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5 Summer League Winners, Losers From 2024 Draft Class

Vendetta Sports Media / NBA / July 23, 2024

NBA Summer League 2024 — As the 2024 NBA Summer League has concluded, let’s review the performance of some of the biggest names from the 2024 NBA Draft class. (Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports)

5 Summer League Winners, Losers From 2024 Draft Class

The 2024 NBA draft class was underwhelming from the start. Before anyone was even selected, basketball media was almost unanimous in its lack of appeal and potential. On the flip side, this leaves plenty of room for pleasant surprises and surpassed expectations. Let’s check on five of the bigger names from this year’s draft class and their summer league performances.

Loser: Alexandre Sarr, No. 2 overall, Washington Wizards

Alexandre Sarr looked absolutely dreadful on the court for the Wizards. In four games, Sarr averaged only 5.5 points on 19.1 percent shooting. He didn’t score a single point against in his game against the Trail Blazers, missing two free throws and every one of his shot attempts. Sarr did manage to average a respectable 7.8 boards per game. The thought of anyone over 7 feet tall missing points inside the paint is almost laughably absurd, yet Sarr managed to do so. He was very hyped going into the draft, making his performance all the more disappointing. As it stands, he’s a loser.

Winner: Reed Sheppard, No. 3 overall, Houston Rockets

Reed Sheppard looked like a top-5 prospect in his Summer League performance. He averaged 20 points on 57 percent true shooting for the Rockets. He showcased his quick hands, pulling in 11 steals across his four games for Houston. Reed’s 3-point shooting admittedly did not look as sharp as it did in college. He ended his Summer League run at 5-for-18, but given his history, I’d expect that to improve. Overall, he looks perfectly poised to fill the gap at point guard for the Houston Rockets.

Winner: Bronny James, No. 55 overall, Los Angeles Lakers

This list could not be complete without mentioning one of this year’s most controversial and talked about draft picks. Bronny James, son of LeBron James, was a mixed bag during his Summer League minutes. His haters seemed to be proved correct in his first two games. He air balled wide open threes, not making a single one until his third game. Bronny shot a miserable 15.8 percent from deep and 35 percent overall. In fairness, he improved in his last two games, scoring 12 and 13 points, respectively. These are perfectly acceptable point-per-game averages for a 55th pick. If his collegiate record is any indication, I would suspect they’re flukes. However, I have to give him the title of winner. Only the worst was expected of him going in, and he seems to be improving.

Winner: Donovan Clingan, No. 7 overall, Portland Trail Blazers

The 7-foot-2 big man from Connecticut rode into the NBA high off two NCAA championships, and now he’s looking fantastic for Portland. It appears that Clingan will grow into an intimidating defensive force in the NBA. He led the Summer League in rebounds per game at 12.3, as well as posting an impressive 4.3 blocks per game. Maintaining his defensive presence alone will make Clingan an excellent pick for the Trail Blazers moving forward. He is a winner, without a doubt.

Spencer Dinwiddie returns to Mavericks on one-year deal

Loser: Zaccharie Risacher, No. 1 overall, Atlanta Hawks

It’s hard to think of another #1 pick with so little excitement attached to their name. Risacher overtook Alexander Sarr at the last minute to become the first selection in this year’s draft. He’s not looking like a #1 (neither does Sarr, for that matter). In 29.5 minutes per game for the Hawks this Summer League, the 6-foot-9 wing only put up 14.5 points per game while shooting 25 percent from three. It’s a small sample size, since Risacher only played two games before bowing out with a leg injury. But it is still low production compounded with new questions about his durability. The floundering Hawks are in need of some encouraging news, which Risacher did not deliver.