Top 11 Las Vegas Summer League Performers and Where They Are Now

A Vegas Summer League commended at the night of July 20 where we saw Becky Hammon and the San Antonio Spurs make history. There were some highs and lows in the Summer League. We saw the top picks, Karl Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, DeAngelo Russell etc. and while they may have not been the most consistent shown glimpses of their immense potentials. I choose to do this a week after the Vegas Summer League to give you an update if the top performers of the Summer League has gotten a reward for their hard work and effort and received a NBA contract or earned a bigger role on their roster.

11. Larry Drew I1

Position: Point Guard
Summer League Stats: 9.0 PPG 3.5 REB 7.8 AST 42% FG

Larry Drew II plays like what you would imagine a coach's son would play. He was a true floor general during the Las Vegas Summer League, while he only averaged 9 points a game, he made a bigger impact on the floor with his passes, what is best about Larry Drew's playmaking ability is his timing. He was always in control throughout and knows the perfect window to lay the assist. He broke out with a Summer League high 16 assists against the Brooklyn Nets. While Larry Drew II did not land on an NBA squad, he signed with French club AS Monaco.

10. Doug McDermott

Position: Forward
Summer League Stats: 18.8 PPG 4.4 RPG 1.0 AST 48% FG

After getting drafted with the 11th pick of the 2014 NBA Draft, McDermott's rookie season got marred by injuries and saw fellow Bulls 2014 rookie Nikola Mirotic overshadow him as the shooter on the team. McDermott needed this summer league to prove that he can translate his skills that made him win the 2014 consensus National Player of the Year while in Creighton. McDermott showed an array of skills, such as scoring off the dribble, driving to the basket and playing in the post, benefiting tremendously in new Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg's new offense. McDermott did not shoot well beyond the arc(13% 3PT) but he is a natural shooter so you don't have to worry about that part of his game.  Dougie McBuckets may be the Chicago Bulls "new signing" this coming season.

9. Dwight Powell

Position: Forward-Center
Summer League Stats: 18.8 PPG 9.2 RPG 2.5 AST 1.0 STL 43% FG

Welp Mavs fans, you still got something out of the Rondo trade, Dwight Powell continued to dominate behind the scenes from D-League to Summer League. Dwight Powell is quite the unique player, he is a 6'11 230 pound bigman with the skillset of a guard. He can put the ball on the floor, create for others and even step out for the three point shot. This rare breed of skills combined with his 7'1 wingspan makes Dwight Powell an intriguing prospect. Dwight Powell hopes to crack the rotation in what looks like a transition year for the Dallas Mavericks.

8. Emmanuel Mudiay

Position: Point Guard
Summer League Stats: 12.0 PPG 3.5 RPG 5.8 AST 1.2 STL 39% FG

Emmanuel Mudiay is the only first rounder of the 2015 NBA Draft to make this list. Mudiay wowed everybody July 12th against the Sacramento Kings with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Mudiay's ability to run the break with his change of direction is reminiscent of many of the top point guards in the NBA today like John Wall and Russell Westbrook. Mudiay excels in high speeds what he does have a problem with is slowing that speed down and playing more controlled leading to him averaging 5 turnovers a game in Vegas. Once Mudiay learns how to play consistently at different speeds, he has the potential to be one of the upper tier point guards of the NBA. Widely expected to be the Denver Nuggets opening day starting point guard.

7. Alan Williams

Position: Forward-Center
Summer League Stats: 20.8 11.8 RPG 2.0 AST 1.0 STL 50% FG

Alan Williams was apart of the Orlando Pro Summer League with the Charlotte Hornets however, did not have as much playing time to prove himself, so he hopped on the Houston Rockets' Vegas squad and never looked back. At 6'8, 261 the former UC Santa Barbara standout used his girth to out-muscle everyone and anyone that opposed him in the paint. Despite his size, he hustles for every loose ball grabbing almost 12 rebounds a game and adding a steal. Alan Williams has his limitations as he is as "below the rim" as they come but that did not stop him from dominating Hasheem Thabeet and the D-League select team. Alan Williams like Larry Drew followed suit overseas and signed to play in China for his pro venture. Hey, if Stephon Marbury can get paid, why can't he?

