Although the NBA summer league continues in Las Vegas through Monday's championship game, today will be the last action for the 16 teams that did not advance to the quarterfinals of the current tournament format.
Since I'm back home after watching the first six days of play, this is a good time to wrap up the action on the UNLV campus with my annual superlatives. Here are my picks for the top players, best skills and more during the summer league.
Best rookies
1. Alan Williams | Houston Rockets
Believe it or not, the best rookie in Vegas has been one who didn't have his name called on draft night last month. Williams, an incredibly productive scorer and rebounder at UC Santa Barbara, has carried that over to summer play. He leads all rookies with 20.0 points per game, using his hook shot to score over bigger defenders in the post. Williams has also pulled down 8.7 rebounds per game and flashed impressive court vision against double-teams, handing out 2.7 assists.
2. Norman Powell | Toronto Raptors
Although Powell experienced a dose of reality in Thursday's tournament loss, shooting 5-of-16 from the field, the second-round pick from UCLA has been impressive overall. He's averaging 18.3 points on 50.9 percent shooting, getting out in transition for easy buckets. That's remarkable given the defensive end is probably the physical Powell's greatest strength.
3. Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves
Towns hasn't been dominant in Las Vegas, but the No. 1 pick has been solid across the board, averaging 13.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 blocks. He's an incredibly heady player at both ends, although he has tried to do a bit too much, leading to 3.8 turnovers per game.
Honorable mention: Justin Anderson, Dallas Mavericks; Willie Cauley-Stein, Sacramento Kings; Emmanuel Mudiay, Denver Nuggets; Bobby Portis, Chicago Bulls
Most Tantalizing Rookie: Emmanuel Mudiay | Denver Nuggets
After a strong start, it's gotten harder to say Mudiay has been one of the best rookies now that his shooting percentage has dipped to 38.5 percent (2-of-14 from 3-point range) and he had seven turnovers to just one assist Thursday. But Mudiay has shown incredible promise with his court vision and ability to get to the rim, especially given that he slipped to the seventh pick.
Most Disappointing Rookie: D'Angelo Russell | L.A. Lakers
It's easy to overreact to Russell's rough week in Las Vegas, especially with Mudiay playing better than expected. Resist that temptation. Russell is too good a shooter to continue making 7.7 percent of his 3-point attempts, having shot 41 percent from the NCAA line last season. And many of Russell's 5.8 turnovers per game are the result of his ability to see a play being ahead of his ability to execute it. Still, more was reasonably expected of the No. 2 pick than we've seen thus far.
Best veterans
1. Kyle Anderson | San Antonio Spurs
After averaging 22.3 points in 26.8 minutes, Anderson has nothing left to prove at this level. He hasn't been particularly accurate as a shooter, making just 44.4 percent of his attempts from the field, but has supplemented those makes with 31 free throws in four games. Defenders just can't help but fall for Anderson's slow-motion fakes.
2. Noah Vonleh | Portland Trail Blazers
Since missing the Blazers' opening game with a sprained ankle, Vonleh has been terrific, averaging 17.3 points and 8.5 points per game and shooting 55.8 percent from the field. Compared with a year ago, when Vonleh struggled in Las Vegas, he has filled out physically and developed his skills -- including NBA 3-point range. Vonleh made all three 3-pointers he attempted Thursday, bringing him to 5-of-10 from beyond the arc for the week.
3. Dwight Powell | Dallas Mavericks
Speaking of big men who can stretch the floor, Powell has made 11 triples in five games, albeit at a 26.8 percent clip. He's averaging 19.2 points and 9.2 rebounds and has been a playmaking presence from the frontcourt, handing out 2.0 assists per game.
Honorable Mention: Jordan Clarkson, L.A. Lakers; Allen Crabbe, Portland Trail Blazers; Doug McDermott, Chicago Bulls; T.J. Warren, Phoenix Suns
Most Disappointing Veteran: Julius Randle | L.A. Lakers
Given he missed the balance of his rookie season with a fractured tibia suffered on opening night, it probably shouldn't be surprising that Randle has looked more like a first-year player acclimating to the league than a confident veteran. Still, his difficulty finishing in the half-court offense (he's shooting 39.3 percent) and middling rebounding (11 in 61 minutes, 6.5 per 36) have been disappointing for a Lakers team counting on Randle to step up this season.
Best Free Agent: Seth Curry | New Orleans Pelicans
As his brother, Stephen, was to last year's NBA season, Seth has been to this year's summer league. He's leading all players with 25.3 points per game -- three more than anyone else -- while scoring at least 20 points in each game. Stunningly, Curry hasn't shot the ball all that well (5-of-27 from 3-point range), instead getting more of his points inside the arc off the dribble -- and even from the free throw line. Curry has also added a Vegas-high 14 steals for the 4-0 Pelicans.
Honorable Mention: Justin Dentmon, D-League Stars; Sean Kilpatrick, Milwaukee Bucks; Glen Rice Jr., Houston Rockets; Williams
Best shooter, hair and more
Best Shooter: Ian Clark
The MVP of the inaugural NBA summer league championship game is again enjoying the shooting backdrops on the UNLV campus, making 10 3-pointers at a 55.5 percent clip during four games so far.
Best Rebounder: Lucas Nogueira | Toronto Raptors
The Raptors' second-year Brazilian center, better known as "Bebe," has pulled down a league-high 11.5 rebounds per game -- nearly one every other minute.
Best Playmaker: Mudiay
With apologies to Larry Drew II and Tim Frazier, who rank 1-2 in assists per game, Mudiay has been the most impressive passer in Vegas this week. He has shown precocious ability to drive and find teammates in the corner for easy 3-point attempts.
Best Shot-Blocker: Cauley-Stein
There's been plenty of strong shot-blocking this week, including Atlanta Hawks rookie center Walter Tavares swatting 3.5 shots per game. Still, in terms of quality nobody surpasses Cauley-Stein, who has destroyed shots time and again -- including one on Wednesday that he blocked while hobbling after banging knees with an opponent.
Best Dunker: Norman Powell
Powell has drawn oohs and ahs on press row with his above-the-rim finishes, including three highlight-reel dunks in one game alone.
Best Hair (tie): Pat Connaughton | Portland Trail Blazers & Kevin Pangos | Dallas Mavericks
While they're treading dangerously close to mullet territory, Connaughton and Pangos are sporting similar movie-star-quality locks. Connaughton's hair will be on full display in the NBA next season after he signed a multiyear deal with the Blazers. Pangos, who went undrafted out of Gonzaga, will have to make a team in training camp. Honorable mention here goes to Chasson Randle, whose hair is rapidly approaching Elfrid Payton territory.
Best Player Turned Summer League Head Coach: Becky Hammon | San Antonio Spurs
With all due respect to Derek Fisher, coaching the summer Knicks a second consecutive season, this honor has to go to Hammon, a surefire Hall of Famer who ranks seventh in WNBA career scoring and third in 3-pointers. Hammon, the first woman to serve as head coach of an NBA summer league team, has led her team to a 3-1 record and a spot in the quarterfinals.
Most Veteran Veteran: Keith Bogans | Portland Trail Blazers
At 35, Bogans is playing summer basketball for the first time since 2005, when he was a second-year player. Now an 11-year vet, Bogans is hoping to follow the same playbook as Rasual Butler, who used a summer appearance with the Indiana Pacers in the summer of 2013 at age 34 as a springboard to making the Pacers' roster and playing in the NBA each of the past two seasons.