After seven days and 25 games, the 2016 NBA Orlando Summer League quietly came to a close Friday. If the OSL players were pooled together and picked solely by appearance, Georges Niang would be one of the last names called. His physical profile fits somewhere between the two forward positions, lacking both the quicks of a 3 and length of a 4. Lorenzo Brown has an NBA contract, but he's missing NBA security. Luckily, his skill set should solve that problem. Mitch McGary is raising the bar for wide-bodied bigs. It's easy to see how Stephen Zimmerman was a high school All-American. He's a mobile 7-footer who can block shots and bury jumpers. Those two talents alone make him a unique hoops specimen. By the numbers, Henry Ellenson spent his week looking like a long-shot roster hopeful, not 2016's highest drafted player in the field. His volume wasn't elite (12.4 points, 7.4 rebounds), and his lack of efficiency was glaring (31.0 percent from the field, 23.1 from distance). Even if the Los Angeles Clippers remain Lob City, it takes more than highlight throwdowns to crack head coach Doc Rivers' rotation. That list of requirements grows for rookies, who have never been prominent pieces under Rivers in L.A. Justise Winslow's maturity spawned the most conversations around his rookie year with the Miami Heat, but his versatility was equally impressive. He saw time in every role at both ends of the floor, from being a primary playmaker to starting at center during the postseason. For an NBA lottery pick, Cameron Payne's rookie campaign was about as tricky as they come. Josh Richardson proved last season he can make the most of an opportunity. Pressed into duty by injuries around him, the 6'6" combo guard emerged as a lethal long-range sniper (46.1 percent from three) and one of Miami's most tenacious defenders. Don't be fooled by the stat sheet—Stanley Johnson just had the summer-league experience everyone hopes to have.
But that title won't produce many lasting memories, save for the T-shirts dispersed to the winners. The true value in these contests is seeing how some of the league's prospects fare against professional competition.
There was plenty of unsightly play but just as many encouraging signs of development. The following 10 players didn't all have dominant stats, but each revealed clues of what his short- and long-term future may entail.
Niang's athletic limitations raise valid questions over who he'll defend and how he'll create separation at the NBA level. But his OSL debut hinted he might have enough tricks up his sleeves to overcome—17 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two steals. He left Orlando as the only player to average at least 10 points, six rebounds and 2.5 assists (minimum two games).
"I study the game, and I try to come with a knowledge of how and when to be in the right spots and do whatever is necessary," Niang said, per NBA.com's Fran Blinebury. "Winning is not always about having the most athleticism. Sometimes, it's just playing."
Niang can score from inside and out, play either part of the pick-and-roll, feed the slashers and snipers around him and make every hustle play there is. With the intelligence to know his role and ability to execute it, the 50th overall pick already looks like a steal.
"He's played really, really well," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said, per Rod Beard of the Detroit News. "... He's certainly making his case, no question about it."
Brown has had every chance to force the issue. The presences of Stanley Johnson and Henry Ellenson—Detroit’s last two first-round picks—limit his touches. He's needed to balance the attack around those two players while simultaneously serving as one of the team's top scorers and playmakers.
Outside of shooting the long ball—which he's never consistently done—Brown did everything asked of him. He maximized the shots that came his way (14.2 points, 53.1 field-goal percentage) and hounded opposing ball-handlers (3.6 steals).
If the Pistons don't see him as a third point guard now, someone else almost certainly does.
"McGary's play has been encouraging this week, dripping with confidence," wrote Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman. "He's running fast breaks, throwing behind-the-back assists, battling for rebounds and finishing with touch."
Talent-wise, McGary seems like a needed reinforcement on an Oklahoma City Thunder frontcourt that has lost Serge Ibaka and Kevin Durant this summer. But it's not certain the 24-year-old McGary will be a rotation regular. There are questions about his conditioning and consistency, and he's had trouble staying healthy. Plus, the Thunder have added frontcourt pieces in rookie Domantas Sabonis and veteran Ersan Ilyasova.
But it won't be easy to overlook his combination of size and skill. He can roll or pop in the screen game, make his own plays off the bounce and nimbly navigate through tight spaces. With his talent base growing and focus improving, he appears ready for an energetic reserve role.
If Zimmerman's slight frame never fills out and the NBA proves too physical for him, his draft slot will make sense. But given his current game and growth potential, he seems more likely to keep executives up at night fretting over the sweet-shooting 7-footer that got away.
"Zimmerman is a legit 7-footer who can protect the rim and has a nice shooting touch," wrote CBS Sports' James Herbert after the draft. "... This is a low-risk, high-reward move, and there aren't always guys with this much upside available when you're picking at No. 41."
