LAS VEGAS — The NBA's 2024 Summer League is underway in Las Vegas, and there have already been plenty of winners and losers across the league.
The statistical sample may be small, but after watching the California Classic, Salt Lake City and the first few days of action in Las Vegas, we have some observations.
Here are the biggest ones on both sides of the winner and loser line:
Every summer, there are a few sophomores who are clearly not up to the task at this level of competition, and in 2024, that's even more true.
Draft experts have been saying for the last 12 months that this rookie class isn't the strongest, so the contrast with a rookie class that features players like Brandon Miller (23 points in his first game), Jamie Jaquez Jr. (26.0 points per game), Brandin Podziemski (18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists), Julian Strother (28.5 points) and Cam Whitmore (16.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.3 steals) is pretty stark.
Even Jordan Miller, who played in just eight games in 2023-24, scored 57 points in his first two games.
This is an event where almost everyone who competes is trying to prove something. Most players are playing almost too hard. It's frantic. Many possessions look completely out of control. And players who have already adapted to the size, speed and athleticism of the NBA can look like Neo after figuring out the Matrix compared to those who haven't yet.
The second-year pros listed above know that fastest isn't always best, and they're able to play with speed and patience. They stand out for their willingness to take what the defense gives them instead of trying to force something that isn't there.
While the experience has some value, most (if not all) of these players are expected to retire this week.
Again, the first few minutes have been tough for many of the players in this new draft class.
Zachary Lisacher had some moments, especially in the first game, when he scored 18 points and made three 3-pointers, but it's hard to remember the last No. 1 overall pick being this impressive in a summer league opener. The excitement around him at the Thomas & Mack Center (and nearby Cox Pavilion) was limited and didn't last long after the game.
No. 2 pick Alexandre Sarr is having a nightmare time putting the ball in the basket. At 7 feet, he's up to the task. He's a big guy and moves pretty well for his size, but he's shooting 30.8 percent from the field.
Elsewhere in this class, Stephon Castle had 22 points in his debut but needed 21 shots and an injury to get there. Ron Holland showed glimpses of top-five athleticism but only made 5 of 15 field goals. Efficiency has been an issue for Matas Buzelis as well.
A few players selected in this draft have had encouraging moments (we'll have more on one of them shortly), but the overall lesson is that even players who can develop into role players may take a few years to develop.
Other than the Los Angeles Lakers' Dalton Knecht (who shot poorly in his second game but scored a lot of points and clearly has a good feel for the game), Reed Shepard is the only rookie who looks to be on the same level as those second-year stars mentioned above.
Despite a poor shooting performance in his third game with Las Vegas, Shepard is averaging 20.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.3 blocks while shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from deep.
His patience, vision and measured approach on the offensive end of the court make it seem as if someone hit the reset button on Mark Price's career — a move so obvious that the legend himself endorsed it.
But perhaps the most intriguing thing about the 6-foot-2 guard is his superior anticipation and timing on the defensive end.
His shooting accuracy seemed almost a given, and he looked like a big-time playmaker, even if his chances for teammates at Kentucky were somewhat limited.
But those who have only just gotten a chance to watch Shepard play at length may be surprised by the potential behind the scenes that could propel him into a bona fide star.
It's as much a comment on the draft class as it is on the player, but No. 55 pick Bronny James has been getting more media attention than anyone else in Las Vegas. He had prime-time tip-offs in games Friday and Monday, and there was plenty of reaction to both games in California.
But what we've learned in these four games is that his awful offensive performance at USC was justified (and may not have just been the result of poor coaching), and there's a reason he had to wait until the 55th pick to be selected by his father's team.
Bronny is currently averaging 4.3 points for the Lakers after going 1-of-5 from the field and 0-of-3 from three-point range in Monday's loss to the Boston Celtics. He missed all 15 of his three-point attempts and made just 7-of-31 (22.6%) overall.
Bronny has been thriving defensively — he had five rebounds, three blocks and two steals in his second game in California — but when a player's offense stumbles, he can't play in real games.
Despite his defensive advantages, these four games suggest Bronny could fall below that line.
That would be fine for any other No. 55 overall pick, but while he's not a big-name player, Bronny's family ties come with a lot of attention and pressure that will be no easy feat.
If there's one thing the Class of 2024 could be prepared for at the NBA level, it's playing hard — and that's especially true for the big men who are likely to spend a lot of time around the rim.
Leading up to Monday's game, three of Las Vegas' top five players in blocks per game are rookies.
Adem Bona and Donovan Clingan both have 4.0 blocks per game (Clingan adding 12.0 rebounds), while Alexandre Sarr is tied with several other players for fifth with 3.0 blocks per game.
This draft class may not have a ton of future stars, but it does have some big men who could make an impact on defense as early as this season.
As he showed last season with Colorado, Tristan da Silva He has a great feel for the game and doesn't push the ball, just like the kind of plug-and-play scorer and playmaker who could turn the Orlando Magic's positionless duo of Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero into a positionless trio.
Zach Eddy He's only played one game in a Memphis Grizzlies uniform, and it wasn't in Las Vegas. But he may have already eased some of what was perhaps his biggest concern: Eddie moves well against NBA bit players and takes up a lot of space defensively. It's still hard to imagine him surviving a switch to the perimeter, but that's true of many talented big men.
Another player who made the biggest impact in Salt Lake City was Keionte George He looked like a smooth scorer in his two home games, and while he shot just 31.3 percent from 3-point range and had more turnovers than assists, it's becoming a lot easier to believe in his potential as a heat-check scorer.
