Offseason Beat: Summer League: Atlantic

The Atlantic Division was the worst division in the NBA. It didn’t have a team in the second round of the playoffs and it also had two teams in the bottom three for wins. That means this division has some potential for younger players and several of them are set for minutes out of the gate.

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Raptors (Impact rating: 4)

The Raptors made some changes this offseason. They paid a ton of money to DeMarre Carroll and Cory Joseph, who both are set for a minutes increase compared to last year with the Hawks and Spurs, respectively. They also made some changes in their frontcourt with Amir Johnson in Boston while Luis Scola and Bismack Biyombo are charged up in Drake Land.

Bruno Caboclo, Raptors F – He looked really good and it was clear he improved from his first trip to Vegas. Last year, he wasn’t very active on either end and his body looked like a giant 12-year-old kid. This year, he really bulked up and the activity was noticeably higher, too.

Besides the physical appearance stuff, he looked more comfortable with the ball and didn’t panic when he was doubled. Caboclo moved around more rather than just staying near the corners, which opened up several open looks. The Raptors didn’t trust him to be in PNR last year, but they did more this year. He also showed his length on defense with his ability to contest shots.

Encouraging signs aside, Caboclo’s numbers weren’t great, averaging 12.0 points, 4.2 boards, 0.4 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.6 blocks and 2.0 treys. Obviously those 3-pointers jump out and the Raptors are clearly trying to shift the 6’9” guy to more of a face-up player on the outside. He could easily be a stretch four because he is long enough to defend guys in the post, but he’s potentially quick enough to guard threes.

He’s still not close to regular minutes with the team, especially with DeMarre Carroll in the fold. Bruno is also behind James Johnson. If you want him in a Dynasty, don’t plan on him doing much in the next couple years. He’s outside of the top 250 for re-draft.

Delon Wright, Raptors G – He looked terrific in the opener during his 22 minutes against the Kings, scoring nine points with one rebound, nine assists, two steals and no turnovers. Dorell Wright’s younger brother is somewhat NBA ready after two seasons at Utah. While he wasn’t much of a scorer in 2014-15, he put up nice averages in that season with 14.5 points, 4.9 boards, 5.1 dimes, 1.0 blocks, 2.1 steals and 2.1 treys.

After that solid opener, Wright had a hamstring injury and didn’t play after his second game. It’s a little tough to gauge what this means for his ceiling, but the No. 20 pick is still nowhere near minutes right now. He would back up Cory Joseph should the oft-injured Kyle Lowry go down again.

Lucas Nogueira, Raptors F – The Raptors picking up Bismack Biyombo really hurts Bebe. Before the Raptors added Biyombo on July 18, Nogueira was very good in Vegas, averaging 7.8 points, 10.6 boards, 2.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.6 blocks on 55.6 percent from the field. The big man played at least 23 minutes in each of his last four games and had a respectable 3.5 fouls per game in that span.

He always has the upside to be a blocking stud, but his offensive game was vastly improved from his days with the Hawks. If something happens to Jonas Valanciunas, we might see some Bebe.

Norman Powell, Raptors F – He was arguably the best 2015 second-round pick at Vegas — Montrezl Harrell is probably the other one. The rookie from UCLA averaged 18.2 points, 4.2 boards, 1.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 treys on 50.9 percent from the field.*Sidney Deane voice* That’s so pretty!

He was the prototypical shooting guard with his style of play and showing a litany of ways to score the ball with outstanding efficiency. His defense was bad at times, but that’s fine for a 6’4” guard. His smaller stature probably explains why he slid in the draft.

The Raptors are still saying he’s unlikely for minutes, but coach Dwane Casey said he can help in practice. Powell’s per-game numbers weren’t great in his senior year at UCLA, so Dynasty owners shouldn’t be overly excited about taking him in the top 25. If he keeps going off in the preseason, maybe the Raptors would be more inclined to deal DeMar DeRozan.

