10 Things: First impressions on Raptors rookies, Wembanyama dominates in Summer League

LAS VEGAS -- Here are 10 takeaways from Sunday night's games in the 2023 Las Vegas NBA Summer League.

1. Through two games, the unfortunate impression is that the Toronto Raptors have less talent as compared to the competition. They feature one first-round pick, a pair of undrafted two-way players, and a collection of fringe NBA hopefuls. While pedigree doesn’t necessarily define quality, their play also did nothing to show otherwise. It doesn’t help that the execution and discipline are also lacking: The Raptors hacked Isaiah Mobley like he was Shaquille O’Neal in the paint, and Toronto’s shooters forced contested jumpers and airballed wide open tries. Thankfully, Summer League games are entirely inconsequential to the games that count, but it’s disappointing to see the Raptors’ roster be so empty as compared to the competition.

2. Gradey Dick is getting every opportunity to find his rhythm at the next level. The majority of plays after timeout were actions to get Dick to get open coming off a screen, and he wasn’t shy to trying his luck. Dick’s one-on-one game is lacking as he struggles to turn the corner and explode downhill, and even the one look he converted was a turnaround fadeaway that just rimmed in. The good news is that Dick works diligently away from the ball to get open, and is never shy of shooting even if his feet are tangled or if he is a step inside the arc. He forced his scoring in the first half and adjusted well in the second half by making the next pass to his screening partner when two defenders converged. Defensively, Dick struggled against size but compensated by using good instincts to collect rebounds. 

3. Markquis Nowell is the other reason to tune in. It’s easy to automatically root for a 5-foot-7 guard determined to beat the odds, but his game also backs it up. Nowell uses his size to his advantage as he has a knack for squeezing through the smallest gaps to create paint touches. From there, his best option is the pass, which he delivers with craft and creativity. Not only does he make the read, but he’ll use tricks like disguising the pass by intentionally looking at the wrong player, or throwing in a quick “Rondo fake” to create as much space as possible for his teammate to finish. Unfortunately, his playmaking becomes less effective if he can’t score, and his size limits him to taking the most difficult shots. His best weapon off the dribble is the floater which he likes to shoot off the glass, but he relies on touch to finish since the contest typically limits his sight of the rim. His pull-up shooting is a strength, but he resorts to shooting from in excess of 30 feet just to get the separation to compensate for the height disparity.   

4. The returning Raptors prospects have been disappointments through two games. Ron Harper Jr. looks more comfortable with the ball and initiating action as compared to when he is playing off the catch, but his playmaking (five assists against five turnovers in two games) doesn’t compensate for just being okay at scoring. Joe Wieskamp was signed midway though last season as a shooting specialist, but he is forcing his shot to the point where he’s compromising his efficiency. There were some attempts in Sunday’s loss where Wieskamp would have his feet pointed perpendicular to the basket, not even gathering himself as he sprinted full speed into shots that weren’t there, so it’s no surprise that he is 2-for-11 so far. Harper Jr. has been in the program for a year, and Wieskamp has been here seven months, yet they looked more out of place than some of the spare Summer League fillers. 

5. The two prospects to watch for are Mouhamadou Gueye and Moses Brown. Gueye does a lot of what the Raptors already have — he’s long, lanky and fearless in how he uses his athleticism — but his skillset needs more refinement. Brown has already played for six NBA teams in three seasons, but it’s never a bad idea to have a legitimate 7-footer with soft hands. Brown would help his case a lot more if he defended with urgency. Both would be better fits in the G-League than the 15-man roster. If the Raptors are trying to fill the last spot, there are better candidates on other Summer League rosters.

6. The most anticipated game of the night was Victor Wembanyama’s bounce-back 27-point effort between the San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers. Any hope of a rematch against No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson was dashed when the Trail Blazers guard picked up an injury earlier in the weekend, but Wembanyama carried the show on his own. The No. 1 pick makes freakish plays that you simply don’t see from any other player. His slender frame and slim shoulders are a concern because he can be bumped from his spots, but the 7-foot-5 centre simply reaches over the top for the shots he wants. It’s not that shot contests don’t affect him so much as they don’t even reach him. Wembanyama showed the full package, nailing two threes, a couple of midrange fadeaways, and forcing his way into 12 trips to the foul line. On a play in the second quarter, Wembanyama slipped free for a short floater on the baseline, missed the shot long, and even though there was a defender squarely under the basket, Wembanyama managed to stretch his 8-foot wingspan over to collect the rebound before throwing down the put-back dunk from the other side. He is already on the short list for players you simply must see live. 

7. Wembanyama’s teammate Dom Barlow was a clear standout and he is due for a new contract. The 6-foot-9 forward looked very comfortable handling, screening, and scoring out of dribble handoffs, and was consistent on the midrange jumper. He took it end to end for an athletic finish, was active on the glass, and impressive on defence — most notably when he bottled up Shaedon Sharpe in isolation. Despite being shorter than Wembanyama by nearly a foot, Barlow played more time at centre and was consistently in good positions both guarding at the line or in the paint. That's a skillset that should fit on most teams.

8. Atlanta Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin excelled in a win on Sunday, nailing four threes as part of a 17-point, 6-assist effort. The crafty Michigan guard was a strong candidate for the Raptors at the 13th pick as he came in for two workouts, but Toronto ultimately went with Dick. It's easy to see why Bufkin would have filled a need — he's a very smooth point guard who is capable of getting his own shot or setting up his teammates. He's not nearly as accomplished as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but there is a similarity in the tempo of how they operate. Both players have very quick first steps, and are able to stretch and de-accelerate to put defenders out of position before they get to their shots. Bufkin is also a willing passer — he whipped a gorgeous pass from the left wing into the deep right corner off the dribble over top of two defenders — and seems very comfortable playing both on and off the ball. He's the type of player that is missing on the current Raptors roster.

9. Dyson Daniels of the New Orleans Pelicans was the standout in the last game of the night. Last year's No. 8 pick is still just 20 and continues to build on an impressive frame. His game is reminiscent of his Australian countryman Ben Simmons, in that Daniels is a standout athlete who uses it to great effect on defence and with his playmaking. Daniels is technically a 6-foot-7 point guard, but he timed his rotation perfectly for a block on a dunk, leapt to intercept passing lanes, and showed stellar conditioning with 15 rebounds including six on the offensive end. If the three-point shot (2-for-10) ever comes around for him, Daniels will be a very good player in the coming years.

10. The defending champion Denver Nuggets rolled deep to their Summer League matchup on Sunday. Sitting courtside were Aaron Gordon, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Christian Braun, DeAndre Jordan, Reggie Jackson, head coach Mike Malone and general manager Calvin Booth to see four of their teammates in the starting lineup. Contrast that to the Raptors, who had two players (Christian Koloko and Chris Boucher) at their game at 12:30 p.m.