Summer League Overreactions Worth Considering
The NBA Summer League invites overreaction every July, yet certain performances demand attention despite the small sample size.
Utah’s Peterson arrived in Las Vegas healthy after soft tissue issues limited his explosiveness at Kansas, and his summer league usage suggests a future as a high-gravity shooter rather than a heliocentric guard.
Chicago’s Noa Essengue, still only 19, posted encouraging defensive rates and 62.4 percent true shooting despite a minutes restriction under new coach Tiago Splitter, raising questions about the franchise’s commitment to a player who missed his entire rookie season with a shoulder injury.
Los Angeles found two intriguing wing defenders in Chris Mañon and Adou Thiero, whose disruptive perimeter play and transition athleticism address a roster need created by the Walker Kessler trade.
Golden State captured the championship behind 23-year-old Yaxel Lendeborg, while Phoenix’s Maluach dominated with 19.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 40 percent three-point shooting on five attempts per game.