These are simply my raw notes from nine days of in-person scouting at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
They’re not comprehensive scouting reports, nor do they include every player, team, or game I watched. They also don’t represent my complete evaluation of every player. In most cases, I had prior thoughts from previous live scouting and film study that aren’t included here. These are simply short in-the-moment observations, questions, and reminders I jotted down throughout the week to revisit later through film and data.
The notes are in the order I wrote them in my notebook.
Dailyn Swain (Rookie, Chicago Bulls). Maybe not strong enough to finish through contact? Twice he got blocked or couldn’t finish at the basket. Something to continue monitoring as he adjusts to the NBA level.
Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Fourth-Year Player, Memphis Grizzlies). Former Marquette and Dallas Mavericks player. Is he working on his three-point shot? Something to look into.
Caleb Wilson (Rookie, Chicago Bulls). Looks like he can shoot both the three and the mid-range. What are his shooting percentages?
Cameron Boozer (Rookie, Memphis Grizzlies). Stripped Caleb Wilson clean on a crossover and finished with a dunk. Really nice play.
Bryce Hopkins (Rookie, Denver Nuggets). Looks like he slimmed down and is now in shape. Also appears to be shooting quicker and with more confidence.
Dillon Mitchell (Rookie, Boston Celtics)
Previous film study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1YwkZ5jOLQ
Has his three-point shooting improved? I saw him hit a three; he only made one all of last season. Throughout Summer League he looked willing to take the shots defenses were giving him, showing confidence from the perimeter. He even hit a fadeaway turnaround jumper. Look up his Summer League shooting numbers to see if the confidence translated into production.
Hannes Steinbach (Rookie, Charlotte Hornets)
Very impressed. He runs the floor well and has an impressive body, size, catch radius, strength, and physicality. There is plenty of runway for him to continue adding to his frame. He plays hard and has big hands. He also showed good touch around the rim. I’m looking forward to seeing how he contributes against NBA players, what kind of impact his physicality has, and what he’ll ultimately become.
Chris Cenac Jr. (Rookie, Boston Celtics)
Previous film study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7CeJXNPrCo
Took the open jumper with confidence and knocked it down. He also hit a mid-range jumper before making an aggressive move to the basket and drawing a foul.
He may need to finish dunks and around the rim attempts with more control and punch.
He was inconsistent finishing around the basket, getting blocked multiple times and badly missing a dunk. This looks like an area that will need continued development.
Milos Uzan (Rookie, Boston Celtics). Plays with composure, makes the right play, and looks like a secure player. Does he have a lot of turnovers in Summer League? If so, I’d like to review them.
He seems to control his space and dribbling zone well offensively.
I’m unsure whether some of his limitations attacking the basket stem from his size and athleticism.
Egor Dёmin (Second-Year Player, Brooklyn Nets). Seems like he can finish well and create space driving to the basket. At 6’8″, his size as a guard allows him to finish on the go and at the rim. Also, he hit a three and had a put-back dunk.
Emmanuel Sharp (Rookie, Sacramento Kings). Quick release and always shot ready. Hit back-to-back threes, then another three, and eventually at least a fourth. His shooting stands out.
Mikel Brown Jr. (Rookie, Brooklyn Nets). Shows a good ability to stop on a dime and rise up for jumpers in transition. Good length that helps him get where he wants offensively.
Darius Acuff Jr. (Rookie, Sacramento Kings). Looks like he’s learning to slow the game down while getting others involved. Natural scoring ability from three. Also seems to have good burst attacking the basket, although I’d like to continue evaluating that.
Joshua Jefferson (Rookie, Brooklyn Nets)
Previous film study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFuJDaFVpcc
He hit a three, but I still didn’t come away feeling like there was much of a floor game. Something to continue watching.
Ben Saraf (Second-Year Player, Brooklyn Nets). Good size. What was his journey last season? Is he really a perimeter player?
Chance McMillan (Second-Year Player, Golden State Warriors). Seems like a capable and confident shot-maker. Look up his numbers from last season.
Trevon Brazile (Rookie, Denver Nuggets)
Previous film study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbwM2-BGe5U
Hit back-to-back threes, then another, eventually making four. The catch-and-shoot jumper looked really good. He did airball a jumper in the fourth quarter.
Is his floor game developing? Maybe that’s going too far, but he had a nice two-dribble blow-by for a layup.
Bennett Stirtz (Rookie, Oklahoma City Thunder). Looks like he fits in. Hit a quick one-dribble three, and controls the floor with his dribble.
Quick release from three and appears capable of making contested shots.
Oklahoma City Thunder (Summer League Team)
Pass, cut, shoot. They don’t waste dribbles and all seem committed to playing an unselfish style of play, regardless of the circumstance in the game. They aren’t afraid to let it fly when open. The offensive unselfishness and perimeter shot-making, while using minimal dribbles, really stands out. Defensively there’s still work to be done.
Peyton Sandfort (Second-Year Player, Oklahoma City Thunder). Quick release and always shot ready. Plays with controlled pace, relocates well, and looks like a good movement shooter. Not sure about his driving ability and physical frame. Look up his numbers from last season.
Jaxson Robinson (Second-Year Player, Cleveland Cavaliers). Good defensive length and knocked down threes off the dribble. Showcasing more aspects of his game than he did at BYU.
Andersson Garcia (Second-Year Player, Utah Jazz). Look up where and how he played last season.
Tarris Reed Jr. (Rookie, San Antonio Spurs). Nice block on a drive. Is he really trying to play above the rim athletically? Finishing on the go might be an issue.
Darryn Peterson (Rookie, Utah Jazz). His off-the-dribble package isn’t necessarily automatic. Curious how it develops. Good demeanor.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Rookie, San Antonio Spurs)
Tough player who gets into gaps and uses pound dribbles—sometimes effectively, sometimes not. I’d like to see more of his offensive game.
His diminutive size sometimes shows itself when attempting to finish around the basket.
Look up his finishing numbers and frequency at the rim last season at Tennessee.
Bez Mbeng (Second-Year Player, Utah Jazz). Appears to play with defensive ferocity. Seems like he enjoys competing and stays locked in defensively.
Lee Hyun-jung (Rookie, San Antonio Spurs)
Look up his numbers, whether he’s ever played in the NBA, and his Summer League production. Seems like he’s trying to establish himself as a player. Is he 6’6″? A shooting guard? Google says he’s 25 years old.
He did throw a bad pass, and I’m not sure about this part of his game or whether he fits at the NBA level.