Las Vegas Summer League, Day 8; The Stars Align

With just three days of games remaining on the Las Vegas Summer League schedule, the end is in sight. That’s a shame, because Thursday’s Day 7 action was exhilarating. The high point came in a 5PM match-up between Washington and Dallas during which Harvard product Jeremy Lin put the “Lin” in “Ballin’!!!!!” as he went toe-to-toe and spin-for-spin with John Wall. Wall, as he usually does, rose to the challenge, bringing home the win despite an inefficient shooting night from the field. While Wall managed the offense better than his earlier games this week, his biggest strength on the night was his ability to draw fouls, as it seemed he spent half the night toeing up at the charity stripe.

Friday presents an exciting slate, as the three best rookie performers in Las Vegas -- Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Larry Sanders -- are all on tap. Keep reading for a full rundown of the day’s action. And be sure to check out Ridiculous Upside’s preview too.

The bland mediocrity of Wednesday’s action was given a jolt by Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins, who capped a sensational performance with a game-winning jump off in the closing seconds of a win over the Minnesota. To add insult to injury for the Timberwolves, their top pick Wesley Johnson watched from the bench, as the player he will forever be linked to ran roughshod over, under, around and through his team’s bigs.

All eyes turn back to John Wall on Thursday; Washington’s two day absence from official play has felt like an eternity. He might not face a better guard in Las Vegas than Dallas’s Rodrigue Beabois, and press row is already atwitter at the thought of their match-up more than four hours before tip.

The long, hot wait for John Wall’s return continues, with the Wizards set to take the court Thursday evening. Apparently the Wizards couldn’t wait either, scheduling an informal scrimmage with the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday afternoon. Word is Wall impressed (as always).

Seven official games are on the docket again today, headlined by Demarcus Cousins’s team (Sacramento) vs. the team that should have drafted him (Minnesota). Will the summer’s single most dominant big man look to send a message?

There was a world of difference between Monday and Tuesday here at Summer League, and it’s no big mystery why: Washington Wizards point guard John Wall wasn’t playing, so the attendance was cut roughly in half and the buzz was reduced in a big way. Nevertheless, Tuesday had its share of good games, including a buzzer-beater between Memphis and Milwaukee.

Let’s take a look at the day’s standout players.

After back-to-back days of big excitement, owing to John Wall’s first two games as a Washington Wizard, the mood in Las Vegas is slightly dampened as its headline act takes a day off. Nevertheless, seven games dot the schedule with a number of intriguing prospects dotting the schedule and two teams making their first appearances.

Don’t miss Ridiculous Upside’s preview.

There were four games played today but really all anyone cared about was the debut of number 1 pick John Wall. Having sat baseline for this momentous occasion I can truly say, he’s worth the hype.

The most impressive thing, beyond his amazing speed and basketball skill, was his floor leadership. Some guys just run the show when they are on the court. Chris Paul is like that. So is Kobe Bryant. John Wall has that as well. I could clearly hear him directing his teammates including the Wizards JaVale McGee who is two years his NBA senior.

For the most part, the NBA Summer League is an intimate, but sparsely-attended event that features a lot of empty seats even in the tiny Cox Pavilion. Truth be told, there may be more “inside” NBA people (general managers, media, agents, players, etc.) at each game than there are fans.

There is, however, one major exception to this rule: whenever the number one pick in the NBA Draft makes his debut, the place fills up. It happened last year with Los Angeles Clippers No. 1 pick Blake Griffin. Today, it will happen with Wizards rookie John Wall.

If you watch enough basketball in Las Vegas odd things are bound to happen. Maybe it’s the National Anthem being performed by a former Vegas show girl being accompanied by a drummer or maybe it’s an referee dressed as Elvis Presley.

One of those things actually happened today. Use your imagination.

Today marks the beginning of the true basketball addict’s event: the Las Vegas Summer League. Over the next ten days, 22 teams composed of their own young players and several other random ones will play five games each out in the sweltering heat. It’s basketball at it’s purest, which is coincidentally why NBA addicts love it.

Today’s Day 1 slate features eight games, and we’ll be updating you on them here in this stream. Here’s the full schedule: