Boston Celtics
Player to watch: Marcus Smart Assuming Rondo is on his way out, this is gonna be Smart’s team to run. People are in love with his size and his work ethic, but can he develop the shot Rondo never could?
Notable rookies: James Young Boston absolutely stole this dude with the #18 pick in this year’s draft. He’s a crafty lefty with a reliable jumper and should improve greatly over the next few years.
Other players to watch: Kelly Olynyk Boston’s 2013 lottery pick is back for another summer to build on his rookie campaign. With a year under his belt, C’s fans would hope for a productive summer league.
How did he get here? Edwin Jackson Jackson’s a 24-year-old guard from France. He’s been playing professionally overseas for 7 years and I bet that streak continues.
Brooklyn Nets
Player to watch: Markel Brown Allegedly, the Nets bought this pick for a cool mill. Marcus Smart’s backcourt mate does bring a lot to the table. He’s a solid offensive player that doesn’t try to do too much. He was a four year player at OK State and has been praised as a natural leader.
Notable rookie: Xavier Thames Thames is a knockdown shooter who could’ve gone much higher in the draft. He’s an undersized two that probably won’t be able to play the point at the NBA level. He needs to play off the ball to thrive.
Other players to watch: Mason Plumlee If you watched the Nets play last year, you’re aware of the impact Plumlee made. He’s an aggressive big that can finish around the rim. He’s one of the few bright spots going forward for the Nets.
How did he get here? Donte Green At 25, Green is starting to get a bit long in the tooth. He had a decent 2009/10 season with the Kings, but hasn’t played in the league since the Celtics waived him in 2012. Good luck, youngblood!
Detroit Pistons
Player to watch: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope The 2013 #8 pick showed flashes of brilliance last year, but I won’t hold him personally responsible for what became of the Pistons’ 2013/14 season. I think there’s a good chance KCP puts up some gawdy scoring numbers in Orlando.
Notable rookie: Spencer Dinwiddie Dinwiddie’s a 6’6” combo guard who knows how to get to the hoop. He’s also a solid shooter from anywhere on the floor. He could end up being a real steal for the Pistons at #38.
Other player to watch: Peyton Siva Siva spent the majority of last season sitting behind Brandon Jennings and if your ear’s to the street, he could be possibly sitting behind Isaiah Thomas soon as well. If you’re a Peyton Siva fan, this might be your only chance to see him on the hardwood.
How did he get here? Tim Olbrecht Olbrecht has NBA experience. 12 minutes of it. The 25-year-old German played in three games with Houston in 2012/13. He’ll probably never make the main stage again.
Indiana Pacers
Player to watch: Solomon Hill A lot of people thought Indiana made a big splash last year when they selected Hill with the 23rd pick in the draft. They didn’t. He only appeared in 28 games averaging 1.8 PPG. Maybe he can turn things around this year.
Notable rookie: None Pacers didn’t have any picks in the 2014 draft and just seem to be loading their summer league team with dudes that will end up somewhere else.
Other player to watch: Donald Sloan Let’s be honest, no one here is too excited to see Sloan play, but he has been able to stay afloat in the NBA since 2011. Perhaps he can catch on with the Pacers after appearing in 48 games with them last year.
How did he get here? Lavoy Allen After being close to a real NBA player with the Sixers in 2012, Allen is entering his 4th NBA season in summer league. Allen played a career low 8 minutes per game last season.
Memphis Grizzlies
Player to watch: Jordan Adams The Grizzlies selected Adams with the 21st overall pick in this year’s draft. He’s a solid shooter and should be able to help the Grizz’ backcourt, but isn’t much of an athlete. He could be a liability defending wings.
Notable rookie: Jarnell Stokes Originally selected by Utah, Memphis dealt a future 2nd rounder in exchange for Stokes. He’s a bit undersized for a PF at 6’8”, but he’s got a big body and can establish himself in the post.
Other player to watch: Jamaal Franklin Many were excited when the Grizz selected the SDSU product with the 41st pick in last year’s draft. They were expecting Kawhi Leonard. Instead they got a guy who averaged less than a bucket last season. This could be a make or break season for Franklin.
How did he get here? Niels Giffey Giffey helped win two chips at Connecticut. He’s a knockdown shooter, but is there any room for a guy who averaged 4.6 PPG over his four-year career? I’m saying no.
Miami Heat
Player to watch: Shabazz Napier We’re gonna combine player to watch with notable rookie here because there’s only one player here anybody (the team and fans) care about, LBJ’s hand-selected late first-round pick. Say goodbye to Mario Chalmers.
Other player to watch: Larry Drew II Drew’s a solid ball distributor who lost his job at UNC to Kendall Marshall three years ago and has struggled to find relevancy since. At 24 years old, he might not get many more chances.
How did he get here? Tyler Honeycutt This guy’s bad news. The first time someone believed in him, he made zero impact in the league. He’s known mostly for being on the take at UCLA and burning his former agent.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Player to watch: Mitch McGary Many thought the Thunder reached for McGary when they took him 21st in this year’s draft, but hey, sometimes you gotta go out and get the guy you want. He’s a quick big man willing to crash the boards, but his offensive game needs some work.
Notable rookie: Semaj Christon The 55th overall pick in this year’s draft is a quick point guard who loves to play in transition and can get to the rim. His jumper’s a bit shaky right now.
Other players to watch: Steven Adams Kendrick Perkins, don’t get too comfortable. The Thunder have found your replacement. I think he’s already better than you.
How did he get here? Nolan Smith After two years of cold chilling on Portland’s bench, Nolan Smith is trying to catch on somewhere. Part of me believes it won’t be in the States.
Orlando Magic
Player to watch: Aaron Gordon
Gordon might take a few years to develop but I really believe this guy can’t miss. So do many others judging by the way he rocketed up the draft board last June. However, he still needs to work on everything relative to shooting a basketball.
Notable rookie: Elfrid Payton Payton’s another guy who worked his way up the board last week. He’s a tall, quick point guard with an excellent handle who can get to the rim.
Other player to watch: Victor Oladipo After playing last year at the point, Oladipo should benefit from more opportunities to play off the ball this year.
How did he get here? Seth Curry/ Kim English Two shooters that didn’t play in the league last year. Two shooters who won’t play in the league this year.
Philadelphia 76ers
Player to watch: Nerlens Noel After basically not playing basketball for 18 months, everyone’s anxious to see Noel begin his rookie campaign. Noel is still very unpolished at the offensive end, but should be able to contribute immediately on the defensive end. Notable rookie: K.J. McDaniels McDaniels played three seasons at Clemson. He’s an excellent rebounder despite standing just 6’6” and plays well in transition. Look for McDaniels to contribute immediately on the defensive end where he can guard the 1, 2, and 3.
Other player to watch: Travis Bader Bader, an undrafted guard from Oakland, knocked down 504 3-pointers over his four years over his career. Although he may have trouble guarding NBA twos, it is worth noting that he has some size at 6’5”.
How did he get there? Aaron Craft This guy isn’t even a prospect. He’s a solid defender with a high basketball IQ, but he’s in over his head here. I cannot describe how bad his jumper looks.
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