While it is never a good idea to overreact to strong performances at NBA Summer League, there is a lot we can learn from these games.
For example, so far, we have already seen some standout showings from several prospects selected outside the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft. Although it doesn’t mean these players are destined for continued dominance during their professional careers, there are other conclusions we can make.
Early in the Las Vegas-based tournament, some of the top players include second-round picks like Minnesota Timberwolves forward Leonard Miller. We took a deep dive to explain what we have seen from Miller, as well as a few other notable second-round picks, thus far.
This story used AI-Powered statistics provided by the Stats Perform database.
Stay tuned for a breakdown on some of the top undrafted free agents we have seen thus far including Colin Castleton (Lakers), Craig Porter Jr. (Cavaliers) and more.
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1
Leonard Miller
No. 33 pick Leonard Miller showcased his unique blend of tools last night en route to 20 PTS, 5 REB, 3 STL & 2 AST while netting a pair of 3s. The 6'10", 19-year-old out of the G-League Ignite has an intriguing, unorthodox manner of impacting the game on both ends of the floor. pic.twitter.com/RltmHJn3d4
— League Him (@League_Him) July 11, 2023
TEAM: Minnesota Timberwolves
PICK: No. 33 overall
G League Ignite’s Leonard Miller graded well in projection models and it was surprising he fell in the 2023 NBA Draft. Even after just two exhibition games, it is already safe to assume that Miller would hear his name in the first round of a re-draft.
Miller had 16 points (7-of-11 FG, 2-of-4 3P) with 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block in his summer league debut. He then followed that up with an excellent 20 points (7-of-15 FG, 2-of-4 3P), four rebounds, two assists and three steals in his next appearance.
Leonard Miller PnR pull-up 3, wow pic.twitter.com/QD67FlqgA9
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) July 11, 2023
Miller has showcased impressive flashes shooting out of difficult sets. For example, watch him manage to connect on a challenging pull-up 3-pointer after a ball screen.
His performance for the Timberwolves has had plenty of other encouraging elements, too. He is also trying experimental shots, including this fadeaway jumper from midrange.
I love that Leonard Miller is willing to try stuff like this in Summer League. Show what you think you're capable of.
I can't imagine how much better he's going to look in a year after working with the Wolves development staffpic.twitter.com/K0tCgRZF50
— Canis Hoopus (@canishoopus) July 11, 2023
Some of his closest comparisons based on his physical profile include Pascal Siakam and Rudy Gay, per Stadium Speak.
When you think about that size, his playmaking becomes even more exciting. According to Stats Perform, Miller led all drafted players in passes that led to an assist (4.25 percent) last season.
Miller recently signed a four-year deal worth $8.3 million with two years fully guaranteed, according to HoopsHype reporter Michael Scotto.
2
Andre Jackson Jr.
TEAM: Milwaukee Bucks
PICK: No. 36 overall
After winning a national championship at UConn, Andre Jackson Jr. was selected in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Jackson averaged 0.87 points per offensive chance and allowed 0.69 points per defensive chance, via Stats Perform. He and Bilal Coulibaly, a lottery pick for the Wizards, were the only players to rank top-20 in both categories among all notable summer league rookies.
With a wingspan just short of 6-foot-10, Jackson was one of the most promising defensive prospects in this class. His defensive box plus-minus (4.4) ranked fourth-best among all collegiate players drafted.
He made his defensive upside incredibly clear against the Nuggets, recording two monster blocks within just a matter of seconds:
ANDRE JACKSON JR. BLOCK PARTY 😳 pic.twitter.com/6SLx1H6OxU
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 7, 2023
There was always a lot to like about Jackson’s athleticism and he showcased as much during the 2023 NBA Draft Combine.
His impressive testing for lane agility (10.83 seconds), three-quarter sprint (3.14 seconds) and max vertical (39.5 inches) all ranked in the 85th percentile or better among all participants since 2000, per Stadium Speak. His closest physical comparison is former No. 1 overall pick John Wall.
You can see some of that vertical pop jump off the screen right here:
Andre Jackson Jr doing Andre Jackson Jr things pic.twitter.com/o33OnKW6Y1
— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) July 9, 2023
Jackson also notched six assists during his second game in summer league.
He averaged 0.78 passes per touch, via Stats Perform, the most among all drafted players. His assist percentage (26.6 percent) ranked as second-best among collegiate players drafted.
Andre Jackson Jr. board and perfect outlet pass to MarJon Beauchamp who takes the gather dribble and finishes the reverse pic.twitter.com/08we5qud6E
— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) July 7, 2023
He recorded 49 assists in transition, per Synergy, which ranked ahead of Scoot Henderson (45) for the most among all players drafted. He has shown some of those excellent outlet passes for Milwaukee, too.
Jackson makes all of the “winning plays” you could want from a rookie and with a more efficient jump shot, he can provide tremendous value.
