Depending on which aspects of his game you focus on, saying Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons arrived as advertised is either praise or condemnation.
Through two games in the Utah Summer League and one in Vegas, Simmons' passing eye, court sense, speed, handle, size and slithery skill were undeniable. There were times when he looked like a bigger version of prime Grant Hill: sprinting upcourt at an alarming pace, eyes scanning, dribble on a string and just hunting for angles:
As advertised.
But even at this early juncture, opponents have been capitalizing on the other expected part of his game.
The cushions defenders offered Simmons on offense kept getting bigger; the I-dare-you leeway got bolder. The book was out, and everyone had read it: Let Simmons shoot it from the perimeter because it's clearly the one thing he doesn't want to do. In some ways, Simmons' tentative outside approach has been worse than errant shots, per The Ringer's Jason Concepcion:
— ☕netw3rk (@netw3rk) July 11, 2016
At least if he'd been taking jumpers, there would have been some preservation of offensive flow. But by refusing to fire—either in isolation or when the ball swung to him in space—Simmons was gumming up the works.
He was hearing it from the stands too, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated:
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpearsESPN) July 11, 2016
Ahead of Sunday's contest, Sixers summer-league coach Lloyd Pierce acknowledged change would be gradual, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer: "That's not going to change overnight. But really, just let him play his game. Then we will start working on different areas of his development as the summer comes along."
Then this happened:
That, folks, is a baby step.
So is this:
Simmons finished Sunday's loss with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. More importantly, he took a handful of perimeter shots. Granted, mid-rangers off the dribble aren't going to keep defenses honest in the same way a catch-and-fire three-point shot would, but at least Simmons is addressing the big issue.
Jon Johnson of 94WIP Radio in Philadelphia relayed the rookie's mindset:
— Jon Johnson (@jonjohnsonwip) July 11, 2016
It'll be a long time before the scouting report on Simmons changes, but it's critical to start the process now. Forcing defenders to play him honestly could be the difference between a functional Sixers offense and one that can't generate quality looks.
If opponents have to honor Simmons, it'd unlock his deadly drive-and-kick game, preserve spacing for other shooters and activate a theoretical pick-and-roll between him and whichever 76ers big man works best—Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor.
Putting the rock in Simmons' hands—if Sunday's game signaled anything, it's that he's going to see a ton of reps as the primary ball-handler—is one good way to mitigate the damage his hesitancy from the perimeter creates. It allows the Sixers to survive.
If he turns himself into a credible threat from the outside, Philadelphia could thrive.
Standouts Can Be Predictable or Pleasantly Surprising
Kelly Oubre was supposed to be the standout in the Washington Wizards' 88-80 loss to the Atlanta Hawks Sunday. He was, after all, the No. 15 pick in the 2015 draft for a reason. Rangy, skilled and buckling down on defense with renewed intensity, he set the bar high in Washington's Saturday opener, scoring 20 points while collecting eight rebounds and four steals.
He put up another 21 points Sunday because, again, that's what a guy with his pedigree is supposed to do against free agents and end-of-bench journeymen.
As a point of contrast, consider Bryce Cotton, whose 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting in just 16 minutes helped key the Atlanta win:
Cotton has plenty to gain by showing out in Vegas, as the Hawks are still in need of a third point guard. Though he didn't start (Kevin Pangos did), Cotton's three-point shooting and on-ball defensive disruption made him hard to miss. This, after scoring 14 points and hitting four of his six triples Friday.
No wonder he caught the attention of Hawks summer-league coach Taylor Jenkins, who told Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "He was big for us. His ability to score, and you don't see it in the box score, but what he also does on defense. He played a long stretch there and was competing. It was a huge lift for us off the bench."
Cotton has played in 23 NBA games for the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies over the last two years—perhaps a disappointing total for a two-time All-Big East selection at Providence.
Oubre is in line for a rotation spot with the Wizards, but Cotton could do something more impressive if he keeps this up: fight his way onto a roster most wouldn't expect him to make.
Kris Dunn Can't Stop
Kris Dunn has a problem, and it's a good one.
Dude has one gear.
The Minnesota Timberwolves rookie scored 21 points, ensnared nine rebounds, hacked his way to eight personal fouls and whipped the ball around for a chaotically balanced four assists against four turnovers in an 82-80 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
The No. 5 pick was hyperactive from the opening tip, throwing a cross-court pass way out of bounds, committing a ridiculous foul on a jump shot and then simply overdribbling into another giveaway—all in the first 90 seconds.
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun framed the activity in a positive way:
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) July 10, 2016
Eventually, Dunn's nonstop competitiveness, physicality and fight translated to a productive output, but there were plenty of bumps along the way. One especially illustrative example was when Dunn, on offense and trapped under his own basket, flung himself backward and cracked Raptors rookie Jakob Poeltl in the face—with his head:
There were signs of refinement amid the brutality:
It may not be possible for Dunn to overhaul his play, and you can bet the Wolves would never want him to. It's a heck of a lot easier to refine the edges and preach a modicum of control to a fiery talent such as Dunn than it is to conjure true destroy-what's-in-front-of-you rabidity.
Forget the summer-league setting and all the dismissive caveats that come with it. Dunn is going to compete.
Thon Maker Is Raising the Right Questions
For as long as Thon Maker has been a part of our collective basketball consciousness (even if it hasn't been all that long), his presence there has been defined by questions.
Is he draft-eligible?
How old is he really?
What will he look like against decent competition?
Are the Milwaukee Bucks silly for taking him at No. 10?
Well, after two games in Vegas, the questions have progressed to a stage that can only be positive for Maker's outlook. After going for 17 points and 17 rebounds Sunday—an effort that followed a 15-point, 13-rebound debut—some are wondering whether he has a star ceiling.
Frank Madden of Brew Hoop described the changing, somewhat unfair nature of the new Maker questions:
— Frank Madden (@brewhoop) July 10, 2016
It is a weird bar, but with Maker putting up numbers, showing off an eye-opening coast-to-coast handle and swatting shots at heights such as this, it's not completely ludicrous:
Maker is riddled with weaknesses. He's easily moved off his spot because of a glaring lack of lower-body strength, and there's still no way to know how much sturdier he can get. But through two games in Las Vegas, he's hustled, flashed real dexterity for his size (7'1" and 215 lbs) and generally found ways to avoid being physically overwhelmed.
Talk of stardom is comically premature, but at least Maker's performance is changing the conversation—in a way an intriguing Bucks franchise must love.
Devin Booker Does Not Need This
There's almost always one player at summer league who proves he doesn't need to be there.
This year, Devin Booker is that guy.
You know about the perfect stroke and the smooth off-the-bounce game. Those got him 24 points Sunday.
But in the Phoenix Suns' surprisingly heated 87-74 win over the Boston Celtics, Booker also embraced a chippy battle with R.J. Hunter, handed out a game-high seven assists and even used Boston's aggression as a weapon, working his way to the foul line eight times.
He also chased Hunter down for this demoralizing swat:
Booker's work is done this summer. He can spend the rest of his time in Vegas at the pool.
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