Three Lottery Picks Have Looked Impressive in NBA Summer League: Kevin Knox Leads the Way

Yes, it is just summer league, but these three lottery picks have looked impressive early.

Kevin Knox

New York Knicks first-round pick Kevin Knox is making quite the impression. We all knew Knox could shoot, but his flashes of athleticism have been breathtaking…

He also has shown ridiculous play-making abilities on the drive. Last night, Knox delivered a 29-point barrage against the Los Angeles Lakers, in which he went 5-7 from three and 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

Through three games, Knox is averaging 23.2 ppg and 7.3rpg, putting him in some great company:

Knicks fans have to be hyped about what Knox has done so far. Especially when you take into account he is only 18 years old!

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

SGA, as I like to call him, was one of my three biggest sleepers entering the draft and he has not disappointed me thus far. The Los Angeles Clippers No. 11 pick has been the best point guard I’ve seen through summer league.

SGA is smooth, has great length, and changes speeds like a Corvette. And oh yeah, he is just 19-years old. It was also great to see him explode offensively by posting a team-high 25 points in their loss to the Houston Rockets. He is averaging 19.7 ppg across his first three games.

Here is everything I love about his game, all in one play:

Wendell Carter Jr.

WCJ has been great in the Bulls’ first three games. He has showed off his shooting ability, great positional defense, and veteran-level confidence.

One of my biggest question marks for him was if he could defend smaller guys in space? That was answered as he looked just fine switching onto Trae Young and Collin Sexton.

Here are some highlights from last night:

And while we knew he was a good shot blocker, my second question was whether or not he could do it at the next level against better athletes. He’s answered that as well, swatting everything that has come his way. He has 11 blocks so far, second through all of summer league, with this one being my favorite:

His game should complement Lauri Markkanen’s perfectly. He has shown why so many were high on him before the draft.

The biggest thing I look for in summer league play is if the game is moving too fast for the rooks. All three of these are playing as if they have been in the league for years, while they should only be entering their second year of college. In my second year of college, I couldn’t even wake up for class, but that’s a different story all together. So while it is early and summer league, at least these three young bucks are giving their fan bases hope for the future.