How will the rookies performance in the Summer League affect the regular season?

The 2018 NBA rookies came out and put on a showcase for the fans and the league during the NBA Summer League. The NBA Summer League was created to help rookie players gain some experience and learn what the NBA will be like for them. Players like Trae Young, Kevin Knox, Deandre Ayton all put on a showcase for everyone to see what can be expected from them during the regular season as well as for many years to come. Kevin Knox went in to the Summer League to prove to Knicks fans that he can be their franchise player, Ayton wanted to show why he was the right player to be chosen number one overall in the draft. As for Trae Young, he wanted to show the doubters that he can play at the NBA level and he won’t be another bust. So how did these rookies do in the games they played in? What does this mean for the upcoming NBA season?

Let us start with Trae Young. He was a standout player at the University of Oklahoma averaging 27.4 points, 8.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Some experts predicted Young as a top 10 draft pick, some even predicting a top 5 draft pick. Young was the number 5 draft pick by the Dallas Mavericks but was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Luka Doncic, the number 3 overall pick in the draft. Many were shocked by this trade as Luka was projected as the best overall player in the draft while Young had many questions that lead to believe he would be a bust. One-way Young could display his skills was to enter the NBA Summer League. Young started off struggling in his first two games in the Summer League but started to pick up where he left off in college. The more he played the better he got. Young finished the Summer league with an average of 17 points and 6.8 assists per game. Was it too soon maybe to call Trae Young a bust? He improved through out the Summer League and it could indicate that once he gets going, he’s only to get better. While this is only against second year players and rookies, it was a sneak peek at we as fans and as the league could expect.

Deandre Ayton was the number one overall pick in the draft by the Phoenix Suns. Ayton was also one of most talked about players in the Summer League. How did the former number one overall pick do in the Summer League? Will he be able to live up to the expectations and help get a young team like the Suns lead by franchise player Devin Booker into the playoffs and be taken more serious in the league? Ayton finished the summer league with an average of 14.5 points and 10.5 assists per game. A small sample of what Suns’ fans can expect from Ayton. For Ayton, he couldn’t be on a better team and situation. Booker will be able to dish it out to Ayton down low and score easy buckets and Ayton can grab some rebounds, something the Suns needed.

Kevin Knox, the number 10 overall pick in the draft by the New York Knicks. From the night of the draft, Knox had pressure on him to succeed; but not from the league or the sports media, but from the fans of the Knicks. There were some boos that were chanted the moment his name was called. The thing about the Knicks, is their fans always want the best, that’s just part of playing sports in New York. If you’re not the best, New York will run you out of town and will never forgive you at any time. Knox knew what he was getting himself into with the Knicks fans and he wanted to prove to them that the franchise made the right choice in drafting him. During the Summer League, he silenced those fans that booed him. Night after night, Knox showed cased his athleticism and his skills. His skills showed not only Knicks fans, but the entire league that he is a superstar in the making. The plus side of Knox is that he is only 18 years old. He has plenty of time to improve, mature, and reduce his flaws and make his case as one of the best basketball players the city of New York has ever seen.

How will this all transfer over to the regular season and how will it affect the regular season? For many rookies, they may not get the start they were hoping for. The players like Knox, Young, and Ayton, should all become starters by the time game one of the regular season begins. One of these three men should win ROTY next season. The teams may not make the playoffs the next couple of seasons but the fans should still be intrigued by their performance. Trae Young will lead the rookies in 3 pointers made, Ayton will be the best rookie big man and Knox will be the best overall rookie next season.

BruceJ