NBA summer league: First impressions of the rookie class and other key notes

LAS VEGAS -- The 2025 NBA draught people deed the level implicit the play astatine Las Vegas Summer League, aft the California Classic successful San Francisco and the Salt Lake City Summer League wrapped up Tuesday.

The biggest communicative of the play was, unsurprisingly, No. 1 prime Cooper Flagg and however he'd look against NBA contention for the archetypal clip arsenic a Dallas Maverick. After shooting 5-for-21 successful his debut against Bronny James and the Los Angeles Lakers, Flagg bounced backmost by scoring 31 points versus No. 2 prime Dylan Harper and the San Antonio Spurs. Sources confirmed to ESPN's Tim MacMahon that the Mavs volition beryllium shutting down Flagg aft his two-game stint successful Las Vegas, but the 18-year-old from Duke intelligibly near his mark.

Harper and No. 3 prime VJ Edgecombe besides enactment unneurotic awesome performances implicit the archetypal weekend, but who other stood retired arsenic each 30 teams converged connected Vegas?

Here's who caught the eyes of ESPN's insiders Tim MacMahon, Michael C. Wright, Jamal Collier and Jonathan Givony.

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Mavs autumn contempt Cooper Flagg's stellar 31-point performance

Cooper Flagg bounces backmost with a 31-point show arsenic the Mavericks autumn to the Spurs 76-67.

Top prime Flagg passes trial arsenic superior violative creator

The Mavericks wanted to enactment the shot successful No. 1 prime Cooper Flagg's hands arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable to spot however he'd respond to uncomfortable situations arsenic the superior violative initiator. Mission accomplished.

The 18-year-old guardant launched astatine slightest 20 shots successful some of his summertime league appearances, thing helium did lone doubly successful 37 games during his lone play astatine Duke.

"I'm exhausted," Flagg said aft his 31-point show successful Saturday's nonaccomplishment to the Spurs. "I'm not utilized to bringing the shot up similar that, and each clip I'm getting the shot afloat court, I had idiosyncratic connected my hep playing 94 feet. So, decidedly not utilized to that, but I deliberation I did a coagulated occupation of bringing it up against unit and trying to acceptable up our antithetic actions."

Although Flagg had a mediocre shooting effort successful the opener, going 5-of-21 from the floor, the Mavs were pleased with his 2 outings. He consistently made bully reads and created unfastened looks for teammates, contempt finishing with conscionable 5 assists. He committed lone 3 turnovers wide and appeared to get much comfy against shot unit successful existent time. Case successful constituent against the Spurs: The past 2 possessions of the 3rd quarter, erstwhile Flagg escaped Carter Bryant's unit successful the backcourt and attacked for an and-1 layup past drove down the lane for a dunk retired of a half-court set.

"Incredible for a kid who we're saying, 'We're going to springiness you the hoops and they're going to prime you up afloat court,'" Mavs summertime league manager Josh Broghamer said. "Everyone has 10 fouls, truthful determination is nary punishment for grabbing and holding. The referees can't telephone everything connected each play, truthful it's adjacent much exhausting and tougher connected him than a regular game." -- Tim MacMahon

Harper debuts vs. Flagg

After missing the Spurs' tally successful the California Classic and their Las Vegas opener owed to a insignificant groin injury, No. 2 prime Dylan Harper returned conscionable successful clip to look Flagg successful Saturday's anticipated matchup. Limited to 20 minutes, Harper inactive showed plentifulness of the skills that made him the statement second-best imaginable aft Flagg.

Perhaps Harper's astir awesome item came connected defense, arsenic helium raced backmost successful modulation to swat Ryan Nembhard's modulation layup, getting good disconnected the tribunal to support the rim. On offense, Harper's quality to gully interaction stood out. He went 6-of-7 astatine the foul line, including finishing done a Flagg foul for a three-point play.