Ronald Roberts Jr., Raptors G – The Raptors signed him to a deal after his remarkable run at Vegas. He averaged 10.2 points, 9.5 boards, 0.8 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.2 blocks on 57.6 percent from the field. Roberts was probably the most athletic guy with the way he hit the glass. He only played 23.5 minutes per game almost averaged a dub-dub.

He still has to make the team.

Celtics (Impact rating: 6)

The Celtics have a ton of picks and they’re still in rebuild mode. While the young talent occupies most of the roster, they still have some solid depth with a bunch of mediocre-type guys to eat minutes. Isaiah Thomas’ contract is very cap friendly, so the guard-heavy prospects are likely going to need some guys to miss time in order to get burn.

Marcus Smart, Celtics G – He was one of the most impressive players at Summer League, but torn ligaments in his hand cut it short. The good news for Smart is that it shouldn’t affect his status for training camp and torn ligaments in hands generally are isolated incidents.

Smart came out like gangbusters to start his Summer League, averaging 22.3 points, 4.0 boards, 6.0 dimes, 2.7 steals, 0.7 blocks and 3.3 treys in his first three games. His usage was crazy in those games and he kept his turnovers to a respectable 3.0 per game. Smart would fizzle out after that hot start with a 1-of-11 from the field on July 14 and then messing up his hand on July 16.

He was in all-out attack mode and was kind of a ball hog. Smart was the opposite of that last year in his rookie season, posting a usage rate of just 15.2. Plus, over half of his shots were without a dribble, so it was a completely different Smart.

Most of the time, a big run in July doesn’t mean much. However, it’s a little different in Smart’s case because he was awful in July 2014, making just 29.4 percent from the field. He couldn’t get by guys and his shot selection wasn’t there. He was more like Marcus Dumb in the past year before July. Get it????!!!!!

Is that still enough to count on him? I think so. Yes, Isaiah Thomas is a usage monster and will run the offense when he’s on the court. However, Thomas played 41.8 percent of his minutes next to Smart — it won’t be that high because Avery Bradley was hurt. Smart should be an asset in treys, steals and dimes while he should be decent in points and boards. If he can boost his field goal percentage to 43 percent from 37, he’s definitely worth a look in the 100-125 range.

Terry Rozier, Celtics G – A lot of people scratched their heads when the Celtics grabbed Rozier with the 16th pick in the draft. He was one of the fastest risers leading up to the draft after most experts gave him a second-round grade in early May. It was even more surprising considering the Celtics have a slew of guards. Did they panic because they thought for sure Charlotte would take their four firsts for the No. 9? Maybe. Whatever the case, Rozier is not in a great spot for minutes right now.

As for his performance at Summer League, it was forgettable. He averaged 12.2 points, 3.0 boards, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 treys on 35.4 percent from the field. The big concern was that Rozier is more of a combo guard and he’s just 6’1”. He didn’t really play bigger than that and he wasn’t getting free like some of his smaller counterparts.

The smaller players usually don’t get the benefit of the doubt, so we’ll have to see the Louisville product do some positive things before he gets on the fantasy map.

R.J. Hunter, Celtics G – Hunter gets the award for best quote of Summer League. After he and James Young stunk it up to start their run, Hunter said the two of them were the “Trash Brothers.” So good.

Hunter missed all eight shots from the field in his first two games and didn’t go to the line in those 39 minutes either. He finally got it together after that abysmal start, averaging 16.0 points and not much else. He also had a green light from deep with 6.8 trey attempts per game in his last four games.

Hunter fell in the draft for a reason. He wasn’t great on defense and he isn’t a great isolation scorer. He can shoot it from deep, so he has that in his favor. Hunter will need a ton of injuries to get involved, but at least he could hit a ton of treys. He’s still outside the top 20 for Dynasty and Hunter will need to gather some versatility.

James Young, Celtics G – We all knew Young’s offensive game was a major project. He made just 35.3 percent from the field in his rookie season and he only had a 26.1 effective field goal percentage on his pull-ups. The other half of the Trash Brothers didn’t really turn it around.

