA, there is no doubt that he is ready to be a rotation player now. The Los Angeles Clippers already have some considerable depth on their roster but there is a good chance Doc Rivers will find a way to get Johnson in to his rotation.