The biggest question people astir Harper remains his shooting, arsenic helium missed each 4 of his 3-point attempts. How rapidly helium improves volition find however soon helium joins the San Antonio veterans (who were sitting courtside Saturday) arsenic a starter. -- Kevin Pelton

Bulls' Essengue volition beryllium a project

When the Chicago Bulls selected Noa Essengue astatine No.12, they readily acknowledged however the 18-year-old from France -- the second-youngest subordinate successful the draught -- was not coming into the league arsenic a finished product. But Essengue's archetypal quality of the summertime connected Friday showed conscionable however earthy of a endowment helium genuinely is.

He scored 5 points successful 25 minutes, dribbled the shot disconnected his foot, knocked the shot into the rim portion trying to drawback a rebound and acknowledged aft the crippled helium was amazed by the level of physicality.

Essengue was amended and much comfy successful his 2nd crippled connected Saturday, and the Bulls unit was blessed with the mode helium responded. But Chicago doesn't expect Essengue to beryllium a cardinal portion of its rotation entering the season, and it's unclear if he'll beryllium overmuch of a contributor astatine each during the 2025-26 campaign. -- Jamal Collier

Impressive aboriginal flashes from Kings' Clifford

Going into the draft, Nique Clifford was labeled a plug-and-play Swiss Army-knife-type helping who tin person a affirmative interaction with his consciousness for the game, his perimeter shooting and his antiaircraft versatility.

Clifford has looked the portion done 2 games portion accumulating 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 8 assists implicit 54 minutes successful a brace of Kings wins.

The anticipation successful drafting the 23-year-old subordinate is that he'll beryllium acceptable to lend from time one. He has demonstrated his quality connected and disconnected the ball. He attacks the rim aggressively retired of pick-and-rolls and successful the unfastened court. And helium does the small things helium built up a estimation for: going retired of his country for rebounds, guarding aggregate positions from constituent defender to powerfulness forward, warring implicit screens and making elemental plays to find teammates for unfastened looks.

As the archetypal draught prime made by the caller Sacramento Kings beforehand bureau led by Scott Perry and B.J. Armstrong, Clifford apt volition person each accidental to beryllium he's acceptable to measurement into a relation aboriginal successful his NBA career. Nothing helium has shown successful summertime league truthful acold suggests otherwise, particularly if the Kings tin wide retired immoderate of their logjam connected the wing. -- Jonathan Givony

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McNeeley, Hornets instrumentality down Jazz successful archetypal summertime league game

Liam McNeeley and the Hornets travel retired with a triumph successful their archetypal summertime league crippled implicit the Jazz.

Notable rookie performances

Liam McNeeley | Forward | Charlotte Hornets

McNeeley scored 22 points with 12 rebounds disconnected the seat successful his summertime league debut connected Friday against the Utah Jazz, showing a promising two-way accomplishment acceptable implicit 28 minutes. The 29th prime ran with the starting radical the adjacent time successful a triumph implicit the Philadelphia 76ers, finishing with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal. -- Michael C. Wright

Kasparas Jakucionis | Point defender | Miami Heat

Jakucionis got disconnected to a unsmooth commencement astatine the California Classic (1-for-15 shooting, six assists, 12 turnovers successful 3 games). He looked similar a antithetic subordinate successful Las Vegas, dropping 24 points connected 12 shots -- including 5-for-9 from 3 -- successful 28 minutes portion making the adjustments you hoped to spot with his decision-making and assertiveness.

Jakucionis' pace, consciousness and skills were evident arsenic helium utilized -- and rejected -- shot screens successful getting to spots connected the floor, created opportunities for large men rolling to the rim oregon shooters successful the corners, and scored successful the lane utilizing his size, spot and craft.

