LAS VEGAS – The best thing about the summer league is the people.
You look to your right and the logo himself, Jerry West, is seated on the baseline watching young players, most of whom don’t recognize him and will never reach his lofty heights.
To the right of him, it’s Golden State coach Steve Kerr and Mike Krzyzewski, no doubt talking about USA Basketball matters.
Then it’s Josh Giddey and an Oklahoma City entourage watching a Thunder game.
For basketball history nuts and hard-core fans, it’s the best people watching in Vegas – except for maybe the Strip at midnight.
So many people converge on the summer league and that includes a large portion of the scouts and assistant coaches who pay close attention to the goings-on around the NBA.
I ran into one of the longtime league observer on Wednesday before the Mavericks’ game and, unsolicited, had only one message to relay:
“Prosper is going to be a really, really good player for the Mavs.”
That would be O-Max Prosper, the No. 24 overall draft pick last month out of Marquette.
Prosper, by the way, has not disappointed in the summer league, averaging 11.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and hitting a solid 36.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Suffice it to say that people around the league whose livelihood it is to be up on who’s trending upward among players are high on Prosper.
And now, on with the summer-league edition of the mailbag.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Really? You called Dwight Powell a pillar of the franchise? A pillar of mediocrity, maybe. Hector G.
BIG ED: I got several variations of this question after the Mavericks re-signed the veteran center. And it’s not really a great question, but I feel compelled to provide some insight for all the Dwight Powell haters out there. Unless you are a superstar, this league is not solely about the numbers you post in a box score. There are assets beyond that and some players have them in abundance. When you have two young big men (Dereck Lively II and O-Max Prosper) who the Mavericks hope will become cornerstones of the franchise, it helps to have a role model around like Powell. The kids will see his work ethic, how he takes care of his body and his attitude and realize those things are important. And Powell will teach these kids the best way to maximize a pick and roll for easy lob buckets. On top of that, he cares about this franchise. A lot. He does superior work in the community and, quite frankly, he’s often the smartest person in the room. And the kicker to all that is that he’s been a bargain at the salaries he’s made (and is making).
QUESTION: Who is Braxton Key? The name does not sound familiar at all. Any intel on him? Joseph S.
BIG ED: We don’t know a lot about him, either. He did average 8.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in nine games with Detroit at the end of the 2021-22 season. But he was waived by the Pistons after playing just three games for them last season. At 6-8, he’s got freakish athletic ability, and he has one of the most famous uncles any NBA player could have, Ralph Sampson. There are reports that he will sign a two-way contract with Denver, so that pretty much ends our need to know anything further about him at this point.
QUESTION: What have been your biggest takeaways from the summer league games? Ronnie G.
BIG ED: Other than the fact that Houston brought about half of its rotation players and Jabari Smith Jr. scoring at will against weaker competition, I was impressed with the way Dereck Lively II and O-Max Prosper seized the opportunity in Vegas. They weren’t overwhelmed. But they also didn’t look like they were ordained to be there. They just took care of business. And learned a lot in a short amount of time.
QUESTION: Where do you like to eat (and by that, I mean eat well) in Vegas? Kim W.
BIG ED: Finally, a question in my wheelhouse. And I get where you’re coming from. Too often in my younger days I was too busy pouring money into the slots or on the green-felt tables and would often ignore hunger, finding the first burger I could at midnight or beyond. But I’ve learned through the years. I have to confess my favorite spot isn’t really all that lavish, but I love having the stone crabs at Joe’s in the Caesars Forum Shops. I only can get them when I’m here or in Miami and there happens to be an off day between games. The only problem is that it’s a per diem destroyer. My other go-to spots would be the Eiffel Tower restaurant (but only with wifey) and a place on Fremont Street that I can’t recall the name of but is sort of a subterranean hole in the wall. Beyond that, it’s hard to go wrong in Vegas if you’re hungry. The places on the Linq promenade are mostly good and if all else fails, every franchise in the world has a store in Vegas.
Twitter: @ESefko
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