NBA Summer League: The 2017 NBA Draft class is backing up the hype

It’s going to take years before we truly know how good the 2017 NBA Draft class is, but they’ve shown their special potential this summer.

The 2017 NBA Draft was talked up as one of the best classes in over a decade. Some may find that foolish, especially since none of these young men haven’t played a single NBA game yet. But as long as the justifications are reasonable, why not dream? No next great player, trend or class was easy to declare a sure thing. It’s both an exciting and fun exercise to imagine a class’ potential.

Between the depth at point guard and haymakers on the wings — think Josh Jackson and Jonathan Isaac — we’re looking at one of the deepest lotteries in a long time. Getting to watch these rookies get their first run at NBA Summer League was salivating. As we’ve learned through these past few weeks, injuries can deter that fun.

Luckily, nothing has been too serious. Still, we haven’t even seen everyone and many players had their summers cut short. That brings up the question why top rookies should play in Summer League, but that’s an entirely different conversation. It means teams will be cautious. It means players get injured. That’s the nature of Summer League.

We haven’t seen Malik Monk or Frank Ntilikina yet. Markelle Fultz, Isaac and many lower picks have barely played. But Fultz and Isaac showed plenty in limited time, as have their classmates in more time on the court. There might not be conclusive evidence to assume much about these rookies yet, but their Summer League performances haven’t given us much reason to doubt them either.

The top three

Even in just two games, Fultz showed why he was taken first overall. Slithery at the point of attack, you never know what speed he’s at or what he’s going to do next. He’s sneaky athletic and a tough shotmaker. It would have been great to see more of him, but an ankle sprain derailed his summer. Fultz may not have surprised anyone, but he at least looks like how he was branded as a prospect.

Where Fultz hasn’t been able to stay on the court (please hold your Sixers injury jokes), Lonzo Ball and Jayson Tatum have given us much more to see. Tatum has played in both Utah and Las Vegas, so his sample size is unusually plentiful.

Looking the part of the next elite shot maker, even with some bad shot selection, it’s impossible not to be impressed with the Boston Celtics’ rookie. Tatum is eating up Summer League competition. What he’ll need to prove is that he can do more than just score and that he can score efficiently at the next level.

Speaking of efficiency, Lonzo Ball sure knows how to shake off one bad game. After a rough debut, where he still impacted the game with his spectacular vision, Ball has taken over Las Vegas. Two triple-doubles and a 36-point explosion highlight how promising and unique Ball is.

Passing is contagious on the Los Angeles Lakers and Ball’s vision is more than as advertised. Even if the Lakers don’t win many games, home games will finally be worth attending.

The rest of the lottery

The real winner from the 4-14 range is Dennis Smith Jr. Talk about a guy benefitting from NBA spacing. He looks calm, but explosive, skilled, yet angry.

Smith Jr. plays with a chip on his shoulder and attempted to end a few guys’ summers with some nasty posters. That’s something he has in common with the fourth overall pick, Jackson.

Just look at his staredown after the block! Not only is the 2017 class skilled, but they have some fiery players as well. Jackson and Smith Jr. aren’t backing down from anyone.

Neither is De’Aaron Fox, who despite missing some time, displayed his speed and charm in Las Vegas. The jumper is still going to take some time, but his ability to make plays, get in the paint and score without it is impressive. Can he do that against the NBA’s best? Maybe we shouldn’t doubt his speed just yet.

Even though we saw little of Isaac in Orlando, he flashed all his defensive potential. With Ntilikina missing out and some average showings from Zach Collins and Lauri Markkanen, the top-10 delivered in hype despite some absentee performances. So did the end of the lottery.

Luke Kennard looked silky smooth in Orlando for the Detroit Pistons. Both he and Bam Adebayo looked good, with the latter showing off a bit more skill than we thought. Adebayo has shown a better jumper and the ability to handle the ball a bit. As impressive as those two were, we can’t end a conversation about the lottery without talking about Donovan Mitchell.

Mitchell, along with Ball, is the star of Summer League. Dominating nearly every game and putting up both tremendous numbers and intensity on both ends of the floor, he’s an early candidate for biggest steal of the draft. Not only is he as good of an athlete as his peers, his jumper looks improved. That was his only real question mark and he looks legit. The Utah Jazz have a good one.

https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/884878224869572610

Shoutouts outside the lottery

Given this article is already getting on the longer side, we should wrap it up. Still, it would be wrong to conclude at the end of the lottery and not highlight other promising rookies. Jordan Bell, as no surprise to anyone who really follows basketball, has been a force thanks to his motor, shot blocking and passing. John Collins is balling like a young Amar’e Stoudemire and Kyle Kuzma has impressed for the Lakers.

Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

Between these three, Jonah Bolden’s promising showing for the Sixers and a few others, the 2017 class has some sneaky talent outside the lottery. These players may propel this class’ reputation higher in the future. Overall, so far so good, and that’s all we can ask for.