Top 20 Rookies in NBA Summer League Rankings!

After what seems to be arguably one of the NBA’s most talented NBA Drafts, followed by a very entertaining and eye-opening NBA Summer League, this year’s NBA Summer League has officially come to an end! We were able to bear witness to an epic Cade Cunningham/ Jalen Green showdown, Davion Mitchell showcasing his suffocating on-ball defense, and Gelo Ball’s attempt to prove his father’s prediction correct of having all three of his sons in the league. Plenty of highly touted player’s showcased their talents, while some lesser known guys were able to prove that they belong in the NBA as well. 

Now before I get to these rankings, let me first say that GOODNESS GRACIOUS! It is HARD to make it to the NBA. All of these guys that played in the Summer League are incredibly good and incredibly talented. Even the players that have ZERO chances of making the NBA are ridiculously good. Also, the thought behind these rankings consist of a combined evaluation of performance during the Summer League games and a projection of how I think their careers will go. So, without further ado, let's get to my 2021 Rookie NBA Summer League Rankings!

1. Jalen Green - Houston Rockets

I promise I’m not biased as a Houston native! Jalen Green made scoring in the Summer League look like child’s play. He scored at a very efficient clip, while showcasing his ability to make tough shots as well. That left hand dribble step-back was automatic! Green averaged 20.3 points per game on 51.4 FG% & 52.6 3P%! An underrated stat that he posted was his FT%. He shot 92.9% from the stripe, which could bode very well for him when you factor how athletic he is. As many can see, Green does not have many offensive weaknesses. Maybe we’ll see his confident goal of averaging 30 PPG and winning the Rookie of the Year Award become accomplished. Time will tell, but if you ask me he’s definitely one of the leading candidates for sure.

2. Jalen Suggs - Orlando Magic

Jalen Suggs is an absolute DOG, and he did not care that he was playing alongside TWO of the Magic’s other young promising guards. He actually outplayed them and looked as if he deserves the reins of the team despite Cole Anthony’s and RJ Hampton’s experience. Any observer can applaud Suggs’ aggregation, and I’m sure he gave many Florida natives slight flashes of being a similar player to Dwayne Wade.

3. Cade Cunningham

The #1 overall pick played well throughout his stint in the Summer League. Although I do think Green and Suggs outplayed him and could very well have more promising futures, I think Cade showed glimpses of what made him the #1 overall pick in the first place. The dude is the definition of versatile. He can play 1-3 well and he is a coach on the floor. The man never stops talking and does a great job of encouraging his teammates. Other players are going to love playing with Cade for sure. He also shot the ball very well from beyond the arc, notching a 50% 3P% through 3 games.

4. Cam Thomas

BUCKET! I’ll gladly say that I am biased when it comes to Cam Thomas. My favorite players are bucket getters and Cam Thomas is a certified BUCKET! Cam Thomas led ALL PLAYERS (not just rookies) in scoring throughout the Summer League, averaging a whopping 27 PPG. He also won the Summer League MVP award. He may prove to be an absolute steal for the Brooklyn Nets who really didn’t need to add scoring, but hey the more the merrier, right? I wouldn’t be shocked if Cam Thomas becomes the Net’s go-to scorer off the bench this season. 

5. Alperen Sengun

Man, talk about a shocker! I didn’t know who Alperen Sengun was before July 29, 2021 and now I will probably remember that name forever. This dude impressed many, if not all basketball fans with his play. He averaged a double-double, 14.5 PPG & 10.8 RPG, AND he averaged 3 blocks per game as well. So not only can he post up, shoot 3’s, rebound, but he can also play defense. Man, I’m not the biggest Rocket fan, but this draft has definitely increased the amount of fandom I have for the hometown team for sure. A lineup consisting of KPJ, Jalen, C Wood, and Alperen could be tough in a few years.

