Knicks Summer League: 3 Realistic Truths and Takeaways After Vegas
If only what happened in Vegas stayed in Vegas.
That's not the case for the NBA's Summer League, as the developmental showcase often spells hastily-assembled hope or gloom for fans of the 30 teams. Lottery teams hit the jackpot, as it's a chance for them to show off their high-capital rookie talents acquired at the draft. Recent playoff victors can take a more relaxed approach to the proceedings, though that will hardly stop die-hard observers clinging to any remnant of basketball they can from overanalyzing and speculating.
The New York Knicks find themselves in the latter category for the first time in a while. Last summer saw them stage a run to the Vegas championship, primarily paced by the efforts of future starter Quentin Grimes. But with draft picks dealt away in the name of ending a 10-year playoff series victory drought, the Knicks took on a relatively muted prescience in Sin City this time around.
Even with relatively low-budget surroundings, the Knicks' summer group produced some truths and landmarks for the rest of the offseason and a fateful 2023-24 campaign ...
The Obi Toppin Era Isn't Over
What's done is done when it comes to Obi Toppin's transfer to the Indiana Pacers: if the Knicks are going to press forward through a vital playoff defense with as little drama as possible, Toppin had to go no matter how meager the return. That doesn't excuse the fact that he left quite a void behind, one that Isaiah Roby doesn't appear fully capable of filling at the present moment.
It's no secret that the Knicks have plans for Roby. They wouldn't have paid him six figures to sit on the bench for their regular season finale without a good reason. Roby donned a Knicks jersey for the first time in Las Vegas and produced mixed results: he certainly found a rhythm in his final game against Boston (17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, six trips to the foul line) but lost 10 turnovers and committed 12 fouls. His four games in Vegas certainly didn't hint that he's ready to take on major minutes.
Considering he's working his way back from an ankle injury, Roby shouldn't be fully vilified for summer shortcomings. But there's no denying that the Knicks are set to enter August with no replacement for Toppin in an NBA environment where the power forward market is fairly thin.
Donte DiVincenzo seems poised to take over his spot in the nine-man rotation but is far from equipped to back up Randle. Traditional center Jericho Sims could potentially step up, though the Knicks will have to monitor his own medical progress as he returns from shoulder surgery. Finding a spell option for Randle, who was well on his way to appearing in 82 games before a late injury, will be especially vital with potential extra regular season games looming in the inaugural In-Season Tournament.
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Jaylen Martin Has an NBA Future
From the get-go, it was clear there was no Grimes in the group. Any autumn impact, and beyond, from the summer participants, at least in this coming campaign, would come in Westchester rather than Manhattan.
Packed with projects, by far the most intriguing on the team was 19-year-old Jaylen Martin, an Overtime Elite alum who previously worked with Knicks veteran turned coach Charlie Ward in high school. After a tough start, Martin kept pace with some of the more experienced names in Summer League, averaging 13 points in three games and ranking third on the Knicks in offensive rating (second at 110 if one-game participant DaQuan Jeffries is removed). He saved the best for last, sinking the game-winner in overtime to close out the Knicks' first win over Orlando.
“He did some good things and some things he needs to work on,” Summer League head coach Dice Yoshimoto said of Martin, per Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “Anybody coming into this league either from college or OTE has to learn how to be a pro. Since the draft, he’s done that. He’s been in the gym all day. He’s a gym rat. He wants to learn. He wants to get better. (The) sky is the limit for him.”
It'll take some time in the G League (plus a couple years' aging, maybe another tour of Vegas next summer to go with it) for Martin to fully hone his craft, but his professional affairs are off to a promising start.
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Dice's Summer Job
Yoshimoto's work this time around, his third year as the Knicks' summer boss, might be more impressive than the championship trek from last year. Whereas the 2022 group hinted at what was to come in the form of Grimes (as well as part-time contributors Sims and Miles McBride), this year's group embarked upon the Vegas run with no roster guarantees and no recent draft picks.
They still mustered two wins, including one against a rebuilding Orlando Magic team using the Vegas showcase for its intended purpose of fostering freshmen. With the exception of a listless showing against the semifinalists from Brooklyn (the second half of a back-to-back to open things up), no game was ever over for the Knicks, either. The Orlando game was a comeback from 13 down in the second half while their finale against Denver saw the deficit reach as high as 20 before they took a few small leads in the final frame.
All of that came without the talents of some of the would-be attractions: Jeffries played just one game while Jacob Toppin sat out entirely due to an injury.
Yoshimoto will return to his regular role as a Knicks assistant. Considering the talent he has helped fostered (i.e. Grimes, Immanuel Quickley) and the progress he has made over three years as a major decision-maker, it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see him take on expanded duties, be it in New York or elsewhere.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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