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NBA Orlando Summer League: Random Thoughts, Day 2

By Tiffany Davis

Jul 14, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers players run across center court during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 14, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers players run across center court during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jul 20, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Antonio Spurs players celebrate after defeating the Phoenix Suns 93-90 in the NBA Summer League Final at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 20, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Antonio Spurs players celebrate after defeating the Phoenix Suns 93-90 in the NBA Summer League Final at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /

There Are Levels To This

All Summer Leagues are not created equal. Orlando is the lower tier of the three primary locations; games are held in the practice gym of the Orlando Magic, and seats are the standard issue chairs one would find in a classroom or the waiting room of your dentist.

All games are exclusively aired on NBA TV and ESPN.

The Utah Summer League is middle tier and games are actually played in a gym. However, it only includes four teams, though they are the offshoots of the more pedigreed NBA teams. These games are aired on both NBA TV and ESPN; the WatchESPN site; and the ESPN app.

Las Vegas is the crown jewel, replete with 24 teams, heavy media coverage (note that most of the pictures in this article all all from last year’s Vegas Summer League, because that’s all I could find) and off-court activities such as workshops on how to land a job in an NBA front office or become a sports broadcaster.

This is where you actually see more NBA players sit on the sidelines to watch their potential teammates (and rivals). You may also see the occasional celebrity (because: Vegas).

Jul 20, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green attend the NBA Summer League Final between San Antonio and Phoenix at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 20, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and San Antonio Spurs guard Danny Green attend the NBA Summer League Final between San Antonio and Phoenix at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /

For fans, it’s a chance to see how favorite teams will be bolstered (or not) in the upcoming season, given the usual roster shakeups due to free agency. ESPN gets more shine in this location, especially since this is where all of the first-round draft picks will be playing.

The Orlando Summer League began on July 2 and runs through July 8. It overlaps with the Utah Summer League, which begins today and runs through July 7. Las Vegas, due to its status, begins on July 8–which is the last day of the Orlando Summer League; Utah will have already ended.

Orlando features the following teams: Charlotte Hornets; Dallas Mavericks; Detroit Pistons; Indiana Pacers; Los Angeles Clippers; Miami Heat; New York Knicks; Oklahoma City Thunder; and the Orlando Magic.

The Magic have two squads, White and Blue, and both squads play as if they were separate teams.

Not all players will continue to play in Utah and/or Las Vegas, and not all players will continue to play for the same squad in either location (In 2013, undrafted Vander Blue played for the Houston Rockets squad in the Orlando Summer League and for the Memphis Grizzlies squad in the Utah Summer League).

These are usually second-year players who need a bit more seasoning and who have the chance to show their leadership as the “veterans” of the Summer League teams. The Summer League schedule for each location indicates which teams will advance to other locations.

Next: Ball of Confusion: Day 1