Stop Overrating the NBA Summer League
Chet Holmgren
Before everyone comes at me for hating on the summer league, let me clear the air. I am about as die-hard of an NBA fan as you can be. I have taken zeros on assignments because I was immersed in watching summer basketball. That said, how players perform in the summer league is insanely overrated, and it is time to take a chill pill when it comes to seeing these breakout performances, like Chet Holmgren recording six blocks in one game.
Many guys in the summer league will never play in the NBA. Most are career G-Leaguers who may get a couple of minutes in the bigs. These journeymen matched up against top-15 picks is not a fair fight. It is no wonder Holmgren recorded six blocks in his debut, as he was the second overall pick for a reason. So naturally, it is not a fair fight. Now, this is not a 100 percent accurate take. Players like Lonzo Ball and Donovan Mitchell lit it up in the summer league, and up to this point, I can confidently say they have had successful NBA careers. So, this is not to say every summer league MVP or breakout star will bust, just that we need to stop looking into it so much.
Exhibit A of this is Glen Rice Jr. In the 2014 summer league, he averaged nearly 25 points per game and shot 53 percent from the field en route to a summer league MVP. People were losing their minds and thinking he would be a steal of a player for the Wizards. Instead, he went on to play a total of 16 NBA games. Another prime example is Anthony Randolph. In 2009, the guard put up a ridiculous 27 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting at a 60 percent clip and tacking on three steals. He was poised to be the next great thing, and teams were drooling over the chance to have him. Once Randolph made it to the NBA, his career spanned six seasons where he averaged eight points, four rebounds per game, and 45 percent from the field. Of course, the list could keep going from guys like Anthony Morrow, Furkan Korkmaz, and Josh Selby (Who??), but I digress.
I also want to give some players props who did not perform well in the summer league and produced solid NBA careers. Players of that category include guys like DeAndre Jordan, Pat Beverley, and Serge Ibaka. They all did not flash in the summer league and had their struggles at the time. However, looking at the list, they are all three players that any casual NBA fan will know, which proves they did well despite summer league struggles.
Do not let me rain on your parade. I do not want you to come away from this thinking the summer league is a waste of time. Players do pave their way here, and teams are always watching. I know I watch as much of the league as I can, so I want you to enjoy it too! Also, this is not to say that everyone who averages big numbers or is explosive will fail because some will surely succeed. I just get very annoyed by people who see a player have a couple of solid games and think he is the next Michael Jordan.
So please, go watch, and enjoy the NBA Summer League. It is very enjoyable to see young players compete. Just keep in mind that almost all the players on the court are not NBA-caliber players and are not exactly defensive players of the year. So be diligent and objective in how you evaluate it, but above all, have fun because we get to watch hoops again!