6. Jonathan Kuminga/ Jalen Johnson

Kuminga and Johnson both impressed me throughout their tenures in the Summer League with their similar combinations of length, athleticism and skill to play on the perimeter, yet aggressiveness to play the forward spot. Obliviously if I put both of these guys at the #6 spot I think they are kindred, but I do think their different situations with their teams could create drastically contrasting futures. Kuminga is on a team where the only other guys who play a similar position/ role are Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, but Johnson joins a Hawks team that is not only deep at the position he plays, they’re young at that spot as well. So, we’ll see what's in store for these two down the road.

       8. Davion Mitchell

If you missed out during the NCAA tournament, Davion Mitchell yet again displayed his lock-up defense, which coupled with his strong shooting and play-making capabilities, made him a lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Also, I don’t think it's a coincidence that Mitchell led his College and NBS Summer League teams to their respective championships. The dude is a proven winner, and even though the Kings sport two budding guards (De’aaron Fox & Ty Haliburton), I think he’ll make an impact on that team.

        9. Scottie Barnes

Versatile! Scottie Barnes can do it all and he filled up the stat sheet throughout the NBA Summer League. Along with his 15.5 PPG, he also tallied 6.8 Rebounds per game and 3.3 assists per game. Now, he will have to improve his 3 point shooting. He shot just 27.3% for the 3-point line, but I do see a pretty big upside in Scottie. Additionally, I wouldn’t be super shocked if Scottie Barnes ended up being a really good player, like perennial All-Star good. He is big, athletic, can handle the ball, and play make for others. Tell me, when you think of a bigger and more athletic Draymond Green, who do you picture?

10. Chris Duarte

I did not know anything about Chris Duarte before the Summer League, but now I'm a big fan. The big guard shot it lights out during all 4 games that he participated in, and some of those shots were TOUGH! Duarte averaged 18.3 PPG, while shooting 45.6% from the field and 48.3% from beyond the 3 point line. Also, he made every single free throw he shot. Yes, he was 100% throughout the entire summer league. Although Duarte is a score-first guard, he also displayed flashes of being a capable playmaker for others. He averaged 3.8 assists per game. But there's more! This man was a lock up defender as well. Throughout the NBA Summer League, he averaged 2.5 steals per game and 1.8 blocks per game.

11. Nah’Shon Hyland

While I was on twitter this summer leading up to the draft, I would hear about some dude named “Bones” that a lot of people were excited about. Basically, the tweets kind of generalized that he was “slept on”. Well, I’ll tell you what, there shouldn’t be anyone that is still sleeping on him now, because Bones can go! He’s a lengthy 6’3 guard who has that kind of handle like he grew up playing at the park. Basically, Hyland has a deep bag and is very entertaining to watch. He didn’t shoot it quite as well as Duarte (not many other players did), but he did average 19.8 PPG and 4.8 assists on 46.4 FG% and 40% 3P%. I’ll be curious to see how he fits into a Denver team who has a decent amount of depth. Although, he should at least get a fair opportunity with Jamal Murray being sidelined for the vast majority of the season.

12. Shariffe Cooper

Shariffe Cooper averaged 7.3 assists per game throughout the NBA Summer League, which was first amongst rookies. Now, he also averaged 5 turnovers per game, which was highest amongst all players. So, although he did a wonderful job of getting his teammates involved, he’ll have to work on taking care of the ball if he wants to crack the Atlanta Hawks’ rotation. Cooper did show that he is a more than capable mid range shooter and finisher. If he can become a guy who you must guard past the 3-point line, then his future could be bright.

13. Evan Mobley

I’ll have to be honest with you. Coming into the draft I was not big on Evan Mobley at all. The Rockets had the #2 pick and Jalen Green was the guy I thought gave us the best chance to be a finals contender in the future. AND even though he didn’t dominate in the NBA Summer League, I do think that he played well and showed flashes of how he can be a really good player in this league. I saw 3s, plenty of elbow jumpers and face up drives to the basket, but where I think he has the most upside is on the defensive side. With his rare combination of length, speed, and coordination he should be a terror as a paint defender and he should be formidable when switched on to guards. Similarly to Anthony Davis, if he comes out and hangs his hat on his defensive play early in his career, I think that will translate to success for him in the future both defensively and offensively. 

