Damian Lillard, Then Everyone Else: Ranking The 52 Rookies At Summer League

[tlongII]

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2012/7/2...damian-lillard

Damian Lillard was clearly the standout rookie on the 2012 Summer League circuit, but who else was impressive? We rank the 52 drafted rookies that took part in the compe ion in either Orlando or Las Vegas.

Jul 23, 2012 - The 2012 NBA Summer League circuit is over, and while it's far too early to accurately judge the trajectory of all these players' careers, it was instructive to see the members of the 2012 rookie class play for the first time. A great Summer League doesn't guarantee greatness, nor does a bad Summer League guarantee disappointment. Nevertheless, we now have a better idea of what these guys can do for their teams once the games start counting.

All in all, 52 players selected in the 2012 NBA Draft participated in Orlando or Las Vegas. Two first-round picks didn't play, as No. 1 overall selection Anthony Davis is in London with Team USA and No. 24 pick Jared Cunningham never suited up for the Mavericks. Five second-round picks were draft-and-stash international players that never put on a uniform. The other 52 drafted rookies, though, did suit up.

Seems kind of natural to rank all of them, right? Let's begin.

MVP
The obvious headliner of this class this summer.

1. Damian Lillard, Blazers


He was the co-MVP of Summer League, and it was well deserved. There's just so much to like about Lillard. On the surface, he piles in points, displays great on-court leadership and has such high character that any franchise would be happy to prop him up on billboards and in front of season ticket holders. But there are also so many subtleties to his game that the hardcore fan can appreciate.

For one thing, he already has an incredible sense of timing on the court. Most young point guards play at one speed, because that's all they've needed to dominate their lower levels. Lillard, though, has already figured out how to shift rapidly from second gear to sixth gear, keeping his knees bent and his dribble low at all times so he can explode at any time. He's a score-first player, but he never forces drives. He got trapped often in Vegas, in particular against the Denver Nuggets, but instead of dribbling too quickly to one spot on the court or getting rattled, he held off the trap with his quickness and patiently waited for just the right opening when his teammate would be open and in rhythm to fire. Some players take a decade to master that art. Lillard, despite being more of a scoring point guard, already has it down.

It's also amazing to see just how well he finishes against the trees. There are two reasons for this, and both of them are incredible given his age and experience against high-level compe ion in college. For one, not only is he capable jumping off one foot and off two feet, but he knows when to do each. He understands when he needs to use the one-foot jump to take advantage of a quick opening that will soon close, and he also understands when he needs the momentum of both feet to power through defenders and avoid the shot block. For another, his upper body strength is well-developed, allowing him to keep his attention on the rim even as his shoulders are being battered. His body control in the air reminds me of a young Gilbert Arenas.

It'll be interesting to see how he fares against NBA athletes that have scouted his game. He displayed an obvious tendency of dribbling to his left when he drove to the basket, and I suspect the defenders he faces in the league will understand and engulf that tendency more than his opponents in Summer League did. In addition, his jump shot, while effective, was often a bit flat.

But those are incredibly specific concerns, the kind that should dog point guards that are 26 and already in the league for several years, not a 22-year old rookie. This kid is absolutely special, and the Blazers are very lucky to have him.

[baseline bum]

DOK will get a kick out of this section of the article

3. John Henson, Bucks

Given his size, length and offensive skill level, it's amazing he slipped to 14th in the draft. We know Henson is a bit skinny, but if that's the biggest knock on him, it's not much of a knock at all. His frame can certainly support more weight.

Three things in particular stood out to me with Henson's play. The first was his offensive skill level, particularly in the low post. Honestly, I didn't know that he was so proficient hitting left-handed hook shots. At his size, that was unblockable. The second was his perimeter shot, which was on point all week. He took that shot often last year, but he didn't make an incredibly high percentage, which dragged down his true shooting percentage. In the pros, though, he should be money hitting the 18-footer off pick and pops.

Finally, his defensive discipline was superb. Henson committed just five personal fouls all week, a staggeringly low number for a young big man playing in the tightly-called Summer League style. Sometimes, this discipline was mistaken for lack of effort, but I think that's unfair to Henson. Considering his length, it's more valuable for him to contest shots than fly around the court blocking them. In particular, he displayed that skill guarding Jared Sullinger in the Bucks' win over the Celtics.

[pass1st]

Leave it to tlong to think summer league = NBA

[baseline bum]

LOL Cleveland

THE DISAPPOINTMENTS

Two high lottery picks who played poorly.

31. Dion Waiters, Cavaliers

We knew coming into the draft that Waiters could run pick and roll and force himself into the lane, and he displayed that in the three games he played. What was disappointing, though, was the lack of development he showed in other areas. He struggled as a spot-up shooter, took plays off defensively and hoisted too many bad shots during the rare instances when he couldn't get to the basket. He also looked like he was carrying a little too much weight, and while he should always be sure to maintain his thick frame to aid his strength getting to the basket, he probably needs to lose 5-10 pounds to become more explosive.

If I'm the Cavaliers, I'm very worried with how Waiters fits in with Kyrie Irving. An injury to Irving robbed them of much-needed court time together. It's clear Waiters has a long way to go to adopt his game to fit his superstar point guard's talents.

[rayjayjohnson]

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