Evaluating Summer League hoops is always something of a tricky beast.
Sometimes, it's hard to tell what's real and what isn't. What's a result of playing against non-NBA players versus what can be translatable to the highest level of competition. It's rather easy to get caught up in the excitement of young, untapped potential possibly being realized, only for it to be a mirage when wins and losses start mattering.
However, sometimes before your very eyes, you can just see "a leap" being made in both skill level and in confidence from players. It often occurs when a player gets comfortable with the speed of the game and has a full handle on his repertoire while also adding in skills that had previously been seen as a potential weakness.
In Orlando, that "leap" is being made by the Orlando Magic's Aaron Gordon. The versatile Magic forward has been far and away the best player at the event this week. In his first game, he scored 22 points and grabbed 18 rebounds and led the Magic to a one-point win over the Clippers. In his second game on Monday, he scored 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as his team fell. The production has been great, obviously given those numbers, but that's not the reason you can see this leap taking place. Rather, it's the way he has built upon his skills since entering the NBA.
Energy, athleticism and feel for the game had always been Gordon's calling cards coming out of Arizona. They continue to be strengths for what Gordon does well. However, his shooting had always been something of a disaster, as he only made 42 percent of his free throws and only took 45 3s in his lone season in college. According to Synergy, Gordon finished in the 11th percentile for all players shooting off of the dribble in college basketball that season. That lack of ability to space the floor had always seemingly resigned him to being an athletic, hustling 4 that could possibly be a playmaker on the perimeter for his teammates due to his excellent ball-skills and passing for a player at 6-9.
This week though, Gordon has been a new man. Just one year off of those struggles at Arizona, Gordon has revamped his mechanics on his jump shot, and in turn it has totally re-configured his potential ceiling as a player. Watch this shot from 15 months ago at Arizona in the NCAA Tournament (also taken from Synergy).
The hitch at the top of the shot is pretty obvious and problematic, but look at his legs too. He's getting very little bend his legs at all, making it a very rigid, stiff shot, meaning it's going to take a lot of time to get off. Whenever there are defenders closing out on you with length, having that kind of rigid shot is rough.
Here's what his shot looks like now,
The hitch at the top is gone, as he's moved his release point slightly to the right and smoothed out his shooting motion. Also, look at the way he's exploding off the floor to shoot by actually bending his legs as he gathers for his shot. It's much more fluid and dynamic, and will lead to better shooting off the dribble. Even if his shot hadn't been falling this week, it would have represented a step in the right direction for him. It points to sustainable growth out of this event, as opposed to simply dominating a weaker crop of players.
Of course, the key for Gordon now will be continuing to get reps with these mechanics, making it second nature by the time the games that count come along. If he ends up being a legitimate threat from out to the NBA 3-point line by the time real games start -- something that's apparently a possibility now -- we could be seeing a future all-star blossoming before our eyes in Orlando. And if he can shoot, that's exactly what Gordon's ceiling is, and it's exactly why Rob Hennigan and Magic front office picked him fourth overall in the loaded 2014 NBA Draft. Maybe it won't work out, but at the very least he's going to be one of the players I'm most interested in watching when November rolls around.
As for the rest of Summer League outside of Gordon? Here are some notes. As you'll see below, the other big story in Orlando is the play of the rookie class.
- Another player that has succeeded beyond expectations has been Myles Turner, the rookie out of Texas. I've written at length about why this 7-foot shot-blocking, 3-point shooting center fell on draft night. Already, he's looking to make teams regret on passing on him. In his first game, Turner scored 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and blocked three shots -- scoring in a variety of ways including from the 3-point line, in the mid-post with jumpers, on the block with turnarounds, and even by grabbing offensive boards for putbacks.
In his second game on Monday, he played possibly the most impressive two-way quarter of hoops that I've seen this week in the first, putting up six points, grabbing six rebounds, and blocking three shots while affecting at least four others at the rim. The ability to become a pick-and-pop weapon is already there, as he sets solid screens and floats out well into open space. Also, his defense is unquestionably a calling card due to his timing and length. However, the surprise has been his post game offensively, as the increased space in the mid-post area has really helped foster his step-back game. Also, his running gait looks much improved from his time at Texas, which is possibly the most important development he could make in his game this month. Potential problems that might preclude his ability to make an impact as rookie include struggles establishing his position in the post both when going up for rebounds and when trying to play on the block. But overall, this week has definitely been a success for him.
- Three other rookies drafted in the lottery who look solid: Justise Winslow, Stanley Johnson and Frank Kaminsky. Johnson has basically lived in the paint, showing off his solid variety of floaters in the paint and his ability to shoot off the dribble. Winslow has also gotten into the middle rather easily as one of the Heat's primary ball-handlers, and finished well around the rim. His energy and motor has also caused problems on defense. Kaminsky has been his typically crafty self on offense off the dribble, and his rebounding has been solid inside for Charlotte. Three high-IQ players performing well in Summer League shouldn't really be a surprise though, and it'll be interesting to see what happens once they start playing against the real thing.
- One rookie that has had an up-and-down week? Mario Hezonja for the Magic. Overall, he's been a bit tenative compared to what was expected of him, and struggled with his efficiency. But he also made a game-winning 3 for Orlando against the Clippers on Saturday, then also punched home this vicious dunk below on Monday against Oklahoma City's Richard Solomon. Not a bad week at all, but not one that will be memorable for him either.
- Mitch McGary is comfortably shooting 20-footers and making them with ease. That's pretty important for his development. His body also looks pretty svelte compared to how he came into the NBA, and he's moving really well. He might legitimately push someone out of that crowded Oklahoma City frontcourt rotation this year.
- Some undrafted free agents are making waves for their teams. Aaron Harrison took over as the lead ball-handler for Charlotte on Sunday and dropped a 16-point, eight-assist performance despite never really handling those responsibilities at Kentucky. He was also solid in Charlotte's first game against Oklahoma City. The shooting has still been problematic as he's gone 1-9 from 3-point range, but if he can play some point then his ceiling changes a bit due to his positional versatility. The Hornets might do well to sign him to a small guarantee now and see what they have in training camp. Another guy who played well this weekend was Ryan Boatright, who scored 23 points in the Nets second game on Sunday to lead the team. The problem with him is that he hasn't shown any signs of being a capable distributor on this level, which he kind of needs to be at 5-11. The key for him is being able to score against NBA length in preseason or training camp, and that's just not something you can judge based on this event.
- Finally, there have been a few solid non-roster invitees that have put themselves into position to get training camp deals. Chris Singleton had a terrific day on Monday, using his length and motor to cause problems. He'll probably have a shot to make a team somewhere. Adonis Thomas had a great season in the D-League last year, and has made 44 percent of his 3-point attempts. At only 22 years of age, he's still young enough to make an NBA impact. Miami's Willie Reed has been to three different training camps and hasn't made a roster yet. Maybe this year will be different, as he's providing a strong presence defensively inside as well as rebounding well in Orlando. Nate Wolters has impressed and could legitimately make the Clippers as a backup point guard behind Chris Paul.