14. Moses Moody

Moses Moody reminds of the type of off guard that usually spends 2-4 years in college. He scored well (16.3 PPG), shot solid percentages (42.9 FG%, 37 3P%), and took care of the ball (2 TOPG). He did what he does well: move off the ball & shoot outside shots. While those abilities may sound simple, simple can turn into a very successful and long NBA career.

15. Luka Garza

The 2021 Naismith Men's College Player of the Year played well throughout the NBA Summer League and hopefully quieted doubters that his game wouldn’t translate to the NBA. He averaged nearly a double- double (15 PPG, 9.6 RPG) and displayed a legitimate chemistry with Cade Cunningham when they were on the court together. Garza also shot it well from deep, averaging a nice 40% from beyond the 3-point line. If he proves he can guard and somewhat generate the same type of offensive abilities he displayed throughout the Summer League, I believe he can be a legitimate rotation player on any NBA team.

16. Josh Christopher

Again I hope I’m not biased, but I REALLY like “Jaygup’s” game and demeanor. He is always in attack mode on both offense and defense. In other words, he’s a DOG and the Rockets could definitely use a guy like him. He does a really good job of getting into the paint and he’s an underrated passer as well (4.2 APG throughout Summer League). Now, the 2 aspects of his game he's going to have to improve if he wants to have a relevant NBA career are his 3-point shooting (shot 18%) and his turnovers (averaged 2.8 TOPG). But, I’d put my money on Jaygup getting better at both of those throughout his career. 

17. Quentin Grimes

The hometown hero interestingly enough went to the same team that the last great SG from the University of Houston went to: the New York Knicks. Grimes was a bit inconsistent the first few games when he was playing alongside Emmanuel Quickley, but once they gave Quickley a rest for a few games, he went nuts! Grimes put up games of 28 points and 26 points. Also, he shot over 40% from the field and the 3-point line. Additionally, Grimes was able to show that he's an underrated passer and that if you let him get his step-back mid range jumper off, it’s probably going to go in. I think that when you combine Grimes’ shooting ability, size, playmaking ability and overall skill level, you get a guy who is going to have a very solid career.

18. James Bouknight

You may be asking yourself when you’re looking at this list: Why is James Bouknight so low? Well, honestly I’m not quite bought into the hype of him being a great NBA player just yet. He did average almost 17 PPG and shot the ball decently, but he did turn the ball over a lot (3.5 TOPG) all while only averaging 3.8 APG. I do think he is a freak athlete, but he struggled playing the point and he’s not exactly the ideal size of an off-ball guard. Could he have a successful career? For sure, but he’ll have to work on his playmaking skills and not turning the ball over as much.

19. Dejon Jarreau

Jarreau has great size (he is 6’5) and can do a lot of different things on the court. He can play make for himself and others, rebound, play on-ball defense, play off-ball defense, and his motor is off the chain. Additionally, he shot the ball from 3 decently too (36.4%), which has been viewed as his weakness. Now, I could see Jarreau primarily playing in the G League this season, but if he gets an opportunity he can definitely make the most out of it.

20. Trey Murphy III

The 6-7 wing can shoot it and when you have length and can shoot it in 2021, that always gives you a chance to make an impact. It's interesting that before Murphy III transferred to Virginia, he played at Rice University, which is in Houston and I had never heard of him. He is definitely a testament to how patience, hard work, and self belief can transform you from an unknown prospect into a 1st round pick. The Pelicans need shooters and I think there’s a good chance he’ll get to contribute this season, because he can provide exactly that.

Honorable Mention:

Eugene Omoruyi, Joshua Primo, Franz Wagner, Joshua Giddy, Ziaire Williams, Isaiah Jackson, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Herbert Jones, Jericho Sims, Sam Hauser, Kai Jones