Minnesota Sports Forum

http://espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/17098376/ranking-ben-simmons-kris-dunn-absolute-best-rookies-summer-league-nba

Who were the best NBA rookies at the Las Vegas Summer League? Which young veterans performed best? And who was most disappointing?


Don't let anybody tell you there's no parity in the NBA ... summer league. The action in Las Vegas concludes Monday, when the last-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves will try to complete their unlikely run through the summer league tournament by beating the Chicago Bulls to win the championship.

However, summer league is really less about wins and losses than the development of the rookies and young players in action.

Let's take a look at the best (and some of the worst) on display over the past 10 days.

Best rookies

1. Kris Dunn | Minnesota Timberwolves

Sadly, Dunn hasn't been a part of Minnesota's Cinderella tournament run because of a concussion he suffered during his second game. Before then, however, Dunn was far and away the most productive rookie in Vegas. He had 48 points in his two appearances and shot 18-of-29 (62.1 percent) on 2-point attempts, living in the paint.

Perhaps most intriguingly, Dunn showed the ability to coexist with another point guard (Tyus Jones; more on him later), suggesting the Timberwolves should consider playing him with Ricky Rubio at times.

Best veterans

1. Tyus Jones | Minnesota Timberwolves

After Dunn was sidelined, Jones reminded everyone that the Timberwolves have three quality point guards on their roster. While his size is still an issue against NBA competition, Jones' skills shined through in Las Vegas.

He's capable of beating defenses as both as scorer and a playmaker depending on what they give him. Perhaps most impressive was Jones' ability to get to the free throw line -- he has shot 47 free throws in seven games. His production translated into results, with Minnesota pulling off four upsets in a row to reach the final.

Thanks bleed, I was just about to ask an insider to post. I'm looking forward to seeing these two get minutes this year.

It is a good time to be a Wolves fan.

bleedspeed177 wrote:It is a good time to be a Wolves fan.

I hope we can still say that in March...

Payne didn't make the list?

monsterpile wrote:Payne didn't make the list?

Nope

Most disappointing veteran: Nik Stauskas | Philadelphia 76ers

While being asked to play summer league after your second season no longer carries the same stigma -- by my count, one-third of the first-round picks from 2014 played -- it's a bad sign when you don't stand out.

Stauskas, the highest-drafted player among that group (eighth overall) had 22 points on 7-of-20 shooting in his two-game cameo and generally failed to distinguish himself from the players trying to make teams.