Ok, I’m officially a Brandon Clarke fan. This dude is so versatile on both sides of the ball and has such a high basketball IQ for a rookie, it really makes you wonder why he slipped so far in the draft. He was the Grizz’s best player this summer and he’s our pick for Summer League MVP as well. I can’t wait to watch him develop alongside Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson, Jr. over the next few years, wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if Memphis becomes the next Western Conference powerhouse.

Clarke had his best pro offensive outing so far, putting up 24 points on an efficient 7/10 shooting from the field and 9/11 from the line. He was setting monster screens and rolling hard to the rim all night and did so to get the go-ahead bucket in overtime as well. Memphis has played him at the five spot most of the summer, which could be a preview of what’s to come this season and if the Grizz are lucky, they could have just drafted the next Draymond Green.

NAW played the game of his life tonight and put the team on his back to overcome Miami in OT. He put up a monster 34/5/5 slash line and scored clutch buckets, free throws, and defensive stops to seal the game. I can’t wait to see Alexander-Walker develop this season… he’s got the physical tools and IQ to become a solid two-way point guard and should be given the keys to the Pels’ second-unit alongside Summer League teammate, Jaxson Hayes.

Newman didn’t seem to care that he was just playing in a consolation game today. He came out aggressive and put up a monster scoring performance that lifted the Cavs over the Kings in extra innings, putting up 33 points on 11/17 from the field and 4/6 from downtown. He almost single handedly won this one… he had the tying and go-ahead points in regulation (before the Kings tied it back up and sent it to overtime) and in the extra minutes, his clutch playmaking and scoring helped tip the game in Cleveland’s favor. Newman had himself a nice Summer League and it’d be cool to see a team throw him a two-way contract this season, I think he could be a solid backup for a developing team.

Midrange killa. Rui’s halfcourt game reminds me of a poor man’s Kawhi Leonard… calculated iso possessions that generally end with a strong drive to the rim or an open midrange pullup. I wasn’t thrilled with the Wiz taking him at 9 this year, thought they should have taken a flyer on Cam Reddish, but other than the opening game, he’s been solid for Washington this summer. He won’t be contending for rookie of the year, but I’m intrigued to see how his Summer League play will translate to the regular season. Washington should play him heavy minutes this year so he’ll get plenty of opportunity to prove me wrong.

Amid all the RJ Barrett struggling-so-far-commotion, Kevin Knox has quietly put together a solid Summer League, averaging 17 points, 6 rebounds and just under a block and a steal per game. And tonight was his best one so far -- he came out aggressive from the get-go and got to the line early and often, going 9/12 in the game. He’s a streaky shooter, but he knocked down a pair of treys and a few smooth looking mid range jumpers that if he can hit consistently, will open up his game in all sorts of ways. Hopefully, he can keep this level of aggression and poise with him thru the summer and into the regular season… if so, we’ll be seeing more performances like this in his pivotal sophomore season.

Simons could not miss today, going 13/18 from the field and 6/7 from three, putting up a Summer League-high 35 points. He’s been playing well all summer but he turned it up tonight and was hot right out of the gate. He did turn his ankle at the very end of the game, so it’ll be something Portland will have to monitor, but hopefully he won’t miss any time and can finish out the summer. With him and Clark Jr on the floor, Portland is one of the more dangerous teams out there and could make a deep run in the SL playoffs.

Walker was unconscious tonight, putting up a monster 32 points on 12/17 shooting. Nifty layups, fast-break dunks, midrange jumpers, stepback threes… this guy can score any way he wants and looks so poised and confident, like he knows no one in the Summer League can guard him. If he continues this level of play, he’ll walk away with the SL MVP award this year...

Evans was floating tonight. He had a Steph-esque performance in that he looked like he was going 50% but you look up and see that he put up a 24/8/4 statline by the end of the game. This is his second Summer League, so he has some experience over a lot of the competition, but damn does he look smooth. He was hitting floaters, tough layups, stepback jumpers… just looked like he was playing a bunch of highschoolers out there. He could lead the Warriors thru a deep Summer League run if he keeps playing the way he has been.

The 45th pick of the draft, Isiah Roby, looked phenomenal tonight, putting up a 14/7/3 statline with 2 blocks and 2 steals. He had some nimble, athletic drives to the rim and skyed for some blocks on the other end, but what impressed me more than everything was his passing. He only had three assists on the statsheet but he was threading the needle and putting his teammates in position to score all night. That’s a hard skill to teach and being so young and having that court vision will bode well for him, should allow him to get some more playing time this year if Carlisle can rely on him for some second-unit playmaking.

The big man from Arkansas had a hell of a Summer League debut, putting up a dominant double-double while protecting the rim on the other end, with four blocks. Just a ball of energy and outworked and outmuscled the Lakers all night. 
He’s listed at 6’11, 230lbs but moves really well, kind of reminds me of an Am’are Stoudemire or Shawn Marion… a great roll man on PnRs and willing to run the floor on both sides of the ball. I like what I saw tonight and think he can put together an impressive Summer League season if he continues to bring the same aggressiveness and grit every night.