6. Jonathan Simmons

Position: Forward-Guard
Summer League Stats: 17.0 PPG 4.0 RPG 3.0 AST 1.7 STL 52% FG

Simmons is the only player not named in the Las Vegas Summer League All-Team list to make this ranking. However, his play in the Vegas final is what made Becky Hammon and the San Antonio Spurs win the gold with Simmons winning the Final MVP. Often coming off the bench, Simmons gave the Spurs an instant spark whenever he comes on in the floor. The 25 year old signed a 2 year contract to remain with the Spurs and head to training camp. The way he was used in Vegas off the bench reminds me of a young Stephen Jackson during his first stint with the Spurs and it looks like Greg Popovich may have another ace up his sleeve.

5. Noah VonlehPosition: Forward-Center
Summer League Stats: 17.2 PPG 8.5 RPG 56% FG 50% 3PT

On June 24th, after a just a year in the Charlotte Hornets getting drafted with the 9th pick in 2014, Noah Vonleh was dealt to the Portland Trailblazers along with Gerald Henderson in exchange for Nicolas Batum. LaMarcus Aldridge also decided to leave the Trailblazers to build on his championship aspirations with the San Antonio Spurs. Noah Vonleh after a terrific summer league is seen as the replacement for the 4 time NBA All-Star. Vonleh shown an array of skills that made him highly touted of Indiana. Whether if it was stepping out for 3, running the pick and roll or using his post skills which are pretty advanced for his age. Vonleh doesn't make a similar impact on the defensive end of the floor but that can come with time just like it did for Aldridge. It will be unrealistic to envision him as a direct replacement for LaMarcus, but the Portland TrailBlazers may have got a coup with this trade.

4. Norman Powell

Position: Guard
Summer League Stats: 18.2 PPG 4.0 RPG 1.5 STL 1.5 BLK 51% FG 44% 3PT

Norman Powell excelled as one of the best two-way players in college basketball and did not miss a beat in Vegas as he filled up every area of the stat sheet. What couldn't not do in Vegas? He played lockdown defense, got nearly a couple of steals and blocks per game and created a dunk mixtape against Houston. Powell shown another reason why your draft stock should not be knocked down just because you're a college senior. He might be the biggest second round steal in the draft, he did not just show off potential as a rotation player in the NBA, he shown he could probably be a starter down the line. He has no athletic limitations as he is one of the more athletic players in the draft, he has a developing jumper and can take his man out of the game on the defensive end. If he was 19 with this skill set, he would have been a lock for the lottery. The Raptors gave Powell a three year partially guaranteed contract and could have a role immediately on the team as a perimeter defender.

3. T.J. Warren

Position: Forward
Summer League Stats: 18.3 PPG 3.6 RPG 1.3 AST 1.1 STL 1.1 BLK 54% FG

T.J. Warren is a microwave on the offensive end as he can heat up in a hurry just as he did against Chicago in the Suns 91-84 win as Warren scored 31 points. Warren at 6'8 215, is deceptively quick and has decent ball handling skills that allows him to get to the basket and draw fouls or pull up with the mid-range jumper. Warren is like old-school 3 in the NBA, he doesn't operate from the three point line, he didn't even make a three in Vegas but gets most of his shots from inside the arc and he was pretty efficient with it. However in this modern day NBA he may need that three point shot as a part of his game especially to play with Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe two guards who are already slashers. T.J Warren at this stage of his game would be a great fit at the 4 spot like other converted 3s such as Jeff Green and Thaddeus Young. His quickness and ability to take his man off the dribble will cause mismatch problems over slower 4s. He is expected right now to get a big role off the bench for the Phoenix Suns.

