Summer league is often pitched as an opportunity to see the latest batch of rookies perform for the first time in a pseudo-NBA environment. There is a natural curiosity that makes us want to see how the Otto Porters and the Shabazz Muhammads of the world fare against a higher level of competition. But summer league isn't just about upcoming rookies showing their stuff; it is also a valuable training and experimentation ground for young players still on their rookie-scale contracts, or players in their "First Four," as I like to call them (first four years of their NBA careers).
For some, it's a chance to show that they've reached a level of development where they can contribute on a nightly basis to their teams. For others, it's an opportunity to work on underdeveloped aspects of their games, to experiment and push the boundaries of their talents.
Whatever the case, it's becoming increasingly valuable in today's NBA to have a firm and up-to-date grasp on the development and abilities of "First Four" players, because they represent subsidized talent (due to rookie-scale contracts for first-round picks, and what usually amounts to minimum deals for second-round picks). Here is a look at five such players and what they've shown so far in Las Vegas:
Austin Rivers | SG | New Orleans Pelicans
Rivers
After a much maligned rookie season that ended with a wrist injury, Rivers has had an opportunity to absorb the criticisms levied prior to the start of the season and figure out how much of them were applicable to his abysmal performance in 2012-13. He was one of the least efficient players in the entire league, and struggled to justify the use of a lottery pick on him. I wrote about his "design flaws" at the beginning of last season, and questioned whether he had a realistic self-appraisal of his own abilities.
Rivers still hasn't completely made the transformation; so far his field goal percentages are underwhelming, particularly from long range. But he's doing a much better job at driving and drawing contact, something he did prolifically at Duke but not in the NBA. Rivers needs to continue to simplify his game and focus more on efficiency than volume. Ultimately, his ideal role in this league is as an off-the-bench scoring machine, should he allow his ego to accept such a "demotion," but a big part of that role is the ability to be efficiently productive in those limited minutes.
Jonas Valanciunas | C | Toronto Raptors
Valanciunas
The lean 21-year-old from Lithuania we see today bears little resemblance to the skinny 19-year-old who was drafted two years ago. Besides adding strength and weight to his frame, Valanciunas has developed a confidence in himself that shines on the court. Players who start to get it toward the end of the regular season often carry that over into strong summer league showings, and Valanciunas might be having the best summer league of anyone in Vegas, averaging a shade under 19 points and 10 rebounds per game. He excels in pick-and-roll situations, using the combination of his length and mobility to finish at a high rate around the rim. Perhaps more impressive has been his free throw percentage -- he's missed only four of his 23 attempts through four games.
This efficiency gives hope that he can develop and add a solid catch-and-shoot ability to his arsenal, which can allow him to stop short and turn a pick-and-roll into a pick-and-pop, evading defenders trying to slide in and take the charge after the fact.
Jeff Taylor | SG/SF | Charlotte Bobcats
Taylor
Taylor has continued to develop his game for several years now. I was shocked he fell to the second round of the draft (albeit the very first pick of the round), because he brings so many desirable traits to the table: prototypical size for a wing, strong frame, good athleticism, good feel and IQ and an ability to knock down the perimeter jumper -- something that he wasn't able to do earlier in his collegiate career. The knock has been on Taylor's reticence to be more assertive offensively, along with his inability to make a "second move" when putting the ball on the floor (lacking the creativity to get out of a jam via the dribble).
Fast-forward to Vegas, and Taylor has taken those criticisms to heart, driving relentlessly to the basket and finishing around the rim with great verve and strength. He's averaging more than 20 points per game on almost 15 FGA per game, unheard-of aggression levels based on his past. He's shown an ability to put the ball on the floor and make that second move when the defense adjusts to stop his initial attack. Charlotte wisely has Taylor locked in for a third season, which means it'll have full Bird rights on him when he eventually becomes a restricted free agent in 2015. That will come in handy, as he represents one of the great value deals in the NBA.
Kent Bazemore | SG | Golden State Warriors
Bazemore
Another non-first-round pick, Bazemore has been known more for his sideline shenanigans than his actual basketball prowess. That said, underestimate Bazemore at your peril; he has the physical tools and feel to be an elite perimeter defender, which could give Golden State a lot of versatility in terms of the lineups it can throw out there. Bazemore played a point forward role at Old Dominion, handling the ball and creating offense for himself and others, and it appears that Golden State is putting him back in that sort of situation at summer league, trying to ascertain whether there are any opportunities to allow him to get some time at the backup point guard position.
He has played with great confidence thus far and has handled the pressures of point guard duties well. Bazemore will remain held back as long as his perimeter jump shooting continues to lag, but he also might represent an opportunity for incredible value, as he will be a free agent at the end of the upcoming season.
Markieff Morris | PF | Phoenix Suns
Morris
Earlier, I wrote about how some players come to summer league looking to show what new tricks they have, while others seek to show that they still can do the tricks they featured on the draft brochure. Morris falls in this second category, as he is trying to show that he can be a tough, reliable power forward who protects the glass and can space the floor on the offensive end. One of the hallmarks of Morris' career at Kansas was his remarkable efficiency shooting from the floor, and that's a trait that basically disappeared during his first two seasons in the league.
He's done an excellent job thus far of reasserting his "bread and butter" -- crashing the boards and converting on high-efficiency FGAs, whether they come from around the rim or around the 3-point line. His penchant for foul trouble remains an issue, as he needs to be able to show he can stay on the court and not place his team in the penalty. But if Morris can carry over any of the general production trend he's showed in summer league, he'll have gone a long way in giving his career prospects a huge boost.