The rookies at the top of the 2022 draft class dominated the headlines at NBA Summer League as Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero put on a show in limited action. Yet the intrigue from the action in Las Vegas extends far beyond the performances from the league’s top rookies. The two-week exhibition is also a showcase for the league’s second-year players. As incoming sophomores look to make a leap in their second 82-game campaign, Summer League is a natural jumping-off point.
So which second-year players made the most notable impact in Summer League? Let’s highlight some of the top performers.
Moses Moody, Warriors
Moody could vault into Golden State’s rotation in 2022–23 after being tethered to the bench for much of the Finals. He was most impressive during the California Classic portion of Summer League, with a 34-point performance marking an impressive start to the summer. Moody flashed his myriad of talents in the standout performance. He hit a trio of threes and was able to punish defenses who ran him off the line, looking reminiscent of Swiss Army knives (Andre Iguodala and Leandro Barbosa come to mind) of the Warriors’ past. Moody’s offensive arsenal is impressive and he should thrive when flanked by the two greatest shooters in basketball history. How Moody contributes as a defender and rebounder could determine how much playing time he gets from Steve Kerr, especially considering the hole left by Gary Payton II’s departure.
Trey Murphy III, Pelicans
Murphy showed some spark as a pick-and-pop threat in limited minutes with New Orleans last season, draining 44.3% of his attempts from beyond the arc. He built upon his sporadic success as a rookie during his time in Las Vegas. The former Virginia Cavalier finished third among all players at Summer League in scoring as he averaged 26.5 points per game and, in a promising step, showed an increased willingness to attack defenses off the bounce. Murphy isn’t necessarily ever going to be a two-way force, though his game may be more well rounded than what we saw during his rookie season. Pairing his three-point marksmanship with quality rebounding and finishing at the rim will go a long way to solidifying a spot in New Orleans’s crowded rotation.
Quentin Grimes, Knicks
New York’s draft history over the past decade-plus is shoddy (to put it lightly), though the Knicks appear to have made a prudent decision when they selected Grimes in the first round in 2021. Grimes is an athletic 3-and-D wing with more ability off the bounce than he’s given credit for, and he had no trouble handling extra playmaking responsibility in Summer League. Grimes averaged 22.6 points per game in five Summer League contests, while spending significant time as a primary initiator. Perhaps Grimes will soon become a cornerstone of Utah’s rebuild in a potential Donovan Mitchell trade, but for now, Knicks fans can look to him as a potential building block in the franchise’s attempt at a return to relevance.
Cam Thomas, Nets
The LSU product quickly became a fan favorite last season as he helped keep the Nets afloat amid a slew of injuries and absences. Thomas poured in 20-plus points 10 times in his rookie season. With an undermanned squad, his microwave scoring ability proved crucial. A similar trend continued in Las Vegas. Thomas trailed only Moody in points per game and was one of four players to average double-digit free throw attempts per game. Perhaps a fair share of his buckets came from the effectively unlimited usage in Summer League, but there’s likely still a nugget of optimism to take from his Vegas performance. Thomas has already carved out a niche role for himself in the league as a promising bench scorer. Expect him to get an increased run in Brooklyn this season.
Josh Giddey, Thunder
Did the Australian point guard light up Summer League in his five-game summer stint? Not necessarily. But I’ll take any excuse possible to promote one of the league’s most delightful point guards. A taste of the Giddey-Holmgren connection is absolutely salivating. Let’s hope to see plenty of this across the next decade-plus.