In five Summer League games, Young averaged 9.4 points, 3.4 boards, 1.0 assists and 1.0 treys. He made just 27.4 percent from the field, too. He’s probably outside of the top 400 for fantasy targets in re-draft.

Phil Pressey, Blazers G – How many Celtics G’s are gonna be in this thing? Well, Pressey actually is on the Blazers now, so he’ll compete with Tim Frazier for a backup role. He didn’t play well with Boston in Vegas, though.

Jordan Mickey, Celtics F – He can block some shots. Mickey blocked 3.8 per game at LSU last year, which is somewhat surprising for a 6’8” power forward. Although, he does have a 7’3 wingspan, so that’ll help. Mickey looked good in his pro debut, averaging 12.2 points, 7.9 boards, 0.8 steals and 2.4 blocks in 28.1 minutes per game in Summer League. He lived around the rim most of the time, but actually didn’t look too heavy-footed on defense against the stretch fours.

He’s still not close to being on the fantasy radar, but maybe that changes with three or four injuries. You have to love a guy with that kind of blocking potential.

Nets (Impact rating: 4)

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Nets F – Probably the highlight of his Summer League was playing in Daryl Morey’s ping-pong tournament. He got through the first round, but lost a heartbreaker in the second round — for the fellow sneaker-heads: Rondae was wearing some Jordan 11 Bred Lows while playing. He is a trip and he loves the spotlight. He’ll be one of the easiest players to root for.

As for the numbers side a.k.a. why you’re reading this, it’s not great. His offensive game was always going behind his defensive game. Hollis-Jefferson said he’s “steps ahead” of his generation for defense and that may be true. However, his jumper needs some serious work a la Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, a fellow #TeamHyphen member.

In 10 July games, RHJ averaged 10.2 points, 6.9 boards, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.8 blocks and 0.5 treys on 36.8 percent from the field. His shooting percentages decreased as the month went on while his usage rate was on the rise. The Nets clearly wanted to get him more chances.

Rondae made 62.2 percent at the line in Vegas, but he improved to 70.7 percent at the line last year at Arizona. He should be able to improve there and that part won’t be a negative. Of course, Rondae could shoot 25 percent from the line and it wouldn’t be a negative because of the shimmy shake (if you haven’t seen it, click here). Also, Rondae was great at the rim last year, making 72.3 percent at the rim. If he can make free throws consistently, that might be enough to somewhat offset the awful jumper. For what it’s worth, RHJ made just 32.8 percent of his two-point jumpers at college last season.

Generally, if a guy can’t hit a jumper and isn’t a shot-blocking big, fantasy owners should stay away. He’s going to get in the rotation, but he’s not a top-10 target in re-draft. He’s not a top-20 player in Dynasty either.

Markel Brown, Nets G – Summer League Markel and NBA Markel are not the same. It’s almost like he played 3-on-3 hoops against high school guys. In nine games, Brown averaged 12.4 points, 3.0 boards, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.2 treys on 36.1 percent from the field. He was very good off the dribble and even attempted at least 14 shots in each of his last four games. Even with all those shots, the efficiency wasn’t there.

Brown squandered his chance last year while the Nets were shorthanded and he’s going to be behind Bojan Bogdanovic. Like Rondae, Markel’s lack of offense keeps him from the fantasy radar. Brown is also worse around the rim, too.

Brown was also in the ping-pong tourney, but he was knocked out in the first round by Daryl Morey. It was a beating, too.

Willie Reed, Nets C – He had a nice showing and earned himself a contract. Reed basically leapfrogged Cory Jefferson and he’ll be at camp this year. He was in Orlando with the Heat and moved to the Nets for the Vegas run. He’s still not going to be in the rotation.

Ryan Boatright, Nets G – The undersized UCONN guard had his moments and even had a game-winner, but a shoulder stinger cut his Summer League short. The rookie averaged 14.1 points, 2.3 boards, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.4 treys in July. He wasn’t too inefficient with a field goal percentage of 41.2, but the treys and making 85.3 percent from the line help a lot.

