NBA Summer League: 5 Takeaways From Week One

By Ezra Siegel | Jul 13, 2015

Jul 10, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns (32) shoots against the defense of Los Angeles Lakers center Robert Upshaw (12) during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. Minnesota won the game 81-68. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /

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Jul 10, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russel (1) looks to pass the ball away from the defense of Minnesota Timberwolves guard Lorenzo Brown (7) during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /

The 2015 NBA Summer League is almost halfway done, which means there’s about a week of basketball before the slow portion of the off season begins.

Performances at the NBA Summer League historically do not directly translate into NBA success, but the exhibitions do give a glimpse at the up-and-coming prospect’s raw skills as well as progress from returning players.

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As always, the Summer League has already had its share of surprises, including unanticipated breakout performances from second round prospects like Indiana’s Joseph Young, and other supposed “project” players. While it’s important to take Summer League with a grain of salt, quality performances should not be ignored.

There’s still another week left before play in Las Vegas comes to an end, and a lot can still happen, but there’s an abundance of performances to talk about.

Here are the top takeaways from the NBA Summer League’s opening week.

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