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Basketball action is never away for long over the offseason with the exciting NBA Summer League set to tip off this weekend. While Team USA competes for its gold medal on Saturday in Tokyo, the attention of NBA teams back home will be on their young stars competing in the annual tournament in Las Vegas.
Most of the league's rosters have already been announced for the NBA Summer League which will last from the 8th of August until the 17th. Included are the hottest prospects from this year's draft class, as well as sophomores who missed out on the tournament last year due to the pandemic and some undrafted players too.
The Memphis Grizzlies are the current holders of the trophy after their victory in 2019 and are beginning to see the fruition of their young stars as they develop into first-team starters. Let's take a look at which players could make a name for themselves prior to the 2021-22 NBA campaign.
5 Players who will be looking to impress at the 2021 NBA Summer League
#1 Cade Cunningham
No draft pick will be under greater scrutiny in the NBA Summer League than Cade Cunningham. The consensus No.1 pick overall joins the Detroit Pistons as one of the most-highly rated college prospects in recent times and will be looking to hit the ground running.
At Oklahoma State, Cunningham averaged 20 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 steals while shooting at 40% from downtown. He won both the Big-12's Freshman and Player of the Year awards and had previously led Team USA's U19 team to World Cup glory.
The Pistons have assembled an impressive roster, filled with several sophomores who already have experience playing with the first team but who missed out on summer tournaments last year due to the pandemic.
Cunningham will play alongside the Pistons' first-round picks from last season, Saddiq Bey and Killian Hayes, as well as their 15th pick in 2019, Sekou Doumbouya.
#2 Paul Reed
The Philadelphia 76ers will be hoping Paul Reed can lead their Summer League team to glory, as he almost did with their G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
Reed finished the NBA campaign with the Sixers first team after coming away with the G-League MVP award. While with the Blue Coats, the power forward averaged 22.3 points, 11.9 boards, two steals and 1.8 blocks per game. His shooting was particularly impressive, connecting with 59% of field-goal efforts and 44% of threes.
When he returned to the 76ers later in the NBA season, Reed had a standout performance against the Orlando Magic in which he scored 17 points and pulled down 12 rebounds.
#3 Jalen Green
Drafted second overall by the Houston Rockets after his performances in the G-League last season, Jalen Green will be excited to earn his way into the Rockets' group of young stars already in the starting lineup.
A consensus five-star recruit coming out of high school, Green chose to forgo college and opted to sign for the G-League elite. With the developmental team affiliated with the competition, the 19-year-old averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals.
He comes into the league with similarities to Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine. Green is extremely athletic and attacks the rim with aggression. He has improved his outside shooting, scoring 37% of 5.6 attempts per game last year, and is a reliable free-throw scorer.
With the Rockets at the NBA Summer League, he is expected to take a lot of shots and provide a spark to the team's offense.
#4 Omer Yurtseven
Miami Heat's unrestricted free agent, Omer Yurtseven, has already reportedly received the attention of several teams after his performances in the California Classic Summer League. The 7-foot center dominated the Lakers with 27 points and 19 rebounds and followed up that showing with another 25 points and eight rebounds to go with three blocks against the Golden State Warriors.
The Heat did not exercise the option on Yurtseven's contract last week but remain interested in the high-scoring big man. So too are other sides who perhaps slept on his 15 points and 9.4 rebounds in the G-League last season.
With plenty of experience already with the Heat organization and from his time playing in the G-League, we can expect Yurtseven to have a successful tournament at the NBA Summer League. He could help put Miami into contention for the trophy.
#5 Scottie Barnes
One lottery pick who will garner serious attention from his team's fanbase is Scottie Barnes. Many NBA analysts were surprised at the Toronto Raptors' decision to draft Barnes fourth overall rather than go for Jalen Suggs, who could slot into their backcourt. However, Barnes is an athletic all-rounder with immense upside that the Raptors will be hoping to tap into in the upcoming campaign.
Barnes excelled in all facets of the game while with Florida State and averaged 10 points, four assists and four rebounds last year. The most promising aspect of his play, however, is his defense. The 20-year-old has already shown signs of being an NBA-level defender who can face up to guards and forwards alike with his 7'2" wingspan.
He plays an aggressive style of defense which will fit perfectly into the Raptors' style of play.