At just 6’0”, Boatright is still not going to start out the season in the rotation. If Jarrett Jack gets hurt, maybe he finds a way to carve out some minutes.

Cory Jefferson, Nets F – He was waived in Las Vegas, so he’ll be with another team at camp.

76ers (Impact rating: 7)

It’s pretty easy to poke fun at the 76ers. They’re taking the “assets” thing to a level we’ve never seen before. As easy as it is to kill Philly, they deserve the benefit of the doubt. Joel Embiid going down really hurt, the Lakers leapfrogging them to take D’Angelo Russell was bad luck, and not even having Dario Saric for another year stinks.

This whole “assets” thing really comes back to one trade: Andrew Bynum. The 76ers mortgaged their future for him and he’s played in as many games with the 76ers as Benjamin Franklin. As for their Summer League, we all knew they would have a relevant team regarding their immediate future.

Jahlil Okafor, 76ers C – He has some kind of post game. It might sound myopic to say this, but Okafor has the best post game for a rookie in the past 20 years. Sometimes a guy can squeak by in Summer League to get buckets, but it wasn’t even close. Nobody could stick him on the low block. He was too strong for the smaller guys and the heavy-footed bigs couldn’t stop him on his spin move. That spin move led him to a high usage rate and averages of 15.8 points, 8.4 boards, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks and 4.6 turnovers on 44.0 percent from the field.

Besides that unbelievable skill, there really wasn’t a lot to like out of Okafor on offense. He struggled to pass out of double-teams, he wasn’t very useful when he was doubled outside of five feet and his jumper is awful. He has this weird kick on his J and it really knocks off his balance. Outside of eight feet last year at Duke, he made just 42.9 percent. That’s not terrible, but that number will get worse in the NBA unless he gets better with his form. Okafor also made 69.8 percent inside of eight feet at Duke and is really going to eat in there.

His defense wasn’t great either. For whatever reason, he was hedging higher on pick-and-rolls than just about anyone and it put his team in a bad position to defend it. He actually was pretty solid on isolation/post-up plays, which some people killed him for leading into the draft. Okafor also didn’t really go for blocks much, averaging just 0.8 per game. He blocked just 1.4 per game in 30.1 minutes at Duke and is nowhere near the shot blocker Karl-Anthony Towns is. On the bright side of that, he doesn’t foul as much. He also played 30.6 minutes per game in all of Summer League, which is probably a fair expectation for the upcoming season.

For fantasy, there is one massive Achilles heel for Okafor’s value and it’s bigger than his hands: free throw shooting. At Duke, he made just 51.0 percent from the line. He went to the line 5.1 times per game last year, so that awful shooting made his true shooting percentage drop 2.3 points compared to his field goal percentage. That’s bad. Worse yet, he made just 39.1 percent at Vegas. This is a serious problem and almost automatically will keep him from being an elite fantasy guy.

Besides the points, boards and maybe field goal percentage, there isn’t a lot to like here. Obviously Okafor is going to fill it up for DFS and points leagues, but owners in standard leagues might want to be careful.

Pierre Jackson, 76ers G – I’ll admit I had some really high hopes for Pierre. He had a 58-point game in the D-League during the 2013-14 season and really showed some potential as a high-volume guy. Unfortunately, Jackson tore his Achilles on the first day of Summer League in 2014 and he made his return on July 11. In his four Vegas games, he made just 31.8 percent from the field for averages of 10.0 points, 4.2 boards, 3.2 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.5 treys. Not great.

Jackson is just 5’10” and it really showed out there. He almost never went to the rim because he couldn’t get clean looks over the bigger guys. As the event went on, Jackson looked to pass more and even had seven dimes in his last game. He’s clearly going to be a PG and play on the ball more.

For fantasy, we have to worry quite a bit. Yes, he is not 100 percent, but the size difference is almost too much to overcome. He’s not as crafty around the rim like a Goran Dragic-type guy and he couldn’t get free from within eight feet. He lived on mid-range a lot, which is usually a bad idea for efficiency. Trey Burke had this problem at Summer League and he’s still not able to score consistently. We’re going to have to see some huge games in the preseason to draft him in standard leagues. He could be worth a look in DFS and in points, though.

