The NBA Summer League gives young players a chance to show they can make an impact in the league next year. These players have more than done that.
Jabari Smith Jr.
It was an underwhelming rookie season for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft but his 2023 Summer League performance was excellent. In the first two games Jabari Smith Jr. played in he scored 33 and then 38 points before sitting out the Rockets’ third game. He could do it all out there and at 6 foot 10 he looks like he could be an elite NBA scorer.
Chet Holmgren
The defense was there in the first couple of games that Chet Holmgren played in but in his last game he showed the offensive skill as well. Holmgren used his 7 foot 2 frame to get easy buckets down low and catch lobs for impressive alley-oop dunks. He even showed his handles and jumper on his way to 25 points on 9-15 from the field.
Keyonte George
Maybe the most impressive player from the class of 2023, besides Wemby, was Keyonte George. He scored 33 points in his first game in Las Vegas with 10 assists and followed that up with 26 points the next game. Utah may have gotten a steal at pick No. 16 with George. Unfortunately, George suffered an ankle injury in his third game but it seems to not be too serious.
Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hunter_Sallis_Chet_Holmgren.jpg