2. Seth Curry

Position: Guard
Summer League Stats: 24.2 PPG 4.3 RPG 2.7 AST 3.2 STL 46% FG

Seth Curry made such a huge impact in Vegas that Drake almost contemplated remixing 0 to 100. The younger brother's improved play in the Santa Cruz Warriors has followed him to Vegas and put opposing defenses on notice with his ability to create his own shot. Coming out of Duke in 2013, everybody knew Seth Curry can shoot, it was the other parts of his game that was underdeveloped and while he may never be a floor general, he has impressed with his ability to get to the line and also be a pickpocket in the defensive end. Seth Curry wasn't even shooting that well on his jumpers and still made an impact scoring off the dribble and driving the lane something he was not able to do in the past. Seth Curry has finally got rewarded with a 2 year deal with the Sacramento Kings and will project as a scoring spark off the bench.  He did shoot 22% from beyond the arc but have you seen his last name? That is not something to be worried about.

1. Kyle AndersonPosition: Forward
Summer League Stats: 21.9 PPG 6.0 RPG 1.9 AST 1.1 STL 45% FG

The Las Vegas MVP is the #1 top overall performer in the rankings, showing why the San Antonio Spurs drafted him with the last pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA Draft despite his "athletic limitations". Nicknamed "Slow-mo" Kyle Anderson just moves around the court effortlessly in a smooth way that doesn't get the eye but gets the result. He is an extremely smart player on the offensive end as he can run an offense as well as be an effective off-ball player allowing him to play from the 1 to the 4 spot.  He obviously didn't get the memo that the NBA game is much faster, but then again who needs to tell him? The Spurs are very deep in the depth chart and already duplicates the abilities of teammate Boris Diaw, but could look at backup minutes for Kawhi Leonard plus Popovich is always resting his players.

A Look into the Orlando Pro Summer League 2015

With the frenzy that is the NBA free agency, the Summer League has gone under the radar.  The NBA Summer League is a chance to see the newcomers such as Karl Towns and Jahlil Okafor in action as well as a second chance for players either from the D’League, Europe or even undrafted to make it to the NBA.

The Summer League is where we saw Elfrid Payton(above) show his breathtaking athleticism and passing skills firsthand before he was mainstream when he became the first player in Magic history to record back to back triple doubles. It was the summer league where we saw the “Smash Bros” Andrew Wiggins and Zach Lavine establish their dominance above the rim. Heck,  NBA Champion Draymond Green became a prominent member of the Golden State Warriors thanks to his hustle and defense in the 2012 and 2013 summer leagues that made him the 85 million man he is today.

Here is a look on the rosters of the Orlando Summer League running from July 4-10 and who has a chance of being the next NBA hopefuls.

(Rosters from NBA.com)

Brooklyn Nets

#	Player	POS	Height	Weight	From
18	Adams, Darius	G	6-1	165	Indianapolis/Laboral Kutxa (Spain)
34	Alexander, Cliff	F	6-8	240	Kansas
37	Birch, Khem	F	6-10	220	UNLV/Sioux Falls Skyforce
31	Boatright, Ryan	G	6-0	175	Connecticut
22	Brown, Markel	G	6-3	190	Oklahoma State/Brooklyn Nets
55	Clark, Earl	F	6-10	234	Louisville/Brooklyn Nets
29	Delaney, Deshawn	G	6-5	200	New Mexico
26	Gasser, Josh	G	6-4	192	Wisconsin
27	Gray, Steven	G	6-5	205	Gonzaga/Dijon(France)
16	Hollins, Austin	G	6-4	190	Minnesota/Denain(France)
24	Hollis-Jefferson, Rondae	F	6-7	220	Arizona
21	Jefferson, Cory	F	6-9	218	Baylor/Brooklyn Nets
57	Mitchell, Akil	F	6-9	230	Virginia/Rio Grande Valley Vipers
20	Pinkston, JayVaughn	F	6-7	240	Villanova
53	Reddic, Juvonte	F	6-9	250	Virginia Commonwealth/VP Bologna
17	Simmons, Jonathon	F	6-6	195	Houston/Austin Spurs
2	Thames, Xavier	G	6-3	187	San Diego State/Fort Wayne Mad Ants
12	Vaulet, Juan Pablo	F	6-6	200	Bahia Basket(Argentina)
38	Vozzola, Ben	G	6-5	195	St. Catharine College

