NBA Summer League storylines: Bronny James ready for breakout, No. 1 and No. 2 picks set for opening matchup

The main event on the NBA summer calendar begins Friday when the Las Vegas Summer League tips off from Sin City. The defending summer league champion Cleveland Cavaliers open the nearly two-week event by facing the Minnesota Timberwolves in one of seven games on the opening day slate.

The California Classic and the Salt Lake City Summer League offered exciting prelims and debuts for some of the top prospects from the 2024 NBA Draft. Some of the players appearing in their second summer league stint include Los Angeles Lakers guards Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey and Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams.

The younger James got off to a slow start in his summer league debut last weekend in Northern California and will look to bounce back from a shaky shooting performance. James and his Los Angeles summer league squad face No. 3 pick Reed Sheppard and the Houston Rockets in the fourth game of the event Friday. Zaccharie Risacher and the Atlanta Hawks face Alex Sarr and the Washington Wizards at Thomas & Mack Center in a marquee showdown between the top-2 picks from the 2024 NBA Draft. 

Here are the biggest storylines ahead of the Las Vegas Summer League:

Battle of No. 1 vs. 2 on opening night

One of the best traditions of the Las Vegas Summer League is seeing the top picks from the most recent draft go head-to-head. Despite the 2024 NBA Draft being lackluster with true star talent, the opening night matchup between the Wizards and Hawks is due to be one of the biggest storylines of the event. The Hawks jumped to the No. 1 overall pick and used that selection to draft Risacher.

While there wasn’t a clear consensus No. 1 prospect this cycle, Sarr was viewed as the closest thing to it. Sarr declined a predraft workout with Atlanta during the predraft process and fell to the Wizards with the next pick. The intrigue of the Hawks essentially “passing” on Sarr makes this matchup a must-watch. It’s a good thing basketball fans won’t have to wait long to see this showdown happen.

Will Bronny James respond?

James will be getting his second summer league stint starting on Friday when the Lakers face the Houston Rockets. The Lakers played three games in the California Classic dating back to last weekend and the No. 55 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft went through some hiccups early, finishing just 3-of-12 from the floor in two games.

The son of Lebron James only attempted three shots — all in the first half — during the final game against Miami. Bronny did contribute in other ways (seven rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals combined), but improving his shot — and finding it — should be a point of emphasis in Las Vegas. Bronny’s role in the NBA in the short and long term is likely as a 3-and-D player. He has the IQ and instincts to be a good defender in the NBA. It’s just going to come down to him hitting shots more consistently. Getting reps (and gaining confidence) in Las Vegas should do wonders.

Can Zach Edey continue his strong SL start?

One of the most polarizing prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft was Edey, the two-time reigning Naismith College Player of the Year. In the weeks leading up to the draft, Edey was viewed as more of a mid-first-round pick, but the Grizzlies didn’t let him slide out of the top-10 on draft night and selected him at No. 9. Edey is one of a handful of top-10 picks who have already seen summer league action. He finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks in 33 minutes against Utah in his summer league debut.

Edey is expected to take on a large role in his rookie season. The Grizzlies have had a glaring hole for a center on the roster since dealing Steven Adams at the deadline, so adding one of the top rebounders in college basketball was a smart choice. Although there could be some matchup problems in the NBA, there is potential that a frontcourt pairing of Edey and Jaren Jackson Jr. could work. Las Vegas should offer another big test to see how NBA-ready he is.

Breakout candidates to keep an eye on

Every year at summer league, there are always players who emerge as potential stars or summer league darlings. Here are five names (who were drafted outside the top 5 picks) to keep an eye on in Las Vegas.

• Jamal Shead, Toronto Raptors: The No. 45 pick in the draft has all the goods to be a summer league legend. Shead is one of the best on-ball defenders from the class and can wreck havoc on that end of the floor. Shead was one of the best players in college basketball last season and it wouldn’t be surprising if he made a name for himself in Las Vegas.
• Dillon Jones, Oklahoma City Thunder: Jones has already played in Salt Lake City and was one of the best players on the floor. The former Weber State standout scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds against the Jazz earlier this week.
• Rob Dillingham, Minnesota Timberwolves: One of the most crafty point guards in the class has all the upside to be the best player from this draft when it’s all said and done. Dillingham was a highlight machine in his lone season with Kentucky. His playstyle should impress fans in Las Vegas.
• Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans: With Jonas Valanciunas moving on to the Washington Wizards, Missi has a chance to be the Pelicans’ center of the future. The Baylor standout is still relatively new to basketball, but you would never know it. For a center, he is extremely fluid with his movements and is a rim-running, shot-blocking presence in the middle.
• Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies: Wells is another second-round prospect with a chance to impress this week. Wells scored 27 points and knocked down a game-winner against the 76ers earlier this week.