Why NBA Summer League actually matters
In our season finale of the Limited Upside podcast, we dive deep into Summer League with two writers who were there.
NBA Summer League is over, and what a fun Summer League it was. There was Lonzo Ball mania. There were big performances by Dennis Smith Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Jayson Tatum, and other rookies. There were Lakers fans. A lot of Lakers fans.
SBNation.com NBA writers Tim Cato and Kristian Winfield were in Las Vegas at different points, so we checked in with them on what they saw. Among the topics discussed:
- Was Ball as good as advertised? Will his game translate against even better athletes?
- What was most eye-opening about Smith Jr.?
- How do we know if Summer League performances actually have any carryover effect?
- What’s going on with the young Nets? What about the even younger Suns?
- Cato talks more about his story on why the NBA’s new two-way contract provision isn’t the panacea it may seem.
- Who were the non-marquee players that impressed us most?
Both writers covered a lot of topics from Vegas. Here are links to their best work.
This is our final episode of the 206-17 season. We hope you enjoyed the ride. There (probably) won’t be a podcast next week, unless Ben Epstein decides to mess around.
THAT SAID, we will be coming back strong with our 2017-18 team-by-team preview series, starting on Aug. 1. Just like last year, we’ll be recording individual preview podcasts for all 30 NBA teams with fans and experts from around the SB Nation network. Want to get the real pulse of each team’s fanbase? You’ll want to listen to these episodes.
We’ll have more details in the next few days, but it all begins on Aug. 1 with the Brooklyn Nets, featuring SBNation.com’s Kristian Winfield and Nets Daily reporter Anthony Puccio.
Until then, enjoy the last Limited Upside of the season, and we’ll see you in August.