Cliff Alexander may have the most to prove in Orlando, after seen as a possible top 10 pick before the start of his freshman season, all fell apart for him before he could blink an eye and went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft. He did not set the world on fire once he stepped in as the bigman in Kansas, only logging in 17.3 MPG putting up 7.1 points per game and 5.3 rebounds.  On February 23, the hammer dropped on the 19 year old forward as he was deemed ineligible by the NCAA due to investigations of impermissible benefits received from a third party. Expectations were high for Alexander, he shared MVP honors with Jahlil Okafor in the 2014 Jordan Brand Classic. He has the potential, the question is if he can put it all together.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is looking to turn some heads too as he slipped in the draft all the way to pick 23. Hollis-Jefferson has a chance to show he is more than just a defensive stopper. Not much is known about second round pick Juan Pablo Vaulet other than his coach is Manu’s brother Sebastian Ginobili and he is the youngest international to enter the draft at 19. JayVaughn Pinkston from the Bronx has a chance to stay close to home and Earl Clark is in hopes to restart his career as Markel Brown and Cory Jefferson are trying to establish their roles within the roster. It is open season in Brooklyn as everybody in the roster not named Brook Lopez and Thad Young is in the trading block. Nets’ first round pick Chris McCullough still recovering from his ACL, will not play in the Orlando Summer League.

Charlotte Hornets

#	Player	POS	Height	Weight	From
24	Burrell, Justin	F	6-9	242	St. Johns/USA
1	Cobbs, Justin	G	6-3	190	California/USA
34	Craft, Aaron	G	6-2	192	Ohio State/USA
30	Daniels, Troy	G	6-4	204	Virginia Commonwealth/USA
19	Hairston, P.J.	G	6-6	220	North Carolina/USA
9	Harrison, Aaron	G	6-6	209	Kentucky/USA
4	Kaminsky, Frank	F-C	7-0	242	Wisconsin/USA
55	Murphy, Kevin	G	6-5	185	Tennessee Tech/USA
41	Qvale, Brian	C	6-11	255	Montana/USA
23	Rendleman, Keith	F	6-8	220	UNC Wilmington/USA
10	Ross, LaQuinton	F	6-8	220	Ohio State/USA
21	Turner, Ralston	G	6-6	205	North Carolina State/USA
20	Wallace, Jonathan	G	6-2	195	Georgetown/USA
16	Williams, Alan	F-C	6-8	261	UC Santa Barbara/USA

Troy Daniels made himself famous for hitting the game winning shot against the Portland TrailBlazers, Game 3 in the NBA Playoffs while playing for the Houston Rockets. After that he became an immediate journeyman playing for 3 teams in one season. He carved out a little niche for himself in Charlotte but will have to be on his A-game to make it to training camp. Has proven he can score the basketball, needs to contribute in more areas of the game.

According to the Charlotte Observer, Frank the Tank looked “rusty” during the Hornets’ first practice and that is not a good sign if you are already known as the guy that got drafted over Justise Winslow. Kaminsky has a chance to be the focal point of the Hornets’ summer league roster and prove he can hang with the big boys. Aaron Harrison will need to establish a consistent three point shot to make a roster after going undrafted. Aaron Craft was one of the top D’Leaguers last season winning the championship with the Santa Cruz Warriors and also getting defensive player of the year honors, could be a breakout summer league star this year.

