Thirteen notable performances from Day 7 at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas:
Andrew Wiggins, Cleveland Cavaliers | Grade: B+
The good: Wiggins went to the line a whopping 20 times, drawing contact against smaller defenders and getting fouled on step-back jumpers and swing-through moves. The bad: Down three with the game on the line, Wiggins allowed a blow-by in an isolation situation, then turned it over the very next possession. The ugly: All the quiet time spent at the free throw line was interrupted by a fan yelling “You’re going to get traded!” -- Foster
Dante Exum, Utah Jazz | Grade: D
If this was your first time seeing him, you’d probably wonder what all the fuss is about. This was Exum’s worst performance in summer league by a long margin, as he mostly floated in the background and deferred to a fault. Even when he’s stuck in the mud of a 1-for-8 shooting night, though, you can still catch a little glimmer: Exum attempted a two-footed, Derrick Rose-style dunk from outside the paint that he was fouled on. You just wish there was more of that, though. -- Foster
Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers | Grade: C+
After briefly making the city of Philadelphia nervous by leaving the game with injury, Noel returned to the floor. Even though there weren’t many flashy moves or insane athletic displays, Noel planted himself right in front of the action at the front of the rim and used his superior length to his advantage quite nicely. He’s capable of much more, but it’s nice to see that he knows where he’s needed. -- Foster
Jordan McRae, Philadelphia 76ers | Grade: A
He was almost perfect. McRae scored 25 points and didn’t miss a single shot all night until, ironically enough, he air-balled an open 3-pointer late. You hear a lot about length leading up to events like this, but McRae puts his crazy 7-foot wingspan to real use offensively on the wings, as his ability to get shots off in traffic and finish over the top of defenders bodes well for the next level. -- Foster
Tony Snell, Chicago Bulls | Grade: B
A lot of the rookie hesitation in Snell’s decision-making has gone by the wayside, as he pulled the trigger a few times with little breathing room to spare. That willingness to fire up shots coming off screens is a nice development, as Tom Thibodeau runs a pretty structured offense that largely revolves around his ability to get shooters open looks from off-ball action. There aren’t many potential contributors for championship contenders here, but Snell is one of them. --Foster
Shabazz Muhammad, Milwaukee Bucks | Grade: B
It happened. Muhammad finally had his first eye-opening summer league performance, dropping 24 points in a “playoff” loss to the Kings. It’s not that Muhammad hadn’t scored at all before Thursday; he just hadn’t done so efficiently. Against the Kings, he got to the hoop, made a few moves out of the post and attempted 11 free throws, a high for him at summer league, while also making more than half his shots in a contest for the first time in Vegas. -- Katz
Shabazz Napier, Miami Heat | Grade: C-
Apparently, Shabazzes offset. The man with two z’s in his name looked like he was catching some z’s throughout the game, appearing lethargic getting back on defense and while guarding in the half court. Napier wasn’t impressive on the other end, either, settling for jumpers (he was 5-for-18 on field goals) and failing to create for his teammates off the dribble just one night after his appearance at the ESPYs. -- Katz
Austin Daye, San Antonio Spurs | Grade: C-
It’s simple: Daye has to make 3s to warrant playing time again at the next level. His 2-for-9 showing from behind the arc is a bad sign for his stretch 4 aspirations, as it’s incredibly unlikely he’ll be able to get into the paint at the next level due to his lack of speed and molasses first step. The silver lining here, though? Daye isn’t passing up open looks when they come his way. Play for the job you want, right? -- Foster
Isaiah Canaan, Houston Rockets | Grade: A
The Rockets are a fun summer league team to watch, if only because you can clearly identify who has previous experience on their 3-happy D-League affiliate team in Rio Grande. Canaan is one of those players, and his unabashed love for pull-up 3s (4-for-8) and hard drives right to the rim (28 points) tips it off. It’s fitting that Canaan’s trademark moment -- a lefty drive against Wiggins with a strong finish to ice the game -- came in such a manner. Keep his name in your back pocket. -- Foster
Rodney Hood, Utah Jazz | Grade: B
He’s a no-frills player. Hood has a really good sense of when to beat off-balance defenders with strong straight line drives to the rim, and his intelligence cutting to open spaces on the floor at the right time would make former Utah coach and Flex enthusiast Jerry Sloan proud. On nights like this when nothing is coming easy for the young backcourt of Exum and Trey Burke, Hood can act as a low-risk safety valve. -- Foster
Dennis Schroder, Atlanta Hawks | Grade: C
Everyone likes to make the Rajon Rondo comparisons with Schroder, but at this point, the greatest similarities between the two point guards probably come on defense. Rondo may not drain 3s, but he has a killer midrange game. Schroder, who started Thursday’s game off with a couple of turnovers in the opening minutes, is still learning how to shoot, clanking a few 16-footers off the bounce after dribbling around screens. Per usual, the German was a pesky on-ball defender, but if the shots aren’t falling, he can’t afford to toss careless passes in the wrong direction. -- Katz
P.J. Hairston, Charlotte Hornets | Grade: B+
After a pretty rough stay in Vegas thus far, Hairston showed why he’s considered such a natural scorer. Other than a few impressive feats of athleticism on dunks at the rim, the thing that stood out most was the quick, high-arcing release on his jumper that he’s certainly not bashful about letting fly. Even though he’s a high-usage player, Hairston’s penchant for shooting a high percentage of his shots from behind the arc (4-for-9) is a good sign for a Hornets team that desperately needs that type of production. -- Foster
Ray McCallum, Sacramento Kings | Grade: A-
Just because he was in relative basketball obscurity at Detroit Mercy, we all forget that McCallum was a highly coveted recruit coming out of high school -- and even at summer league, playing on a floor conducive to chaos, he looks like a coach’s son. At least against guys who are still learning how to play the game, McCallum has turned “making the right play” into his M.O. Now, he’s even added some moves, including a nice step-back off the dribble, to his arsenal. -- Katz