Scottie Wilbekin, 76ers G – He was phenomenal in Vegas, averaging 14.4 points, 2.0 boards, 2.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 3.0 treys. He was so good that the 76ers offered him a deal and now he’s ready for camp. Wilbekin had an opt-out clause from his Aussie league team, so that’s not an issue.

He’s only 6’2” and he’s a shooting guard, so the deck is stacked against him. Wilbekin said that he is trying to shift to more of a point-guard role. That’s because he’s so small and can’t guard most twos in the NBA. With the 76ers having a dearth of talent, Scottie is worth watching in the preseason. He’s not worth drafting in almost any league, of course.

JaKarr Sampson, 76ers G – JaKarr was one of the worst players in the NBA back in November, but props to him for showing some improvement. The Vegas team didn’t play Sampson as Point-Karr, so obviously they didn’t like playing him at PG during the regular season. Desperate times, desperate measures.

Sampson didn’t do much to continue the trend of improvement. He made just 36.0 percent from the field for 13.0 points per game with not much else in Summer League. We should see more Robert Covington at the three to push Sampson to more of a secondary role.

J.P. Tokoto, 76ers G – Besides being a high-flying dunker, there really wasn’t much to see. Tokoto didn’t have confidence in his jumper, which is justified due to all the misses. In seven games, he averaged 5.7 points, 4.1 boards, 0.9 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks and 1.7 turnovers. He missed all 10 attempts from beyond the arc. J.P. is raw.

T.J. McConnell, 76ers G – The 76ers signed the undrafted Arizona point guard and he’ll be at camp. Still, he didn’t really do much to suggest he is going to make a push for a roster spot. McConnell had some really nice passes, but he missed a slew of open shots. In six games, he averaged 5.2 points, 4.5 boards, 3.3 assists and 2.5 turnovers on 35.4 percent from the field. The 76ers would probably rather play Point-Karr over T.J., which is saying something.

Knicks (Impact rating: 8)

The Knicks had at least four Summer League players set to make the team and get minutes. We all know it was all about Kristaps Porzingis, but there is a heck of a lot more to watch. The Knicks still have a ton of questions on the wings behind Arron Afflalo and Carmelo Anthony while Jose Calderon can’t stay healthy at the point.

Kristaps Porzingis, Knicks F/C – The ceiling is real. Actually, it might be unreal because Zinger was one of a kind. Usually, we hear a foreign prospect can be more of a Paul Bunyan-type guy: 10-feet fall, swings an 800-pound axe, and has a giant ox as a pet. Well, Porzingis isn’t that big or strong and he probably doesn’t have an ox, but the reported measurable attributes look legit.

He listed at 7’2” tall and had a 7’6” wingspan, and after seeing him in person I’d say those numbers were not exaggerated. Probably the most “yeah, he’s that long” moment was when he blocked Jahlil Okafor at the rim without even really jumping. He also had moments when he would close out and surprised the shooter.

All that length usually leads to one pessimistic question: Can he stay healthy? We all know that seven-footer, top-five draft picks are more likely to get hurt than the under seven guys. Greg Oden blah blah blah. However, Porzingis doesn’t have any noteworthy injuries on record besides a minor hip injury at the beginning of Summer League. Guys like Oden did and several other injury-prone bigs did, too. Plus, his entire body is really long and he’s not quite as high-waisted as some seven-footers. Again, the risk is absolutely there, but the reward clearly tops that.

As for the stats, Porzingis averaged 10.5 points, 3.2 boards, 1.0 assists 1.0 steals, 1.8 blocks and 0.3 treys on 48.0 percent from the field in Las Vegas. He only played 20.5 minutes per game, so those were some very nice per-minute numbers. His numbers weren’t very potent overseas, averaging 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 1.0 blocks in 21.7 minutes while playing in Spain last season.