Detroit Pistons

#	Player	POS	Height	Weight	From
30	Atkins, Manuel	F	6-6	205	Georgia State/Grand Rapids Drive
13	Barlow, Kelsey	G	6-5	200	UIC/Grand Rapids Drive
12	Baron, Billy	G	6-2	195	Canisius/Lietuvos Rytas
32	Berggren, Jared	F-C	6-10	235	Wisconsin/Telenet BC Oostende
8	Dinwiddie, Spencer	G	6-6	208	Colorado/Detroit Pistons
17	Gaines, Sundiata	G	6-1	195	Georgia/Sidigas Avellino
53	Gray, Kendall	C	6-10	240	Delaware State
33	Harper, Justin	F	6-10	225	Richmond/Sidigas Avellino
6	Hilliard, Darrun	G	6-6	215	Villanova
41	Holsey, Kammeon	F	6-8	234	Georgia Tech/Grand Rapids Drive
3	Johnson, Stanley	F	6-7	245	Arizona
42	Kemp, Adam	F	6-10	235	Marist/KK Feni Industries
34	Miller, Quincy	F	6-9	234	Baylor/Detroit Pistons
55	Thomas, Adonis	F	6-6	240	Memphis/Grand Rapids Drive
45	Washburn, Julian	F-G	6-8	210	UTEP
31	Wear, David	F	6-10	225	UCLA/Reno Bighorns

Greg Monroe signed with the Milwaukee Bucks for 3 years and 50 million leaving a void in the Detroit Pistons 4 spot. Stanley Johnson was drafted to be the team’s small forward but with Monroe leaving, Johnson might have the biggest chance to show his worth in the association as he has shown to play both positions in Arizona. At the age of 19 he already has a NBA body big enough to defend NBA 4s and quick enough to defend NBA 3s. Detroit might pull him back for the final games of the summer league but he has a chance to show why he is the self-proclaimed “best player in the draft”.

Darrun Hillard was highly productive during his time in Villanova and with a team that lacks 3 point shooters will need to shoot as well as he did in college to get regular season minutes. With Brandon Jennings still recovering from his achilles, Spencer Dinwiddle has to show his worth to backup Reggie Jackson in the NBA. The Pistons boast a young roster so it is great opportunity for all players involved to make a team.

Indiana Pacers

#	Player	POS	Height	Weight	From
19	Eddie, Jarell	G	6-7	218	Virginia Tech/Austin Spurs
44	Hill, Solomon	F	6-7	225	Arizona/Indiana Pacers
10	Kalnietis, Mantas	G	6-5	185	Lithuania/Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar
7	Lacy, DaVonte	G	6-4	210	Washington State
20	Lockett, Trent	G	6-5	209	Marquette/Lowen Braunschweig
23	Nunnally, James	F	6-7	205	UC-Santa Barbara/Maccabi Ashdod
6	Octeus, Jon	G	6-4	170	Purdue
50	Onuaku, Arinze	C	6-9	275	Syracuse/Minnesota Timberwolves
24	Osby, Romero	F	6-8	238	Oklahoma/Indios de Mayaguez
40	Stainbrook, Matt	C	6-10	270	Xavier
33	Turner, Myles	C	6-11	238	Texas
17	Watford, Christian	F	6-9	220	Indiana/Reno Bighorns
42	Whittington, Shayne	F	6-11	250	Western Michigan/Indiana Pacers
1	Young, Joe	G	6-2	180	Oregon

With David West leaving the team on not the happiest of terms, it opens a void in the Indiana frontcourt which Myles Turner can make a mark to be a starter out the gate. Despite his size, Turner’s strength is the mid range shot, a weapon David West was deadly with in his time in Indiana. Turner is also a good FT shooter(83.9 pct in Texas) which is a rare strength for a 7 footer. A weakness is his physicality in the paint although he has a body frame that can gain a lot of weight. He is a little raw though, might of left college a year or two before he was ready, just as likely to become a steal as he is a bust.

Solomon Hill was the Paul George replacement in the starting lineup last season and despite that is still trying to prove himself on the summer league. Former Big East bigmen Arinze Onuaku and Matt Stainbrook are auditioning for backup center, both undersized but make up for it with effort and strength inside the paint. After signing Monta Ellis, Indiana is contending for the playoffs, so spots will be hard to come by for players not already on the main roster.

