Predicting 2016 NBA Summer League Breakout Players

July 2nd, 2016 by Jonathan Wasserman Leave a reply »

There are always a few surprises at NBA Summer League, particularly among rookies who end up looking like steals after July. Last year, it was Norman Powell, a second-round pick due to limited size and shot-creating ability. He ended up averaging 18.3 points in Las Vegas and went on to become a key member of the Toronto Raptors' rotation later in the season and postseason.

The breakout sophomores are easier to peg based on previous results. Marcus Smart, T.J. Warren and Doug McDermott each came back to dominate stretches of Summer League in 2015.

After struggling through knee issues as a rookie, McDermott looked much fresher in Vegas last summer, when he scored 18.8 points per game. He emerged as a reliable sniper for the Chicago Bulls off the bench (42.5 percent from three).

Simply put, there is hope for everyone in a summer-league uniform.

Note: No top-five picks or All-Rookie first-team members were considered for these breakout star predictions.

 

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