Ah, NBA Summer League. Nothing like flocking to a city with a median temperature of 148 degrees to cram into a packed gym and watch players you’ve never heard of compete for a team’s final roster spot. I kid, I kid — well, sort of.
This year’s Summer Leagues (Sacramento, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas) were particularly exciting due to a fresh crop of rookies, led by potentially generational talent Victor Wembanyama. His time in Vegas started with a surreal encounter with Britney Spears and ended with one of the most impressive games of the summer.
Meanwhile other rookies didn’t fare as well, whether due to injury or poor on-court performance. As always, it’s crucial to keep in mind that a player’s first summer is hardly a surefire predictor of his career trajectory, so take everything with a very large flake of Himalayan sea salt.
That being said, here’s a look at a few of the winners and losers from 2023 NBA Summer League with things set to wrap up on Monday night.
Winner: Victor Wembanyama
Let’s just get this one out of the way early. Not only did Wembanyama cause more hype than any Summer League participant in history, but he also had his own mini-redemption story in the two games that he played in Las Vegas.
The haters were out in full force after a disappointing 2-for-13 debut in which Wembanyama looked physically outmatched. But the 7-foot-4 alien responded with a brilliant performance two nights later, putting up 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks on 9-for-14 shooting, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range.
Perhaps most impressively, Wembanyama clearly elevated his game as the San Antonio Spurs clawed their way back into the game against the Blazers in the fourth quarter, when he scored 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting. He looked increasingly energetic and enthusiastic as the game got closer, pumping his fists and screaming after key defensive stops.
Overall, Wembanyama showed us everything that makes him one of the best prospects in NBA history — the shot-blocking, shot-making and ability to impact games in…
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