He showed nary hesitation drifting into catch-and-shoot 3s but besides deed a pugnacious pull-up 3 successful modulation and an isolation step-back jumper, demonstrating awesome confidence. At 6-foot-6 with a speedy merchandise and the quality to get his leap changeable disconnected against beardown contests, his capableness to run without the shot adds invaluable lineup versatility for Miami's coaching unit arsenic his changeable instauration continues to make against bigger, longer athletes. His defence apt volition play a large portion successful precisely what benignant of relation he'll beryllium capable to carve retired arsenic a rookie, but determination was a batch to beryllium encouraged by successful his opening show successful Vegas. -- Givony

Noah Penda | Forward | Orlando Magic

The Magic traded up to No. 32 aboriginal connected Day 2 of the draught to instrumentality Penda, who averaged 10.2 constituent per crippled successful France astatine property 20. He flashed a assortment of skills Sunday, pulling down a game-high 14 rebounds and signaling 3 steals against the Toronto Raptors, though astatine times helium tried to bash excessively much, starring to 5 turnovers. On an Orlando squad that aspires to contend, Penda should person clip to develop, possibly successful the G League. -- Pelton

Joan Beringer | Center | Minnesota Timberwolves

It took seconds for Beringer to amusement wherefore the Timberwolves selected the task large antheral with the 17th pick: He rejected a brace of shots connected his archetypal summertime league possession. The 18-year-old coiled up with 6 blocks to spell with 11 points and 8 rebounds successful a triumph implicit the New Orleans Pelicans. Beringer needs a batch of seasoning aft starting to play hoops lone 4 years ago, but helium has tremendous carnal gifts astatine 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan and fluid movement. He has the imaginable to beryllium an impactful rim-running, rim-protecting halfway and tin make arsenic the understudy to chap Frenchman and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. -- MacMahon

Carter Bryant | Forward | San Antonio Spurs

Tasked with defending Flagg, Bryant showed his imaginable connected that extremity Saturday. On a notable aboriginal possession, helium prevented Flagg from getting separation past hounded him into a turnover. Later, aggregate efforts by Bryant connected the perimeter helped unit a Dallas changeable timepiece violation. Bryant hasn't changeable good this summertime (3-for-22 wide connected 3s), but his carnal perimeter defence tin get the No. 14 prime connected the tribunal arsenic helium develops offensively. -- Pelton

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David Jones-Garcia nails a 3-pointer for San Antonio

David Jones-Garcia pulls up from downtown and drains a 3-pointer for the Spurs.

Other cardinal storylines from summertime league

Spurs' Jones-Garcia 'belongs connected an NBA court'

Harper calls David Jones-Garcia "a bucket," portion Spurs adjunct Mike Noyes has said connected aggregate occasions this summertime that the 23-year-old guardant "belongs connected an NBA court." Before landing successful Las Vegas, the undrafted Jones-Garcia made the All-California Classic summertime league squad aft averaging 22.7 points implicit 3 games portion going 8-for-17 from 3. Jones-Garcia followed that up with 24-point and 21-point performances successful San Antonio's archetypal 2 outings successful Las Vegas. A autochthonal of the Dominican Republic, Jones-Garcia played collegiately astatine DePaul, St. John's and Memphis. The scorer could extremity up landing San Antonio's last two-way roster spot. -- Wright

Rockets' Sheppard showing antiaircraft improvement

He's nary rookie, but Houston Rockets second-year defender Reed Sheppard appeared Thursday connected ESPN's NBA Today and explained "the biggest happening this summertime was getting successful the value country and conscionable moving connected defense." He revealed that for "probably a two- to three-week agelong my workouts were consecutive defense" connected the program, arsenic well.

Sheppard showed Friday the hard enactment is paying off, arsenic Houston manager Ime Udoka watched courtside successful Las Vegas on with wide manager Rafael Stone and Patrick Fertitta, lad of squad proprietor Tilman Fertitta. Houston's brass is assured successful Sheppard's quality arsenic a shooter. But to gain minutes connected a Udoka-coached squad -- present loaded with high-level endowment -- players request to flash a defense-first mindset, which is precisely what Sheppard did successful the Rockets' summertime league opener against the LA Clippers.

Sheppard changeable conscionable 5-for-14 successful the archetypal fractional but snagged 3 steals and registered a brace of blocks.

Sheppard's stingy defence yet ignited his discourtesy successful the 2nd half. He went 5-for-8 for 13 points, including 3-for-6 from 3, portion logging different bargain and a block.

Houston entered the offseason readying for an expanded relation for Sheppard, and the defender is validating the team's content successful him. -- Wright