NBA Summer League has come to a close in Las Vegas as the Portland Trail Blazers took home the championship on Sunday.
With all three summer exhibition leagues behind us, it's time to take a look back and dissect the biggest winners and losers from this portion of the offseason.
As I mentioned in my wrap-ups of the California Classic, Salt Lake City and the first weekend of Las Vegas Summer League, there are a few things to note heading into these takeaways.
- If a player goes off at Summer League, it's exciting, but it doesn't guarantee that it will translate to regular season NBA games.
- If a player completely lays an egg at Summer League, it doesn't automatically mean they're a bust, either.
- If a player plays well, that's great! If they don't, after all, "it's just Summer League."
And since I already discussed players like Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith Jr., Jaden Ivey and Jaden Hardy – to name a few – in my first weekend of Las Vegas Summer League takeaways, we're going to shift focus to a different group of players and teams below.
So without further ado, who were the biggest winners and losers of Las Vegas Summer League?
Winner: Keegan Murray
Murray was a star at the California Classic Summer League and as it turns out, he was just getting started. Murray just might take home Summer League MVP when it's announced on Monday, and for good reason.
The No. 4 overall pick was dominant in every aspect of the game. At 6-foot-8, 225 pounds with a near-7-foot wingspan, Murray showed off his defensive versatility and physicality on one end of the floor. On the other, he displayed exactly what we saw during this past season at Iowa, proving he's one of the most efficient scorers in the country.
Murray averaged 23.3 points on .500/.400/.808 shooting splits, giving Sacramento exactly what it needs next to Domantas Sabonis in its frontcourt of the future.
Murray's four Las Vegas Summer League games were as impressive as it gets:
- vs. Magic: 20 PTS (5-11 FG, 4-8 3PT), 9 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL
- vs. Pacers: 23 PTS (7-16 FG, 4-12 3PT), 3 REB, 3 AST
- vs. Thunder: 29 PTS (9-17 FG), 7 REB, 4 STL, 2 AST
- vs. Suns: 21 PTS (8-14 FG, 4-8 3PT), 10 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK
Keegan Murray continued to showcase his impressive skill set on both ends of the floor in @NBASummerLeague action today!
— NBA (@NBA) July 14, 2022
🔥 @keegan3murray: 29 PTS, 7 REB, 4 STL 🔥 pic.twitter.com/HhthVPXsQa
Murray proved he's as NBA-ready as any prospect in this class.
Loser: Johnny Davis
Again, let me be as clear as possible: three bad Summer League games does not mean Davis is a bust by any means. But with that being said, Davis had a really tough showing in Las Vegas.
The No. 10 overall pick only averaged 8.3 points per game while shooting a heinous 27.6 percent from the field. He knocked down 33.3 percent of his 3s, but Davis was struggling to score with similar ease that we saw from the sophomore at Wisconsin this past season.
Davis isn't the quickest or most explosive athlete, which was revealed going up against other NBA-caliber players. He can't rely on his size advantage (6-foot-5) at his position as much as he did at the college level and Davis will have to become a more confident spot-up shooter and evolve his handle and shot creation skills to put up the numbers that will be expected of him at the next level.
Alas, life will be easier when all the attention isn't on the top-10 pick when he's playing alongside scorers like Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma.
Winner: The Warriors' future
You know what they say: the rich get richer.
The Warriors, fresh off of their fourth NBA title in eight seasons, may have been the biggest winners at Summer League after seeing the performance of their three rising young stars.
The trio of Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman has the future looking bright in Golden State, and that's not even including the 23-year-old, Jordan Poole.
MORE: Five burning questions about a hypothetical Kevin Durant-to-Warriors trade
Moody only needed two Summer League games to show just how much he can bring to the Warriors' rotation on both sides of the ball. His 27.5 points per game led everyone in Summer League and he also averaged 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks, flashing his length and versatility on D.
Kuminga got back to his scoring ways from his high school and G League Ignite days, going for over 28 points on two separate occasions. He was essentially an energy guy and defensive specialist off the bench for the Warriors last season, but if he can provide some offense as well, head coach Steve Kerr will have no choice but to keep him in the rotation.
And last, but certainly not least, Wiseman made his highly anticipated return in Las Vegas. After missing the entire 2021-22 season due to a meniscus tear suffered the season prior, the former No. 2 overall pick looked as sharp as ever before when he retook the floor.
He showed the type of athleticism and verticality he can bring to the Warriors' frontcourt, catching lobs and blocking shots. He even knocked down a few 3s, which is a scary sight for the rest of the NBA.
The Warriors Summer League Big 3:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 16, 2022
James Wiseman:
10.3 PPG | 5.3 RPG | 2.0 BPG
Moses Moody:
27.5 PPG | 4.0 RPG | 1.5 SPG
Jonathan Kuminga:
19.3 PPG | 3.8 RPG | 3.0 APG pic.twitter.com/vvy7xn6wil
Now feels like a good time to remind you that the entire trio is under 22 years old, too.
Loser: Shaedon Sharpe (due to injury)
It's unfair to call Sharpe a "loser" when a shoulder injury cut his Summer League experience short just a couple of minutes into his debut. Sharpe suffered a small labral tear in his left shoulder (which is not expected to be serious) but it kept him away from a Blazers team that eventually went on to win the Summer League title.
MORE: Details behind the first-ever Summer League championship rings
That was unfortunate for a player who we haven't gotten to see play competitively since high school, as he could have gained some great experience and exposure as he battled for a Summer League championship.
While there is no guarantee Sharpe would still have been playing by the time the championship game came around – since top picks often don't play that late into Summer League – it still would have been nice to see the No. 7 overall pick in action for the first time for more than a few minutes in over a year.
Sharpe will now focus on getting healthy for training camp, and NBA fans will have to wait until preseason to see the unknown talent.
Winner: Second-year players poised for breakouts
I already mentioned second-year players like Moody and Kuminga in the Warriors' section, but that's just the beginning of it.
The Thunder's Josh Giddey simply looked too good for Summer League, playmaking with ease while flashing some improved explosiveness and athleticism. After dishing out 16 assists in his first two games, Oklahoma City had seen enough from its franchise cornerstone, bringing Giddey's impressive Summer League to a close.
MORE: Which rebuilding NBA team has the most promising young core?
The Nets' Cam Thomas made a strong case for back-to-back Summer League MVPs, averaging 27.4 points and 4.2 assists over five games. He made his Vegas return in a big way, going off for 31 points in his first game. After that, he went for 26 points, 29 points, 26 points and 25 points over his next four games, respectively. Depending on how this offseason shakes out for Brooklyn, Thomas could be in line for a huge offensive role next season.
The Pelicans clearly have another young rising prospect on their hands in Trey Murphy III, who showed a much-improved offensive arsenal in Vegas by averaging 26.5 points per game. The former No. 17 overall pick was more of a 3-and-D specialist for New Orleans as a rookie, but his developed shot creation skills and aggressive attacking should lead to him seeing more consistent playing time as the Pelicans look to contend in the West next season.