Los Angeles Clippers

#	Player	POS	Height	Weight	From
22	Dawson, Branden	F	6-6	225	Michigan St./USA
8	Garrett, Diante	G	6-5	189	Iowa St./USA
21	Griffin, Eric	F	6-8	193	Campbell /USA
1	Hamilton, Jordan	F	6-7	220	Texas /USA4
20	Johnson, Geron	G	6-3	202	Memphis /USA
31	Johnson, Haakim	F	6-7	200	Pikeville /USA
18	M’Baye, Amath	F	6-8	215	Oklahoma /USA
19	McMorrow, Liam	C	7-2	275	Tennessee Tech/USA
12	Moreira, Yanick	C	6-11	220	SMU /USA
2	Newbill, D.J.	G	6-4	210	Penn St./USA
42	Parham, Tim	F	6-9	239	Maryland EasternShore/USA
33	White, Royce	F	6-8	268	Iowa St./USA
30	Wilcox, C.J.	G	6-5	195	Washington /USA
10	Wolters, Nate	G	6-4	193	South DakotaSt./USA
14	Young, Patric	C	6-9	239	Florida /USA

At 24 years old, this may be C.J. Wilcox’s last chance to make the rotation of the LA Clippers. A former first round pick out of Washington, Wilcox was supposed to come in and provide a scoring spark off the bench. The Clips crowded backcourt made life hard for Wilcox to get PT as he spent some time in the D’League to get some experience. Wilcox strength is his three point shooting, which is always needed playing with ball dominant Chris Paul.

It might be Jordan Hamilton and Nate Wolters’ last shot to make a NBA roster, Jordan Hamilton known as a slasher and Wolters a pass first heady point guard who had meaningful minutes with the Milwaukee Bucks during his rookie season. Royce White will always be remembered as the player who boycotted the Houston Rockets over his anxiety on flying on planes, is probably not quick enough to defend the modern day 4. Clippers are a team pushing for a championship and will be lucky if any player(outside of C.J. Wilcox) will make the main roster.

Memphis Grizzlies

3	Adams, Jordan	G	6-5	209	Memphis Grizzlies
21	Cameron, Josh	G	6-1	175	Coastal Carolina
14	Cowels, Raymond	F-G	6-4	206	Dan Helder (Netherlands)
6	Crocker, Tony	G-F	6-7	209	Hapoel Holon (Israel)
0	Green, JayMychal	F	6-9	227	Memphis Grizzlies
4	Harrison, Andrew	G	6-6	213	Kentucky
20	Holyfield, Michael	C	6-11	270	Sam Houston State
53	Kirk, Alex	C	7-0	245	Canton Charge
35	Lazare, Darnell	F	6-8	240	London Lightning
7	Madden, Ky	G	6-5	171	Arkansas
23	Scrubb, Philip	G	6-3	180	Carleton University
2	Smith, Russ	G	6-0	165	Memphis Grizzlies
1	Stokes, Jarnell	F-C	6-9	263	Memphis Grizzlies
18	Warren, Josh	F-C	6-9	220	Kumamoto Vorters (Japan)
8	White, Okaro	F	6-9	180	Granarolo Bologna (Italy)

Memphis are likely to have Marc Gasol signed to a long term contract which means they’ll be back trying to contend for a championship. Grizzlies are always solid in the frontcourt, it is the backcourt that usually leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to scoring. Enter Jordan Adams, a high scoring shooting guard for UCLA only played 30 games for Memphis his rookie season. The Grizzlies are not known to give a young rook big minutes so this summer league is to show how much Jordan Adams has improved from the previous season and if he is ready to give the Grizz  much added scoring spark.

Jarnell Stokes  and Russ Smith have also found times rough in Memphis and both are auditioning for backup roles. Andrew Harrison unlike his twin brother got drafted with the 44th pick but he is more of a tweener than a combo guard, needs to show if he can handle PG duties.  JayMychal Green dominated in the D-League with 23 points a game and 10.9 rebounds, which lead Memphis to reward him with a multi-year contract.