3
Jalen Pickett
TEAM: Denver Nuggets
PICK: No. 32 overall
Jalen Pickett was drafted a bit earlier than expected but he graded out well in many advanced analytics and projection models.
Among all drafted players, he recorded the highest Synergy Shot Making (SSM), which measures points per shot above expectation. He also had the most Points over Replacement Per Game (6.6) among all collegiate players drafted, via Bart Torvik.
He ran the offense with the best overall floor spacing among all teams in Division I college basketball, per Shot Quality. As such, it is no surprise his game has translated well to the next level.
Jalen Pickett had a great game today. He finished with 16 Points, 5 Assists, and 2 Steals. Pickett was also efficient finishing with a 61% TS. pic.twitter.com/mnhNPumAEP
— KJ (@Kjpistons) July 10, 2023
The second-round pick recorded 12 points (5-of-9 FG, 2-of-4 3P) in his first game and 16 points (5-of-11, 2-of-3 3P) in his second game. He is currently shooting 6-of-10 on his dribble jumpers, according to Synergy.
Pickett was an outstanding drive-and-kick threat last season. He averaged 0.22 drives per touch, via Stats Perform, the most among all drafted players. Penn State averaged 1.05 points per offensive chance on these possessions, meanwhile, which ranked second-best among all drafted players.
Jalen Pickett
Never in a rush, hides the ball with his wide body, plays at his own pace with extreme poise continuously scanning the floor to find a gap
Don't know if and how it'll work in NBA but those are certainly good qualities to try to build something on pic.twitter.com/jg1uLldE9Y
— Emiliano (@EmilianoNaiar8) July 8, 2023
His assist percentage (39.3 percent) ranked best among all drafted players. Pickett has recorded five assists in both games he has played during summer league thus far.
It is also worth noting Pickett had the largest adjusted rebound percentage (91.3 percent) among all drafted players who had at least 30 rebound chances tracked last season, via Stats Perform.
He grabbed six rebounds and three rebounds in his first two appearances during summer league.
Pickett recently signed a four-year deal worth $8.3 million with three years fully guaranteed, according to HoopsHype reporter Michael Scotto. He looks like he is potentially able to make an immediate contribution to the reigning champion Nuggets.
4
Emoni Bates
TEAM: Cleveland Cavaliers
PICK: No. 49 overall
Even if it wasn’t exactly shocking that former top recruit Emoni Bates fell to the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft, he has since played well as a pro.
Cleveland has won each of its first three games during NBA 2K24 Summer League. Bates has scored in double-figures in all three of the games, notching 21 points (7-of-11 FG, 5-of-8 3P) against the Grizzlies on Monday.
Bates also added two steals and two blocks during the victory over Memphis. He has managed to record four or more rebounds in each game as well.
The second-round pick was the leader in unassisted 3-pointers made (35) among all collegiate players drafted, per CBB Analytics, and his dribble jumper has looked good for Cleveland.
2nd round pick Emoni Bates vs Grizzlies
21 Points
7/11 Shooting
5/8 Threes
2/2 Free Throws
2 Blocks
2 Steals
In 27 Minutes— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 11, 2023
Unfortunately, however, he is not shooting efficiently on his catch-and-shoot jumpers. Bates is 6-of-19 (31.6 percent) on these opportunities, per Synergy, which isn’t fantastic.
The good news, though, is that he is shooting much better at the rim. He is currently 7-of-10 (70.0 percent) on these possessions, per Synergy, which is much better than he shot last year (54.2 percent) at Eastern Michigan.
It is too early to tell how sustainable this play is for Bates but thus far, he looks like a smart gamble in the second round for Cleveland.
5
Toumani Camara
TEAM: Phoenix Suns
PICK: No. 52 overall
The Suns do not have a lot of draft capital left in their arsenal so they need to hit on whatever picks they make whenever they are on the clock. Fortunately, it looks like Dayton’s Toumani Camara was the correct pick thus far.
Camara had 20 points (8-of-13 FG) and eight rebounds in his first game and 11 points (4-of-8 FG) with three rebounds, three assists and two steals in his second game.
He looked especially sharp on the fastbreak when in transition:
Suns rookie, Toumani Camara with the big two-hand slam off the steal 💪
Watch PHX/MIA in the #NBA2KSummerLeague on NBA TV! pic.twitter.com/cebg9OO7V2
— NBA (@NBA) July 10, 2023
He performed well at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine and his lane agility (10.7 seconds) ranked in the 92nd percentile among all participants since 2000, via Stadium Speak.
Camara recorded 38 dunks last season, per Bart Torvik, which ranked fifth-best among all collegiate players drafted. The forward also shot 72.0 percent at the rim, which was third-best among collegiate players drafted as well.
When he played at Dayton, he also showed a willingness to do the little things. For example, he averaged 0.15 off-ball screens per offensive chance. That ranked third-most among all drafted players, via Stats Perform.
Although he was a very late pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, he looks like he could scale well as a role player at the next level.