Zimmerman needs to mature in every aspect. Each productive moment in Orlando was sandwiched between disappearing acts. But the talent is clearly there—2.4 blocks per game, 53.6 percent shooting his final three contests—and the Magic have time to wait for it to germinate given their frontcourt glut.
"It's apparent that the teenager must work on becoming more efficient," wrote Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. "But at nearly 7-feet and 240 pounds, Ellenson offers tantalizing skill in a large package."
Boil Ellenson's Orlando stay down to the good moments, and you're left with special ingredients. His jumper came and went, but he looked smooth and confident rising from the mid-range out to the perimeter. His handles looked better than advertised, as he was comfortable creating off the bounce or bringing his own boards up court. His Dirk Nowitzki-style fadeaway jumper packaged his potential into one highlight.
It'll take Ellenson time to figure everything out. His offense isn't close to where it needs to be, and it's a lot further along than his defense. But if this puzzle comes together correctly, he could be a walking mismatch who's too big for smaller defenders and too quick for bigger ones.
He may never be featured like this again. He's not oozing with upside, but the trade-off is the 22-year-old looks ready for opening night and rarely strays outside of his lane.
"Johnson's ceiling seems somewhat low, but his floor is high," Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote. "His athleticism and motor are bound to translate to dunks, second-chance points, transition offense and rebounding. ... At the very least, Johnson should be able to carve out a career for himself as a finishing target, cleanup man and fast-break weapon."
The Clippers need reliable reserves, particularly young and cheap ones. Johnson already seems capable of filling that void.
Unfortunately for Winslow, he couldn't quiet the concerns over his shaky jumper. After shooting just 27.6 percent from three and 30.7 percent on all jump shots as a rookie, that's the area Miami Heat fans were hoping to find progress. His woeful OSL shooting percentages—29.8 from the field, 23.5 outside—suggest there were none to be found, but his tape told a different story.
"Winslow's form appears much more fluid these days," noted Heat.com's Couper Moorhead. "A year ago at this time, Winslow had a hitch at the top of his jumper, his hand would shoot from the side of the ball, and his feet were inconsistent and off balance. Now, he's bouncing into shots and shooting in one motion, all with consistent follow-through."
Winslow looked confident in his stroke and didn't hesitate to launch. The results are a bit disheartening, but summer hoops are more about process than production. He's taking steps toward solving his biggest weakness. Considering how many strengths he already has, that's a scary thought.
Payne's sophomore season will be dramatically different. He should have expected more playing time even before Durant's departure and now could find a sizable increase with the perimeter rotation in flux. If the Thunder feel the need to move Westbrook before his own venture into free agency, Payne could even have a shot at starting.
No matter the particulars, he's sure to have a larger role in 2016-17. His summer-league run suggests he's better equipped to handle it this time around. He was OKC's offensive focal point and provided both quantity and quality. No one averaged more than his 18.8 points per game, he posted a top-10 assist rate (4.0 per game), and he hit 52.0 percent of his field goals over his final two outings.
"He looks bigger, and he's definitely playing with more physical rigor," Thunder summer-league coach Mark Daigneault said, per NBA.com's Fran Blinebury. "It's also a confidence level. You play stronger when you have more confidence."
Luckily, Richardson looks ready for his new gig. He couldn't get his three ball going in Orlando (3-of-11) and still averaged 16.7 points on 47.2 percent shooting. His focus was improving as a playmaker, and he totaled 14 assists against only five turnovers in three games.
"It's slowed down a lot for me," Richardson said, per NBA.com's Fran Blinebury. "I'm seeing things now that would have been a blur to me last year. So it's getting a little bit easier."
Richardson already seems like the biggest steal of the 2015 draft, and he'll cement that status this coming season. He can cycle through any perimeter assignment on defense, and his offensive arsenal includes monster dunks, fiery three-point shooting and a developing set of lead-guard skills. If the Heat give him a chance to start, he won't waste the opportunity.
"At the end of the day, it's not really about being successful here; it's about me getting better," he said earlier this week, per Rod Beard of the Detroit News. "What I'm doing now is going to pay dividends in the longevity of things."
Johnson didn't need to wait long to see results. He bumped his assists (2.7) and almost eliminated his turnovers (1.0) over his last three outings. He closed the event with his best two shooting and scoring efforts, averaging 20.5 points on 46.9 percent shooting (38.5 from deep).
Johnson saw more than 23 minutes a night as a rookie thanks to his NBA-ready defense and unwavering confidence. If his offensive advancements hold up, he could jump into the 30-minute range already this year—and see similar spikes in his volume and efficiency.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
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