Miami Heat

#	Player	POS	Height	Weight	From
50	Burgess, Bradford	F	6-5	224	VCU
12	Dragic, Zoran	G	6-5	200	Unicaja Malaga (Slovenia)
32	Ennis, James	F	6-7	208	Long Beach State
27	Gabriel, Kenny	F	6-8	210	Auburn
38	Howard Jr., Juwan	G	6-5	228	Detroit Mercy
8	Johnson, Tyler	G	6-4	190	Fresno State
25	Kalinoski, Tyler	G	6-4	189	Davidson
26	McGruder, Rodney	G	6-4	205	Kansas State
13	Napier, Shabazz	G	6-1	175	Connecticut
34	Olaseni, Gabriel	C	6-10	225	Iowa
35	Reed, Willie	F-C	6-11	231	St. Louis
14	Richardson, Josh	G	6-6	200	Tennessee
51	Smith, Joshua	C	6-10	360	Georgetown
36	Trice, Travis	G	6-2	177	Michigan State
29	Tuttle, Seth	F	6-9	225	Northern Iowa
5	Walker, Henry	F	6-6	235	Kansas State
21	Whiteside, Hassan	C	7-0	265	Marshall
28	Whittington, Greg	F	6-8	212	Georgetown
20	Winslow, Justise	F	6-6	225	Duke

It was a surprise to everybody that Justise Winslow fell into the clutches of Pat Riley with the 10th pick of the draft. A week after the draft, the Heat signed Dwayne Wade to a 1 year, 20 million dollar contract and with Chris Bosh back, it looks like Miami is once again in the fold to compete in the Eastern Conference.  The reason Winslow fell because many teams were skeptical of his perimeter game, which I’m sure Winslow will be eager to display in Orlando.

Hassan Whiteside was one of the feel-good stories of the NBA from bouncing around in the D-League to becoming a legit NBA starting center. Whiteside is not playing any games but will practice with the summer league roster. Shabazz Napier battled injury in his rookie season with a hernia and may not play the first summer league game. Travis Trice made a name for himself in Michigan State’s national tournament run, is he a NBA point guard? Zoran Dragic and Juwan Howard Jr. may be on the squad because of their last names and will need to show that is not the only reason they are on the roster.

Oklahoma City Thunder

#	Player	POS	Height	Weight	From
23	Bader, Travis	G	6-5	190	Oakland
7	Christon, Semaj	G	6-3	190	Xavier
41	Cobbins, Michael	F	6-8	230	Oklahoma State
11	Cook, Quinn	G	6-2	185	Duke
26	Cotton, Tekele	G	6-2	202	Wichita State
18	Esho, Maxie	F	6-8	215	Massachusetts
30	Gaines, Frank	G	6-3	195	IPFW
44	Johnson, Dakari	C	7-0	255	Kentucky
16	Jones, Kevin	F	6-8	260	West Virginia
33	McGary, Mitch	F	6-10	255	Michigan
31	Randolph, Levi	G	6-4	205	Alabama
15	Solomon, Richard	F-C	6-11	230	California
40	Southerland, James	F	6-8	225	Syracuse
25	Teague, Marquis	G	6-2	225	Kentucky
42	Zanna, Talib	F-C	6-9	230	Pittsburgh

Last season was a disaster for OKC as Kevin Durant suffered from a broken foot which led Russell Westbrook carrying the bulk and failed to reach the playoffs for the first time since Westbrook’s rookie season. Head coach Scott Brooks got fired and longtime University of Florida head coach Landon Donovan took his place at the helm. The Thunder used the 15th pick to draft guard Cameron Payne out of Murray State who will not play in the summer league due to a fractured finger.

Marquis Teague though will get a chance(and probably his last) to prove he is a NBA point guard. Marquis Teague was once dubbed the “better brother” over the older Jeff Teague although Jeff has proven to be a top tier point guard while Marquis is fighting for a roster spot. Dakari Johnson might have left Kentucky too early as he got picked 48th in the NBA draft. He hopes he does not follow the same path as another former Kentucky bigman Daniel Orton did with the Thunder. Quinn Cook is a shooting guard in a point guard’s body, OKC is the perfect roster for him as Russell Westbrook is able to defend 2 guards. Quinn Cook will need to showcase that he can stretch the floor that he was known for at Duke.

