I know none of you are watching summer league, so I felt like I needed to fill you in (again, I know) on all the happenings in Las Vegas. What players surprised, fell short of expectations, or even just showed up?

Great Players + Pleasant Surprises

Kristaps Porzingis

Zinger’s four games for the Knicks were the most anticipated summer league games ever. In limited minutes, he wound up averaging 10.5 points and just over 3 boards. He also wowed many onlookers with his willingness to fire away from three, and exceeded expectations with his rim protection, racking up nearly 2 blocks/game. While he was occasionally pushed around under the basket, what else do you expect from a European big who’s yet to turn 20? Kristaps has a lot of work to do, but his Vegas performance should leave Knicks fans hopeful about the future.

Perhaps the best assessment of his myriad strengths was said by his coach. “[Porzingis] complements so many different players and situations,” said Derek Fisher on how Porzingis’ style of play fits with the Knicks. “Defensively he complements guys because of his length and his rim protection. He’s pretty active and can guard multiple guys. Offensively because of his ability to stretch the floor and do some things around the basket as well, I think he’s a player that fits with just about any lineup, no matter how you’re trying to play." For a player with sky-high expectations, it was relieving to see him live up to the hype, at least in Vegas. Here’s to hoping Kristaps can continue his brilliant run once the season begins.

Emmanuel Mudiay

Many were excited to see Mudiay stateside after his gap year in China, and his performance at summer league did not disappoint. Mudiay’s stat line (12 points, 6 assists, 3.5 rebounds on 38.5% shooting) won't blow anyone away, but few are questioning him after four games in Vegas. Mudiay was exactly what we expected him to be. He was bigger, stronger, and more athletic than every guard he faced. He showed a great ability to get by his defender and either finish at the rim or kick to an open shooter. Defensively, he was solid and his 1.2 steals/game is nothing to scoff at. He isn’t a great shooter and definitely doesn’t have NBA range yet, but we knew that coming in. Mudiay seems to be exactly as advertised and that’s a great sign for the rebuilding Nuggets.

But the most pleasant surprise of his performance was his patience. “I feel like playing overseas professionally, that really helped me,” said Mudiay. “Coming from high school to pro ball, in high school I was rushing everything. Straight out to China I was rushing everything. But I’ve got to let the game come to me.” If he can maintain this maturity in Denver, the Nuggets may have found their point guard of the future.

Kelly Oubre

Oubre impressed during his time in Las Vegas, scoring 17 points and 6 rebounds/game. Entering into the draft, his propensity to disappear during games was of paramount concern. However, during summer league it was hard to lose him on the court. He was aggressive offensively, hoisting up threes like he was the reigning MVP. He only hit 25% of those, but a 5-7 performance from three in his Vegas finale ended Oubre's summer on a high note. Draftniks also blasted Oubre for lackadaisical defense in college, something else he seemed to fix in Vegas. While he was hardly an elite defender, his high steal rate points to an increase in attention, if nothing else. It’s obviously far too early to say Oubre was the best value pick of the draft, but this was a step in the right direction.