LAS VEGAS -- Which rookies stood out at the NBA summer league? Unfortunately, many of the biggest names watched from the sidelines over the past week, including No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson -- whose summer ended in the second quarter of his debut for precautionary reasons due to a knee bruise.
Their absence gave some of the less heralded members of the 2019-20 rookie class a chance to shine not far from the big lights of the Vegas strip, including Zion's Pelicans teammates and Brandon Clarke of the Memphis Grizzlies, MVP of both the summer league as a whole and the championship game.
With another summer league in the books, let's take a look at the best of the first-year players.
Best rookie and best passer: Nickeil Alexander-Walker | New Orleans Pelicans
Because New Orleans' trades with the L.A. Lakers and Atlanta Hawks weren't yet finalized, Alexander-Walker and the Pelicans' two other draft picks besides Williamson were unable to play in the team's first two games in Las Vegas. After that, Alexander-Walker was electric, flashing a well-rounded game that could allow him to contribute in a reserve role more quickly than anticipated.
Having shared ballhandling duties with veteran point guard Justin Robinson at Virginia Tech, Alexander-Walker showed surprising playmaking ability running the New Orleans offense. He handed out 6.0 assists per game, most of any rookie. Scouts were particularly impressed by his distribution with both hands after he was more left-hand dominant in college.
Alexander-Walker's scoring (24.3 PPG) and hot outside shooting (13-of-32 on 3s) were more predictable but impressive nonetheless. And Alexander-Walker's length makes him a valuable defender at either guard spot. With apologies to MVP Clarke, the whole package was better than any other rookie in Vegas.
Best rookie (tournament edition): Brandon Clarke | Memphis Grizzlies
Like Alexander-Walker, Clarke got off to a late start this summer due to a trade that wasn't yet finalized. The extra rest paid off for Clarke, who nearly averaged a double-double (14.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game) while leading the Grizzlies to the Vegas title.
After a solid debut, Clarke really turned it on during the tournament portion of the competition, recording double-doubles in all three games. The Gonzaga product was also typically effective at the defensive end of the court, swatting seven shots in three tournament games. Like the Pelicans, Memphis impressed despite a high lottery pick -- in this case No. 2 selection Ja Morant -- sitting out due to injury, and Clarke was the biggest reason why.
Best dunk: Jaxson Hayes | New Orleans Pelicans
Though Alexander-Walker was half of the duo that produced the best dunk in Vegas, it was Hayes who did the heavy lifting ... off the ground.
The No. 8 pick caught the ball on the run after a side pick-and-roll for Alexander-Walker and elevated over Chicago Bulls defender Mychal Mulder, propelling himself off Mulder higher into the air for a powerful finish.
Best play: Zion Williamson | New Orleans Pelicans
During his brief stint on the court, Zion did deliver one moment to remember.
After a rebound by second-year New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox midway through the first quarter of his debut, Williamson came up from behind and yanked the ball out of the hands of an unsuspecting Knox, who ended up on the ground from the tussle for the ball. That left Zion all alone to dunk the ball home with two hands. Rarely has his signature flex celebration felt so well deserved.
Worst trend: Rookies sitting out summer league
Given the importance of protecting top draft picks who haven't played much since the end of their college seasons in March or April, it's understandable that prospects like Williamson would be shut down at the first hint of injury concern. Still, it's remarkable that just one player drafted in the top six (No. 3 pick RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks) played more than a single game.
The timing of summer league relative to the NBA's moratorium period was a particular issue because three top-10 picks (including Hayes) were involved in trades that could not be completed until the second day of action in Vegas. The timing should be better next year, when the start of the NBA summer league will presumably move back to July 10 because of the leap year. (Otherwise, it would be impossible to start the other two pre-Vegas summer leagues, the California Classic and the Salt Lake City Summer League, after the beginning of the new league year on July 1.)
Whether it's by reducing or eliminating the moratorium period or pushing back the start date for summer league, the NBA should work to prevent a repeat in the future.
Most improved: RJ Barrett | New York Knicks
A slow start for Barrett, particularly as a shooter, fed skepticism about how his game would translate to the NBA. Barrett shot 7-of-33 (21%) over his first two games and had eight turnovers in a rough debut against his former Duke roommate Williamson.
As the action progressed, Barrett started to find his footing as a playmaker. He handed out six assists in his third game and 10 in a consolation appearance, coming within two rebounds of a triple-double. Barrett's strong rebounding was the most consistent feature of his summer game, as he averaged 8.6 boards. And Barrett's shooting started to come around, as he made a more respectable 43% of his attempts after the first two games. If Barrett continues progressing like that during the regular season, he'll be just fine.
Best shooter: Chris Clemons | Houston Rockets
Clemons, who finished his career at Campbell University third on the all-time Division I scoring list, signed a camp contract with the Rockets after going undrafted. He made a strong case for a spot on the roster during summer play, knocking down nearly five 3-pointers a game at a 42% clip.
Clemons is a dangerous shooter off the bounce who's also capable of being a spot-up threat. He's an NBA-caliber offensive player, but the question is whether Clemons can hold up defensively at 5-foot-9.
Best rebounder: Terance Mann | LA Clippers
Four of the five leading rebounders at summer league were big men with NBA experience, making them predictable leaders. The fifth was Mann, a 6-foot-7 wing drafted 48th overall this year by the Clippers.
While Mann was plenty versatile at Florida State, averaging 6.5 rebounds per game as a senior, the 11.3 he averaged in Vegas are still shocking, as were his 5.7 assists (more than double his mark in 2018-19). He's likely to play more of a 3-and-D role for the Clippers, who used part of their remaining cap space after landing Kawhi Leonard to give Mann a four-year contract starting at slightly more than the minimum salary.
Best undrafted rookie: Terence Davis | Denver Nuggets/Toronto Raptors
Another wing who -- like his homonym Mann -- impressed at the NBA draft combine in Chicago, Davis went undrafted but didn't take long to find a home. After scoring 22 points on 5-of-7 shooting from long distance in his first game for the Nuggets, Davis signed a two-year contract with the Raptors that is guaranteed in 2019-20 according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. He then hopped over to Toronto's summer team and put up 33 points, 13 boards and 12 assists in his other two appearances.
Most popular rookie: Tacko Fall | Boston Celtics
I don't think I quite appreciated the Tacko phenomenon until he stood up to check in during his debut and receiving an enormous cheer from the crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center. Typically, such fanfare during routine game action in Las Vegas is reserved for the arrival of a star player like LeBron James as a spectator. So I instinctively looked at the entrance before realizing the popular star was in fact the the 7-foot-6 Fall, who drew similar response all week and inspired a pair of Celtics fans to dress in taco costumes for "Tacko Tuesday."
More than just a curiosity, Fall performed better in summer action than he did at the combine. His size makes finishes around the basket nearly automatic, and Fall shot 77% from the field while grabbing 20 rebounds and blocking seven shots in 63 minutes. More importantly, opposing offenses weren't able to take advantage of Fall defending away from the basket enough to value the production he provides inside. So perhaps there is reason to believe Fall could carve out an NBA career as a lesser version of the equally beloved Boban Marjanovic.