Orlando White

6	Appling, Keith	G	6-1	185	Erie Bayhawks
43	Bachynski, Jordan	C	7-2	250	Westchester Knicks
25	Benson, Keith	C	6-11	229	BC Kalev/Cramo
22	Bohannon, John	F	6-11	210	Erie Bayhawks
24	Braun, Taylor	G	6-7	210	Okapi Aalstar
14	Carson, Jahaii	G	5-10	180	Metalac Valjevo
19	Ejim, Melvin	F	6-6	220	Virtus Roma
31	Mason, Antoine	G	6-3	210	Auburn
53	Ndoye, Youssou	C	6-11	235	St. Bonaventure
28	Rice Jr, Glen	F	6-6	206	Rio Grande Valley Vipers
33	Singleton, Chris	F	6-9	228	Oklahoma City
32	Smith, Lenzelle	G	6-4	210	Erie Bayhwaks
26	Walker, Dondray	G	6-5	190	Newberry College
15	Wilbekin, Scottie	G	6-2	176	AEK Athens
37	Williams, Jarvis	F	6-8	212	Murray State

The Orlando Magic are going to have two teams in the summer league with Orlando Blue being the first team and Orlando White being the second team.  The white team is using this as a showcase for possibly the Vegas Summer League and features a couple of players formerly of the NBA.

Chris Singleton was supposed to be an elite defender in the NBA at the age of 25 but failed to establish himself so far. Glen Rice Jr found success in the D’League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers excelling at a point forward role may have his last shot to prove his worth.

Orlando Blue

45	Broekhoff, Ryan	F	6-7	215	Besiktas Integral
30	Coursey, Daniel	C	6-10	220	Erie Bayhawks
16	Crawford, Drew	G	6-5	215	Erie Bayhawks
20	Davies, Brandon	F	6-10	240	Virtus Roma
50	Egwu, Nnanna	C	6-11	250	Illinois
00	Gordon, Aaron	F	6-9	220	Orlando Magic
1	Harvey, Tyler	G	6-4	185	Eastern Washington
23	Hezonja, Mario	G-F	6-8	218	FC Barcelona
11	Marble, Devyn	G	6-6	200	Orlando Magic
52	Morgan, Jordan	F	6-8	250	Virtus Roma
4	Payton, Elfrid	G	6-4	185	Orlando Magic
36	Sibert, Jordan	G	6-4	187	Dayton
17	Siva, Peyton	G	6-0	185	Erie Bayhawks
54	Thomas, TaShawn	F	6-8	242	Oklahoma
55	Trawick, Jabril	F	6-5	220	Georgetown
35	Walker, Maurice	C	6-10	255	Minnesota

Aside from Elfrid Payton making another summer league appearance, this will be a chance for Magic fans to see their 5th pick of the draft Mario Hezonja in action. Hezonja boasts similarities to J.R. Smith, he is athletic, can score in bunches in hurry but is prone to have droughts and is prone to have bouts with coaches as he did in Barcelona. However the Croatian is not short of confidence, when asked if he has ever watched soccer affiliate’s Lionel Messi he told the reporter that Messi should watch him. He gives Magic a much needed scorer and the combination of Payton, Oladipo and Hezonja should be fun to watch.

Aaron Gordon’s rookie year was interrupted due to injuries and it is still a question where his best position on the floor is. He is too skinny for the 4 spot while he has no perimeter game for the 3 spot. While Gordon has the potential to be a game changing defender, his offense is pretty offensive. Famous for his heroics in college, Peyton Siva may have this as his last break to show height is not an issue to make an NBA roster. The Orlando Magic has possibly the youngest main roster in the NBA, so spots are up for grabs.

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