2018 NBA Summer League: 5 biggest disappointments
5. 2018 late first round picks
At Las Vegas Summer League last season, a number of players selected late in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft popped, turning in exciting performances that in large part translated to strong rookie seasons in the NBA.
John Collins, Jarrett Allen, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart all had strong showings in Summer League, and all performed better than expected during the season. As modern basketball scouting grows more refined, players slipping down draft boards continue to break out unfazed. One of the excitements about Summer League this year was to watch what unexpected players broke out.
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While a number of second round or undrafted guys did step up, the end of the first round was largely quiet. The surprising player to fall down the draft board, Texas A&M center Robert Williams, made headlines for losing his cell phone while providing little for the Boston Celtics on the court. Golden State Warriors rookie Jacob Evans shot just 29 percent from the field.
Dzanan Musa of the Brooklyn Nets did not play, while Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Josh Okogie did and couldn’t get anything to fall. Aaron Holiday was about as advertised (not spectacular), and players such as Anfernee Simons, Moritz Wagner and Chandler Hutchison were overshadowed by journeymen on their own teams.
Even the middle of the first round was relatively unspectacular in their performances. Philadelphia 76ers’ pick Zhaire Smith was active defensively but struggled to contribute to the box score, Michael Porter Jr. did not play and Jerome Robinson simply affirmed his reputation as a gunner. There was no Donovan Mitchell in this Summer League class either. While meeting expectations is not bad, it does fall short of excitement and hope.