The NBA Summer League has been a joy to watch thus far. Players are trying to make a roster, lottery picks are getting their first NBA action, and fans from all around the country are here to watch. The Las Vegas summer league is by far the largest, featuring over twenty teams in the city. We're a couple days into the Vegas festivities and have a lot more yet to come. We've seen a lot of rookies play thus far, but here are the four players to watch in Sunday's action.
Dennis Smith Jr, Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks probably wasn't expecting to get their franchise guy with the 9th overall pick.
8 picks into the draft, and there is Dennis Smith Jr, waiting for his name to be called. The electric point guard finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in his debut on Saturday.
Smith didn't take a ton of shots but is an incredibly gifted scorer coming out of the 2017 draft. Smith will be looking to prove himself every night, as he was likely picked lower in the draft than he should have. The Mavericks have a young core out there with him in Vegas, but they are competing. They took down the Bulls on Saturday and look to do the same to the Suns on Sunday.
Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
If you haven't heard the name Donovan Mitchell yet, look him up on Youtube. Mitchell came out of Lousiville as a defensive specialist with an NBA-ready shot and some quickness.
Mitchell showed out in the Utah summer league, where he not only scored the ball really well, he dominated on defense.
Mitchell matched up against Jayson Tatum on multiple possessions and got the better of him in Utah. Mitchell and the Jazz take on the Clippers.
De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
De'Aaron Fox might be the quickest guard in Las Vegas.
Fox had a heck of a debut against the Suns on Friday night, where he dominated on offense and defense. One of the biggest things to watch from Fox is how he shoots the ball and shoots it off the dribble.
Fox's major weakness was his three-point shot. He didn't connect on any threes on Friday, but his mid-range looked really good and his ability to get to the rim or feed his teammates was in full effect.
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum is living up to being the third overall pick. Tatum has dominated teams through his scoring and rebounding. Tatum's showed off a lot of offensive potentials, ranging from a mid-range fadeaway or driving to the basket. The main thing to watch from Tatum when they play the Blazers is how he creates for his teammates. Tatum isn't being asked to be the facilitator, but at times against the Lakers, he took too long to make a move.
These four players are all going to star in the NBA. Watch for them to make their mark on Sunday.