As for the style, the main thing was Worldstar was setting waaaaay too many ball screens. He wanted to be involved in every play and it was probably bothering the players and coaching staff. As the event went on, he wasn’t setting as many and he definitely responded to the coaching staff. Porzingis’ mid-range and low-post game looked a little ahead of schedule than what many expected, as well.

As for the defense, he was also above expectation. One noteworthy highlight is how he adjusted to Jahlil Okafor. The Philly big man started out 4-of-4 because he was just backing Porzingis down and killing him with easy buckets. However, Zinger changed to more of a front in the post and denied Okafor from getting the ball. After that hot start, Okafor made just 4-of-14 from the field. As mentioned, the block presence is for real and he could make an impact as soon as he gets to 20 minutes per game.

The fantasy roof is almost as high as Karl-Anthony Towns‘. Zinger could eventually be a 20-10 guy with good percentages and 1.5 blocks, which would make him a first-round pick. That ceiling makes him a top-three pick in Dynasty. As for re-draft, I’d still be a little careful and would consider him after pick 120, assuming nothing else is out there.

Jerian Grant, Knicks G – For a guy with one of the best assist:turnover ratios at college, Grant looked a little unprepared for pro ball. Maybe the difference of the 24-second clock was a factor or maybe it was the size of the players. Maybe Kristaps Porzingis setting so many ball screens messed him up, too. Whatever the case, Grant struggled with setting up the offense early on and wasn’t taking great shots. As he gained experience, Grant did start to get it together and seemed to grasp the flow of the offense.

In his five games, he averaged 11.8 points, 3.2 boards, 4.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 triples on 39.1 percent from the field. Grant also made 18-of-20 (90 percent) from the line, so that’s a positive for him. The Knicks clearly view him as more of a point guard rather than a combo guard at 6’4. His size helped him at Vegas and he did create some nice separation.

Looking at his college scoring stats from last season, there is a lot to like. He made 73.1 percent at the rim, those shots accounted for 31.3 percent of his FGA total, he was assisted on just 40.0 percent of his 3-pointers, and he went to the line six times per game in his last two years at Notre Dame. Grant really doesn’t have a lot to improve upon with respect to a glaring weakness. Yes, he should be better from 3-point range, but he did make 40.8 percent from deep two seasons ago.

Grant’s fantasy ceiling is high thanks to scoring often and effectively at the rim. If something happens to Jose Calderon, Grant could have a chance to see minutes in the upper 20s. His Dynasty value is inside of the top 15 even with the Knicks possibly looking to add a point guard in the next two seasons.

Cleanthony Early, Knicks G/F – The highlight of Early’s stint was the warmup dunks. He has some serious springs in his legs and was almost always running the floor in transition. Early did the same thing last year and he really didn’t take a major leap in the past season. Plus, he also was a letdown last season in his rookie year as Phil Jackson’s first draft pick.

Besides the fast-break scoring, there wasn’t a lot to like. He had a ton of bricks from deep, had several bad turnovers and he wasn’t really looking to pass. Early finished with Vegas averages of 10.4 points, 3.8 boards, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.2 blocks and 0.4 treys. He also got worse as the event went on, too.

Until we see him hit open shots and do things besides score, his fantasy appeal is undesirable.

Langston Galloway, Knicks G – He was the most disappointing player at Las Vegas. The turnovers were sloppy and he made a ton of mistakes on both ends. Galloway should get minutes next year, but it might not be long before he loses time. He was one of the pleasant surprises last year and improved as the year went on, so hopefully Vegas was a fluke. We should just throw this out, but keep it in mind if he stinks in the preseason.

That’ll do it for the Summer League recaps! Holy [naughty word] that was a lot of stuff and I hope you guys learned something. We’ll be in NBA Fantasy Draft Guide mode this month, but I’ll be on Twitter most of the time. I also have to shout out how awesome the NFL Fantasy Draft Guide is. Bang it here to get a boost to win your league! We’ll have the NBA guide in about a month!

Thanks for reading!

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