What we learned from California Classic, Salt Lake City Summer Leagues: Chet Holmgren, Keegan Murray shine in NBA debuts

Kyle Irving

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What we learned from California Classic, Salt Lake City Summer Leagues: Chet Holmgren, Keegan Murray shine in NBA debuts image

The California Classic has passed us by and the Salt Lake City Summer League is underway.

As we gear up for the Summer League main event in Las Vegas, we pose the question: Can you actually learn something from these exhibition games?

The answer is yes, but it comes with some baggage. A few things to consider:

  • If a player goes off at Summer League, 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."

When watching Summer League, the focus should be more on individual skills and tendencies than the performance as a whole.

Keeping those things in mind, here's what we've taken away from Summer League to this point.

Chet Holmgren puts on a show in NBA debut

Holmgren had all of NBA Twitter buzzing with his Summer League debut. The No. 2 overall pick quickly silenced his haters with a performance that was so dominant that it was comical.

The 7-footer displayed every single skill that makes him such a unique prospect despite hesitations about his thin frame.

NOH: Holmgren shows why NBA's increased spacing could unleash scoring ability

He was protecting the paint and swatting away massive bigs like Tacko Fall (7-foot-6) and Kofi Cockburn (7-feet, 293 lbs.) at the rim with impeccable timing. On pick-and-roll defense, he showcased switchability and the intelligence to play drop coverage. He was lights-out from 3-point range, knocking down shots with confidence off the dribble. He even teased us with a Dirk Nowitzki-like one-legged fadeaway.

Debuts don't get much more impressive than this one, as Holmgren went for 23 points, seven rebounds, six blocks, four assists and one steal in only 24 minutes of play.

After a long draft cycle of hearing he'll be a bust and he isn't big enough to compete in the league, Holmgren kept his response to his doubters simple.

The kid will be just fine at the next level.

The Summer League Thunder are a cheat code

The Summer League Thunder are just the regular season Thunder minus Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort and Darius Bazley, and that's a cheat code against all of these teams with misfit pieces competing for roster spots.

For starters, what is Josh Giddey doing in Summer League?

The Second Team All-Rookie member was just toying with his opponents in his debut, going for the easiest double-double you'll ever see with 14 points and 10 assists.

And even though Holmgren stole the show amongst rookies, lottery pick Jalen Williams also exhibited the potential that had scouts and executives enamored at the NBA Combine with an efficient 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

The future is bright for the Thunder and if Summer League is any indication, they're also rising up my League Pass rankings for next season quickly.

Keegan Murray – scoring efficiency at its finest

Murray was one of the best and most efficient scorers in the country at Iowa last season. That did not change in his first taste of Summer League action.

The Kings forward was dominant in two of his three games, averaging a California Classic-best 19.7 points to go with 8.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. His shooting splits of .511/.438/1.000 are exactly what makes him so prolific as a low-maintenance offensive star at the next level.

Murray doesn't need a ton of touches to put up big numbers. He scored 26 points on 14 shots in his debut, then closed the California Classic with 24 points on 16 shots.

Murray's performance had Kings fans hyped, giving Sacramento something to get excited about heading into this NBA season. 

Still awaiting James Wiseman's return

The Warriors are coming off of an NBA title and their 2020 No. 2 overall pick played a total of zero games due to a meniscus injury suffered last season.

Wiseman's name popped up on the Warriors' Summer League roster, which got people excited to potentially see the young prospect back in action, but he never suited up at the California Classic.

The Athletic's Anthony Slater reported that Wiseman has advanced to 5-on-5 scrimmages in his rehab and that he "remains on track for a likely Summer League appearance in Las Vegas at some point," but I wouldn't hold your breath.

Is Nikola Jovic a diamond in the rough?

The Heat selected Jovic with the 27th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and it only took a couple of Summer League games for him to show what he could bring to Miami.

In his third and final game at the California Classic, the 6-10 power forward caught fire from 3-point range, going for 25 points on 5-of-7 shooting from deep.

The Heat were clearly in need of some help on the offensive end during their Eastern Conference Finals exit to the Celtics. The 19-year-old prospect could be the type of fluid scorer and sharpshooter Miami needs off the bench.

Young Grizzlies showing signs

It was just one game, but a few young players on the Grizzlies caught my eye in the Salt Lake City Summer League opener.

First off, I was very impressed with Ziaire Williams' playmaking, dishing out eight assists. Williams was a defensive specialist for the Grizzlies last season but he's always had potential as a shot creator on offense. His development as a passer, however, was something I did not see coming.

If Williams can make a consistent contribution on the offensive end, he'll be a mainstay in Memphis' rotation next season.

The second player was 2022 first-round pick, Jake LaRavia. LaRavia had 13 points and four rebounds while knocking down 4 3s, displaying the size and sharpshooting ability that Memphis needs on the wing. LaRavia should be able to slot into the Grizzlies' rotation right away as a plug-and-play glue guy.

 

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.