2023 Fantasy Basketball: Summer League Risers and Fallers

July 23, 2023

Daniel Leonard discusses several young NBA players whose stock increased or decreased after their 2023 Summer league performances.

Now that the draft has concluded and free agency has dried up, basketball fans are starving for more entertainment. The summer league is the most sought-after event by NBA fans because it gives them insight into what their future stars are going to be like at the next level and also because it's just really good basketball. The summer league has grown from a boring event that fans overlooked to the biggest basketball event of the summer. We finally see young players and rookies getting their first taste of NBA action. The summer league obviously is not the end-all-be-all, but it is a good measuring stick to see a player's strengths and weaknesses at the next level. For a few weeks in late June to early July, NBA fans get to witness the youngest stars in the league duel it out in Las Vegas, Utah, and Sacramento.

Today I'm going to be listing my risers and fallers from the summer league action. Im going to list three of each and these are just going to be players in general, not all of them are going to be rookies. But they are all going to be relatively young players. Now, my criteria for the risers are players who either played up to or exceeded expectations and therefore they could also be in line to contribute heavily at the NBA level. Now the criteria for my fallers are just guys who haven't shown any improvements or just seem to have plateaued even though they should be producing more.

From highly-touted young players to undrafted gems, let's discuss my risers and fallers from the 2023 NBA summer league action.

Summer League Risers

1. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

Chet Holmgren showed consistent flashes of being a generational talent.

After a year of rehab and sitting on the sidelines, we finally got to see some extended action from the former Gonzaga standout. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending Lisfranc injury during a pro-am game last offseason. Chet showed flashes last summer, too, but I wanted to see him do even better this time around. Chet returned to summer league action even better, in my opinion. Even though he is still getting his rhythm back on his jumper, he excelled in every other facet of the game. On the offensive side of the ball, Chet has finished at the rim at an absurdly efficient rate. He has started playmaking well in the half-court, his vision isn't elite, but it's well above average for most big men in the league. An underrated part of his game is his screening, he knows when to cut, pop out, or bump the defender at all times.

On the defensive side of the ball, Chet is truly an elite rim protector, his timing and instincts are second to none amongst his draft class. He averaged an absurd 3.5 blocks per game and controlled the paint. With 13 pounds of muscle added in the offseason, Chet was more willing to bang with players down low. Whether he is the lone big man or a roamer, he showed he can truly anchor a defense. The Thunder should be delighted with what they saw from their franchise center.

2. Jordan Walsh, Boston Celtics

Jordan Walsh displayed all-around dominance at both ends of the floor.

Coming into the draft, former five-star prospect Jordan Walsh had questions about whether he could consistently shoot and create for himself. These were some of the reasons I believe Walsh dropped into the second round, even though he flashed versatility in college. I think any questions were answered this summer, he showed that he put in the work and improved. Walsh consistently shot the ball efficiently from all levels of the court while also rebounding at a very high level. He finished the summer league averaging 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist while shooting 40% from three.

Walsh is a great defender, and it's always been one of his main calling cards. Walsh has over a 7'1 wingspan and has used it to routinely alter shots and make ball handlers uncomfortable. He could definitely find himself in a great bench role if he continues playing like this in the preseason. With Boston losing Grant Williams in free agency, they could use a 3 and D wing to replace him, and Walsh could perfectly step into that role.

3. Lester Quinones, Golden State Warriors

Quinones proved he can provide a consistent scoring spark. During the 2021 playoffs, Jordan Poole thrived alongside Steph and Klay to help the Warriors secure another title. But last year, Poole struggled immensely in the playoffs and constantly couldn't score efficiently or stay out of foul trouble. During the offseason, the Warriors opted to shed his contract and acquire another veteran ball handler, that guy being Chris Paul.

The Warriors are strapped for cash and need a Poole replacement, and in my opinion, that's where Quinones steps in. The 6'4 guard dominated last season in the G League and in the summer league this year.

Quinones averaged over 20 points a game in both leagues while making more than two threes a game. He has shown that he can be a ball handler, an off-ball shooter, and a secondary playmaker. Now, I don't expect him to play ample minutes next year, but I do think he deserves some burn, and this move could pay dividends for the Warriors just like Poole.

Summer League Fallers

1. James Bouknight, Charlotte Hornets

One way to describe Boukinight's performance this summer is "consistently inconsistent."

The former lottery pick, James Bouknight, was selected with the hopes of forming a dynamic backcourt with LaMelo Ball. Those dreams by the Hornets' front office have seemed to sail, but that doesn't mean he can't still carve out a role on their roster. Bouknight's short career has been plagued with inconsistent play and off-court troubles. I have still held out hope for his potential, but this summer league tenure made me really question if he's going to live up to his high selection.

Bouknight averaged just over 13 points a game on 38% shooting from the field and an even worse 27% from three. For a rookie, I would usually be more lenient on them, but Bouknight is heading into his third season, so this is not ideal. Bouknight has spent multiple seasons behind good guards and done plenty of Gleague assignments. So hopefully, with some more time away this offseason, he can finally start showing signs of putting it all together.

2. AJ Griffin, Atlanta Hawks

AJ Griffin really didn't show as much improvement as I hoped for as he heads into his sophomore season.

During last year's draft, AJ Griffin dropped due to durability concerns, and the Hawks undeniably got a steal at pick sixteen. In the limited minutes that Griffin got on the Hawks, he averaged nearly nine points per game while shooting 46% from the field and 39% from three. The great off-ball shooting that Griffin provided had many fans labeling him as a guy who could become very valuable. The next step in his development was his self-creation and ball handling, but in his short summer league stint, he showed none of that.

Griffin put up the same amount of points as his regular-season tenure, but this time with horrible efficiency. He shot 27% from the field and 30% from three. Griffin, rightfully so, will be a major piece in the Hawks rotation next year, so these numbers are not good. I still believe that Griffin will be a good NBA player, but I'm questioning if he can improve even more when given more responsibilities.

3. Noah Clowney, Brooklyn Nets

When mock draft season came around, I had Noah Clowney as a very underrated prospect. I really loved his ability to stretch the floor and defend multiple positions consistently. I loved the fit of Clowney with the Nets because I believed that they needed a backup big and that Clowney could fill that role. But, based on this summer league, I believe that Clowney will have to really fight to take away that spot from Day'Ron Sharpe.

Clowney only averaged 4.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. He also shot a very lackluster 22% from the field and 23% from three. I still hold out the belief that Clowney will translate his potential into some solid minutes, but for now, it looks like he needs a little adjustment period. Clowney just turned 19 years old this month, so he's very young and still has an abundance of time on his side.

Ok, so that's going to be the end of my list. I tried to be as transparent as I possibly could so that you could understand my views and points behind why each player was either a riser or a faller.

I didn't want to be too harsh on most of the younger players in my fallers, but I feel like expectations play a big part in that. The draft slot and what your team needs from you are also factored into that. The risers were simply all guys who played up to or exceeded their original expectations. I felt like those three guys really showed some great flashes that could definitely translate over to the regular season.

If you have any disagreements or just comments with any player on these lists, just talk to me on Twitter at @danieldleonard7.

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