ESPN Summer League 5x5 - Praise for Collins & Young

[AHF]

http://kwese.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24104356/nba-summer-league-best-worst-most-surprising-rookies-5-5-debate

Quote

2. Who was the best veteran you saw at summer league?

Han: The annual "This sophomore is too good for this" award goes to John Collins of the Hawks. It took all of one half of his first game to confirm many people's suspicions he had squeezed every bit of knowledge one can from summer league as he popped and rolled at will. Honorable mentions go to the Lakers' Josh Hart (seemingly a lock for Vegas MVP) and OG Anunoby, who had most asking themselves, "Shouldn't guarding LeBron in the playoffs exempt you from summer league duties?"

Pelton: John Collins. Collins was one of three second-year players who made the All-Rookie Second Team to suit up in Las Vegas, and while the other two (Josh Jackson and Dennis Smith Jr.) were uneven because of poor shot selection -- more on that later -- Collins led all scorers with 24.0 points per game in his two appearances. Collins wasn't quite that good at the Utah Jazz summer league before reaching Vegas, but it was always evident that he was the most talented player on the court.

Snellings: John Collins. He only played in the first two games, but he was highly productive in those outings. Collins was more of a rebounder and interior presence for the Hawks as a rookie, but in Vegas, he went after his offense aggressively and showed that he has the chops to score if called upon. He even knocked down 5 of 10 3s in those two games, showing off a perimeter scoring ability that could give him an entirely new dimension as a floor-spacer, if he can carry it over to the regular season.

Schmitz: It's hard to call 20-year-old second-year big man John Collins a veteran, but as far as non-rookies go, Collins shined the brightest. The most important takeaway revolves around Collins' improved 3-ball, with what looked like a translatable stroke. Collins and rookie sensation Trae Young appear to be building a Steve Nash-Amar'e Stoudemire-like rapport, as Young is one of the 2018 class' best passers, and Collins' ability to space the floor both vertically and as a shooter makes the duo one of the most lethal young pick-and-roll pairings in the league. Collins still has his shortcomings as a team defender and a passer, but his improved shooting and chemistry with Young should culminate in a huge sophomore season.

Quote

3. Who was the biggest surprise?

Snellings: Trae Young caught plenty of negative assessments before the draft that suggested he had huge bust potential, and then he went out and had multiple poor shooting performances in the Utah Summer League to lower expectations further. However, I watched him in three different Vegas games and he looks legit to me. Not so much for the shooting ability -- though he did score more than 20 points in all three full-length games -- but more because of his ability to break down a defense and set up teammates off the pass. His scoring is streaky, and he doesn't get the greatest separation. However, his pure point guard skills are NBA-ready, and with the scoring as a secondary threat, he looks like a strong pro prospect with great upside.

Quote

5. What's your one big takeaway from summer league?

Schmitz: The Rookie of the Year race is wide-open. As we said all year long, there's no clear pecking order in terms of the best long-term prospects to come out of the 2018 draft, which should make this upcoming season that much more exciting. It remains completely up in the air which big man will turn into the best player five years down the road. Point guards Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Collin Sexton all had their highlights in Vegas, with each bringing something different to the table yet none looking like the definitive top PG prospect. Then there's jumbo playmaker Luka Doncic, who could be the best prospect of them all -- yet we likely won't see him until the preseason. The 2017 draft class took the league by storm, but the somewhat unpredictable 2018 class might not be far behind.

Pelton: Without even playing a game, Doncic solidified his position as the best prospect in the 2018 draft in my opinion. Ayton was as physically dominant as anticipated and would have performed far better had his teammates been better equipped to set him up. Yet Ayton's performance reinforced my concerns about how much impact he'll make defensively, which goes double for Bagley, who shot 33.3 percent between Vegas and the California Classic. And while I wouldn't overreact to Trae Young's poor shooting early in summer play, I feel even more strongly that I wouldn't have passed on Doncic for any of those three players.

 

[REHawksFan]

Excited about Collins.  I think him and Prince will be really good this year.  I'm not sure how long it will take Trae to get his feet under him, but once he does, I think that core will be very impressive.  Call me an optimist or a sunshine and lollipops guy, but I'm excited about the young guys going forward.  And that starts this year.  

[JayBirdHawk]

Collins - 1st in points

Dorsey - 5th in rebounds (this is really impressive)

Trae - 5th in assists (how many more could he have from Landlock alone)

[AHF]

9 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Collins - 1st in points

Dorsey - 5th in rebounds (this is really impressive)

Trae - 5th in assists (how many more could he have from Landlock alone)

The only knock I'll give to Dorsey is that it was a two game sample size which I doubt he could sustain.  Where I'll give him props is that he is a very good rebounder for a guard and I expect that to be the best part of his game coming into this season (i.e., the part of his game that will be the most above average for players at his position).