2023 NBA Summer League Standouts

The 2023 NBA Summer League has officially ended and we got a great look at all the incoming rookies. Some of the rookies were really impressive, but who were the standout first-year players this summer?

The 2023 NBA Summer League was a fun one as we got to see a ton of talented rookies make their NBA debuts and we saw some potential breakout candidates for second and third year players. Let’s dive into the three of the top rookies throughout the summer league.

Cam Whitmore | Houston Rockets

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Cam Whitmore was drafted No. 20 overall by the Houston Rockets which was considered one of the biggest surprises on draft night as most scouts saw him as a top five prospect. He was able to silence a lot of the teams that passed up on him as he proceeded to lead his team to the summer league championship game and he won the summer league MVP award.

The former Villanova wing is one of the most explosive wings out of the 2023 NBA draft. He has an NBA ready frame and is extremely talented as a scorer. His shot selection and in-between game still has some work that needs to be done but he still has a long career ahead of him to improve upon those things. The 6-foot-7 forward averaged 20.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and three steals per game.

Keyonte George | Utah Jazz

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Keyonte George was drafted No. 16 overall by the Utah Jazz. He is one of the most talented shot-makers and scorers out of the entire 2023 NBA draft class. We were able to see the former Baylor guard initiate the offense a lot of the times and showcase his point guard skills. Most scouts see George as a combo guard except one scout I talked to previously believes George is more suited as a point guard rather than a shooting guard in the NBA.

Consistency and decision-making are the two noticeable areas of improvement for George but both of those areas looked much better during his games in the summer league. With him being on a middle of the pack Jazz team he’ll have the ability to learn how to play winning basketball while also getting the repetitions needed to properly develop. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 18.7, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game.

Hunter Tyson | Denver Nuggets

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Hunter Tyson was drafted 37th overall by the Denver Nuggets. He has an interesting story to the NBA. In early April the former Clemson forward wasn’t found on any draft boards but after showcasing his talent before suffering an injury in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament he was able to sneak his way into some draft boards.

He proceeded to get invited to the G League Elite Camp where he was clearly one of the best shooters in the entire event with size which led to him getting a NBA Draft Combine invite. Now we were able to see what made Tyson so valuable as it’s a bit rare to find an elite shooter with size that can consistently make winning plays. The 6-foot-8 wing averaged 20.8 points, six rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.

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